Last night I was woken up to the sound of my garage alarm going off. Some scumbag(s) has been and broken into my garage and taken 2 of my bikes. I think the alarm must have scared them as they left the other bikes and just took the two. I’m completely gutted they took my prized Transition Covert and also my commuter bike (GT avalanche).
They literally forced my garage door while I was in bed and the garage is built in under the bedroom.
I was riding up at Ashton Court earlier today but don’t think I was followed home as took some bike only footpaths etc and just made it through some traffic lights so a car wouldn’t have managed to get through.

PICS below. Please keep an eye out both around Bristol and on the net. I’m completely gutted and no idea how much its cost me 🙁
Insurance won’t cover the whole cost and I’m sure they will try and wriggle out of payign anything at all.

Below is a better (Clearer) image but since this photo I’ve added a reverb, XTR groupest, different stem etc so the 1st pic is more up to date.

And then they nicked my trusty commuter bike as well a GT Avalanche 2 in blue. Plenty of identifiable battle scars and running skinny slick commuter tyres and crud guards with DMR pedals. Sorry don’t have good a image of it

The really sad thing about this is that they seem to know what they are stealing …
So they have a good idea of what will reap good rewards …

I would love to think the scumbags will be found and your bikes

Eyes peeled here in BS7.

Send Mr_A a message and get them on stolenbristolbikes.com too

How do I find MrA??

Mutha f’s.

Which area of Bristol were they taken from?

How did they force the garage door? Was it an up-an-over?

Up and over door. Just plain forced it. I live near Brislington.

wavejumper – Member
How do I find MrA??

In 1972, a crack commando was sent to prison by a military court for a crime he didn’t commit. He promptly escaped from a maximum security stockade to the Ashton Court underground. Today, still wanted by the government, he survives as a soldier of fortune. If you have a problem, if no one else can help, and if you can find him, maybe you can hire… The Mr A-Team

My condolences. I too have stood in the garage surveying the spaces where my bike used to be.

Is there a door into your house from the garage? If so the theft counts as a burglary and your contents insurance should cover replacement, irrespective of the fact that it was a bike. The Police treat these matters very seriously and the punishment is much greater than just stealing bikes (should they catch the b*****s).

You were followed, perhaps not on this occasion. People do not randomly force open garage doors to take bikes of value. When I had my bikes stolen, they left the commuter – but it is a fixed wheel.

I would have said that local chav/scrotes will have clocked you.

My immediate worry now is they’ll come back.

wavejumper – Member

My immediate worry now is they’ll come back.

Get a ground anchor in sharpish then, easy DIY job, and a fooking big chain.

Sorry to hear about the theft, lovely bike, I really hope you get it back.

W*****s

I had my bike nicked from my shed in Wiltshire a few years back. It was a scam eBay ‘viewing’ that didn’t happen.

The police knew who the thief was (We’d spoken on his mobile), from Brizzle and stopped him a couple of days later. Bolt croppers, the lot in his van but no bikes. He was free to nick some more. He’d already done time for bike theft previously.

Anyway, I feel your pain. I’m now completely paranoid about my riding habits. Don’t even trust my neighbours kids!

I hope your insurance are as onside as mine were.

My lovely Brodie Holeshot was nicked from my garage in Bristol a while ago. More recently, I found most of the parts for sale on the interweb. Despite my best efforts to help the police recover them, I’m afraid the police response was deplorable.

Oh, and my bike was locked with a Pragmasis 16mm chain to a Torq ground anchor. So the bastard thieves cut the frame of the bike. This was after, ignoring the up-and-over door, they ripped a steel-reinforced multi-point locking door from it’s hinges. ****.

I hate scum bags and I really hate bristol sometimes.

Fingers crossed you get some good news.

Feel your pain.

Make sure the frame numbers are flagged as stolen.

Check That Bike!

Former owner of Yeti 5 & Cotic Soul (Bristol).

****s.

Are there any (simple and cheap?) ways to physically obstruct your average garage door from being forced?

I’m referring to something you can “switch on/off” whilst in the garage, therefore control when YOU have access via the garage door.

Well if you have access from another way can just have internal bolts and reinforce the door with 2×4 etc.

For me insurance is the key, although I do have ground anchors and chains I’m not expecting them to make my bikes theft-proof, at best they’ll thwart an incompetent thief, at worst just delay a competent one. Ofc if I ever did have to claim for my bikes I probably couldn’t afford the insurance hike to insure the replacements which they’d likely come back for at some point 🙁

I get the impression thieves will get in regardless of security.

So it’s more a question of preventing them finding out about your bikes. I think the locks are there to satisfy insurers.

I’ve Micro Dotted mine and have them etched and registered as well.

I get the impression thieves will get in regardless of security.

Good ground anchors, chains and an alarm will put off all but the most determined thief. As you say, if a thief does get through that lot at least you should be watertight with an insurance claim.

They might try and check your garage in a few weeks time – to see if you’ve replaced them from insurance.

Gutted for you, I know how it feels – have SOCO been out for finger prints / evidence etc?

Have a look at Pragmasis for chains / anchors etc http://securityforbikes.com/

Alternatively ALMAX chains are good also.

I lost track of what I spent on security but I think you should expect to pay at least £200 for decent chains and anchors. I suggest you fit one anchor per bike with long chains and loop the chains through several bikes as it will make it considerably harder to steal.

I agree that you will not stop a determined thief, but if you make it difficult for them and there’s a chance they may get caught because they have to spend considerable time cutting things, they may well not bother and look for an easier target.In this case the ground anchor would have stopped the theft.

You could fit a screecher/master blaster to your garage door, it would scare the hell out of them and wake the entire neighbourhood.

This is becoming a regular post at the moment. Only last week someone else from Brislington had theirs stolen.
lets face it, they are clearly organised and have the right gear too. I don’t think spending hundreds on security will stop them. If they know where your bike is kept they will get it. The only way to stop them is to not let them know where you live or where you keep your bike.
it seems crazy to spend hundreds on locks and anchor boots when they will just cut a frame.

This is becoming a regular post at the moment. Only last week someone else from Brislington had theirs stolen.
lets face it, they are clearly organised and have the right gear too. I don’t think spending hundreds on security will stop them. If they know where your bike is kept they will get it. The only way to stop them is to not let them know where you live or where you keep your bike.
it seems crazy to spend hundreds on locks and anchor boots when they will just cut a frame.

Perhaps. You can chain the wheels, fork, and frame to the ground anchor. Then even if they cut the frame, they’re not getting wheels and fork, two of the more expensive parts of the bike. It’s all about making life difficult, hoping that they’ll look at it and think it not worth the hassle.

If your updating your security get one of these security light CCTV camera.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/ESP-GuardCam-Security-Camera-System/dp/B002YWZXX6

As others have said it seems organised and if they want it they will get it and there is little your can do. So my logic is at least if I can get some video if the buggers then there is a chance of getting them nicked afterwards.

I’ll keep my eyes out in Easton as that GT is exactly the kind of thing you will see around here. Might be worth checking out around the Salvation Army hostel on Wade Street. I often see dubious bikes and owners hanging around outside. Just the other day I saw a right scummer piss head (can of special brew in hand) on what looked like a new red Specialized. The two just didn’t go together.

Thanks folks. On the other hand if anybody knows of a good deal (new or 2nd hand) on a small (I’m 5″6) AM bike let me know. I haven’t had time to see whats out there as I didn’t think I was in the market for a new bike. The problem is I’m booked on a biking holiday in 7 days time and at the moment I’m not going 🙁
I’m still fuming.

Hi R,
That’s really ****, hope the insurance comes through ok or the police find them.

If you’re proper desperate for a bike give me a bell or email, mine is in storage whilst I’m in between houses. We might be able to work something out if you’re desperate.
Cheers
W

Hi W,
Cheers for the offer. I’ll work something out, got a couple of offers in the short term. Hope you are good and keeping active?
Cheers
R

almax.co.uk.

Heads up Bristol riders
A mate of mine was followed home last night.
T reg silver Ford Puma.
Keep your eyes peeled!

TheDTs-where was he followed home from and what area of bristol roughly.dont say exact area

Silver puma has been mentioned on here before iirc.

flatfish – Member
Silver puma has been mentioned on here before iirc.

It has

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/psa-ashton-court-scallys/page/2

Still haven’t found my bikes 🙁

I like bristol and its on our list of places when we move out of london but all these stolen posts really put me off!

really hope you get your bike back mate

and really hope the scumbags that nicked it catch dysentry

Don’t let it put you off, yes, it’s a problem, and it helps to be aware of it, but Bristol is great, & not just because it is very very bikey.

I can’t imagine Central London would be any better if you had decent trails under 20 mins ride from your office door 😉

But yeah, I’ll be keeping an eye out for a silver puma when I’m riding home

in relation to bike security – im having my garage knocked down and rebuilt. I was thinking of having a ‘cell’ built inside that is just wide enough for a bike, with a couple of anchors in the wall. Then i could push it in, reach round the bike and chain it up. Then lock the steel door to the cell. Now someone would have to force open the garage door, then a metal cell door, and then somehow manage to cut through thick chains at arms length whilst reaching across the bike. That’s how worried i am, lol. I realize its not practical for everyone, but as im having it rebuilt anyway…..