Why Bother Using That Lock

[theFire]

Fake a theft - take his front wheel off and take it into work with you.

When he walks to the bike bay and sees his beauty without the front roller, he'll be horrified.

Then he'll see a small note on the handlebars telling him where he an get his wheel back.

This reminds me of when I was a kid. My sister got her bike stolen at school (because it wasnt locked up) so she asked to borrow mine.

I let her as long as she promised to lock it up. I knew where she was going so went there, found the bike unlocked and took it.

She was in tears on the phone to my mum and I never let her borrow my bike again

 

[Ludwig]

You can scruff up your bike to make it less attractive to theives.. Or find a cheap reliable wreck if you don't have to cycle too far.

 

[pepecat]

Yeah that's what I do. Got a v cheapr wreck of an MTB from ebay for £40. No way I'm taking the road bike to work (it was £550 new, so not exactly a load of money, but it was for me). The bike stands where i work (a uni) are outside and v public, but anyone tinkering with a lock of a couple of minutes is not going to raise ANY suspicions as people will just think you're staff or student and own the bike.

I think a note on the chap's bike might be a good idea. Or, as someone else has suggested, fake a theft. That'll put the wind up him.

 

[BSRU]

Then he'll see a small note on the handlebars telling him where he an get his wheel back.

On EBay

 

[PK99]

One morning he was woken early around 6.30 by the dog barking and when he went downstairs he saw his garage doors open and found his new bike and his Kona mountain bike gone. They left his 2 other bikes, cheaper ones but definitely not BSO's.

my bikes live in the garage with a ground anchors and Gold Secure chain and lock combos, 5 lever lock on the reinforced door, plus trip wires and machine guns around the garden - well all but the last bit.

 

[siadwell]

Off at a bit of a tangent...

A mate of mine who's a copper in Derbyshire told me of a police initiative to cut down on theft of valuables from cars parked at the various beauty spots around the Peaks. The police went around checking for cars that had nickable stuff on display and left the owners a brightly-coloured warning leaflet on the windscreen. They had to scrap this when it emerged that the leaflets were saving the local scrotes a lot of time identifying which cars were worth breaking in to...

 

[theFire]

Off at a bit of a tangent...

A mate of mine who's a copper in Derbyshire told me of a police initiative to cut down on theft of valuables from cars parked at the various beauty spots around the Peaks. The police went around checking for cars that had nickable stuff on display and left the owners a brightly-coloured warning leaflet on the windscreen. They had to scrap this when it emerged that the leaflets were saving the local scrotes a lot of time identifying which cars were worth breaking in to...

Sounds a bit like the "warning pickpocketers about" notices on the tube.


Which made people feel for their wallets etc and show the pickpocketers where the target is!

 

[thelawnet]

I forgot my lock yesterday at Waitrose and decided it was best to leave it unlocked propped up agains the window, with the saddle removed. Was still a bit nervous mind...

 

[Bicycle]

After years on a motorcycle, I left a bicycle locked with a motorcycle U-lock through the front fork only.... I came back and found the front wheel locked to railings by my lovely U-lock. No sign of the rest of the bicycle.

Within a few hours I saw the funny side of it and have giggled about it ever since.

I wouldn't leave a note.... there is a danger it will come across as slightly patronising.

On the matter of lock prices: I have several bikes, some of which had four-figure purchase prices... and the poshest lock I own cost me £15.

I haven't lost a bike to thieves in twenty years.

I think the loss of a bicycle is a fabulous lesson in life's university.

 

[Bicycle]

It is harvest time for the bike thieves. All those £1000 bikes flooding onto the scene, owned by new, inexperienced cyclists that don't know any better.

He's obviously gutted as he only had the bike about 4 days and had barely ridden it and now he has to continue with the C2W payments and try and sort out the mess with his house insurance.


He shouldn't have any problems sorting it out.

When I was in a C2W scheme, I had to insure the bike at replacement cost.

I didn't need it (still have the bike) but it was mandatory.

I'm sure it will be the same in your pal's case, although it may affect next year's premium if he has it through his Contents Insurance.

 

[I like Skol]

I think the loss of a bicycle is a fabulous lesson in life's university.

Luckily a lesson I learned in my teens losing 2 BSO's within a couple of years (I thought I was unlucky the first time but got the message the second time).

When at Salford University in the early 90's one of my fellow students in the MTB club experienced severe culture shock. He came from a sleepy village somewhere in Somerset where it was perfectly normal never to remove the ignition keys from your car incase anyone needed to move it. He struggled with the concept of trying to cling to ones bike while struggling to remove the bike rack from the boot of his car in case either got nicked. Taking the bike into the residence then coming back for the rack wasn't a safe option and if you leaned your bike up against the car or a lampost while fiddling with the rack someone was sure to whip off with your bike!