Anti-Bike Theft

Ryder

Lots of threads on here about stolen bikes. How about sharing advice....
For what it's worth, have a D lock (a fahgettaboutit (sic)..apparently unbreakable) and plan on covering the frame of my new bike in electrical tape)
Suppose the best advice is to never leave a bike out overnight or in a position where it can fall onto the ground.

Any thoughts or other ideas?

Bluefoam

Leave a motorcycle chain at your regular destination & carry a more manageble lock with you...

Capt'n Midnight

motor bike chains are cheaper than kryptonites too

but bring a lock with you too in case some low life has superglued the lock at your destination or in the unlikely event you need to abandon or park en-route.

Dirk Gently

Probably not helpful but I carry my bike up to my office and leave it sitting there beside me. If I'm in town I leave it there too as I have a key for my job. The boss sometimes grunts and moans but I just tell him how much it costs and that I would need a significant payrise to replace it. He's learned to accept it, plus the fact that traffic and bus strikes dont affect my time keeping. I refuse to lock it anywhere in public.

If I need to make a pit stop in a shop while on a bit of a cycle I only stop at certain shops. These are shops which have something sturdy to lock the bike to and where I can see the bike from inside the shop and at the tills. I rarely have to leave it more than 60 seconds while in the shop but its in my view and locked all the time. It takes a bit of scouting but knowing shops that are bike friendly and have quick service puts my mind at ease. I wont leave it out of sight or go to a shop known for keeping me waiting to get served.

If I had no other choice but to leave a bike locked in public I'd take the saddle with me and let the air out of the tyres (make sure to take the pump with you). Two locks for sure but two good locks are heavy for carrying around with you which always makes me plan my journey so as to avoid leaving the bike in public. (not practical for most people). I'm lucky in that I can leave it in work and when on a spin I'm rarely off the bike except a few seconds in a shop.

You could also after locking the frame and then locking the wheel with another lock take the nut off the wheel and replace it when you come back. Might seem excessive but it only takes a minute to replace your saddle, wheel nut and pump your tyres but it will be too much hassle for a thief and he will choose the intact bike beside yours (with the inferior lock).

Also shiney cool looking stuff will be taken. I have a spacebar with attachments for two sleek front leds, a saddle bag, pump attached, cycle computer, rear light. none of these ever get left in public.

pete4130

Generally if a thief sees a bike with no air in the tyres, missing a wheel nut and not having a saddle it is seen as the go ahead to remove more parts from the bike as they view it as being abandoned or left there for a considerable time. I've seen bikes that have had a wheel removed and the owner not bothering to take the bike as its too much hassle and it soon gets stripped of anything of value. proper bike thieves do carry the neccesary tools to remove pieces they like from bikes unfortunately. All they need is an alen key set, a bone spanner and a snips.

Cassiel

For securing wheels, forks and seatpost, I use and highly recommend products by pitlock.
www.pitlock.de

Pick-up a Datatag kit. Tag your bike with it, buy a small engraver tool (cheap) or Dremel and engrave components with the Datatag no. The Datatag system may not be widely recognisable here to either the Gardai or the thieving scum, which is a shame, but if your bike does get nicked, you stand a much better chance of getting it returned if it is recovered.

Lock with either chain or u-lock. Anything carrying the 'Sold Secure Gold' logo is pretty much the minimum acceptable standard against professional theft. If you are parking in public spaces everday either for work (on-street) or college (bike park) for long periods of time then it will be a target and having both a chain and u-lock is a good idea. Anything you can do to not park in those areas for long periods of time is probably top of the list for anti-theft. Electrical tape on the frame can do no harm but flash kit stands out a mile - disk brakes, suspension, shiny alloy, carbon fibre.

TinyExplosions

Firstly, I very rarely leave my bike out overnight (it sleeps on my balcony -third floor, so pretty safe, just tiring carrying it up all the steps at the end of the day). When I'm out and about I use a Kryptonite Mini -it's small so it makes you think about where you lock it (mostly only on the proper bike racks or thin lampposts!), and it's size makes it harder to break with a car jack, and makes the scumbags more likely to wreck the frame taking an angle grinder to it. It's also small enough to put in my back pocket when riding meaning it's always there!

I saw in your last post that you got a Kona Paddy Wagon, which is the same as I have, and it's not been touched yet!

The best advice I would give is if at all possible not to leave it out overnight -balconies are the best place!

tywy

TinyExplosions wrote: »

Firstly, I very rarely leave my bike out overnight (it sleeps on my balcony -third floor, so pretty safe, just tiring carrying it up all the steps at the end of the day). When I'm out and about I use a Kryptonite Mini -it's small so it makes you think about where you lock it (mostly only on the proper bike racks or thin lampposts!), and it's size makes it harder to break with a car jack, and makes the scumbags more likely to wreck the frame taking an angle grinder to it. It's also small enough to put in my back pocket when riding meaning it's always there!

I saw in your last post that you got a Kona Paddy Wagon, which is the same as I have, and it's not been touched yet!

The best advice I would give is if at all possible not to leave it out overnight -balconies are the best place!

I can't judge how big your lock is, does it fit on those bike racks shaped like an 'n'? Also is it small enough to fit in the back pocket of your jeans?

TinyExplosions

It fits nicely into the back pocket of jeans, and fits the N shaped bike rack just fine, as well as the smaller of the lamposts found around Dublin. It's attached to my bike at the mo, but I can give you the dimensions later. Basically, the curve at the top is the same as a 'standard' U-Lock, it's just the arms that are shorter

fish-head

I have a Mini aswell.. there's more things you can't lock to than things you can, unfortunately. The small size makes it much harder for Johnny Scumbag to jack open as there's usually very little room between the lock and the bike.

alantc

Pearse St. Garda station.

I also have a pannier and big mudguards that make the bike look uncool.

gimmeaminute

alantc wrote: »

I also have a pannier and big mudguards that make the bike look uncool.

I had been toying with a 'I have herpes and so does my bike' sticker.

But then, like you, I decided that panniers were an even more effective deterrent.

blorg

I wouldn't leave panniers on a bike, would expect them to get nicked, no? And if that happens your bike is defenceless.

SerialComplaint

alantc wrote: »

I also have a pannier and big mudguards that make the bike look uncool.

Try a nice pink flowery basket - best anti-theft device known to man.

niceonetom

two words people:

dog ****

applied liberally to frame, saddle and handlebars. sure, there are drawbacks, but i don't even need a lock.

RasTa

Depending on the bike just pop the back wheel off and lock it to the bike. Problem solved.

avalanche

my last bike was robbed by the guy i thought was going to buy it. he basically called around after seeing the bike the day before, left what was supposedly a laptop in my hall way, asked if he could test it and the rest is history. the bike was worth about a grand. the laptop turned to be a phone book inside two planks of wood in a locked bag. be warned, he knew his stuff about bikes too and seemed like a nice lad. he also threw away his sim card as i was trying to contact him. im sure he has done it before and will do it again. luckily the bike was insured but i had to tell the police i was pushed off the bike otherwise i wouldnt have received a penny.

SerialComplaint

avalanche wrote: »

luckily the bike was insured but i had to tell the police i was pushed off the bike otherwise i wouldnt have received a penny.

So he robbed you, then you robbed your insurance company with a fraudulent claim. Nice.

Slunk

Ive heard theres now people going around with cordless mini grinders like this.



Anyone know of incidents of people using these. Cant really protect against this can you?

Bluefoam

Slunk wrote: »

Ive heard theres now people going around with cordless mini grinders like this.



Anyone know of incidents of people using these. Cant really protect against this can you?

You would have difficulty getting through my motorcycle lock with that. I'd say the blades would break before the lock!

garo

SerialComplaint wrote: »

So he robbed you, then you robbed your insurance company with a fraudulent claim. Nice.

Oh please! We are getting enough know-it-alls here as it is. He wuz robbed and he got the money back from insurance. Seems like a fair deal to me.

Frog Brother

Bluefoam wrote: »

You would have difficulty getting through my motorcycle lock with that. I'd say the blades would break before the lock!

No, that's not true. It would cut through a motorcycle lock as easy as one of the kryptonites. Takes about 2 mins according to cycling plus. But if the guy (presuming it's a guy) is there for 2 mins with an angle grinder he is going to attrach a bit of attention. I got a Krypto ny lock, like the foggitaboutit but longer, does the job and gives me more locking options than the smaller one but it is a pain to carry around. but if you love your bike (langster 07) it is worth it.

At the end of the day, if someone really wants to steal it, they will.
Just don't let the paranoia ruin your cycling experience!!!!

neilled

ITV london done a documentary called "Gone in 60 seconds" which was about bike theft in london, efforts to catch the theives by the met through sting operations and how effective the various locks were.

SerialComplaint

garo wrote: »

Oh please! We are getting enough know-it-alls here as it is. He wuz robbed and he got the money back from insurance. Seems like a fair deal to me.

I guess the other customers of the insurance company in question who will ultimately pay the fraudulent claim may not share your view about it being a fair deal.

Bicyclegadabout

SerialComplaint wrote: »

I guess the other customers of the insurance company in question who will ultimately pay the fraudulent claim may not share your view about it being a fair deal.

The insurance deal was unfair and yerman was duped by a confidence trick. Be quiet.

gimmeaminute

SerialComplaint wrote: »

I guess the other customers of the insurance company in question who will ultimately pay the fraudulent claim may not share your view about it being a fair deal.

Oh yeah, cause that's why insurance companies are jacking up their prices, because of stolen bike claims. It's not to fund more undeserved bonuses for their board members.

niceonetom

gimmeaminute wrote: »

Oh yeah, cause that's why insurance companies are jacking up their prices, because of stolen bike claims. It's not to fund more undeserved bonuses for their board members.

hey those board members earn their massive salaries. have you any idea how long it takes to commute from Dalkey in the S class?

Bluefoam

niceonetom wrote: »

hey those board members earn their massive salaries. have you any idea how long it takes to commute from Dalkey in the S class?

Hey, I'm a boards member & I don't get squat!!! :mad:

SerialComplaint

Bicyclegadabout wrote: »

The insurance deal was unfair and yerman was duped by a confidence trick.

If the insurance deal was unfair, he shouldn't have taken out the policy. Or he could have complained afterwards to the Financial Services Ombudsman. If he wanted insurance against being duped, I would guess that this kind of cover would be very expensive (for good reason).

gimmeaminute wrote: »

Oh yeah, cause that's why insurance companies are jacking up their prices, because of stolen bike claims. It's not to fund more undeserved bonuses for their board members.

This is a false arguement. If you have a principled objection to the bonuses given to board members, then don't give them your business. Fraudulent claims do indeed affect insurance rates.

garo

If only I had a penny for every time an insurance company has screwed someone over.

SerialComplaint judging by your nick I probably won't ever be able to convince you but consider this. If you give someone a bike to test-ride and he makes away with it, it is stealing. If this guy who pulled the trick was caught and handed over to the gardai, he most certainly would be prosecuted for stealing and not fraud. Fraud would have occurred if he was giving a laptop in exchange for the bike and the laptop turned out to be a dud. In this case, the laptop was a guarantee which was a dud. This does not detract from the fact that avalanche never intended for the punter to take the bike. Hence it is stealing.

If avalanche had told the truth he probably still would have got the money but probably would have had to go through bunches of hoops and maybe hire a lawyer - which wasn't worth it. A white lie did nobody any harm since he did not act unethically in my opinion.

He who has never sinned should cast the first stone and all that.

Bicyclegadabout

SerialComplaint wrote: »

If the insurance deal was unfair, he shouldn't have taken out the policy. Or he could have complained afterwards to the Financial Services Ombudsman. If he wanted insurance against being duped, I would guess that this kind of cover would be very expensive (for good reason).

This is a false arguement. If you have a principled objection to the bonuses given to board members, then don't give them your business. Fraudulent claims do indeed affect insurance rates.

You should log off. Take a walk, (or even a cycle), clear your head and then come back. You’re not making any sense.

gimmeaminute

SerialComplaint wrote: »

This is a false arguement. If you have a principled objection to the bonuses given to board members, then don't give them your business.

It's The Man! The Man is online! Watch out everyone!

SerialComplaint

garo wrote: »

If only I had a penny for every time an insurance company has screwed someone over.

And do you reckon the solution lies in having customers screw over their insurance companies in return?

garo wrote: »

SerialComplaint judging by your nick I probably won't ever be able to convince you but consider this. If you give someone a bike to test-ride and he makes away with it, it is stealing. If this guy who pulled the trick was caught and handed over to the gardai, he most certainly would be prosecuted for stealing and not fraud. Fraud would have occurred if he was giving a laptop in exchange for the bike and the laptop turned out to be a dud. In this case, the laptop was a guarantee which was a dud. This does not detract from the fact that avalanche never intended for the punter to take the bike. Hence it is stealing.

If avalanche had told the truth he probably still would have got the money but probably would have had to go through bunches of hoops and maybe hire a lawyer - which wasn't worth it. A white lie did nobody any harm since he did not act unethically in my opinion.

It doesn't surprise me at all that guy would be done for theft, and not fraud. However, I've no idea what definitions the insurance company use when writing the policies. Talk of hiring a lawyer to pursue a claim is nonsense. If an insurance company fails to pay up, the Financial Services Ombudsman can put manners on them at no cost to the complainant.

niceonetom

SerialComplaint wrote: »

And do you reckon the solution lies in having customers screw over their insurance companies in return?

It doesn't surprise me at all that guy would be done for theft, and not fraud. However, I've no idea what definitions the insurance company use when writing the policies. Talk of hiring a lawyer to pursue a claim is nonsense. If an insurance company fails to pay up, the Financial Services Ombudsman can put manners on them at no cost to the complainant.

if you think that the insurance company would have paid up anyway, which is how it sounds, then your complaint is not only repetitive but unbelievably technical. let's move on.

SerialComplaint

niceonetom wrote: »

if you think that the insurance company would have paid up anyway, which is how it sounds, then your complaint is not only repetitive but unbelievably technical. let's move on.

If you really want to 'move on', then you might want to consider not continuing to debate the issue. The OP told us that 'but i had to tell the police i was pushed off the bike otherwise i wouldnt have received a penny', so I'm assuming that OP had some basis for this conclusion. Unless we know where the OP got this idea from, we can only make wild guesses as to whether the insurance co would have paid up.

Bicyclegadabout

SerialComplaint wrote: »

If you really want to 'move on', then you might want to consider not continuing to debate the issue. The OP told us that 'but i had to tell the police i was pushed off the bike otherwise i wouldnt have received a penny', so I'm assuming that OP had some basis for this conclusion. Unless we know where the OP got this idea from, we can only make wild guesses as to whether the insurance co would have paid up.

Actually, the OP didn’t say that. It was someone else who decided to tell a story on the internet, who you then decided to pick on for absolutely no reason.

I hope you don’t mind me pointing that out, but it wouldn’t be fair if you had the monopoly on pedantry.

kirving

The other day, I saw a black Giant frame locked to a lamppost on the street beside Stephens Green Shopping Centre. I only glanced at it, but everything was taken off it, I mean everything was gone! Even the pedal cranks were taken!

Ghost Rider

Is that the one that's opposite the site for the new H&M shop? That frame's been there weeks. My guess is the owner has given up on it. Either that or they died.

Kevin Irving wrote: »

The other day, I saw a black Giant frame locked to a lamppost on the street beside Stephens Green Shopping Centre. I only glanced at it, but everything was taken off it, I mean everything was gone! Even the pedal cranks were taken!

SerialComplaint

Bicyclegadabout wrote: »

Actually, the OP didn’t say that. It was someone else who decided to tell a story on the internet, who you then decided to pick on for absolutely no reason.

I hope you don’t mind me pointing that out, but it wouldn’t be fair if you had the monopoly on pedantry.

My error. I was of course referring to Avalanche. Apologies for any confusion. My post should have read;

Avalanche told us that 'but i had to tell the police i was pushed off the bike otherwise i wouldnt have received a penny', so I'm assuming that Avalanche had some basis for this conclusion. Unless we know where the Avalanche got this idea from, we can only make wild guesses as to whether the insurance co would have paid up.

Merrion

To return back to topic - there was a place in temple bar where you could park bikes in an underground?

Civilian_Target

niceonetom wrote: »

two words people:

dog ****

applied liberally to frame, saddle and handlebars. sure, there are drawbacks, but i don't even need a lock.

Hahaha!

Whoever recommended Pitlocks and Datatag, I second that. I've got both and my bike's been good for 2 years, in Dublin and London, using just a kryptonite mini-D lock on the back wheel and frame. Someone has evidentally tried to steal it before and been defeated by the pitlock, because they then slashed my tyres and bent the back wheel... still cheaper than a new bike though! Dunno what good the datatag might be, but it was free

avalanche

just had a look back at this thread and it seems my earlier comment ruffled a few feathers in respect to my insurance claim. maybe i was wrong but to be honest i didnt set out to dupe the insurance company. i had insured my bike against theft but hadnt foreseen this type of theft. as i understood it the insurance company would not payout if they understood that i willing handed over my bike to someone and why should they although this was theft in my eyes. i have insured my bikes for the last 10 years and this is the first time i have made a claim. i saw it as a technicality. the bike was stolen. my bike was insured against theft and therefore i had a right to claim although im sure the insurance company would do everything possible to avoid compensation.,,and anyway the post was not supposed to be about my robbery of an insurance company but instead was supposed to give people a heads up of a possible con so that they would not have to be put in a similar situation ...