Spotting a stolen bike?

DirkVoodoo

Ok, im new to the whole cycling forum, but ive decided to get a bike and sell my car, help the environment, get some excercise and most of all, beat rush hour traffic with a stick! Im going to be cycling from foxrock to Belfield, how would you guys rate this trip for a novice (Im quite fit, altho i have a dodgy ankle at the mo)

So, i dont know much about bikes, except which makes are good from browsing around this forum. Anyway, i found a pretty good deal on a Giant Rincon. The owner says its 1 month old but has reasons for selling. Im not the suspicious type, or am i? But, how do i know if a bike being advertised might be stolen?

Are there questions i should ask? Any kind of documents/serial numbers i should look for (ok, i know how to do it with a car, not a bike)

Morgan

If it's only a month old he'll probably still have his receipt - or be able to tell you in which shop he bought it.
Each bike frame has a serial number but there's no system of registration so no means of looking up stolen ones.

Trojan

Sometimes, on more expensive bikes they'll file off the serial number.

Turn it upside down and check the bottom bracket (under where the pedals connect). Should be a serial number there. If it's obviously filed off it's stolen for sure

Noelie

Some shops also take note of the serial number of new bikes when the sell it. Find out the shop from him and check with them.

blorg

Dirk, you would expect to get a very good deal this time of year, even on a 1 month old bike. Many people buy bikes in the middle of the summer, ride it a few times, and then pack it in when the weather starts to turn in September. It's a buyer's market and half RRP or less would not be unusual, so unless the bike is under 150 or so I would not be overly suspicious. I have picked up bikes from one third to one half RRP this time of year.

Foxrock to Belfield will be an easy commute along the N11 although a bit more uphill in the reverse direction. There is a cycle path the full way which for the most part is quite usable (Stillorgan-Foster's Avenue downhill is really the only exception.) I would however question getting a Giant Rincon which looks like quite a heavy chubby-tired bike for that purpose. You would be much better off with a hybrid. If you do get the Rincon consider changing the tires for slicks.

Alkers

That is a grand commute, bit of a hill at the start to wake you up but then you will fly in. It's grand going back home also. You said you were going to Belfield, not sure if you're going to UCD or what but don't expect to get away with leaving any sort of decent bike on campus for any length of time without it being tampered with.

DirkVoodoo

Yeah, im in UCD. I have friends who are on their 3rd or 4th bikes, so im wary of buying a nice bike. I just want something comfortable but that can get me into college in good time without too much effort.

Thx for the advice lads!

tywy

I bring a Specialized Sirrus into college everyday. I paid €600 for it this time last year. I use 2 locks though. One U lock and a thick cable lock (the ones that "can't" be cut by a bolt cutters.). I see a lot more expensive bikes around. The key is to lock them in a place where there are always people. Never leave your bike overnight (whether it's good or not).

UCD isn't that bad as long as you invest in a good lock and lock your bike in the right place.

Alkers

If you have time to do this I'd reccomend doing what I did, look around ebay, Irish bike sites and what not and buy the bits yourself. I built my bike from all 2nd hand but high-spec bits (XTR hubs, magura hydro. brakes etc...) Ended up costing only around €175, it looks wrecked so it's not attractive to thieves but it's very light and fast. It's in UCD every day and has never been tampered with. It's a lot more work but a lot less expensive if you end up not liking cycling or whatever.
BTW, where would you say the best place for locking a bike in UCD is?
EDIT: put in a pic for arguments sake!

DirkVoodoo

Thats a nice bike, how many man hours would be involved in the assembly?

A friend of mine said to get slick tires for road cycling, would this be expensive?

Alkers

Depends on how well you know your stuff really, I hadn't much practice doing the gears so I ended up bringing it tp the LBS for that, otherwise the fork was already on the frame so I didn't have to mess with the headset. Slick tyres that are pumped up hard are a must for road cycling. The ones I have (pitured) are about 1" and have small threads for riding in the wet, I got them because they were only €12 each, think that was in the cycle superstore in tallaght.

tywy

best place to park your bike in UCD....along the mall I guess, people are always walking past etc. A lot of people park their bikes on the rails outside the library which is clever because there are always people havin a smoke break :P

i got my bike stolen already...

last tuesday, second day of term.

It was ten days old. It'll be a battered looking second hand bike for me now.

It was locked directly across from Quinn School, with a good €40 brand new lock, Lock is gone too, so have no idea what happened to it.

Alkers

What was it, have a pic? Did you report it to security? I've locked my bike there numerous times, whenever I've had my mountain bike with me I've alsways used three locks though.

yeah reported to security and the Gardaí

it eas a Cross Arrow Hybrid Bike

pretty nifty i thought

Trojan

What was the brand and model of lock?

Victor

Trojan wrote:

Sometimes, on more expensive bikes they'll file off the serial number. Turn it upside down and check the bottom bracket (under where the pedals connect). Should be a serial number there. If it's obviously filed off it's stolen for sure

Yeah and demand the receipt and guarantee.

rubadub

Trojan wrote:

What was the brand and model of lock?

And was the thing you locked it to still intact?
Most of the time it is easier to cut through the thing it is locked to, thats why it is important to pass the lock through frame and back wheel.

I saw a guy locking a beautiful new hybrid up near me on saturday, looked worth €1000+. It had a big fancy lock and he locked it up to a pole with no top on it! the pole was only about 7ft and was next to a wall so anybody could have stood on the wall and lifted it up and over. I was standing there admiring it and then copped it and called him back. This was in a remote place where it would easily have been nicked. In the same spot I see people locking frames to wire fences that could be got through with a €1 wire snipper.

Back to the OP, if the guy is saying it is under 1 year old then there is no embarrasment in asking for the receipt for warranty purposes and checking the number, it is not like you are saying "you look like a scumbag and I think you nicked it", you are simply looking for the warranty which is part of the selling price. If he doesnt have a receipt and it seems genuine then you are able to offer less since you have no warranty.

Trojan

Trojan wrote:

What was the brand and model of lock?

Sorry to stay OT

but it was a Trelock KS 945
http://www.trelock.de/trelock/c_2/db_file.php?classid=5&id=ks945