Bike thefts in The Lakes.

[Globalti]

Gti junior was in the NW Lakes last week on DofE and the teacher's mountain bike was stolen from the back of the school minibus by someone who levered open a small window and climbed through. Judging from the numbers of Police warning notices posted everywhere he reckons bike theft is becoming a major issue - five lads from my mountain bike club all had their bikes stolen during the night from their campsite by someone who drove in, in a van.

It's my belief that too many bikes are stolen to be resold within the UK and the good ones are being stuffed in containers and shipped out to eastern Europe. That belief is supported by my having sat next to a Serb on a flight to Belgrade who, when he spotted my bike magazine, began boasting about his pal in Novi Sad, Serbia, who makes a very good living by selling bikes stolen in western Europe. In countries like Serbia bikes are horrendously expensive for not a very good spec and shops won't allow you to test ride.

So is it a gang of eastern Europeans or local scallies on a day trip out from Manchester or Liverpool?

Here's a case from two years ago: http://www.grough.co.uk/magazine/20...t-of-lake-district-mountain-bikes-worth-20000

I guess if you live in a city where the only bikes you see are crap ones chained up at stations, the ready availability of almost new, hardly ridden bikes left unattended by people in relaxed, trusting holiday mood makes the drive worthwhile.

 

[Drago]

A lot of the decent ones get broken and the components sold, and/or the frames recycled with different components to kind of disguise them.

Its not likely to be a gang out of anywhere. The world is full of thieving little toe rags who'll steal anything that isn't welded down, so I doubt they travelled all that far to help themselves. Per 1000 head of population in the Lakes the proportion of thieving scrum will be about the same as a random sample of 1000 from Brum or The Smoke.

 

[byegad]

Yes. We were in Bowness on Windermere a couple of weeks ago and there were a lot of high end bikes around. I spotted two £2000+ road bikes outside a cafe, 'locked' with a £5 combination lock!

 

[Levo-Lon]

Ebay ,gumtree etc..for the tea leaf its easier than a £ 6.50 an hr job job and its great for topping up your benifits and drug habbit cost's
sadly we all buy from these sites as we all love a bargain....

lots will be shipped abroad too..and sold in euro land

 

[pablo666]

There's also the value of scrap aluminium. I've been told that many bikes are stolen for their scrap value alone.

 

[jazzkat]

A lot of the decent ones get broken and the components sold, and/or the frames recycled with different components to kind of disguise them.

Its not likely to be a gang out of anywhere. The world is full of thieving little toe rags who'll steal anything that isn't welded down, so I doubt they travelled all that far to help themselves. Per 1000 head of population in the Lakes the proportion of thieving scrum will be about the same as a random sample of 1000 from Brum or The Smoke.

There's often reports of theiving scum people stopped on the M6 on the way back to Liverpool or Manchester with stolen stuff in the car, so it does happen (as in the above report).

If something is of value to you, look after it before someone else does it for you! The problem with lots of locks is that to have proper protection you need a seriously big/heavy lock. Most people with a lightweight race bike aren't going to carry something like that about.
Asking for it? Maybe.

 

[Crackle]

I lock my bike in the car too. Normally a thick cable lock around the seat frame and bike.

 

[SD1]

A lot of the decent ones get broken and the components sold, and/or the frames recycled with different components to kind of disguise them.
.

I often see it written that you get more for the parts than the whole bike. Although frames may be identifiable I suspect the parts won't.

 

[potsy]

Makes you wonder when you see people on here selling lots of bikes and parts

 

[stephec]

[QUOTE 3792108, member: 43827"]I volunteer at a community bike workshop and, some time ago, was sitting down having my lunch when a bloke came in looking for a bike. He said to the boss that he wanted to buy a GT as he had just had his GT LTS5 stolen from his drive.

He started to describe the bike and I started to get a sinking feeling. As he went on it became obvious that it had to be the bike I had just bought from Cash Degenerators (I know..... .....never again). I went over to him and explained what had happened. He was very good about it and said he'd pay me what I paid for the bike and sort it out himself with the shop (with the help of a friend of his who was a local policeman). Luckily I had the receipt so he got his money back and the shop lost out.

I am always very wary of buying used bikes now.[/QUOTE]
I've walked past Crack Generators a few times and seen good looking road bikes in the window which just seem out of place, I usually do a quick search of the local stolen ads just in case I can help someone get their bike back.

 

[classic33]

I've walked past Crack Generators a few times and seen good looking road bikes in the window which just seem out of place, I usually do a quick search of the local stolen ads just in case I can help someone get their bike back.

Local one has managed, more than once, to keep the seller in the shop whilst waiting for the police to arrive.

 

[Piemaster]

I guess if you live in a city where the only bikes you see are crap ones chained up at stations, the ready availability of almost new, hardly ridden bikes left unattended by people in relaxed, trusting holiday mood makes the drive worthwhile.

I suspect thats the nub of it. The ones holiday will probably be 'serious' cyclists of whatever discipline and be on matching bikes, one or two bikes could easily be worth more than a whole van full picked up from a city centre and less will raise less suspicion too.
Not so convinced about the frames being sold as scrap being that profitable - they don't weigh very much and are quite bulky for the weight. Theres a lot of carbon at higher ends too.

 

[ufkacbln]

Unfortunately places like the Lakes are an attractive target for thieves.

They know drivers will be away from vehicles for a couple of hours (or more) equally they know that camp-sites will be a lucrative target

 

[jazzkat]

Unfortunately places like the Lakes are an attractive target for thieves.

They know drivers will be away from vehicles for a couple of hours (or more) equally they know that camp-sites will be a lucrative target

I'm not convinced that is is in any way worse than in a city, I suspect that as it is such a low level occurrence, it gets reported unlike in a big town/city where it is happening all the time and so its unreported.

I had a local tradesman do some work on the house a few years ago and he was amazed that I locked and unlocked the back door every time I went out to the garage/put the bin out etc. He said he often leaves the doors/windows open at home all day and night! I know neighbours who leave keys in plant pots etc.
I guess living in Manchester for the first 35 years of my life has made me a little more suspicious of my fellow man than the locals.

 

[Levo-Lon]

I just sold my sensa bike via ebay ....only listed this morning..perhaps there is an easier way than paving to make my living..