Warning to all cyclists - Must read.

[Melonfish]

i fix this by having a bike nobody really wants to steal...
but i love it all the same.

 

[Accy cyclist]

It's a bit wrap yourselves up in cotton wool and lock all your doors i'd say. People like to show off their mostly hard earned bikes and other possessions so why hide them away because of the slight chance that some low life might come and nick them?

 

[d87francis]

I'd doubt it's from thieves looking on forums, it's more likely there are shed loads of bikes stolen every week and the police do sod all about it.

 

[MrJamie]

I'm really not impressed with Strava's privacy/security, its ridiculously easy to get around and has been for ages, which suggests they aren't particularly bothered about it. I don't know if id blame it for bike thefts though, but I guess you could quite easily look through it for people with nice bikes locally.

I've also heard warnings of cyclists being followed home, so their bikes can be located and later stolen.

 

[DCLane]

If you've got an expensive bike, put it onto Strava then I'm not surprised you're targetted. Mine are on there but they are just model only.

 

[Pale Rider]

The answer often lies close to home.

The lad who stole my mountain bike was the son of the couple next door.

Slightly off topic: it was when I was cycling regularly in the 1990s and the burglary put me off riding - no point in buying another bike for him to steal.

My fitness went the journey, weight piled on, and 12 years in the cycling wilderness followed.

That simple bike theft had quite a big impact on me, albeit I let it to a degree.

I always sympathise with victims of any crime, however minor the crime might look to someone else.

 

[Andrew_Culture]

Gotta be STRAVA and people not protecting their privacy, be that creating an exclusion zone around their house, or stating the bike's details in all its glory.

One of the reasons I give my bikes silly names on Strava.

 

[lulubel]

This was one of the things I was concerned about when I joined Strava, and the reason I have my account set so I have to approve follow requests, which I could change now, actually. I wanted to know who had access to my ride details because I didn't want "some weirdo" being able to use the start/finish points to find out where I lived. (I never thought about bke theft, though.)

Now, I've discovered another advantage to living in the middle of town, on a busy street lined with 4+ storey apartment buildings above shops and restaurants. Knowing where my rides start and finish wouldn't be much use to anyone trying to find out where I live.

 

[jefmcg]

There doesn't seem to be much evidence to back up this fairly strong claim. 3 members of the same club had their bicycles stolen? Doesn't that suggest someone near the club, or getting physical access to the club records? Also, despite them saying that thieves are targeting nice bikes, the only brand they mention is Ridgeback.

There seems to be an increasing attitude of blaming the victim. There are ads on the London Underground suggesting it's your fault if you are robbed for having an expensive phone; ok, not for having it, but for using it. I'm waiting for someone to be told they should protect their high end bike by making sure no one knows they have it.

(bit grumpy having to take public transport to work)

 

[redcard]

Did you get this from snopes.com?

 

[thegravestoneman]

The local 'scrappies' always have a bike or two on the back of the transit and they come round near enough every day they can't all be scrap bikes ! You can see into every ones back yards when you are in a trannie. They had my Record Ace and Holdsworth neither was rideable or much cop but they were mine .....

 

[Rob3rt]

If you've got an expensive bike, put it onto Strava then I'm not surprised you're targetted. Mine are on there but they are just model only.

IMO, you should only add names meaningful for yourself, E.g. Road Bike, Mountain Bike, Time Trial Bike, Fixed Wheel etc. If you have more than one of a certain type, name them something meaningful to you, but ultimatelly meaningless to others.

 

[Rob3rt]

There doesn't seem to be much evidence to back up this fairly strong claim. 3 members of the same club had their bicycles stolen? Doesn't that suggest someone near the club, or getting physical access to the club records? Also, despite them saying that thieves are targeting nice bikes, the only brand they mention is Ridgeback.

There seems to be an increasing attitude of blaming the victim. There are ads on the London Underground suggesting it's your fault if you are robbed for having an expensive phone; ok, not for having it, but for using it. I'm waiting for someone to be told they should protect their high end bike by making sure no one knows they have it.

(bit grumpy having to take public transport to work)

I am fairly sure I know of the club who had 3-4 people burgled for bikes, at least one of them lost £9000 worth (4 bikes) another £10,000 worth (6 bikes). All of these thefts happened in/around the same suburb and to people in the same club.

 

[Licramite]

o well look on the bright side , if they are nicking better bikes it will up the quality in the police stolen goods sale.
last one down my way the bikes were rubbish.

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

I notice the report says the stolen bikes are all from the same mountain bike club.

A couple of mountain bike forums I look at have been warning their members about a spate of thefts where people were discretely followed home after a day at a trail centre and the bikes then stolen either that night or a couple of days later. (Edit: I notice that MrJamie has made mention of this)

Also, people don't always bother to lock their bikes at trail centre cafe's, especially remote ones, so the scrotes cycle up to the cafe on a BSO, pop it in the rack, pick up a nice unlocked Orange or Yeti and ride away unchallenged. I know it sounds obvious but this has apparently happened several times now at trail centres in North Wales so it's worth being aware.