Where do all the stolen bikes in Dublin go?

Stryker

Have just had my 6th bike nicked in Dublin. Read a report in paper saying
that there was a gang in Dublin stealing 250 bikes a day.

I'm looking to buy a cheap 2nd hand bike but there doesn't seem
to be many out there, tried UCD bike shop, McCormacks, gumtree and buy and sell.

So where the hell are the pikeys who keep stealing my bike selling them?

Dirk Gently

Stryker wrote:

So where the hell are the pikeys who keep stealing my bike selling them?

Random kids on street corners.

After having 6 bikes stolen maybe it's time you started to think about where you're leaving the bike and what kind of lock you're using.

E@gle.

Bottom of the liffey or the canal,

davej

Maybe this will give you some clues

http://www.indymedia.ie/article/72315?print_page=true

davej

Ghost Rider

It's a good question. Damned if I know the answer, but.

Stryker wrote:

Have just had my 6th bike nicked in Dublin. Read a report in paper saying
that there was a gang in Dublin stealing 250 bikes a day.

I'm looking to buy a cheap 2nd hand bike but there doesn't seem
to be many out there, tried UCD bike shop, McCormacks, gumtree and buy and sell.

So where the hell are the pikeys who keep stealing my bike selling them?

spurious

'The Hill' on North Cumberland Street from about 6am on Saturdays.

You have to get there early though - later on it's all clothes and junk. Not just bikes either.

Stryker

Clown Bag, 2 were nicked from inside supposedly safe cycle sections
of Dublin appt blocks, 1 from outside Donnybrook Garda station, 1 from school
and 2 from in town. Georges St and Stephens Green.

They weren't even nice bikes, it's the sheer incovenience.

Hungrycol

Keep an eye out for Garda Auctions in Kevin St Garda station. They happen twice a year. Last one was in March and I understand that they happen randomly when they're getting full of bikes. Don't expect to pick up any brilliant carbon racing bike.

rubadub

When mine was nicked I rang an ad in buyandsell. Said it was a new raleigh hybrid, going for €50. It was an email address, emailed them and they said to ring a guy and I could meet him at "something house" around phibsoboro. I looked in the phone book and it was a hostel, so presumed it was a junkie, I never rang. they guy in the email said he had plenty of bikes, obviously nicked.


I have heard another scam is robbing bikes. then bring them to a cop station out of town, e.g. van goes to cork and drops them in all the garda stations as nicked. Then if they are unclaimed the person who brings them in is supposed to be phoned back and offered the bike. Dunno if that is and urban myth as it seems they are all auctioned now, but maybe only ones cops find go to auction.

Ghost Rider

Which house in Phibsboro?

rubadub wrote:

When mine was nicked I rang an ad in buyandsell. Said it was a new raleigh hybrid, going for €50. It was an email address, emailed them and they said to ring a guy and I could meet him at "something house" around phibsoboro. I looked in the phone book and it was a hostel, so presumed it was a junkie, I never rang. they guy in the email said he had plenty of bikes, obviously nicked.


I have heard another scam is robbing bikes. then bring them to a cop station out of town, e.g. van goes to cork and drops them in all the garda stations as nicked. Then if they are unclaimed the person who brings them in is supposed to be phoned back and offered the bike. Dunno if that is and urban myth as it seems they are all auctioned now, but maybe only ones cops find go to auction.

rubadub

Ghost Rider wrote:

Which house in Phibsboro?

Still have the email, thank god for gmails search feature!

celts House 32 Blessington St.

have the name & mobile too!, should send it to the gardai, or post it here so people can arrange meetings, not turn up and waste the kunts time.

It is from 28/06/06-

Bluefoam

I heard the Guards were stopping the auctions & going to crush the bikes instead...

philstar

so what part of the city centre is a no-no to leave yr bike??

and what the best lock to use??

Snapper1

There's also an ad-hoc market on Dorset Street (right at the Big Tree pub) on most Saturday mornings that I've seen a few bikes at...

Ghost Rider

I wonder is it still going on there... Nothing enrages me more than organised bike thievery. Bastids.

rubadub wrote:

Still have the email, thank god for gmails search feature!

celts House 32 Blessington St.

have the name & mobile too!, should send it to the gardai, or post it here so people can arrange meetings, not turn up and waste the kunts time.

It is from 28/06/06-

penexpers

philstar wrote:

so what part of the city centre is a no-no to leave yr bike??

and what the best lock to use??

It's generally the best idea to leave it somewhere public. I usually try and park mine outside a bike shop (Cycleways is good for this). Failing that, I feel most safe leaving it on College Green, Stephens Green Shopping Centre or bottom of Dawson St, usually in the bike racks.

As for locks, essentially, the best one you can afford. I have the Trelock BS610 (I think) which cost 75 euro from Cycleways. It's a very decent lock and I have no fear about my bike being stolen. I hear good things about the Kryptonite New York Fahgettaboudit U-lock.

Ghost Rider

No-nos are, to my mind, places in which it is possible for someone to spend half an hour working on your bike without being noticed e.g. alleyways, laneways etc.

When I get a new bike, I generally start out by locking it outside Garda stations only. Store Street, Pearse Street and the Garda "shop" on O'Connell Street are useful in that regard. That whole practice lasts a week or two until I calm the f*** down. Then I just lock it somewhere relatively visible. I always entertain the half-hope that if someone does have a go at trying to rob my bike, I'll get lucky and some vigilante bouncer will chase the miscreant away. Hope springs eternal.

philstar wrote:

so what part of the city centre is a no-no to leave yr bike??

and what the best lock to use??

Stryker

Nowhere is safe to lock your bike.
I know 2 other people who've had their bike nicked from on the green.

Think of that Pulp fiction line -
just wish I caught 'em doin' it,
ya know? Oh man, I'd give anything
to catch 'em doin' it. It'a been
worth his doin' it, if I coulda
just caught 'em, you know what I
mean?

1 day a pikey is gonn aghet hiding when I catch him trying to steal my bike

blorg

rubadub wrote:

I have heard another scam is robbing bikes. then bring them to a cop station out of town, e.g. van goes to cork and drops them in all the garda stations as nicked. Then if they are unclaimed the person who brings them in is supposed to be phoned back and offered the bike. Dunno if that is and urban myth as it seems they are all auctioned now, but maybe only ones cops find go to auction.

It is the case that if you find something and hand it in, you can reclaim it after a year and a day. I know I did with a wallet that I found with £40 in. 366 days later I reclaimed it, £40 and all. Lost the wallet around a month later, with a similar amount in! I seriously doubt this would work for bikes, though- like who is going to go around to a garda station with a van full of bikes they "found"? Why not just keep them anyway.

Trojan

Here's some pictures & report from the Garda bike auction in Dublin Oct 2006.

Civilian_Target

Now heres a question, if you saw some dodgy looking guy fiddling with a bike in a public place, would you approach him? Think about it, would you really approach him? Would you blank it? Would you give him the benefit of the doubt?

I think if there were 30 or 40 bikes at a rack, I'd may easily overlook it, but if there were only 3 or 4 I'd almost certainly approach.

mikemac

And get a screwdriver in the chest :eek:

Braver man than me, I'd find a garda on foot patrol if I thought there was time, around the city centre you don't have to look far

philstar

micmclo wrote:

I'd find a garda on foot patrol if I thought there was time, around the city centre you don't have to look far

oh ya???:rolleyes:

markpb

Civilian_Target wrote:

Now heres a question, if you saw some dodgy looking guy fiddling with a bike in a public place, would you approach him? Think about it, would you really approach him? Would you blank it? Would you give him the benefit of the doubt?

Obviously people don't. My bike was stolen from the Luas stop at Stephens Green today, lock was cut was lock cutters so it couldn't have been all that subtle.

Wouldn't mind but I only picked it up from the shop yesterday. 22 hours! I hate this city sometimes.

311

There is definetly some sort of building or structure needed for cyclists in the city centre.

I never see family cycling around dublin ,its sad.

At least if there was a place in the city centre to head to ,cyclists would gain the respect they deserve.
It's ridiculous at this stage ,that cyclists are sneered at around dublin.

avalanche

I had a lovely customised GT mountainbike scammed off me a few months back. basically i had an add in the buy and sell, a polish fella called to say he was interested and arranged to call in to see it. he knew his stuff about bikes and said he was interested although he had some other bikes out of the buy and sell which he wanted to see first. he rang up the next day to say that he wanted to buy my one, called around after "work" with a laptop bag and asked if he could have a go before making final purchase. as he had left his laptop down ( said he was a computer programmer ) i decided i had to let him have a go - i had bought bikes this way in the past and you do have to try before you buy. after all it was an expensive purchase, that was the last i saw of the lad. i eventually cut open the laptop bag to find a phone book selotaped between two pieces of wood. i rang him but he must have thrown his sim away too. all in all a pretty elaborate plan but luckily i had it insured be warned.

Ghost Rider

Quite a story. What would you do if you saw the guy around? It's a small country...

avalanche wrote:

I had a lovely customised GT mountainbike scammed off me a few months back. basically i had an add in the buy and sell, a polish fella called to say he was interested and arranged to call in to see it. he knew his stuff about bikes and said he was interested although he had some other bikes out of the buy and sell which he wanted to see first. he rang up the next day to say that he wanted to buy my one, called around after "work" with a laptop bag and asked if he could have a go before making final purchase. as he had left his laptop down ( said he was a computer programmer ) i decided i had to let him have a go - i had bought bikes this way in the past and you do have to try before you buy. after all it was an expensive purchase, that was the last i saw of the lad. i eventually cut open the laptop bag to find a phone book selotaped between two pieces of wood. i rang him but he must have thrown his sim away too. all in all a pretty elaborate plan but luckily i had it insured be warned.

flickerx

_Brian_ wrote:

There is definetly some sort of building or structure needed for cyclists in the city centre.

If I'm ever leaving my bike around town (and I only ever bring in the ****tiest one I have) for any length of time, say at night (before cycling home drunk :-) or for an entire day, I lock it next to Pearse St Garda shop. Its usually pretty full at the inn there, but after working hours you can find a spot.

RainyDay

Ghost Rider wrote:

Quite a story. What would you do if you saw the guy around? It's a small country...

THis brings me back to my school days, when my beloved Dawes Chevron was swiped from the school bike sheds. Some months letter, I spotted a young guy with my trusty steed, complete with the transfers I had put on the mudguards just outside Crumlin Shopping Centre. Fortunately, Sundrive Garda Station was just down the road, so I lashed down to the station and some guards brought me back up in the squad car and picked up your man. I got the bike back a couple of weeks letter, though I never found out what happened to the bloke.

Ghost Rider

He's probably still rotting in the 'Joy.

RainyDay wrote:

I got the bike back a couple of weeks letter, though I never found out what happened to the bloke.