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Thieves are targeting high-end bicycles in Basalt

Eight bikes worth a combined $35,000 have been snatched over the past seven weeks

Basalt police are warning owners of high-end bicycles to secure them indoors when out of use because of recent thefts.

‘We’ve had a rash of them since the end of June,” Lt. Aaron Munch of Basalt Police Department said Friday. “Last night we had two.”

The Thursday night thefts occurred in Willits.



All told, eight mountain bikes have been lifted in about seven weeks. The values range from $1,200 to $10,000.

The crooks, Munch said, are “very brazen.” They have struck throughout town. One bike was taken off the porch of a house while others were snatched from garages. Two were taken after cables attaching bikes to racks were cut. Others were yanked from their perch on the tailgate on the back of pickups.




Thieves have been targeting Aspen and Snowmass Village as well through the summer. That is relatively common. Thefts have been less prevalent downvalley.

“We get thefts here every once in a while but not as much as in the last month-and-a-half,” Munch said.

It is clear that the person or persons know bicycles because they are targeting higher end rides, Munch said. He suspects they are stripping them down and selling parts.

He said having a bike on a private vehicle doesn’t deter the thief or thieves. Nor do they shy away from entering private property such as porches and garages or even cutting cables. Places that may have been safe for storage in the past are no longer secure. Munch advised storing bikes in a closed garage or secured backyard or even bringing them inside a residence.

Police have video from a surveillance camera and are working to identify a suspect. Anyone with information about the thefts should call Basalt Police Department at 970-927-4316.

scondon@aspentimes.com