# Specialized Ruby Elite stolen in London



## ttcycle (2 Apr 2009)

Recently at the end of January got my Ruby Elite for racing and commuting to work. Got some nice Time pedals and finally managed to get my set up near perfect..ish.

Well today my bike was stolen outside whilst I was in a meeting for work despite it being locked up with several locks.

Am absolutely gutted but if anyone sees a 2008 blue Specialized Ruby Elite pop up on gumtree/ebay - please post a message.

In the meantime, got to go through the insurance crap...

Thanks all


----------



## Tharg2007 (2 Apr 2009)

bad luck dude.
What locks did you have and how did they get past them. Would be good to know for the rest of us who might use the same security devices.


----------



## ttcycle (2 Apr 2009)

Thanks mate.

Abus city chain plus -gold standard- couple of cable wires; one for seat specific and another d -lock which I can't remember the make of.

These guys were professionals; wasn't gone for long and all that was left apart from the bike stand was a severed cable. They knew what they were looking for as the other bikes parked up there were left alone.


----------



## Tharg2007 (2 Apr 2009)

how did they break the locks? did they use bolt cutters for the abus? how about the ulock, was that levered or bent?

did they take the abus with them?


----------



## ttcycle (3 Apr 2009)

Everything was taken except remnants of a cable lock for the front wheel (as well as d-lock!!); assume they must have had quite a bit of tools with them to get through the abus and d-lock. Hence professional bike thieves.


----------



## Tharg2007 (3 Apr 2009)

seems strange they would take the locks with them. was whatever you had it chained to still intact? im thinking maybe they bust railings or something and taking bike with locks still on to tackle later.
Do abus offer compo if their locks have been compromised?


----------



## ttcycle (3 Apr 2009)

Unfortunately happens a lot; just never been on the receiving end! No offers from Abus-the bike stand is still fully operational- it's almost as if the bike dissapeared into thin air...if only! I'll be trawling the pages of gumtree and ebay over the next few days!


----------



## Alembicbassman (3 Apr 2009)

There's always the possibility of selling the components and scrapping the frame. No serial numbers etc...


----------



## MacB (3 Apr 2009)

Tharg2007 said:


> seems strange they would take the locks with them. was whatever you had it chained to still intact? im thinking maybe they bust railings or something and taking bike with locks still on to tackle later.
> Do abus offer compo if their locks have been compromised?



when my bike was stolen British Transport Police told me that they often took cut locks away with them. Apparently this is to stop the cut surface being matched to the tool that was used.

Didn't make me feel any better, and this was a cheap bike.


----------



## ed_o_brain (4 Apr 2009)

Really sorry to read this.

That's the bike I would have bought my other half had money been no object.


----------



## ttcycle (7 Apr 2009)

Thanks Ed.

I saw my bike advertised on Gumtree on Sunday- called the police numbers that had been given to me and they didn't want to help- contacted the seller and was waiting on police to confirm time and place where they could accompany me- this was after several times being hung up on and told different things. To cut a long story short- lots of misinformation; diversion; 3 hours at a police station watching them avoid dealing with other people's cases; excuses etc what happened in the end is my bike got sold and I got a text from the thief stating it had gone. The idiot was also stupid enough to give me his address-which the police checked and said was genuine - there was so much they could have done but didn't. was 99% certain it was my bike- they'd taken off the pedals and the sensors but everything else was identical including the black watercage and the fact that the bike was missing a bell since the LBS forget to put it on - the advert made the mistake of saying it was a 2009 bike and got the frame sizing wrong- talked in men's bike sizing rather than women's - stupid crib story of selling this bike as my girlfriend does not like fast bikes and prefers a cruiser- then why advertise it as a carbon fibre bike for a triathlon/racing career? Also technically if someone was trying out a racer why buy an entry level pro bike? 

Idiots - the frustration is unbelievable- not only is my training for racing delayed but i now have to fork out about £300 independent of waiting for the insurance to cover accessories pedals etc which weren't on my insurance schedule. Shocking that it went for half it's cost.

The police will be getting a formal complaint through several monitoring bodies.

I am venting for anyone who will listen!


----------



## MacB (7 Apr 2009)

TT, that's shocking I really hope you get some satisfaction in this, please keep us informed


----------



## ttcycle (7 Apr 2009)

Thanks Mac

If I would have met up with the seller - I reckon I would have beaten him senseless - there was a whole crime syndicate behind it as the bike was stolen in one part of London and was advertised elsewhere in London - seller also didn't have the bike until yesterday---dodgy, suspect and open and shut case.


----------



## Tharg2007 (7 Apr 2009)

you got a link to the advert? i recon the police should still see it through, there will be phone records of who he sold it to etc.


----------



## ttcycle (7 Apr 2009)

the advert funnily has now been deleted. Reported to gumtree but won't achieve much I guess

They have all his numbers; home address etc but couldn't care less.

Anyone know how long BCC Insurance takes to sort out a claim?


----------



## ChrisCrc (10 Apr 2009)

Hi Sorry to hear about your bike being stolen

It might be a long shot, But has anyone else thought about springing a trap for these bike thieves, Say leaving a couple of good bikes locked up where bikes are regularly stolen from then pouncing as they try to nick it....

Just a thought


----------



## Tharg2007 (10 Apr 2009)

ChrisCrc said:


> Hi Sorry to hear about your bike being stolen
> 
> It might be a long shot, But has anyone else thought about springing a trap for these bike thieves, Say leaving a couple of good bikes locked up where bikes are regularly stolen from then pouncing as they try to nick it....
> 
> Just a thought



and bundling them into the back of a van? then taking them 30 miles away and giving them a good pasting before leaving them to walk home? i doubt anyone has thought of that yet.


----------



## ed_o_brain (10 Apr 2009)

ttcycle said:


> Thanks Ed.
> 
> I saw my bike advertised on Gumtree on Sunday- called the police numbers that had been given to me and they didn't want to help- contacted the seller and was waiting on police to confirm time and place where they could accompany me- this was after several times being hung up on and told different things. To cut a long story short- lots of misinformation; diversion; 3 hours at a police station watching them avoid dealing with other people's cases; excuses etc what happened in the end is my bike got sold and I got a text from the thief stating it had gone. The idiot was also stupid enough to give me his address-which the police checked and said was genuine - there was so much they could have done but didn't. was 99% certain it was my bike- they'd taken off the pedals and the sensors but everything else was identical including the black watercage and the fact that the bike was missing a bell since the LBS forget to put it on - the advert made the mistake of saying it was a 2009 bike and got the frame sizing wrong- talked in men's bike sizing rather than women's - stupid crib story of selling this bike as my girlfriend does not like fast bikes and prefers a cruiser- then why advertise it as a carbon fibre bike for a triathlon/racing career? Also technically if someone was trying out a racer why buy an entry level pro bike?
> 
> ...




I understand your frustration completely. I had a similar experience. I saw my bike that had previously been stolen leant up outside MacDonalds. In hindsight, I should have quickly locked it up, rode away on the bike I was on, and then called the police.

However, thinking the police would respond quite quickly, I phoned them straight away. The person who "owned" my bicycle came out whilst I was still waiting for the police to pick up. I asked where he had the bike from. He reckoned he had paid £60 for it. I told him it was mine and I was on the phone to the police. (It still had it's datatag sticker on it FFS). He tried to grab it and ride away. I physically blocked him and he assaulted me. The manager of the store then came out, and stopped me from stoppingthe "owner" of my bike from riding away, for my own safety.

I was absolutely gutted. But the police were ****ing useless. They contacted me 48 hours to say that they had seen the suspect riding around on my bike and that they would be picking him up. I heard nothing then for over two weeks. Then I chased it up. The officer that came around explained that they hadn't picked him up yet. Took some further details off me. I called the police another two days later. They said the had arrested the "owner" but let him go. He had claimed to be of no fixed abode and not in posession of the bike, as it had been taken to a bike shop to be repaired. That meant that they had no where to look for the bike. And without the bike - and thus proof it was my bike - it looked like I was trying to steal someone elses bike. There was no proof it was mine. The officer went on to say, as I had another bike through the insurance, the stolen bike was technically no longer mine. Through gritted teeth I informed the h'officer that the stolen bike was indeed not insured and it's replacement was bought using more of my hard earned.

Not that I'm bitter or anything.



When the police followed up the person selling your bike, did they not obtain from him details of the person that bought it? A phone number? Anything? Surely their checking it out now should be a case of getting a number, an address, popping around to check the serial number on the bike?


----------



## Alembicbassman (14 Apr 2009)

Should have got outside the house and dialed 999 saying there was a fight with guns, the police and armed police would have been there in a couple of minutes.


----------



## Crankarm (15 Apr 2009)

Alembicbassman said:


> Should have got outside the house and dialed 999 saying there was a fight with guns, the police and armed police would have been there in a couple of minutes.



+1. I've done that in the past and rather than take 4 days to turn up they take 4 minutes and not just one but several cars. The police really are their own worst enemies. Did you make a complaint as you were clearly given the right royal run around. If it were my bike I would have fought tooth and nail to keep it whether insured or not. I might have locked it up as well. But even then they still go walkies . Sorry to hear of both losses. I really sympathise. When my Brompton was taken from outside Senate House in Mallet Street underneath a CCTV camera and D-locked I couldn't get the police to attend. When I called and told them my bike had been stolen they couldn't have been more disinterested. They wouldn't come out and I couldn't find a single police car in central london at 8pm. I even thought of doing something to attract their attention.......absolutely useless.


----------



## Globalti (19 Apr 2009)

I recently found a stolen bike and took it to the Police, who I'm certain made absolutely zero effort to trace the owner. They simply wrote the description in a big ledger and threw the bike in a shed round the back with hundreds of other recovered bikes. The young woman clerk on the desk would have written "red bike" if I hadn't told her the details.


----------



## Hamishjcb (20 Mar 2010)

*Spcialized Ruby on eBay*

Not sure if you've seen this one curruntly listed on eBay ... 

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=130374361566&ssPageName=ADME:X:AAQ:GB:1123

May be a red herring, but I thought I should let you know just in case.

Good luck in getting your marvellous bike back. Gutted for you!


----------



## Baggy (20 Mar 2010)

That's the bike we think is ttcycle's, the same bike came up a few months ago and though it was sold - they're having a second go at selling it...


----------



## ttcycle (20 Mar 2010)

Thanks for this - not sure where to take it as local constabulary are not particularly helpful.


----------



## ttcycle (20 Mar 2010)

Well, for what it's worth reported to ebay -but after the last time seems a bit pointless.


----------



## ianrauk (20 Mar 2010)

Have also reported it as stolen on Ebay. I think the more of us report it the more likely ebay will act.


----------



## potsy (20 Mar 2010)

ttcycle said:


> Well, for what it's worth reported to ebay -but after the last time seems a bit pointless.


You can only do so much tt,sometimes you just have to concede defeat and move on.Remind me did you get insurance pay-out? If so I wouldn't spend too much more time stressing over it.


----------



## ttcycle (20 Mar 2010)

Thanks Ian

Potsy - I know what you're saying (kinda have bigger things on at the mo too).

Well it's reported, phoned the police and emailed the guy who was dealing with it before.If it finds its way to me then great otherwise nevermind


----------



## ttcycle (20 Mar 2010)

The seller hasn't taken the picture of the hoods, well there was a revision on the advert so they might have removed the picture as it identifies the bike.

The back wheel picture has had the rim sticker removed - this is definitely my bike,also it has the same grey look pedals installed which aren't mentioned on the details as well as the black specialized watercage.


----------



## TheDoctor (21 Mar 2010)

A more violent soul than I might suggest bidding on it, then going round to 'hand over the cash and collect the bike' with a few very large and somewhat grumpy companions.
Not that I'm advocating beating the seller up or anything, you understand.


----------



## Hamishjcb (21 Mar 2010)

*eBay Ruby*

Just to check, TTcycle, what frame size was your one?


----------



## summerdays (21 Mar 2010)

There isn't any size given on the advert so you can't tell anyway.


----------



## Hamishjcb (21 Mar 2010)

*Frame size of 2008 Ruby*

I know what the frame size is because I asked the eBay vendor yesterday (before I knew it was hooky and because I wanted to bid on it if it was my size!)... And I've had a response from the vendor.


----------



## ianrauk (21 Mar 2010)

some over the top crazy bidding again may be the order of the day


----------



## Tollers (21 Mar 2010)

My message to ebay... "I reported this item as stolen months ago. Police have been called. TAKE ACTION!"


----------



## Tollers (21 Mar 2010)

Frankly TT.....i think the news would be intersted in this as a case study .....call the Daily Mail.....i bet they'd do a peice!


----------



## Crankarm (21 Mar 2010)

Surely you could go visit to try it for size before you bid? If it's yours walk away with it. For back up tell plod you are armed and going to collect your bike at ...... That will guarantee their attendance. I would, seriously.


----------



## HobbesChoice (22 Mar 2010)

TTCycle, could you not make sure you're the winning bidder, pay by credit card (even through paypal) and then get your credit card company to reverse the payment once you have the bike and can prove it is your original bike?

It just seems so frustrating that there's no actual help with these cases!


----------



## SavageHoutkop (22 Mar 2010)

I'm not sure if this has been mentioned before, but IIRC you were insured, yes?
Is your insurance company perhaps interested in recovering the bike they've paid out for?


----------



## ttcycle (22 Mar 2010)

Hi everyone- just on here briefly

Got a lot on at the moment, just trying to sort loads of stuff out so and this is the first time you'll hear it form me, the bike just isn't a priority at the moment so not able to devote much time to this.
I would maybe consider the burly option but if it can be sorted legitimately then that's cool as Potsy said I have had a replacement will see. Frustrating as it is to see my bike go from under my nose...will have to see what happens.

hamishjcb - the frame size should be 51cm iirc but last time they misdescribed the sizing.


----------



## Vikeonabike (22 Mar 2010)

TT, Good luck with the other stuff...fingers crossed it all works out ok...

Vike


----------



## ttcycle (22 Mar 2010)

Vikeonabike said:


> TT, Good luck with the other stuff...fingers crossed it all works out ok...
> 
> Vike



thank you


----------

