Bike Theft - discussion

tomc

Was reading the following article and it made me wonder about all the 'painted' bikes you see around the city, my belief rightly or wrongly is that most of these bikes that have been re-sprayed (generally black) have been stolen at some point.

Just wondering what peoples thoughts were or do you respray your own bike?

http://www.ecf.com/news/bike-theft-in-dublin-an-underreported-and-growing-problem/

Buchaill_Mor

I have a few colleagues and friends that sprayed their own bikes black or other colours often on the same frame and badly done (one gaffer taped up his carbon frame) to make them look like an old junker, and blend in compared to the shiney new stuff in the rack next to their bikes.

custom_build

It sounds like a good idea but it must be heart breaking to go through with.

Buchaill_Mor

custom_build wrote: »

It sounds like a good idea but it must be heart breaking to go through with.

The gaffer tape chap uses it as his winter training bike, and to commute. Like more than a few people here they usually have a nice bike/bikes for the weekend/racing and a commuter/wtb.

eeeee

Buchaill_Mor wrote: »

I have a few colleagues and friends that sprayed their own bikes black or other colours often on the same frame and badly done (one gaffer taped up his carbon frame) to make them look like an old junker, and blend in compared to the shiney new stuff in the rack next to their bikes.

I think I know that gaffa carbon bike. Does your friend park in jury street? I noticed a nice bike covered in black gaffa tape with a good wheelset and 105. Good idea.

The two locks thing is the way forward. I couldn't bring myself to spray any of mine. Fair play to anyone who does it.

Buchaill_Mor

gadetra wrote: »

I think I know that gaffa carbon bike. Does your friend park in jury street? I noticed a nice bike covered in black gaffa tape with a good wheelset and 105. Good idea.

The two locks thing is the way forward. I couldn't bring myself to spray any of mine. Fair play to anyone who does it.

It might be him, might not. He uses it a lot, and his job means he goes about the city centre from office to office a lot. He did say he got the idea from another bike he saw, I think he said he saw it on a bike belonging to a courrier. Initially he had black and silver on it, but changed it to all black, and frayed most of the edging to make it look really rubbish.

beazee

Used this trick on a courier bike in Poznan, back in 2000.
Tried to make the bike look as ****ty as possible.
And it worked!

Tombo2001

Given the sheer volume of bikes being stolen these days, I can only assume most of them are leaving the country.

davidtimoney

Hi,

I`m doing some research for the Dublin Cycling campaign on bike theft and would like to get Dublin cyclists to complete a survey about their experiences of bike theft and bike security (bike parks etc). I`m wondering what the best way to get a large number of cyclists to fill out a survey is? Any ideas how I`d target a 1-2k cyclists for an on-line survey?

Thks

Kinet1c

davidtimoney wrote: »

Hi,

I`m doing some research for the Dublin Cycling campaign on bike theft and would like to get Dublin cyclists to complete a survey about their experiences of bike theft and bike security (bike parks etc). I`m wondering what the best way to get a large number of cyclists to fill out a survey is? Any ideas how I`d target a 1-2k cyclists for an on-line survey?

Thks

You'd want to contact all the clubs, cycling ireland, sticky bottle and probably the shops too.

sbs2010

Kinet1c wrote: »

You'd want to contact all the clubs, cycling ireland, sticky bottle and probably the shops too.

I think you'd miss the whole 'general commuter' type with that approach.

It would be hassle but I reckon you'd need to print a flyer with the details and hand it out at traffic lights at rush hour and tie it to handlebars at the on street bike racks.

Buchaill_Mor

Contact thejournal.ie, maybe write a small opinion piece then post a link to your survey. Try other online media outlets where people tend to get their daily news.

Wishbone Ash

Buchaill_Mor wrote: »

... (one gaffer taped up his carbon frame) to make them look like an old junker, and blend in compared to the shiney new stuff in the rack next to their bikes.

To me a bike covered in tape would stand out. I couldn't do it - I'd cut my throat first. It would be like buying a Ferrari and putting a coat of Santex on it.

Buchaill_Mor wrote: »

The gaffer tape chap uses it as his winter training bike, and to commute. Like more than a few people here they usually have a nice bike/bikes for the weekend/racing and a commuter/wtb.

Why not just get proper locks or a cheaper/heavier bike for commuting - and maximise the training effort?

L'Enfer du Nord

davidtimoney wrote: »

Hi,

I`m doing some research for the Dublin Cycling campaign on bike theft and would like to get Dublin cyclists to complete a survey about their experiences of bike theft and bike security (bike parks etc). I`m wondering what the best way to get a large number of cyclists to fill out a survey is? Any ideas how I`d target a 1-2k cyclists for an on-line survey?

Thks

Offer a prize for completing the survey e.g. A new lock. Handout flyers at busy junctions like Leeson street bridge.

RayCun

tomc wrote: »

http://www.ecf.com/news/bike-theft-in-dublin-an-underreported-and-growing-problem/

I think I've read (on here) that most people don't lock their bikes in the Netherlands, and there is more of a 'shared bike' culture - that if your bike isn't there when you get back, you just use another unlocked bike. Which contradicts that article.
I've no idea which is true.

Smokeyskelton

L'Enfer du Nord wrote: »

Offer a prize for completing the survey e.g. A new lock. Handout flyers at busy junctions like Leeson street bridge.

I agree with the above, unless you get the message to the intended market and then give them an incentive e.g. a competition prize or decent freebie you won't get a great response.

You should put a definite closing date for responses and the competition. Maybe you could email participants with the results of the survey and the winner of the competition. That might give people more of a sense of participation and a sense that their efforts had a tangible result.

Just my uninformed opinion.

Buchaill_Mor

Just thinking about this, and all the crap I see on my commuting, from anti-social behaviour, people on mobiles while driving, and all other by-laws being broken. Listening to all this kite-flying from the Government, controversially, I think I would rather more Guards than paying more or less taxes.

BoardsMember

RayCun wrote: »

I think I've read (on here) that most people don't lock their bikes in the Netherlands, and there is more of a 'shared bike' culture - that if your bike isn't there when you get back, you just use another unlocked bike. Which contradicts that article.
I've no idea which is true.

That's not the case and bike theft is a big issue there.

CramCycle

BoardsMember wrote: »

That's not the case and bike theft is a big issue there.

+1 my experience of the netherlands is that people use motor bike locks or locks are equivalent in worth to a persons bike.