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Be on the lookout for Erik Nohlin’s stolen custom Specialized bikes

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If you’ve ever had a bike stolen, you know how badly it sucks. Now multiply that by six bikes that are highly custom and very hard to replace. Major bummer. That’s the unfortunate situation Erik Nohlin, the Creative Leader at Specialized, has found himself in and he’s hoping for your help.

After moving into a new house in San Francisco, Erik’s garage was broken into and all six of his bikes – works of art, really, were stolen. He’s hoping someone might spot one or all of them and aid in their return. Currently, there is a $1000 reward, no questions asked.

Starting at the top of the list, the first bike stolen was a Red Hook Milano Specialized Allez Track bike which was one of four made for the race.

Size 56. One of four bikes custom made for Red Hook Milano 2016. Custom paint by Erik Nohlin (me) Raw Aluminum frame with black wordmarks. Matching custom carbon painted bars, seat post and fork with a black and white pill pattern. Roval CLX 60 custom finished carbon wheels. Rear wheel looks like wood and front like marble. Miche silver hubs and Dura-Ace silver cranks. Saddle has a red ball mounted to it #fintotech More images on Instagram / Internet under #atributetoettore

Next up is the 40th Anniversary Edition Specialized Allez 74.

Size 56. One of a kind. Reynolds steel frame and fork. Designed by Mark Di Nucci. Custom paint by Erik Nohlin (me), Orion silver to black with a silver flake. Silver Campagnolo Athena group set. Roval custom drilled tubulars 32 holes with FMB cotton tubular tires. Erik Nohlin signature is painted on top tube and downtube under the clear coat and the Mark DiNucci signature on the drive side chain stay. More images on Instagram / Internet under #74allezproject

And a custom rust AWOL Transcontinental.

Size 54. One of a kind. Painted in real rust, easily recognizable. Chromed chain stay. Sawtooth tan wall 42c tires and full Sram Rival groupset. More images on Instagram / Internet under #rustawol
4.

Not even the e-bike wasn’t spared, though this is one super nice Specialized Turbo.

Size 54. Painted matte black. One of two bikes in the world with an aero seat post and split seat stays for belt drive + eccentric BB. It doesn’t look like a stock Specialized Turbo. Hub motor says “Hardcore” in Silver Sharpie. Has a front Soma cargo rack.

A very custom, one week old Specialized S-Works Diverge was also nabbed.

Size 56. Brand new, one week old. Painted by me in a Chartreuse green with chameleon (color changing) wordmarks. “Erik Fucking Nohlin” is handwritten on top tube and “Paint by Erik Fucking Nohlin” is handwritten under the clear coat on the seat tube. Saddle, bartape and gas tank are chameleon and reflective. Full SRAM Force 1x

Lastly, a brand new Specialized Sequoia Expert.

Size 56. Brand new, ridden once. Stock build on a 2018 paint sample. Paint is charcoal to black vertical fade with a reflective clear coat and a structured surface. 650b wheels and 47mm wide Sawtooth tires. Full SRAM Force 1x.

If you have any tips that could lead to their return, send a message to Erik though this link. 

 

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45 Comments
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Rocky Balboa
Rocky Balboa
6 years ago

Anyone who needs to put ‘fucking’ in the middle of their name written on the top tube of their bike as if it makes them ‘punk’ probably doesn’t deserve to keep said bike.

Also, [deleted] bike th[ie]ves.

blah blah blah
blah blah blah
6 years ago
Reply to  Rocky Balboa

not unlike calling yourself rocky balboa

Gorilladownhilla
Gorilladownhilla
6 years ago
Reply to  blah blah blah

Ouch!

Heffe
Heffe
6 years ago
Reply to  blah blah blah

Ha ha ha!!!

Flatbiller
Flatbiller
6 years ago
Reply to  blah blah blah

I am already ignoring, with major prejudice, whatever meager response Rocky can muster.

You win.

Ck
Ck
6 years ago
Reply to  Rocky Balboa

Nohlin has done more to try and bring a level of cool back to a company that has been plastered with a negative, litigation heavy public image(rightfully so) than any other person there. He deserves that middle name.

Flatbiller
Flatbiller
6 years ago
Reply to  Ck

I’ve a buddy who works in the legal field and who’s involved in sports/bike industry, and he says Specialized is about 10th on the list of bike industry lawsuit initiators. On the other hand, he says they get about 50 lawsuits per minute, mostly because of counterfeiting–they’re easily the most counterfeited brand, ironic given that “nobody” likes them.

Jeandre
Jeandre
6 years ago
Reply to  Rocky Balboa

Seriously? You’re an idiot.

JasonDoubleU
JasonDoubleU
6 years ago
Reply to  Rocky Balboa

Wow. You are a [deleted]! It’s easy to say that kind of stuff with the anonymity of the internet. Weak.

robert
robert
6 years ago
Reply to  Rocky Balboa

this is not the right time or place to be leaving comments like that.

Volsung
Volsung
6 years ago
Reply to  Rocky Balboa

I have like 50% of my comments deleted before they get posted and this terrible shit makes it through?

Mason
Mason
6 years ago

There aren’t too many people whose bike collection I envy. This is definitely one of them. Godspeed, Eric. I hope you get them back.

Pynchonite
Pynchonite
6 years ago

Damn, I remember reading about the paint job on that AWOL on the Radavist. Sucks.

250rninja
250rninja
6 years ago

I came home one day and my garage door was open and not one of my roommates was around. After that, I always locked up my bikes. Even in my garage I keep all my bikes locked to something with a cable and a u lock locking the wheel to the frame. My bikes are worth probably 1/10th of what the bikes described in this article are priced at.

DRC
DRC
6 years ago
Reply to  250rninja

A u-lock and cable didn’t stop a thief from stealing my Stumpy from my condo’s underground storage cage. Nor did the chain on the cage door with a masterlock. (Dude cut through all of it with a grinder) Nor did two fob-access doors leading to the underground garage where the cage was located, all in sight of multiple security cameras. Asshole thieves are really determined, apparently.

Frippolini
Frippolini
6 years ago

Bummer.
I hope that whoever spots any of these reports their finding, not only because it’s the right thing to do, but also because (most likely) Erik will pay notice and recoupperate his loss.
Anyone remember the team Lampre-Merida bikes that were stolen a few years ago? Coincidentally various very similar Lampre-Merida framesets and wheels showed up (at unbelivably attractive prices) shortly on some Russian websites selling bike gear. I sent all the info I had at the time to team Lampre-Merida but got no answer or feedback; I guess Lampre-Merida collected their money from their insurance company and lost any interest to recouperate their stolen bikes.
In this case with Erik I guess things should be different as the theft is on an “individual level” as opposed to a corporate / organizational level.

Law L
Law L
6 years ago

$1000 award for 6 bikes, that’s $160 per bike. Not sure is enuf to cover the shipping even to send it back. Just saying.

That being said, garage door are easy to break in, someone tried on mine, by bend opening the top to get hand in to pull the emergency lever to open, luckily I hard lock mine, but my neighbor not so lucky. Beware.

Crash Bandicoot
Crash Bandicoot
6 years ago
Reply to  Law L

Never store nice bikes in the a garage they’re stolen weekly in our nice neighborhood can’t tell how many times I’ve been rolling back from training through nice neighborhoods and have seen multiple High end bikes hanging around in a garage with the door open it’s like they’re begging to be robbed

Fred Gravelly
Fred Gravelly
6 years ago

On one hand I feel for anyone whose bike has been stolen. On the other, anyone who can afford six bikes of that caliber… (or pricetag) should be able to afford some kind of insurance on them and this article should help enve as a warning against vanity <—-

Collin S
Collin S
6 years ago
Reply to  Fred Gravelly

@Fred, I would assume that he got these bikes extremely cheap through specialized. He is the Creative director after all. He’s not paying MSRP for these things. Even if he got the frames for free, its still his artwork. Think of the cost of the raw materials for say a banksy street art. Its essentially nothing, but his handy work makes it priceless (or in some cases for bansky, $1mil+)

Dude
Dude
6 years ago
Reply to  Fred Gravelly

I’m sure he has homeowners or renters insurance. That doesn’t mean he wouldn’t want them back – sentimental valev, works of art, and labor to build, and all.

Dan Lind
6 years ago
Reply to  Fred Gravelly

@fred And how exactly would you, as an insurance adjuster, put a value to these one-of-a-kind artistic creations? It’s not about vanity. It’s not about money. It’s about getting back what is rightfully his. It’s no different than if someone broke into your house and stole your childhood photo albums…something that is irreplaceable (unless you grew up in the digital age where backups exist.) So show some compassion.

Fred Gravelly
Fred Gravelly
6 years ago
Reply to  Dan Lind

Dan, people get their bikes stolen everyday. “Plain”, low-end, mid-range bikes that can mean as much to the owner as these ‘works of art’ do to their owner. Why is this a story on here? My favorite part of the article: “hub motor says ‘hardcore’ in silver sharpie.” In my opinion the title should read ‘Industry Hipster Gets Custom Bikes Jacked, Douche-Bumps Ripple Through Sensible Cycling Community’.

Reverend Dick
Reverend Dick
6 years ago
Reply to  Fred Gravelly

word

Timmy
Timmy
6 years ago

Bike theft is inexcusable regardless what name is inscribed or how much someone pays for said bike(s). In general, theft of any kind is a chicken s&*t response to avoid working hard, earning money and going out to pay for something yourself.

Kvlt Vibes
Kvlt Vibes
6 years ago

Extremely wealthy European imported to the Bay Area to design color schemes and try to make Specialized seem edgy and hip gets a bunch of bikes ripped off. I feel for the dude’s lost intellectual property, but I’m not losing sleep over an ultra bourgeois designer who’s made a lifestyle distilling punk and metal vibes into the corporate bike world getting some underworld karma lashing back at him.

caliente
caliente
6 years ago

This is a recurring nightmare of mine… sorry for your loss Erik, good luck in the search. They’ll pop up on ebay in three years.

Crash Bandicoot
Crash Bandicoot
6 years ago

This is terrible but also a very vivid reminder never to store high end bikes in the garage. I’m a member of various stolen bike pages on Facebook and not a week goes by that I don’t see a 5-10k bike “stolen from garage” it’s just too easy for thieves to pull geotags from images, track riders on Strava, or just see a bunch of fancy stuff whilst someone is moving house.

Dee
Dee
6 years ago

Don’t want to get political but [deleted]. San Francisco is also one of the highest crime areas in the United States good luck I hope you get your bikes back .

Christian
Christian
6 years ago
Reply to  Dee

Minus the good luck part: Dumbest thing I have heard all day. month. year. on BikeRumor. That is saying a lot.

Janet White
6 years ago

Sorry for your loss Erik. 5 years ago I lost my bike, I know the feeling. Best of luck hope you’ll find your lost bike.

Matt
Matt
6 years ago

I still remember when I was 12 the feeling of having my prized bmx bike stolen from my garage. I had my dad drive me around until I found some kids several blocks away riding my bike. My dad asked me if I would like for him to go retrieve it. I emphatically said no, I would take care of it. The next day I walked over to the kids house carefully and with a two by four in my hand. When he road down his driveway, I stepped out from behind the tree and swung, clothes-lining him in the face. I calmly took my bike back and told him where I lived so that if he had any issues to come see me. He never came to see me.

robert
robert
6 years ago
Reply to  Matt

i like your style

DeeKeezy
DeeKeezy
6 years ago

Does Dee’s comment really belong on here? Bikerumor shouldn’t permit racist speculation that has nothing to do with the article or the effort to find stolen property.

Volsung
Volsung
6 years ago

I remember when I was 10 and I had a really nice BMX bike just like this cool older kid in the neighborhood but then one day I was leaving my house someone hit me with some lumber in the face and stole it.

Mark Sondag (@JombiWombi)
Reply to  Volsung

I see what you did there, many stars for you my friend.

Reverend Dick
Reverend Dick
6 years ago
Reply to  Volsung

Oh man. THANK YOU. That was funny.

Matt
Matt
6 years ago
Reply to  Volsung

I hope your teeth grew back.

threeringcircus
threeringcircus
6 years ago
Reply to  Volsung

Baaaahahaha! You win the internet for the day! Kudos to Matt for playing along, too.

GoneButNotForgotten
GoneButNotForgotten
6 years ago

I feel for you Erik. I had a Specialized FSR stolen once. It was my only bike at the time but that was never mentioned on Bikerumor!

Bob S
Bob S
6 years ago

Statistics don’t lie. If you live in a historically high crime area, the chances of you becomming a victim are very high. If you live in the middle of the desert, then these things don’t happen.

Freaking Guy
Freaking Guy
6 years ago

This comment written by Freaking Guy (me).

Joe Paoli
6 years ago

the black specialized is on sale on craigslist now, the silver custom I saw for sale at 7th and market for $250 CASH LAST WEEK

Sick Vick
Sick Vick
5 years ago

Sorry you have to go through this Erik, I know the feeling. Being from the Bay Area I went through many avenues myself. During my search I found out that a lot of stolen bikes end up at swap meets. The Oakland swap meet is known to bring in stolen bikes every Tuesday morning. The others are a hit or miss. Hope this helps in anyway and best of luck on finding your gems, I’ll definitely keep an eye out for them.

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