Looking for inspiration for grungy almost unstealable bikes - Show me the pics

[bonzobanana]

I guess you could call it the ugliest, grungiest most undesirable bike thread. Bikes that you use that have no street cred or resale value at all. It could be a rusty old sterling house bike, perhaps an Apollo bike from Halfords that was new in the 80s or maybe one of those Eurobikes that GCN despise so much. Anything you use that all bike snobs would look down on and pity you for riding it.

 

[All uphill]

I'm a fan of 1990s steel hybrids. Some of them have really good framesets and make Great bikes, without attracting any looks.

We've had a Raleigh Pioneer in Reynolds 501, which was great, and I love my 1994 Marin Stinson which has a Tange triple butted frame.

 

[Kingfisher101]

People will steal anything, so even total wrecks will be stolen. You're just deluding yourself if you think a scruffy bike will be bypassed.

 

[Emanresu]

People will steal anything, so even total wrecks will be stolen. You're just deluding yourself if you think a scruffy bike will be bypassed.

What about something like this - from the Police lost property sale. It's noticeable.

It comes from this selection and if you look carefully there is a Genesis CdF in the mix

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/166576203146

 

[Cycleops]

Just 'doing this up' for a local kid. He brought all the bits separately. Steel frame. Pretty nasty.



Can't imagine why anybody would want to steal it but down here they do. I've even seen a guy beaten to within an inch of his life for stealing flip flops.

 

[Chris S]

Here's my low theft risk bike. I accidentally bought it on ebay. It was originally a 1951 Raleigh Superbe that had been converted into a single speed using MTB wheels!

It was impossible to get the rear wheel centred in the frame and have a straight chain line. Fortunately I'd accumulated enough parts over the years to convert it back to a 3-speed. I think I can be fairly sure that it will always be there when I get back.

 

[wafter]

People will steal anything, so even total wrecks will be stolen. You're just deluding yourself if you think a scruffy bike will be bypassed.

Indeed - for example smackheads care less about resale value / more about the logistics of smack acquisition; so nowt's safe. Tatty bike and a good lock is probably the best combination as the bike should put off the career thieves; the lock the casual scallies.

Personally when I return to having to leave a bike locked up unattended for any length of time I'm considering making a custom white saddle cover with a big brown stain down the middle; which should put off most potential thieves

 

[HLaB]

I used to commute on a Viking Fixie as it was a low cost option. When I changed jobs though after 5 years sitting idle. I needed a bike again but for a longer commute so I replaced it with a Triban.

 

[fossyant]

Life is too short to ride crap bikes.

 

[biggs682]

@bonzobanana what about this

Thread '25" Claud Butler Sierra ex Drago' https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/25-claud-butler-sierra-ex-drago.296073/

 

[FrankCrank]

Here's my low theft risk bike. I accidentally bought it on ebay. It was originally a 1951 Raleigh Superbe that had been converted into a single speed using MTB wheels!

View attachment 720742

It was impossible to get the rear wheel centred in the frame and have a straight chain line. Fortunately I'd accumulated enough parts over the years to convert it back to a 3-speed. I think I can be fairly sure that it will always be there when I get back.

View attachment 720744

Nice. I'd steal that no bother

 

[Gunk]

Pink and purple 1990’s ladies bike is pretty immune from theft.

 

[bonzobanana]

People will steal anything, so even total wrecks will be stolen. You're just deluding yourself if you think a scruffy bike will be bypassed.

It's my experience where I live but it may vary by area and the type of thieves. I don't think professional thieves looking to earn money would steal a very low value bike but someone just stealing to ride a bike would be different. However someone just randomly stealing a bike to ride may not be as well resourced with cordless grinders etc so a locked bike has much better chance of not being stolen. I certainly don't think you can just say a grungy low value bike won't be stolen its all about probabilities and many variables. I do feel a low value grungy bike has a strong chance of never being stolen with a common sense approach where I live. I think there are statistics for which bikes are most stolen and as a percentage of those sold I think Specialized was the highest. As for the most common brand stolen I think it was Carrera as they have a high saturation in the marketplace even if not quite as desirable as Specialized. So statistically high price bikes have a higher incidence of theft as a percentage of their sales.

This site claims almost a third of Specialized bikes sold will be stolen, right at the bottom of the page. Of those thefts the Specialized Sirrus hybrid makes up the highest percentage of those Specialized thefts.

https://thebestbikelock.com/bike-theft-statistics-uk

 

[bonzobanana]

What about something like this - from the Police lost property sale. It's noticeable.

View attachment 720740

It comes from this selection and if you look carefully there is a Genesis CdF in the mix

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/166576203146

Those would be unclaimed bikes being sold I assume. They probably don't represent what bikes are typically stolen as an average. They could be the bikes the thieves failed to sell or didn't have valuable components worth stripping the bikes down for. The police put so little resources in finding bikes that have been stolen that I feel these are more likely lucky finds in some perp's backyard.

 

[bonzobanana]

Here's my low theft risk bike. I accidentally bought it on ebay. It was originally a 1951 Raleigh Superbe that had been converted into a single speed using MTB wheels!

View attachment 720742

It was impossible to get the rear wheel centred in the frame and have a straight chain line. Fortunately I'd accumulated enough parts over the years to convert it back to a 3-speed. I think I can be fairly sure that it will always be there when I get back.

View attachment 720744

That looks like a solid bike but definitely undesirable to thieves and also very low maintenance too.