Bike stolen: Specialized Tarmac Elite

EnderWigign

Hi All,

I wish my first post here could be under different circumstances. My bike, a Specialized Tarmac Elite (2010 model)http://www.specialized.com/gb/gb/bc/SBCProduct.jsp?arc=2010&spid=45888, was stolen in Clontarf last week. It is pretty much an off the peg model. In the unlikely event that somebody sees one being sold cheaply or suspiciously then I would be grateful if you could let me know.

Thanks,

ender

pprendeville

Just curious as to where exactly it was stolen. So much robbing goin on at the moment I Lock the doors inside my house when going out.

kincsem

It is not a good idea to lock doors inside a house (or presses). My parents were in Spain years ago. I was calling to their house twice a week to mow the lawns. They locked a few drawers. Burglars used a large screwdriver to lever them open and ruined them. And they got what was in the drawers.

It is better to lock the outside doors with two mortice locks, and keep the back windows locked.

EnderWigign

pprendeville wrote: »

Just curious as to where exactly it was stolen. So much robbing goin on at the moment I Lock the doors inside my house when going out.

In this case, it was completely my own fault. It was outside, turned my back for two mins and it was taken. Through CCTV footage and information from other people I found out that two people took it and stashed it in an apartment block very close to where they took it from. They didn't live in the block. Unfortunatly it was a day later before I had this info and the bike was gone from the apt block.

kona

EnderWigign wrote: »

In this case, it was completely my own fault. It was outside, turned my back for two mins and it was taken. Through CCTV footage and information from other people I found out that two people took it and stashed it in an apartment block very close to where they took it from. They didn't live in the block. Unfortunatly it was a day later before I had this info and the bike was gone from the apt block.

What part of clontarf was this taken from?

manwithaplan

Ender,

I live locally and will keep an eye out. You don't commute through Fairview on it wearing a bandana by any chance? If so, you are seriously fast.

EnderWigign

kona wrote: »

What part of clontarf was this taken from?

This is the embarrassing bit. Outside the Spar on Vernon Avenue, I nipped in for bottle of drink. I left it so that I could see the wheel from inside the shop (no I didn't lock it at the time). Between queueing up and paying it was gone. I have seen the Spar CCTV footage. Two people just grabbed it as they were passing.
Since then I have foumd out that the bike was stashed it in a nearby apartment block just after they grabbed it, hence why I couldn't see them anywhere. The people didn't live in the apt block.

I have some info that people were trying to sell an expensive bike for 350 Euro in East Wall a couple of days ago. It is not confirmed but there is a good chance it is my bike.

If anybody sees a bike or is offered one like it cheaply I'd be grateful if you let me know.

I haven't completely given up hope of recovering it yet but I'm not that confident.

EnderWigign

manwithaplan wrote: »

Ender,

I live locally and will keep an eye out. You don't commute through Fairview on it wearing a bandana by any chance? If so, you are seriously fast.

Hi manwithaplan,

I often ride through Fairview on it, sometimes to work but I always wear a helmet. It must be somebody else with the bandan. Also, I'm not very fast so I doubt it is me

kona

EnderWigign wrote: »

This is the embarrassing bit. Outside the Spar on Vernon Avenue, I nipped in for bottle of drink. I left it so that I could see the wheel from inside the shop (no I didn't lock it at the time). Between queueing up and paying it was gone. I have seen the Spar CCTV footage. Two people just grabbed it as they were passing.
Since then I have foumd out that the bike was stashed it in a nearby apartment block just after they grabbed it, hence why I couldn't see them anywhere. The people didn't live in the apt block.

I have some info that people were trying to sell an expensive bike for 350 Euro in East Wall a couple of days ago. It is not confirmed but there is a good chance it is my bike.

If anybody sees a bike or is offered one like it cheaply I'd be grateful if you let me know.

I haven't completely given up hope of recovering it yet but I'm not that confident.

Do walk up church street in east wall on your own unless you know somebody from the area, there is a gang of scum up there that will knock you about.

I found a trek abandoned just opposite the belgrove a few months ago, I handed it into the garda.
Lads from East wall are around that area up to no good but TBH I doubt it was them, nobody in East wall would spend e350 that on a bike thats stolen. Have a look in the bike shops in fairview and keep a eye out on donedeal. Do you have a photo of the bike?

Seems to be a spate of bikes being robbed in the general area along the howth road.

EnderWigign

kona wrote: »

Do walk up church street in east wall on your own unless you know somebody from the area, there is a gang of scum up there that will knock you about.

I found a trek abandoned just opposite the belgrove a few months ago, I handed it into the garda.
Lads from East wall are around that area up to no good but TBH I doubt it was them, nobody in East wall would spend e350 that on a bike thats stolen. Have a look in the bike shops in fairview and keep a eye out on donedeal. Do you have a photo of the bike?

Seems to be a spate of bikes being robbed in the general area along the howth road.

Hi kona,

To clarify the story a little. The evening after the bike was stolen, I put up a lot of posters around the Vernon Avenue/Clontarf Road area. I got a few useful calls. From these calls, I managed to piece together the movements of the thieves. The went into a nearby apartment block and left the bike inside the apartment, out of sight while I was looking around. They tried to wedge the door of the apartment block open for later access, however, one of the residents noticed them leaving and the wedge in the door. This resident removed the wedge. Another resident told me how the thieves asked this person to let them into the apartment block as they were visiting somebody. The resident didn't let them in as they didn't recognise them. I was told in both cases that the people weren't local to the area.

It would seem that the thieves failed to gain access to the apartment block that night as the bike was still there the next morning. It then disappeared at some stage during the day. I would think that the thieves came back the next day and sneaked in behind a resident.

Regarding East Wall, I had a call from another person who seen my posters to tell me that they had been offered a bike for €350 in East Wall. They couldn't be sure that it was my bike but they said it was black, very light and had a tear on the saddle. My saddle has bit of white paint on the saddle that could be mistaken for a tear.
I am not 100% sure but I think that based on the circumstantial evidence, my bike is probably in the East Wall area or may already have been sold.

I have been keeping a close eye on classifieds. I was also told that markets are a good place to look for bikes being sold.
I have been trying to get to the local bike shops to drop in a poster but I am back to education part time this week so I have not been back home until late in the evening. I will visit them this weekend. I would imagine that a bike shop wouldn't buy an expensive bike from somebody off the street, they would have to know that it was most likely stolen.
I intend to have a bit of a scout around East Wall at the weekend but I imagine I will be a bit on the late side.

EnderWigign

I don't have a good picture of the bike. Only some crappy ones on my phone. This is pretty much it on the Specialized site.

http://www.specialized.com/gb/gb/bc/SBCProduct.jsp?arc=2010&spid=45888&gold_ses=

It has Look Keo pedals, piranha bottle holder, Garmin bracket and Cat Eye lights. Also a bit of white paint on the saddle.

kona

EnderWigign wrote: »

I don't have a good picture of the bike. Only some crappy ones on my phone. This is pretty much it on the Specialized site.

http://www.specialized.com/gb/gb/bc/SBCProduct.jsp?arc=2010&spid=45888&gold_ses=

It has Look Keo pedals, piranha bottle holder, Garmin bracket and Cat Eye lights. Also a bit of white paint on the saddle.

Cool, Ill keep an eye out, I know a few out these scumbags through friends.

kona

EnderWigign wrote: »

Hi kona,

To clarify the story a little. The evening after the bike was stolen, I put up a lot of posters around the Vernon Avenue/Clontarf Road area. I got a few useful calls. From these calls, I managed to piece together the movements of the thieves. The went into a nearby apartment block and left the bike inside the apartment, out of sight while I was looking around. They tried to wedge the door of the apartment block open for later access, however, one of the residents noticed them leaving and the wedge in the door. This resident removed the wedge. Another resident told me how the thieves asked this person to let them into the apartment block as they were visiting somebody. The resident didn't let them in as they didn't recognise them. I was told in both cases that the people weren't local to the area.

It would seem that the thieves failed to gain access to the apartment block that night as the bike was still there the next morning. It then disappeared at some stage during the day. I would think that the thieves came back the next day and sneaked in behind a resident.

Regarding East Wall, I had a call from another person who seen my posters to tell me that they had been offered a bike for €350 in East Wall. They couldn't be sure that it was my bike but they said it was black, very light and had a tear on the saddle. My saddle has bit of white paint on the saddle that could be mistaken for a tear.
I am not 100% sure but I think that based on the circumstantial evidence, my bike is probably in the East Wall area or may already have been sold.

I have been keeping a close eye on classifieds. I was also told that markets are a good place to look for bikes being sold.
I have been trying to get to the local bike shops to drop in a poster but I am back to education part time this week so I have not been back home until late in the evening. I will visit them this weekend. I would imagine that a bike shop wouldn't buy an expensive bike from somebody off the street, they would have to know that it was most likely stolen.
I intend to have a bit of a scout around East Wall at the weekend but I imagine I will be a bit on the late side.

Be very very careful in East wall, Im not scared of nobody, but these scumbags will put a Knife in you, one of them is in court at the moment for shooting a 50 year old man dead outside his house, for nothing.

Even if you see your bike how are you going to get it back, East wall is a fairly settled area up around church street, strangers stand out. Just becareful and bring somebody with you.

Fair play on the posters, its interesting to note just how easy these scumbags get into compounds.

As mentioned above if they are moving it on in the east wall area, it will wore than likely stay in the east wall area. I pass there every day, I will keep a eye out for it, I hope you get it back.

Also there is a junkie in town with a bike fetish, I got chatting to him on a night out (as ya do:rolleyes:)

He has a Carrera Banshee, A Cube and a Felt apparantley. Hes regularly cycling up the howth road with a fishing rod.

Kintarō Hattori

manwithaplan wrote: »

Ender,

I live locally and will keep an eye out. You don't commute through Fairview on it wearing a bandana by any chance? If so, you are seriously fast.

Heh you're talking about my colleague. I must let him know about your comment!

Sorry to hear about your bike OP.