I don’t know why you don’t get onto the blower to the BBC, and get a front page article on their website, plus a story on the 10 o’clock news!

It was a bike FFS, clearly your pride and joy, but the police won’t give a damn for a bike worth 10 times as much, give it up!

an email was sent from ktm to me this morning as well, he said that i was the only person to buy a white ktm chicago 19 inch in 2009. and that my bike was more than rare… that sums it up.

I doubt that sincerely, the only one sold? No.

people should be free to do what they want with no fear of theft. people are actually allowed to walk down the high streets of britain freely pushing their bike, and if they like to pop in the butchers and leave their bike outside, they are entitled to do this and rightly so without fear of crime.

Yes, in some halcyon world you’re right, but not in reality, and there’s a lot more stopping that than a paper trail attached to each bike!

How many cars get left running with the keys in the ignition while the owner shops?

if someone buys a bike abroad which doesn’t participate in a scheme, there is nothing stopping that person from buying and importing. you still can go to the police and report it if it gets stolen but you won’t get the same protection under a passport scheme.
which could be problematic if a buyer can’t tell the difference between an overseas bike and official imported bike.
maybe it would be a bit messy if a seller says they have got an actual american giant purchased in the usa when actually it was bought in gb and they’re just saying that to fool the buyer.

a system can implemented when they put their minds to it. if a bike gets scrapped and worn out, just send the passport in with it.

either they do something about it or they don’t. if they don’t, it’ll just go on forever. and it’s pointless politicians saying there’s nothing that can’t be done, of course something can be done.
It’s just a case of getting on with it.

you look at what specialized are doing, they produce easily a shedful of stuff when buying one of their bikes. paperwork, manuals and what not.

a bit of paperwork won’t be skin off my nose if i sold it on.
a receipt isn’t good enough, providing the ink on the receipt remains intact and not faded away. But just becasue someone has a receipt, it does not mean it is the actual receipt of the bike they are selling, a receipt could have been just about anything.

what is to stop a thief using a receipt for a bike they actually bought a few years ago and using that as cover for a bike they have stolen? unless the actual bike make and model is printed on the receipt as well as the frame number, that is foolproof, and that is your evidence that you are the owner…. however insane it sounds 🙂

if you want to beat the thieves, play them at their own game and make things impossible for them.
so, if it becomes virtually impossible for a thief to sell on, what other options do they have? tracing a bike while they are riding around on it months after it’s been stolen. if a bike reported stolen in march, there could be a strong chance that it will lay low for a godd few months until it resurfaces again.. and by the time that comes, the police would have forgotten all about the theft and description in the first place.

How is it possible for someone to tell if a bike being ridden around plymouth when it was stolen from portsmouth or vice-versa? how can the police tell? that is up to them to determine it.

i wish there was an easy answer, but doing nothing is not going to solve the problem that was caused years ago.

if anyone does have a solution, pray tell.
the only people who are afraid if change is the bike thief.. and if fellow cyclists start trivialising bike theft, no wonder why the police treat bikes as toys

that still happens, people leaving their car running while nipping into the papershop and risk someone drives away with it… but that still is a theft.

if people breaks into peoples houses to steal a bike, it gets a bit sad when people have to lock up their own bike inside their own house.

if any bike that gets stamped by any manufacturer, they will have to provide the passport. that is the theory it’s so simple

as for toys r us, if they make childrens bikes without a frame number, that is not traceable anyway – even though it is a pain if they get taken.

if someone in a local neighbourhood is taking childs bikes, usually they can be traced back. but if they conceal them and sell them 50 miles away in a car boot sale, how do they get traced unless surveilled. nobody will know from where they will end up, either another 20 miles down the road, and what happens if they sell it on.

just out of interest – why do you post, then post again, and again without any other interaction from forum users?

i understand that you are fed up that someone has stolen your bike, the value is irrelevant but surely if it is that important it will be insured? Use it as an excuse to move on and embrace big wheels

just out of interest – why do you post, then post again, and again without any other interaction from forum users?

My family are from Garnant/Ammanford/Betws. This is basically what its like trying to talk to them. They just keep going and don’t listen to what you’re saying.

I think it’s something in the water.

njee, have you got any suggestions to prevent bike thieves from selling them on? or anything else.

watch this.. it’s a number of mock thefts but…..

http://www.itv.com/news/westcountry/update/2012-11-01/public-ignores-bike-theft/

Get a better lock

Do I have any suggestions for reducing bike theft?

Since bikes are valuable, desirable and easy to steal I think it’s virtually impossible to avoid. Sad, but hey ho. You can make it difficult for them, and you can protect yourself with insurance and what not.

The fact the cops aren’t interested and the penalties even if caught are very lax does little to dissuade ne’er-do-wells.

It’s a shame, but I think you’re horrifically naive to think that some sort of bike registration/passport scheme would work, even if it were able to be implemented. Even if it was, you’re entirely reliant on everyone being of perfectly moral and not buying a bike without the full paper trail. People don’t buy £5000 bikes for £50 off some bloke at Brick Lane Market because they think it’s a good deal, people know bikes are nicked, they’re not idiots, but they’re greedy. You can say the same for cars/DVDs etc etc, it makes no odds.

But don’t let me stop you, your weird and misguided rantings are highly entertaining!

rob jackson – Member

Get a better lock

It’s pretty obvious that the bike was left standing in the street without a lock.

You live in a police area with the lowest level of crime in the UK and the highest detection rate, so your investigation is likely to be given the attention it deserves. What you need to realise is that there is very little the police can actually do to locate your bike other than circulate observations for your bike and the suspect. Whether or not they circulate images to the press is a decision for them, not you, and they will have their reasons. There is nothing to stop you putting a photo of your stolen bike in the local rag yourself, although even in a town as sleepy as Ammanford I doubt it would be newsworthy.

Opportunistic thieves exist everywhere unfortunately so accept that you will probably never see it again, take it as a learning experience and next time use a lock.

i don’t see why dyfed-powys police are reluctant to issue the cctv photo of the thief. the media have been trying to get in touch with their press office all week.

and here is another suprise. i asked yesterday who exactly gets to see the cctv photos? the reply was everyone. ok, half an hour later when i’m in a shop, i saw an officer and i asked if he has seen the footage? and he said no.

it is obvious not everyone sees the footage, and that could mean that if the rest of them haven’t a clue who the thief is, who is to tell that the person who doesn’t see the footage doesn’t know the culprit? maybe the person who hasn’t seen the photos may actually know the person.
If this is the case nationally, and from what i gather if someone does see the cctv pics say today for example, the person who saw them would forget about it by next week.

If they released the pics to the press at immediately, there would be a stronger chance of someone in the public knowing who he is than the police, and would have saved time and more efficient

the police agree with me with what i’m saying about bike registration.
All they need is an instant recognisabilty. It’s no good saying a black specialized hardrock size L has been taken if there are so many of them around.
They haven’t got all day tipping bikes upside down to read the frame number, so something will have to be put onto the frame.
A number plate could work but all the thief will do is put false plates on. But if the bike also has a sticker the police can scan as well to double check, the owner has to register with bikeregistration.org

But the problem with a sticker is it’s not prefect. The quickest thing a thief will do is cover up the sticker with another. So unless the officer reckons the original sticker has been tampered with in any way, that rouses suspicion. So if a thief has put any old sticker over the pulsetag, they are stuffed. But a thief wouldn’t ant to put a sticker over a pulsetag, they are going to take it off and cover up the remains.

Another system that is possible is that the frame number is also sprayed on during manufacturing. Or somehow etched into the bike model trim. I wouldn’t have a problem with this.
Readily identifiable reference is what is needed.

Or the last roll of the dice is, scrap the frame number system and start all over again.
The simplest and most efficient thing would be is for the manufacturer to issue a yearly production number system.. Say for example, 2015 and specialized. the frist bike made gets 20150001, the second bike is 20150002 and so on. Actually it doesn’t have to be in sequence of production, as long as that bike has been allocated a number to the job number, that’s be enough.

when 2016 comes, start it all over again using the year number.
I would be very happy to pay an extra £20 on a bike price.
If a thief scrapes off the bike number and replaces it with his own, that would just be the same as a false number plate and what can you do with that? Unless the new false number doesn’t quite match up with the rest.

Even if there was a bike number plate system, what would make the police officer suspect that the particular bike is stolen. That would be the same whatever number is on the bike.

If a bile was reported 2 years ago stolen in plymouth, and it eventually turns up in scarborough, what would arouse a police officer to make some form of suspicion if everything looks cosher? especially if he is on duty near a bike park. Does he or she assume all the bikes are stolen.. So the officer has to have a reasonable ground to be alerted in the first place.
Unless an officer has a very good memory and totally dedicated to bike theft, they will have a job on their hands to sort it out… and it is going to get worse.

Even if there is a number visible to the officer on the frame in full view, what can the officer do. The only thing he or she can do is ask the rider if the bike is yours and they take their word for it if the rider says yes. If the rider is on it that is. It could be parked.
Either they can do a pnc check, or what the police can do is scan the biketag. and that means forking out more money for the cyclist.

Like i said, i will be happy enough to pay £20 for the manufacturer to label the identifiation number onto the frame, or maybe it costs less.
So, after that another label is required for the police to scan if when they have the reader that is linked to bikeregister.org
So you need a two way system, as the bikeregister fee is for life, so you be paying up to £55 on top altogether to impliment a system.

The problem i can see with bike tagging is that it only is beneficial to the police. If i’m a buyer, i can’t tell if a bike with a tag on it is stolen or not because i do not have the machine to scan it.
I maybe be able to check online and scroll through their database and that seems to be the only way to tell.

In austria, they have a system called nummer sichen. the owner subscribes to the service provider and fits the tag. If it is found, the finder or buyer scans the tag with a smartphone and the owner is alerted by text. But doesn’t that mean the buyer or finder has to be subscribed as well for it to work? the owner is alerted as i was saying but it doesn’t suggest the police are alerted as well.

Then again, it’s the same thing, a bike thief will take off the tag and replace it with something else.

Tagging a bike only works if the thief has not interfered with the tag.
If it has, that arouses suspicion so the officer has to be eagle eyed to spot it.

If the bike id on the frame has been tampered with, that arouses suspicion straight away.

Add a gps system on the bike. Probably by now the bike thief will have sussed out what is what, and if it is inside the lights, they will take the light off and throw it away. and there is only a limited amount of time to act if a bike with gps inside the rear light.

If someone has a bike stolen in town, they have to go home and log in on a computer, depending how far they live. If someone is in another area, they are basically stuffed.

if the gps is inside the headset, that gives a chance to act. but if someone is half an hour away from a computer, by the time they log in, the bike would have been stripped and the gps thrown away.

But if the gps is linked to bikeregister.org and the police are notified immediately by the service provider that it has been reported stolen, that is the only chance. The drawback on this is, maybe the owner returns to where the bike was half an hour or an hour after it’s been stolen. or sometimes a few hours if i university or work, or parked at a railway station bikerack and gone to town for the day.

You’re delusional.

You asked a copper you came across if he’d seen the footage of your bike being nicked and were surprised he hadn’t?! Seriously!?

Another system that is possible is that the frame number is also sprayed on during manufacturing.

Frame numbers are usually embossed, or on carbon frames they’re under the clear coat or riveted on. How much tougher do you want to get?

So you want GPS trackers and fully traceable owner histories on every single bike, and by your admission this would cost about £55 per bike!? The cost of a really decent lock, and if you had 3-4 bikes most likely the cost of the insurance to replace them should something happen.

You clearly don’t actually read any of the responses posted, just disappear off into your slightly crazy world where crime doesn’t exist! I pity you slightly because you appear to think bike theft is the height of police priorities, and that the sole barrier to stolen bikes being sold on is the buyers not realising they’re stolen.

If you look at the time you’ve spent writing your deranged ramblings and instead worked, you’d have earned more than enough to buy a bike far better than your KTM!

Still, it’s entertaining to read!

njee20, back off the op, your right, but I think its best to not fuel the fire in this case. For sanity’s sake.

john my mates 6k 3week old downhill bike got stolen 3 weeks ago. police did not even come and see him. dident come to look at cctv just took description of the bike and that was that…….. bearing that in mind the police sound to have done loads to help you. get a grip pal you need to let go……you can pick better bikes up than what you had very cheaply anyway

John, you’ve got this issue all out of proportion. Several people have taken the time to explain that any central registry of bikes, number plate system, tagging system are all non-starters.

You are understandably upset and annoyed at the theft of your bike, everyone who owns a bike can empathise with that. It sounds like you have some coping issues though; you seem to be ruminating it over and over in your head and that simply isn’t healthy. You aren’t the first person to experience bike theft and you won’t be the last. Just accept that it has happened, you have tried (above and beyond) to get the bike back with no success and that it’s time to get a new bike. It sounds very much like this issue has taken all of your energies that you could be using in a healthier and more productive way.

If you do visit the police again, ask them if they can offer you ‘victim support’.

Its rubbish you’ve had your bike nicked. Been there, done that. Its a bloody nightmare. But you need to leave it and move on, or you’ll go mad. Its all getting a bit…

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7acD4q0lp0[/video]

What about the Credence? 😀

RFID chip in the down tube is all thats needed with owners details – can be reprogrammed when sold

Chip in the downtube – that’s the old datatag system that I have on my bikes – and they get a sticker, only £20 for the whole setup. Does everything that JohnSW is after but not that effective at preventing bike theft. That’s what a lock is for.

I would make an appoitment to see the Chief Constable of South Wales police . Take that nice Philip Schofeild David Cameron with you.
Make sure all the police in Wales are there so they can go through the CCTV for Wales frame by frame.

When they all say ‘No , never seen them before, sorry ‘ Please dont come on here bleating on about your bike getting nicked and the police being useless .

Stuff hapens , learn from it and move on.

there isn’t going to be a new bike because there is no money.
the purpose of the bike was to assist and alleviate a persistant foot injury from 2006. in 2009 i bought the bike because it was getting worse when i walk so i had to do something. plus the osteoarthritis in the spine.

in a way, the bike was a ‘lifeline’ and was taking some of the pressure off the foot..soon as the foot hits the pavement, the pressure is immense even with insoles. now the bike has gone, walking to the town is worsening and going back to square one, travelling up the leg and affecting the spine.

buses are not an option because of infrequent services, think the last one to the town is 2.15pm and my regular order doesn’t get done until close to 4pm anyway on a wednesday so while i’m waiting, i get my milk from the store nearby and get off home.. i can’t do that with the returning bus as that leaves at 5.45. and walking around the town to while a way a hour or so is not an option because it puts pressure on the foot. daft as it seems, by the time i walk to the bus station as well i’m halfway home anyway. so by the time i get home, the foot and leg is fecked and usually takes over a couple of hours to get the swell down a bit. most times it carries on til the next day and so on.

a taxi 3 times a week is completely out of the question.

i doubt if he’ll get charged with a disability crime on top because a person can only be charged if he knew i had a disability.

the only option is for the police to get the guy, either it’s still in his possession intact or he gets fined pays and pays for the loss

Insurance?

It’s all a bit stable door and that, but surely a lock is common sense for something so vital?!

Move on already 🙄

+1 house insurance claim. If that’s not possible and you want to build up a replacement bike, I’ll donate you a set of wheels gratis- qr 26″ disc specific, complete with tyres. My email is in profile.

I have a couple of bits I can give you, bars, grips, front mech etc to get you going

http://www.thisissouthwales.co.uk/Police-catch-crimes/story-17318106-detail/story.html

ALL crimes in Ammanford were solved by police last month.

At a town council meeting last week, Ammanford police officer, PC Kevin Jones, told councillors that the town had a 100 per cent crime detection rate during October.

All of the 26 crimes carried out in the Ammanford area, including four assaults, five drug offences and seven thefts, were discovered by police.

PC Jones said: “It shows that the boys and girls are working hard to try to keep Ammanford safe. A total of 26 crimes for a town the size of Ammanford is not too bad and a 100 per cent detection rate is great.”

erm, is that true? The council meeting was last tuesday, november the 6th.. how can ammanford crime detection rate be 100%? the bike theft occured oct 27th
what else has been witheld from the council and the press?

Maybe bike thefts aren’t actually a criminal offence in Ammanford if committed on a Saturday by middle aged gents who are quite tall with medium to large build and with receding hair.

bike insurance? – according to the companies, someone can only make a claim if a bike was locked to a permanent and unremovable fixture.

so if someone goes up the newsagents to fetch a paper, locks the bike and leans it against the window, they cannot claim for the theft. how many bike racks or anything do you see outside your local newsagents or butchers or just about anywhere else.

so much for the companies advising cyclists to park the bike within sight if there is nothing there to attach the bike to.
and even if there was a lampost, the council could fine you for obstructing the pavement.

lock the bike on a council bike rack which are often out of sight and they’ll cut the lock

Look – John – just advertise in the classifieds for a cheap/free bike or parts and get yourself sorted. Leave this thread to die the agonising death it deserves!

hows it going john? any joy with a new bike yet?

Please don’t feed the trolls

bike thief’s photo

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/crime/caught-on-camera/2012/12/01/caught-on-camera-december-91466-32341287/14/

phil mitchell off EastEnders?

I know that guy.

I think…

or not

Jason Statham stole your bike?

i wouldn’t have imagined in my worst dreams how much trouble is caused by a theft. different people react in different ways, some forget about it and carry on as normal and use the insurance to pay out. trouble with insurance is a bike theif gets a free bike.

some people do what they can, some report it to the police., most don’t bother and we all know the reasons why.
some have the thief captured on cctv, many don’t have the luxury of that..

what i find is that the southwales guardian and carmarthen journal couldn’t even be bothered to print it after i emailed them. this is what i don’t get, why did the police delay the release of the cctv. there was a quad bike theft a few days after at an isolated farm at night a couple of miles away, no cctv and they took up that story.. have a thief on cctv in broad daylight and they do nowt.

could swear they don’t want to catch this bike thief, and the only way to find out if he has done anything else is by catching him, and by no doubt even if he has, he would have got shot of

Wow. You realise police have a lot better things to do than spend their time investigating petty theft? Assault, rape, gbh, drugs, trafficking….

And the press print things that are in the public interest, things that either generate website hits or paper sales. A bicycle theft to most people is not interesting, even if worth £4k, unless you’re famous. A quad bike theft is a bit more interesting. Simple as.

I’ve had three high end bikes nicked, my mate had £30k worth of bikes nicked. We just accepted it, sorted out insurance and moved on.

There really is no point dwelling on it, you’re very unlikely to get anywhere. Its only possessions after all, no one got hurt, its a desperate act by someone who obviously doesn’t lead a very nice life.

I’d like them to be caught and punished, but for a £400 theft there really isn’t going to be that much recourse.

The first bike I had stolen had a set of wheels that I built myself, the first pair I’d built. I spent a long time sourcing the hubs from abroad, and they had some sentimental value to me. But…. Its only a possession. I bought a new bike, of better spec, and pocketed some of the left over cash.

Turning a theft into something that looks like its taking over your life is really punishing yourself. I hope you can let it go.