Locked the bike up in posh Berkley square earlier, came back around an hour later to find that some thieving scumbag had completely removed both F&R disc brakes – everything.

They’d taken off my Lock ons, chucked them (found them a few meters away), and proceeded to take the XT levers, calipers and snip the cable ties holding the hoses.

Wheels & saddle have secure fittings ie you need a specialist tool to remove and I use an Abus granite 54 lock with a cable but I’ve never though about having brakes stolen.

Right f£$%”ed off & still struggling to believe that someones carried a relatively delicate theft (ie no lock breaking or freezing) that took some time to do in a busy part of London.

f&&ckers
hope they choke on them

I assume they left the rotors at least?

Amazing how brazen thieves are now.

You have my sympathy.

They did leave the rotors but only because they were centrelock rather than bolt.

You’d struggle to steal the rotors if the wheels don’t come off.

I used to have to leave my bike locked up outside for an hour or so at a time and replaced my caliper bolts with T30 Torx bolts. You can also get smaller ones to fit the lever clamps, just make sure that they’re not the same size fitting as rotor bolts (T25) as most bicycle multi-tools will have a key for them.

There seem to be some very strange specific thefts going on recently.

One of the guys in the road club had the fork/stem spacers stolen recently, left the stem and all the other parts they could’ve taken and buggered off with a few spacers. Strange times.

Any CCTV nearby?

Yup – lots of CCTV but none of it pointing at the bike stands or bikes.
This morning I’m still in disbelief & am right pi£$£ed off.

I was looking for a new commuter to replace my mtb which does everything & this has just accelerated that process.

Good call on the Torx bolts – something for my new set of disc brakes………

Pity you hadn’t seen him the immortal line “Stop thief!” would have never been more apt. Little fekers that they are.

Even if there was CCTV nearby you’ll not get access to it, Police might be able to use if you were lucky.

Brake like you stole them..

One of the guys in the road club had the fork/stem spacers stolen recently, left the stem and all the other parts they could’ve taken and buggered off with a few spacers. Strange times.

Wtf? What kind of spacers were they? Jewel encrusted ti?

You’d struggle to steal the rotors if the wheels don’t come off.

Nah, easy to cut them off with a pair of tin snips.

What a bummer though. Did you ride it home anyway?

In the mood I was in I thought it safer not to ride through central London with no brakes at all uring rush hour. I walked back & it took me 1h 45 minutes as opposed to a 25 minute cycle & brought home just how much I love cycling which then reminded about the thieving f£$%£ing scumbags…..

I fantasised the whole way home about being a bit less comedic & a bit more violent if I had caught them at it.

Spacers?!

Looks like there’s a gap in the market for actual “lock” on grips… unless your kit comes hinged of course…

Blimey – I had a SS chain tensioner nicked before Xmas & thought that was a bit curious, but a set of brakes is taking the mickey – and some spacers????

had a chap pop into the lbs in the summer last year with he same, except his bike was on the roof of his car at the time! stopped aty service station en-route, only time bikes unnatended, noticed when he took them off at the camp site!
shocking, type of people that do it wont ride with a lid on, so almost hope they crash Badly!

That’s it – my next bike is a fixed gear.

Based on this:Bike thief racism the thief MUST have been a white American teenager.

I had a crank nicked before when bike was locked up 🙁 and a guy I know had his forks taken. Fookers

Can you get tamper-proof torx bolts that would fit? Like these?

Won’t stop the determined, but it’s unlikely a casual thief would have the right tool.

Andy

but if you criple one of the littel buggers its you that gets in to trouble…

Fookers indeed – thise tamper-proof torx look ideal (as long as you dont loose the screwdriver/tool).

I’m not sure if it was a casual thief who took my brakes as they left the lock-ons. They were after the brakes & only took the brakes (tho’ i’m pretty sure they’d have taken everything else if I’d not had the security I had).

As the XTs are 130 rrp new each I’m toying with claiming on insurance. Any experience with components from an insured bike?

In the meantime, anyone got ant XT or equivalent F&R disc brakes for sale? No rotors needed 🙁

I’ve got a mint set of XT brakes for sale if you want them. Almost new pads in them too.

£175 for the pair posted?

Could well be interested – could you send some pics & details over pls?
jamieAT2bitvDOTnet

I have a set of previous generation XT, email in profile if you’re interested.

Am close to London

Jamie, YGM

Email bounced back with a ‘Domain name not found’ message.

jamie at 2bitv dot net

i have some last generation XT’s for sale, could use a bleed, just sat in the bits box, mail in profile

Pauly – That should be 2bittv – I missed off a t

Chapaking – I’ll check my mail n get back to you

Bland – cant see an email for you

cheers

YGM