Got my bike stolen :( (From a secure station)

[Simba]

I am quite lucky as I am one of the bosses at my place, I just put my bike in my office and lock the door when I am not in there.

 

[Wobblers]

Sorry to hear about your bike. Sadly train stations are favourite places for thieving scumbags, because they know the bikes are likely to be left for hours. A good lock is essential.

The Abus Granit X-Plus or the Kryptonite NY3000 lock are both excellent - I have both and recommend either. Lock it through the frame and the rear wheel - that's not quite the Sheldon method but is more secure (the Sheldon method can be defeated, if you know how) and acts as a more effective visible deterrent.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Ah..you're one of THEM?

Are you by any chance German, and do you leave your towel on the sunbed too?

View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LuIJqF8av6I


(Look, it's World Cup month - jingoism is allowed, nay, compulsory. Especially against the 'Jeermans'. They bombed my granny's house you know)

LOL, Nein, Sir. Ich bin ein Engländer. They spent five years trying to kill my father but they failed I got born and we are both over it now.

tbh, if someone's got to that stand first then I lock on to another.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Sorry to hear about your bike



Greg, one question, does this not in some respects invite theft attempts? It allows organised theives to realise the exact bike that will be placed here every day, so they know when it will be present, when it will not, when you will be around, when you wont etc, such that they can start to work on the lock while you are not there, then hope you dont notice the damage, then walk up and finish it off quickly and leave with your bike?

You raise an excellent point which I'd not considered.

I'm told in these parts high-end bikes are nicked to order, whereas junkies in search of a fix just nick whatever's easiest to take. The teller is a sergeant in BTP and this is a small market town. So my view is, if they want it nothing you can do can stop them, and if they just want any bike a good lock will send them away looking for easier pickings. Dare I say it? Like something with a combo lock on it.

When I rail/bike commuted I bought a house within 100m of the station and had a brompton for the other end so it didn't affect me. My advice for those who leave their bikes at stations is buy two BSO's and keep your good un for the weekend. The number of £500 mtb's outside say, Chichester railway station, secured with a £5 lock from tesco's is astounding.

 

[g00se]

Oh - another tip, lock your bike next to a more expensive one that is using a worse lock than yours.

 

[Matthames]

Using a combination lock is as bad as using no lock at all. It only takes seconds to crack one of them. Every body who has a combination lock should either have a go at cracking it or watch somebody crack it in front of them to see what a waste of money they are.

I don't like leaving my bike anywhere for too long. At the place I volunteer, I lock my bike in a cupboard.

 

[4F]

You raise an excellent point which I'd not considered

The other point is that they could superglue the lock up whilst you are away so when you do turn up to use it you are knackered. The scrotes then hope that you will will chance leaving the bike unlocked that day.

 

[ASC1951]

You may also discover that your bike was in fact stolen shortly after you renewed your house insurance, of course. Not that I would ever recommend defrauding an insurance company, naturally. That would be illegal.

..as well as making him exactly the same as the person who stole his.

Great suggestion, Battered.

 

[steve52]

bike theft

no lets make that all theft,why dont we opt out of the human rights act and make our own rights have to be earned not given and cages hanging from lamp posts for bike thieves not that i take a hard line with the worthless wastes of space!!!!!!

 

[StuartB]

Hi,

I did try and update before but my PC locked up half way through my response.

Basically the BTP filed it under crime etc, got a ref etc. They said there may be a slim chance, so don't give up. I don't hold much hope.

Been down to Halfords today to look at bikes (LBS seems to have closed, and besides which my employer has chosen Halfords as the sole supplier under the scheme.

I get a decent wedge off (44%) and have to pay 5% nett for the bike after a year. All in all didn't think that was too bad. Looked at locks but Halfords didn't seem to have much in stock (ok a few security rating 10 (im dubious) ) but it wasn't an unpleasent experience. The bikes (excluding the Boardman one) only went up to £350

Now the big question is.... Do I get an expensive bike or plump for a cheaper one like the Carrera Gryphon.

I could easily (as in will be doing) 18 miles a day and some of the inclines are 1/3. I also plan on doing the Welsh coast (as I have a seen ticket the entire length) It needs to be able to do some canal side work etc, but no real off road off road if you see.

Baring in mind cash is in short supply

 

[slowmotion]

It is generally a good idea to put the D lock as high off the ground as possible when locking the bike. This prevents the guy with the bolt-cutters resting one handle on the ground, and putting his full body weight on the other. There is a good MCN video on Youtube showing how vulnerable all locks are if tackled by a pro.

Sorry about your bike.

 

[slowmotion]

I found the clip...

View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VC3hFr8p2ck

 

[xpc316e]

Oh dear - that's not a clip that inspires much confidence. When these companies state that their products will survive a 5 minute attack, what do they envisage the locks being attacked by - cottage cheese?

 

[slowmotion]

Oh dear - that's not a clip that inspires much confidence. When these companies state that their products will survive a 5 minute attack, what do they envisage the locks being attacked by - cottage cheese?

Cottage cheese....nah.

Yoghurt knitters...... probably.

 

[AndyCarolan]

Really very sorry to hear this.

As someone else said, does the station have any cameras pointed at the bike racks?