Hi everybody
My bike got taken by some scumbags the other week it's the second time. First time it turned up on eBay and me and a mate recovered it. It was locked in a garage and they use a bar to rip off the lock. I don't see in some cases what more you an do to protect your stuff if they want it they'll take it how ever secure you think it is. Datatag is a good Idea I've got it on my motorbike and it marks everything making it harder to use the parts. You get transponders for in your wheels and a chip you inject into your seat. Maybe more new bikes should have somthing fitted as standard and registered to you. The problem with bikes is they have to be easy to take apart for such as punctures and other repairs and also we change parts over alot this making it hard to mark parts and if only the frame is chipped/traceable they will discard it for that very reason. The problem is bikes are to easy to strip making it easy to distribute parts for sale
Bike Forum
too many bikes getting nicked
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Posted 6 months ago #
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How hard could it be for Singletrackworld to start off that database? free for Premier users, (Hint Hint MODS) Maybe they could tie that in with a GPS tracking company?
Its got to start somewhere.
Come on Singletrack, there's money to be made there. Just remember who gave you the idea eh!
Posted 6 months ago # -
Had a couple of bikes nicked in the past.
My new one gets locked up to the radiator in the house on a night, sits in my office on camp when i'm at work (some idiot infantry guys find it funny to loosen the front wheel!).
It's on Bike shed, tagged and bagged with the police and has a class 8 Kryptonite lock on it.
And yet, the one time i used it to go into town, i return to find some chav trying to pick the lock! Takes him a couple of minutes to realise i'm stood behind him, in uniform explaining to him he can't pick the lock.
3 minutes later he's on the floor moaning about his jaw and i'm away on my bike to the sound of clapping from shoppers.
Despite my bike being locked to the damn raditor in the house, i've still had 3 attempted break-ins since buying the bike 3 weeks ago.
I've even got anti-theft paint on the fence leading to the back garden and this hasn't stopped them trying.
Short of laying claymores i'm at odds on how to stop the buggers.Posted 6 months ago # -
Got a bike nicked about a year and a half ago. Wee kona stuff 2 - 4. The genius who nicked it then put it on gumtree for sale. I notified the police who then took 3 days to do anything about it and all I got back was a front brake and front mech. The guy stays one street away from me so off I went to see him. Spoke to his dad in a civil manner and returned home. About 2 hrs later I had the police at my door asking why !I had been threatening money with menace from this guy. No word about when a court date for the laddie and the father continues to ignore me and I cant approach him. Fantastic.
Posted 6 months ago # -
gunny - locking your bike to a radiator - you know whatever scumbag makes off with your bike will just saw through the radiator pipes - so not only will you lose your bike, but your house will be flooded as well. Lock it to something that doesn't matter (or is impossible) to saw through.
I often think what would happen if I caught someone nicking my bikes - I would love to think that the chainsaw/axe/hammer would come in handy, but I doubt anyone would stand still while I got the equipment ready. And, not being a hard bloke I'd no doubt come off worse, so I'd probably be more likely to shout and scream a lot instead. Having said that, the chances of catching anyone in the act is quite small, given that I am at work all day and asleep at night.
Posted 6 months ago # -
I know I post it up here every time there's a bike security thread, but the more people that use this the better. It won't necessarily get your bike, (or stuff) found, but if it is this increases your chances of having it returned and the scrotes being convicted if the police turn it up.
Posted 6 months ago # -
Mine went on Friday. Was chatting to Jedi on FB about it on the weekend. Was locked in the shed to a chain that goes through the floor. They couldn't break the lock so sat in the shed and dismantled it - even took the shock off the frame. They could have easily had the £500 brand new track bike in seconds but instead went to the effort to completely strip 3ks worth of mtb kit.
Posted 6 months ago # -
I'm not convinced its any worse now than it ever has been, I just think more people are now posting on places like this that its been nicked.
I'm not so sure at the end of the day that its necessarily about how good your shed security is. I went through a spate of thefts about 15 years ago, and the Police said you could have the best lock in the world, but then they will just cut through the frame and nick what they can if they cant get the lock off.
The Police said that if they are nicking high end bikes its more than likely that you have been followed home, or they have seen you cleaning the bike etc. To that end I always try not to leave my bike any where on view around my house, make sure no one is around when I ride home etc etc. Also I've stopped loading my Endomondo sessions to the web if going direct from home.
Posted 6 months ago # -
muppetWrangler - Member
the frame (merlin xlm)... would likely be dumped
Posted 6 months ago # -
I'm not convinced its any worse now than it ever has been, I just think more people are now posting on places like this that its been nicked
I think ebay, gumtree, stw classifieds etc all provide a much easier way of disposing of stolen parts than in pre internet days, I know I take care over people I will buy from but who's to know if they have been so careful or even if they are being very clever in the first place
Posted 6 months ago # -
Hi guys. My bike was stolen today, from within a block of flats that supposedly has an electronically locked security door that requires visitors to ring a doorbell and be 'buzzed in' by someone from within one of those flats. What I now know is that theres is also a 'trades' button that opens the door anyway and renders the whole system useless.
The trades button is sometimes a code that the postie is told, or its a general unlock button set to a certain time by a time switch, and its so easy to enter a block of flats as a visitor just buzz any number the higher the better, as they will not usually come down to check and say youre checking TV licences, for another number,and you didnt want to buzz their flat,strangely the neighbour usually buzzes you in, especially if they dont like the neighbour or dont know them.
Try it and see.
Posted 6 months ago # -
I know I post it up here every time there's a bike security thread, but the more people that use this the better. It won't necessarily get your bike, (or stuff) found, but if it is this increases your chances of having it returned and the scrotes being convicted if the police turn it up.
immobilise.com
+1 my stuffs on there with frame numbers. The police check it and its national so hopefully its of some use. I did see one of those "police camera action" type things where they stopped a white van with loads of obviously nicked bikes in it, but they couldn't prove they were stolen from the frame numbers so had to let them go.
Posted 6 months ago # -
I got three nicked from a locked garage last year. Pulled apart timber side door (proper door with mortice locks, not some crap 2" thick shed style thing), snapped out the mortice lock body and got in. Having been burgled the year before that and taking it as a lucky escape I'd got all the bikes locked together and hanging off hooks, effectively blocking the up&over door. The scrotes brought 42 inch (i.e. massive) Irwin Record bolt croppers and cut the 11mm security chain (tried the Squire padlock but it resisted).
3 bikes and c.£6.5k worth of gear gone, never seen again.
Since then I've beefed up chains, locks, doors and linked it to the house alarm which is on whenever we go to bed and y'know what? I still check out the back when I come down in the morning with a slight feeling of "they'll have been back".
I'd have loved to have given the three (spotted in the street riding off) of them a good slap. I don't belioeve in violence and have no personal illusion about how tough I am. But honestly thank Christ I slept through and didn't know. 3 against one when they've already got screwdrivers and chisels (that they ditched after getting through the door) would have likley ended badly for me.
Personally, I think one way would be to make bikes more identifiable. I'd get the frame number stamped on several visible places on the frame, not just under the BB at point of manufacture. At least that way there's a quick, easy and relatively unique identifier that can be used by the police and everyone else.
Wouldn't stop the stripping and parts selling but would go a long way, IMO, to help.
If ebay, gumtree and classifieds made it policy that you couldn't sell a bike / frame without listing / photo of the frame number it'd make disposal harder. It seems relatively straightforward to me but I remember discussing it on here with Brant and him thinking it'd be rather difficult (at the factory). I'm not convinced but then again I reckon he probably knows more about manufacturers than I do
Whilst I can imagine some stuff goes off abroad the mate locally who got his Spesh back (the only one of 5 nicked) was a more (IMO) typical scenario. It was lying in the back garden of some scrotes house (pretty local to my mate) who got raided for some other reason. THe guy was just getting round to sripping and flogging it. Got 9 months I believe for handling stolen goods (claimed not to have done the burglary).
Posted 6 months ago # -
I knew I remembered seeing a gps tracker somewhere. I guess that once they are popular then yes they will get ripped off but for the moment it may not be a bad idea.
Posted 6 months ago # -
The problem with trackers is whether the police will dedicate resources to actually tracking it! Cant find/remember the thread but it was discussed here a while ago. Police just see bikes as bikes and dont really differentiate between 20quid and 3k ones.
Posted 6 months ago # -
I would like to know where they are all going????????How many people on here own bikes with no receipts?Do they know where there bike has come from?They are to easy to steal and are worth alot of money.
why cant they put a chip in the frame before the bottom bracket is put in.Like a dog and cat chip!As you say something needs to be done.
Its the same with enduro/trials and motocross bikes they never seem to be found.
Couple of years ago police were watching a guy for awhile arrested him,he took them to an old warehouse near Stonehouse in Gloucestershire and there was over 300 cycles being processed for e-bay nightmare.alot money there.Posted 6 months ago # -
I meant to reply to this yesterday but the day got away from me.
I was up at Sele on Saturday when I saw three young men pushing what looked like a nice jump bike (rigid). It struck me as odd, not right.
As I was driving away I saw the same three, this time no bike but with a Staff. Now, I don't want to jump to conclusions but...
I thought to myself what a good idea it would be to have, eg, Jedi's mobile number, I could have quickly called him or taken a photo and sent it. We could set up "friend groups" round the country of folk we know and trust, share very brief descriptions of bikes and mobile phone numbers (but obviously not addresses, in case the person went bad or lost their phone).
Posted 6 months ago # -
The Polis don't seem to care.
eg.
Mates Surly gets knicked.
Same bike appears being ridden in London.
Polis involved and bike returned although for some reason original owner has to pay about £150.
Vender of stolen bike has loads of similar bikes for sale on ebay, obviously some form of organised bike crime going on.
Polis, not intereted, at all.
Posted 6 months ago # -
Nothing new about lack of police interest. I have bike magazines going back to the 1890s and it was a common complaint back then too.
It's a shame there isn't more police interest. Organised bike theft is probably a stepping stone to greater things in the criminal world. If they got caught at that stage it may help overall.
Posted 6 months ago # -
Had my 3stolen 17nov when I was at work got my road bike back after 3days thanks to twitter put the photos on there and sent them to local PCSO who found my road road bike in a house raid the photos are all local police stations as well. I was told told that Manchester and London is very bad with gangs looking for bikes to strip and sell the parts on. Not sure how to stop this prob as no body checks to see if the parts we buy on eBay or inter web are stolen. Frames poss but not stuff like every day parts. Any best thing to do is get as much info as poss on the Internet.
Posted 6 months ago # -
The solution is simple, don't leave your bike in the garage or shed.
Posted 6 months ago # -
The solution is simple, don't leave your bike in the garage or shed.
yes it is that simple
Posted 6 months ago # -
I can't think of many stolen goods that are as valuable and easy to shift as high-end mountain bikes. Mine went for £400 on Ebay last year (retrieved by police but only after I started making formal complaints; before that they couldn't care less).
Mate in the Met was telling me car thieves only get ~£150 per car so £400 for a bike with a much, much smaller chance of being caught is a no-brainer. Mine wasn't that valuable either, I wonder what the scum get for a 5k bling machine :-/
No disincentives either - detection/conviction rate for burglary in west yorkshire is ~6% iirc, and then they'll only spend a month or two in a young offenders institute.
I imagine most of the scum have prior convictions so another makes no difference - not like they're fussed about employment prospects is it?
Posted 6 months ago # -
. mine was nicked from my car outside in daytime. i know people who have had theirs nicked from inside their house too
Posted 6 months ago # -
I haven't read all the thread but to reduce the amount of bike thefts I think you need to reduce the market place for stolen items, whether they are a full bike or bike parts. For this to happen you need to persuade Ebay, CraigsList,Gumtree and STW/Pinkbike/Bikeradar etc classifieds to agree a single policy, what that would be i have no idea.
Then you would need the police to tackle bike crime more seriously. Only with all of these different organisations (and possibly insurance companies too)working together will you see a noticeable reduction in bike crime.
Also, at the moment I would guess that the individuals stealing bikes see their crimes as victimless as nobody gets hurt and insurance company pays out the owner.
Posted 6 months ago # -
flow - Member
The solution is simple, don't leave your bike in the garage or shed.But this is a better option than them breaking in to your house to steal them.
Posted 6 months ago # -
FunkyDunc - Member
I'm not convinced its any worse now than it ever has been, I just think more people are now posting on places like this that its been nicked
Just thinking along these lines myself.
Had my very 1st new bike, a Royal Enfield nicked 44yrs ago
We lived out in the sticks and had to cycle a couple of miles to get the bus into school 10mls in a roundabout country road way We had no telephone, that was for the farmers only in them days or at least could`nt be afforded by farm workers in them days.
I agree re the neds/junkies being opportunistic and raiding sheds, know plenty of people who have suffered and wifes nephew is an offender
Having said that they are just as likely to nick your lawnmower and diy tools as your bike.
There does however seem to be an increase in reported thefts from bike shops and warehouses.Is this also because there is media exposure?
Sad to say but suicide has been thrust into the spotlight recently and all of a sudden you get bombarded with statistics and "experts" giving their views.
Posted 6 months ago # -
But this is a better option than them breaking in to your house to steal them.
Break into a shed or garage with no one in it, is slightly different to breaking into a house full of people, don't you think?
Posted 6 months ago # -
Break into a shed or garage with no one in it, is slightly different to breaking into a house full of people, don't you think?
True but would you want to take the chance.
Posted 6 months ago # -
True but would you want to take the chance.
bloke on here posted a story on here, pre hack, about being woken up 2am with a shotgun in his face.
iirc they were after the keys for his motorbike. no bike is worth that
Posted 6 months ago # -
True but would you want to take the chance.
Do you keep your TV, PC and the rest of your valuables in your shed too, just in case someone breaks into your house to steal them?
Posted 6 months ago # -
One question if your bike was stolen.
Did you know the frame number?
Posted 6 months ago # -
[quoteBreak into a shed or garage with no one in it, is slightly different to breaking into a house full of people, don't you think?[/quote]
Well, 2 years ago they broke into my house whilst we were all (family of 4) asleep upstairs. The dog (soft sack of spuds lab) was downstairs as well. We'd been stupid and left keys, wallets, laptop etc on tables etc in the room. Never seen the wife's Zafira since (some could argue small loss
Never knew until we came downstairs in the morning.Year later and the garage gets done. It's so close to the house you wouldn't believe it. Again all four in the house, plus dog. No idea again.
Friends round the corner had their back room cleared whilst she was upstairs putting the kids to bed.
Whilst in some cases inside the house may be more secure I wouldn't kid yourself.
Yes, I know my frame numbers except for the ones that are illegible due to paint thickness.
Again, my solution would be frame numbers marked clearly and vissibly in several prominent places. One illegible due to damage might be legit but anymore is likely to be dodgy. All classifieds etc insist on a listing including the frame number / a photo of it.
Would make police identification and tracing easier as well, surely?
Doesn't stop everything / everyone but, IMO, would go a long way and seems relatively simple. Hey ho.
Posted 6 months ago # -
relliott6879 - Member
Hi guys. My bike was stolen today, from within a block of flats that supposedly has an electronically locked security door that requires visitors to ring a doorbell and be 'buzzed in' by someone from within one of those flats. What I now know is that theres is also a 'trades' button that opens the door anyway and renders the whole system useless.
I came on here looking for advice on what to replace my beloved Kona with, after looking aimlessly at manufacturer's sites for hours and seeing nothing that really 'does it' for me. I stumbled across this thread and thought I'd share my pain a little
FWIW, the bike is (was?) a Kona cromoly hardtail (originally a 1996 Fire Mountain and owned by me since new), custom painted white, rear canti bosses shaved, IS disc mount brazed on and support strut brazed between non-drive seat stay and chainstay, FOX F80 RLT forks, XT cranks, mechs and shifters, silver Hope hubs, discs (Mono M4 180mm front, Mono Mini 160mm rear), ti skewers, stem and headset, Mavic XC717 disc rims, Easton EC70 carbon flat bar, X-Lite Enduro Stubbie bar ends and USE Alien carbon seatpost. Stolen in Waterlooville at around 3.30pm on Mon 28 Nov 2011.
Now that I've figured out how, I thought I might as well add some pictures. I know there's probably very little hope of this turning up now, 2 months after it was nicked, but one never knows. Please ring or text me on 07747 595059 if you do happen to spot it.
Posted 4 months ago # -
Can't see things changing myself, police in general are ill-informed about the value of bikes and mostly seem to treat it as a very low priority. Sentencing is hardly a deterrent either. Until both of those change then the situation isn't going to improve.
Bait bikes backed up with decent convictions would be good but done by the police not vigilantes.
I'm assuming Flow is just deliberately being a muppet, for some people the only real option is to keep bikes in a shed or garage.
Personally, although my bikes are locked up (inc. ground anchor and decent chains) I'm not kidding myself thinking they're theft-proof. I rely mostly on insurance to 'protect' my bikes, the locks/chains are just to slow people down in case I'm in. I'd love to be able to rig up some electric-shock type deterrent (I really wouldn't care if it's lethal or not) but sadly I'd be the one standing before a judge if I did that.
Posted 3 months ago #
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