Hey, what about my bike?

That's what lots of local cyclists have been saying this week as police worked to crack the Lance Armstrong $10,000-plus bike theft case.

Each year, several thousand bicycles are stolen in the region – and few result in even a token police investigation.

Shawna Sanders, a student at Sacramento City College, said Thursday the lack of any follow-up on her missing bike case "really irritated" her.

Sanders, a biology student, said her old bike was swiped from her backyard near Curtis Park. She carefully secured her new bike's frame to a bike rack with a U-shaped lock.

"I understand that they have a lot going on, but … " she said.

Her story isn't unusual, city police officials say, but the reality is there are few leads to work in bike thefts and when budgets are tight, public safety cases win.

"Unfortunately, property crimes are not the top priority right now," said Officer Michelle Lazark.

The Armstrong case – which continues to be investigated – has been a priority.

On Wednesday afternoon, a local resident dropped off Armstrong's custom-made gold-and- black time trial bike at police headquarters on Freeport Boulevard. Police said the citizen is not a suspect.

From the beginning, police said the theft of the Team Astana bikes warranted a higher level of investigation because the bikes were worth so much money, there was evidence to examine, and the theft had gained international attention. Armstrong has won the Tour de France seven times and was in Sacramento on Saturday competing in the Amgen Tour of California against the top names in international cycling.

The theft's publicity – not fingerprints or videotape – led to the bike's recovery. The finder messaged Armstrong, saying he was a big fan.

Two bikes also taken from the truck parked near the Capitol on Valentine's Day weekend are still missing.

The authorities are not identifying the man, who they said "did the right thing," and are still investigating leads.

"We have workable information," said Sgt. Norm Leong. "But it's not like we've been given it wrapped up in a bow."

As fresh tips continued to surface Thursday, dozens of more ordinary bikes – apparently unwanted – were hanging in a North Sacramento warehouse.

About 50 of them were in the Sacramento Police Department's property room there. Each week, the bikes will be sorted: those going to a police auction, those being given to charity and those waiting to be claimed.

Milt Payne, the property room manager, said the public is allowed to come look at the bikes, but few do. Forms must be filled out with the missing bike's description before a victim can enter the room.

Most of the bikes eventually go to auction. He estimated that only 10 percent to 20 percent of recovered bikes are claimed.

Citywide, 1,551 bikes were reported stolen over the last three years. In Davis, where bikes outnumber people, bicycle theft is a common crime. The city had 358 reported bike thefts last year, said Assistant Police Chief Steve Pierce. But the number is likely higher since many people don't report their bikes stolen.

He said while some bikes are stolen for financial gain, some are stolen for quick transportation.

"Someone needs to get from point A to point B, and they don't feel like walking," Pierce said.

Officials said the best way to recover a stolen bike is to know the serial number – and to register it with local law enforcement, where such programs exit.

Pierce said his sister registered her purple bike as a freshman at UC Davis. It was recovered 10 years later, and campus authorities called their mother.

At UC Davis, where there are 15,000 to 20,000 bikes on campus on peak days, 675 bikes were reported stolen last year, said campus police Lt. Matt Carmichael.

In addition to knowing your serial number, Carmichael recommends checking online classifieds for missing bikes.

"Watch Craigslist," he said. "Look on there. You might find it. It's not uncommon for a victim to call and say, 'Hey, I think I saw my bike on Craigslist.' "

He said he had just heard from a student who had found her stolen bike for sale on craigslist.org. The woman had arranged to meet the seller in Sacramento.

When she got there, he said, she found the bike locked to a pole, and local police cut it free for her.

Lenny Kovner, a mechanic at the Bicycle Business in Sacramento, knows the pain of having a bike stolen.

While working as a bike messenger in New York City, he said he had a bike stolen after thieves dismantled the street sign to which it was locked.

But Kovner said most people who have their bikes stolen haven't locked them securely. "If you lock up your bike properly with a U-bolt to something secure," he said, "it's not going to get stolen."

Call The Bee's Ed Fletcher, (916) 321-1269.