How many bikes have been stolen?

jacw001

I had my third bike stolen on Sunday evening in Manchester city centre!
The first one was stolen by the Coach station cycle stand, the second one was by the cycle stand at St Peter Sq, and the latest incident was next to the Council hall...
I just wondering how many of you have such a poor experience as mine

Gecko Superstar

I park up in the city centre and have experienced no such misfortune. I'm assuming that's what comes of having an expensive bike. I would imagine some suitable crook lock would suffice normally

greentyres

I used to work in a dental laboratory in a flat above a shop in Heald Green, Nice quiet area so i thought. Well i used to leave my bike at the top of the stairs with the front door safely locked at the side of the shop. We were all "happily" working away in the front room of the shop when i felt the call of nature, off i go to the bog a mere 2 metres from where we are working and passing my bike kit on the floor realised that some scrote had come in through the front door, up the stairs and robbed my wheels. Still to this day dont know how the bastards got in the building never mind having the cheek to come up the stairs and basically take the thing as we worked less than 10 feet away. I still fatasize about what would have happened if i had caught the thief, i would probably be still in prison for manslaughter.
Goes to show your wheels are never safe

stokell

Sounds like England is becoming a hotbed for bike theft.

Toronto used to be called the bike theft capital of North America, although I am not sure about the stats. I used to lock my bike to an iron grate that was plainly visible from my office window. One day as I stood looking out the window, I observed someone trying to steal my bike. By the time I ran outside, the thief was gone, but my bike with hacked up lock was still there. I had a bike stolen from the same location 2 years earlier.

Since then I have bought a better, more stealable bike. Here is what I do: The bike has two wheels, so I have two locks. Both are expensive and heavy. One is a U-bolt, the other a plastic covered chain. One uses a barrel lock, the other a regular key.

A full lock up includes locking my bike to an unmovable object. The city of Toronto provides posts and rings. There are more than 30,000 of them everywhere in the city. I fasten the bike frame, my backwheel and my seat and post (there is a hole in the seat) to part of the ring. I fasten my frame, my front wheel and my helmet to another part. I try to find a busy location close to glass windows and retail stores.

Since then, I've observed a number of nicks, cuts and saw marks on the locks but the only things I have had stolen have been accessories like the sun visor on the helmet and an LED light.

It works for me!

__________________
Allan Stokell
one less car
http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/stokell

toa

I've had every single bike that's ever been parked outside stolen, no kidding! I've had wheels nicked, even had a mtb stolen while I was 150 yards away getting tickers for a show. All in all I think it amounts to 7-8 bikes stolen over the last 10 years I always use at least two locks and most of the time another for the front wheel, any help...guess not!

So now my commuting bike is a cheap-a¤% 3-speed Bugatti, go ahead grab it...see if I care

toa

I've had every single bike that's ever been parked outside stolen, no kidding! I've had wheels nicked, even had a mtb stolen while I was 150 yards away getting tickets for a show. All in all I think it amounts to 7-8 bikes stolen over the last 10 years I always use at least two locks and most of the time another for the front wheel, any help...guess not!

So now my commuting bike is a cheap-a¤% 3-speed Bugatti, go ahead grab it...see if I care

MacMyDay

I thought the topic was "How many bikes have you stolen?" when I first saw it.

elswhere15

I've had three nicked, one from the corridor of the flats where I briefly lived where it was chained to the banister and the other two on separate occasions from the (same) house when I was burgled. Needless to say I've moved since then! Particularly gutting since two of them were pretty nice bikes and the other was borrowed

I now have the worlds most ancient & crappiest bike which I leave chained up outside at work and so far I've not had any trouble (famous last words!), but I'd probably have to pay someone to take this one away! I'm contemplating a new bike as I'm hoping to get into cycling a little more seriously than the commuting I do at the mo. and am considering keeping the crap for work just to be on the safe side...

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"Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it."

davebee

Only had one nicked. I had ridden to the park and was playing football when I was about 12 and someone threatened me with a knife so I just gave them the bike. Not worth that shit. The bike wasn't worth much. Had paid £150 or so second hand so no biggie in the long run but quite a devsatating loss at the time. Was the first bike with riser bars I had ever seen. I hated them because I thought they were unfashionable. Oh how times change.

Living in Manchester these days and never had any problems. Lock any bike up solidly and carefully and I guess I have just been lucky.

gelyk

One of my bikes was stolen once. It was only a cheap piece of second-hand crap that I used for getting to university on. Funny thing was that they left my brand new Giro helmet which actually cost me more than the bike, suckers!

seventytwo

Annoyingly, I've had three bikes stolen, all from my parents garage when I still lived there. Shitty door lock I suppose.

robkit

ever had one 'robbed' though - physical taken from you in a threatening encounter. a friend of mine has, in a rough student area of hull.

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I am my favorite rider.

elswhere15

Ouch, very scary - hope s/he was OK...

__________________
"Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it."

Mr.Pink

I had 3 bikes stolen in London all within 1 month..On the final one I had a chat with a police office who also cycled. He gave me some great advice. Which since then I have not had a bike stolen and that was at least 2 and 1/2 years ago.
I had been using only 1 lock. This is too easy for a thief.
I now use 3 and sometimes 4 locks (4 locks if locking up my top end road bike)
Important bit is that all 3 locks are different. Since I lock up my bike in London everyday and in the same spot I leave 3 locks at the bike stand so I do not have to transport them.
I have 1 U Style - Steel U lock,
also a Cable sytle... As well as an AIRBUS chain lock.. and the new Handcuff lock.. so 4 different lock styles..
It does not take long to stick 3 locks on a bike.. And I can say it works..

Hope this helps...