Disguise your bike ?

[Gravity Aided]

You would think that, but ...

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dz0Za5-wOM

Yeah (or Jah,) but I live in the Midwest, where nobody minds his own business.

 

[Jody]

A downside with MTB's is they are so easy to distinguish between cheap and expensive even for people who don't know too much about them.

 

[fossyant]

Where can I find this theft hotspot data? Would like to check out my local area and regular haunts to see if I am risking being hit. I kind of suspect the crime hotspots coincide with common sense, i.e if you lock your bike in that dingy alleyway at the side of the benefits office on signing on day then you are saying goodbye to your pride and joy!

Yup common sense. Lots of bike thefts in my area but it's from poorly secured sheds. A little padlock is not going to stop a thief with a bolt cropper.

 

[CanucksTraveller]

A trick I see in London is to cover the frame in many looking tape of various sorts. It would be a Bugger to get off and clean up I reckon.

Indeed. I was looking at a lot of bikes around UCL yesterday and another trick I noticed is a poorly done respray, often in matte black or an offputting colour like brown. You see some clearly decent bikes disguised with flat paint, dirt and electrical tape. Shabby or tatty seems to be the urban camouflage of many city cyclists.

 

[Jody]

Indeed. I was looking at a lot of bikes around UCL yesterday and another trick I noticed is a poorly done respray, often in matte black or an offputting colour like brown. You see some clearly decent bikes disguised with flat paint, dirt and electrical tape. Shabby or tatty seems to be the urban camouflage of many city cyclists.

What about using Plastidip? Matt ruberised paint that can be peeled off without damaging the paintwork underneath. Saves going to the extremes of putting a sh*t paintjob on a nice frame.

 

[Drago]

I disguise my bike as Jeremy Corbyn when I leave it locked up. That way I can be assured that no one will take the slightest bit of notice.

 

[further]

"http://stolen-bikes.co.uk/mapping/?postcode="
5 bikes in 6 months within 1 mile of me.

 

[mjr]

"http://stolen-bikes.co.uk/mapping/?postcode="
5 bikes in 6 months within 1 mile of me.

1. remember it's only reported thefts and according to that page 75% of people don't bother (often because they think the police won't get the bike back);
2. check the postcode of where you park it, as well as your own. My home is similar quiet, but dozens are nicked from town in September.

 

[jefmcg]

"http://stolen-bikes.co.uk/mapping/?postcode="
5 bikes in 6 months within 1 mile of me.

Where do you live? In narnia? Over 100 near me, apparently

 

[bruce1530]

http://www.stolen-bikes.co.uk/mapping/

Fantastic. It appears that not only do I live in an exceedingly safe area (no recorded thefts), but my work address (Glasgow city centre) also has no recorded thefts...

... or maybe that’s because it’s england and wales stats only.... Is there anything similar for north of the border?

 

[mjr]

Where do you live? In narnia? Over 100 near me, apparently

You have seen the hills around Glastonbury, I take it?

Also, you're near That London, which is a wretched hive of scum and villainy.

 

[greekonabike]

I've seen a couple of bikes locally that are covered in black gaffa tape. I assume this is an attempt to conceal the brand. It's not like the area I live in has especially high crime rate either.

GOAB

 

[I like Skol]

I've seen a couple of bikes locally that are covered in black gaffa tape. I assume this is an attempt to conceal the brand. It's not like the area I live in has especially high crime rate either.

GOAB

Maybe stolen bikes that have been clumsily disguised to throw the owners off the scent?

 

[greekonabike]

Possibly. I've not yet got to the stage of covering my bike in masking tape. I did get an urban camouflage saddle though, you know, so it blends in when it's leaning against walls.

GOAB

 

[fatblokish]

https://www.bikeregister.com/