Would you go this far to get your stolen bike back?

[Cycleops]

A woman has had to picket a prolific bike thief's house to get her sons stolen bike back after the police refused to help.
Scumbag Dave was eventually hauled to court but avoided jail.

https://metro.co.uk/2023/09/27/thie...ign-19566232/?ito=article.mweb.share.top.link

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

Read that and was going to post it!
My thoughts towards the end were that it just shows that you need to make sure that your bike is insured

'Cos I'm damn sure Dave won;t be chipping it to buy her son a new one!

 

[Cycleops]

But because there are many more out there who are emboldened to steal because the likelihood of getting caught and prosecuted is low everyone's insurance will be getting higher.
Even if caught they will only receive a slap on the wrist like Dave. But it's okay because he's a druggie.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

Thing that I wonder is where all these stolen bikes end up
clearly some end up in the canal - but not taht many
also some are stripped for parts and sold on sites like Ebay and Gumtree

but so many appear to be stolen that it seems like stuff must go elsewhere

Any ideas??
dodgy LBS's possibly buying up bits cheap?
exported abroad?

 

[fossyant]

Thing that I wonder is where all these stolen bikes end up
clearly some end up in the canal - but not taht many
also some are stripped for parts and sold on sites like Ebay and Gumtree

but so many appear to be stolen that it seems like stuff must go elsewhere

Any ideas??
dodgy LBS's possibly buying up bits cheap?
exported abroad?

Seeing how many decent specced bikes I see ridden by scallies, they just end up in Scumsville.

 

[matticus]

Thing that I wonder is where all these stolen bikes end up
clearly some end up in the canal - but not taht many
also some are stripped for parts and sold on sites like Ebay and Gumtree

but so many appear to be stolen that it seems like stuff must go elsewhere

Any ideas??
dodgy LBS's possibly buying up bits cheap?
exported abroad?

Every cycling forum has it's share of expert bike-buyers who love a bargain. I suspect Joe Average cyclist buys a heck of a lot of these.

( I would LOVE to see some real research on this!)

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

I did see an advert for a nice looking bike on either ebay or Gumtree once

Well - nice bike except for 6 inches missing from the down tube
in about the place you would put a decent u-lock if it was locked up to a cycle rack - and hence exactly where you would cut it with an angle grinder to release it

I reported it to the Police - doubt anything was done about it because there would probably be zero evidence they could use

but it was rather blatant!!

 

[Legs]

49? He had a tough paper round! I hope to goodness I don't look anything like that in seven years!

 

[steveindenmark]

My brother has been affiliated to the Hells Angels in the UK for over 30 years. I admire what this lady did. But I would not have to do it and Dave the bike thief would not be going to court.

What happened to the bikes. Were they recovered?

 

[steveindenmark]

Thing that I wonder is where all these stolen bikes end up
clearly some end up in the canal - but not taht many
also some are stripped for parts and sold on sites like Ebay and Gumtree

but so many appear to be stolen that it seems like stuff must go elsewhere

Any ideas??
dodgy LBS's possibly buying up bits cheap?
exported abroad?

I think all the London Bromptons end up in a container to Indonesia or some such place. They are obviously targeted and no self respected scum bag would be seen riding one.

 

[Electric_Andy]

Someone should just smash his face in. I cannot stand thieves

 

[EltonFrog]

Someone should just smash his face in. I cannot stand thieves

I'm inclined to agree with you.

 

[froze]

Nah, I wouldn't have gone that direction, I would have taken a completely different direction to get the bike back, like beat the holy hell out of him, much more effective than a piece of paper asking where the bike is. Then all Dave got was a 2-year suspended sentence? What's wrong with the UK?

 

[mustang1]

The thief should be deported to one of the Middle East countries where the hand gets chopped off.

 

[Fastpedaller]

So the Crim is going on a 'thinking skills programme' ......... He had enough 'thinking skills' to steal bikes Just more of the average tax payer's money being wasted? Maybe he'll steal more and then (because of the suspended sentence) end up in clink ........ or will it be again a case of poor Dave is on drugs and needs help? I'm slightly surprised brave lady Fiona wasn't arrested for disturbing the peace or incitement (or something) for picketing his locality - that would just about be fine for 'be-soft Britain'