No its not the price of coffee at Mallards Pike.
Last night I was relieved of 2 bikes. 1 brown Kaffenback with a Brooks saddle, similar but not matching wheels and ancient 7 speed road STI’s
The other was my damn near new On One Ti Pickenflick. Both can be identified if found. Both were selected instead of other decent or better bikes and the MTB’s were left 🙄
Watch out. I reckon I was followed home.

Bikes on the back of the car, on display?

Probably followed then,

I was followed once, or, at least I think I was. I drove to the roughest estate nearby and parked outside the house that might have contained the hardest family as the following car drove past looking and taking note of the house I stopped at.

I then drove home. I do sort of feel a bit guilty in case the house I stopped at got turned over but I somehow suspect that they could look after themselves and were probably home during the day mostly.

As I ride 6 days out of 7 it wouldn’t be hard to follow me I suppose. Just sent the cat out to guard the shed.

Got to be on the defensive these days unfortunately. If I hear a car behind me as I near home (in a small estate) then I stop and let them pass, or head down a different road.

I don’t think I’ve actually been targeted that way yet but don’t want to take the chance.

Watch out. I reckon I was followed home.

If the bikes were on a rack, if you think that you actually were followed then it could’ve been from anywhere between FoD and your house.

I’m in the FoD. Home is on a main road where I cycle daily.
the only option is to build Knox I reckon.

Bad news. 🙁

my van is not allowed any signage due to it been made to look like a mobile tool store according to the insurance company.

Yet bike riders are quite happy to strap a few thousand quids worth of bikes to the rear of a car and then drive home direct, bit like dragging a chunk of fresh meat in frot of a hungry lion.

So thieves know where you live, and whjat bikes and car you have, and then call back a bit later and steal them to order.

To recap.

You were followed home.

They took your crap bikes.

Seems like a lot of credit to the thieves on one hand and none at all on the other.

Sorry for your loss.

whats FoD ?

Forest of Dean.

Yet bike riders are quite happy to strap a few thousand quids worth of bikes to the rear of a car and then drive home direct, bit like dragging a chunk of fresh meat in frot of a hungry lion.

So thieves know where you live, and whjat bikes and car you have, and then call back a bit later and steal them to order.
So what’s your suggestion then? That everyone who owns bikes has to also go out and buy an anonymous van to carry them in?
If a family only have one car, and like to go biking, how do you suggest they carry the bikes, and themselves?

ah okay cheers

I’d recheck the security on garage or shed. They could be back for more. Your right they some how connected your bikes and address somehow unless it was random burglary. Someone around there is a bit handy as they also stole the plate compactors from the trail site sometime ago

Sorry to read that Matt. Unfortunately, as long as there’s a market for cheap no-questions-asked bikes and bits then bikes will be nicked 🙁
If they’re still local hopefully they’ll be spotted.

You cant really avoid carrying bikes tbh but keeping them in a shed – its going to be a growing industry as more people catch on to the gains that you can make. I bet alot of these are kids who rode/ride too.

Obviously not all. .but I wonder how many of the sellers —–> who only post on stw/their history is only selling are fencing stolen/stripped down parts?….makes you wonder.

I accept that in a few cases there’s no alternative but MOST bikes can be dismantled and fitted safely inside MOST cars – how often do I see one single rider driving around in an empty car with a bike displayed like a trophy on the roof or the boot? I tried a roof rack once and quickly decided the bike was too exposed to theft, damage and road salt – not to mention the effect on fuel consumption – and started dismantling it and hiding it in the boot.

I used to put my bike INSIDE a MX5

Why not put some kind of tarp or cover over the bikes on the rack?

Think from now on I will have to make diversions into the undergrowth at random points and appear out of the woods or over the neighbours fence.
I guess its just one of things when you ride almost daily.

Is this purely a trail crntre/ mtb hotspot problem?
My posh bike is most likely to be on the back of the car if I’ve done a long ride to work and we’ve then gone out for dinner afterwards.

I don’t buy into the whole bikes on show thing. I’d say very few folk are actually followed home. People (scumbags) have been breaking into sheds and taking bikes for years.

Hi Matt sorry to here that, if you go any pictures mail them to me and I will put on our website /Facebook page.
Ta
Paul

Bloody scum bags

Having a T5 on my drive with bike rack is probebly drawing attention somewhat. My low tech bike security is parking it right up against the up and over garage door on a relatively steep slope.

I don’t buy into the whole bikes on show thing. I’d say very few folk are actually followed home. People (scumbags) have been breaking into sheds and taking bikes for years.

I always think it is more likely they are local to where you live and see you unloading the bikes.

Anyway, they are scum, hope you had insurance. It would be worth beefing up security now as they know you have bikes and will probably assume you’ll replace them.

Hi Matt,

Drop me a mail at the shop and I will keep a eye in Chepstow for you.

Sarah

Cheers Sarah & Paul. Was just going down to Lydney and Parkend to let them know as well.

Yet bike riders are quite happy to strap a few thousand quids worth of bikes to the rear of a car and then drive home direct, bit like dragging a chunk of fresh meat in front of a hungry lion
So thieves know where you live, and what bikes and car you have, and then call back a bit later and steal them to order.

So what’s your suggestion then? That everyone who owns bikes has to also go out and buy an anonymous van to carry them in?
If a family only have one car, and like to go biking, how do you suggest they carry the bikes, and themselves?

ask your insurance comapany for advice as they will be paying out for the thefts, ask the police what theyre doing to tackle bike theft, and finally dont drive straight home go round the block or a different way etc, but usually bikes are nicked to order so whatever you do theyll be nicked thats the state of the country at the present time.Scum want stuf to sel,. and fellow cyclists will sometimes pay less than asking price for a bargain.

Doesn’t matter what you do thieves are thieves. Next they’ll just nick your shiny van.

You can put wall anchors in place, cables, big locks, cctv but even bike shops get hit.

I think the roof bar/rack argument is poor. Clearly fearful of being a victim.

Unless you know 100% you was followed keep quiet because it doesn’t help second guessing.

What’s amusing me, is that everyone is telling everyone else to not carry their bike on the back of the car. Don’t you lot ever ride out of the garden gate? Mine goes by car 2/3 times a year.

usually bikes are nicked to order

Evidence?

I ride mainly from home as well its not like you can avoid being spotted what with being outside in public.

Sorry to hear of your loss, hope you get them back!!

I reckon the thieves aren’t following you anymore, but are putting tracking devices on your car due to the availability of cheap chinese imports of surveillance equipment.

usually bikes are nicked to order

Evidence?

What is the point of nicking stuff if you dont have a customer with cash waiting, as long as some people want stuff there will always be demand, all we can do is take precautions and defend our property with better security, and not advertising the fact what we have, by leaving it on display on the roof or back of vehicles.

What’s amusing me, is that everyone is telling everyone else to not carry their bike on the back of the car. Don’t you lot ever ride out of the garden gate? Mine goes by car 2/3 times a year.

🙄

And there I was feeling your loss…

I hope you get them back though.

That’s bad news. Be careful, as they might come back for the rest. On a positive note; my Father in law has just been reunited with his road bike via the police, so fingers crossed.

[Quote]Don’t you lot ever ride out of the garden gate? Mine goes by car 2/3 times a year.[/quote]

as slackalice says, but of an empathy fail. You live in the middle of the Forest of Dean. Some of us dont happen to live slap-bang in the middle of ridding Meccas and have to drive to trails. Didnt think that was such a difficult concept to grasp, intellectually.

What is the point of nicking stuff if you dont have a customer with cash waiting

Expensive bikes are not stolen ‘to order’ as in “customer X wants a carbon Nomad”, but thieves will have a known handler who can readily dispose of the bikes.

globalti – Member
I accept that in a few cases there’s no alternative but MOST bikes can be dismantled and fitted safely inside MOST cars – how often do I see one single rider driving around in an empty car with a bike displayed like a trophy on the roof or the boot? I tried a roof rack once and quickly decided the bike was too exposed to theft, damage and road salt – not to mention the effect on fuel consumption – and started dismantling it and hiding it in the boot.

Fine if you have a car with a big boot, like my Octy; trying to get a bike into the boot of my Puma without causing damage, and without stripping it to a frame, was very frustrating, so I ended up with a roof carrier.

Don’t you lot ever ride out of the garden gate? Mine goes by car 2/3 times a year.

Yeah, I do, but that’s riding around local North Wiltshire lanes and byways. How practical do you think it would be riding from my front gate in Chippenham to the FoD, or Cwm Carn, Nant Yr Arian, or any of a dozen other trail centres that are fifty to a hundred miles away, hmm?

😆