Do thieves really steal cheap bike?

[cwah]

Hello there,

I was checking for stolen bike on gumtree:
http://www.gumtree.com/search?q=stolen+bike&category=all&search_location=&current_distance=

And stolen bike listing:
http://stolen-bikes.co.uk/stolen-bikes/

They all look like nice bike. All over £500. Often much more.

Question now is, would thieves steal a cheap looking dutch bike?

I think they won't!

 

[jerrysimon]

In Cambridge cheap bikes are stolen all the time if only for one journey home and then dumped usually in a ditch or the river!

To get round this in the past, bikes (in various states of repair) were left for anyone to use.

Jerry

 

[cwah]

Yeah but these bike would be unlocked. I mean would a thief go into the hassle to steal a cheap bike with strong lock?

 

[jerrysimon]

Probably not, depending on how easy it was to break the lock.

Jerry

 

[KTM Bike Industries UK]

you've got to think about the number of things that make people steal bikes... if you remove those reasons they won't steal your bike.... best case they'll go and steal another.

but there is no such thing as a strong lock. All they are is a delay.

 

[Deleted member 4366]

We've discussed this before. Most casual thieves have small tools in their pockets. In the worst case, they have a pair of bolt-croppers in their bag. If they see a bike with a cable lock or thin chain, they can have it away in seconds. Naturally, they'll try and find the most expensive bikes like that, but they'll take anything if they get the chance. An Oxford roller lock will defeat bolt-croppers, so your bike will be pretty safe with them. If you have a £2000 plus bike, and park it in the same place during the day while your at work or overnight where you live, it's only a matter of time before it goes.

That cheap girls bike without a battery won't get nicked as long as you have a semi-decent lock like a roller lock, but don't be surprised if you come down one day and there's no front wheel. They'll nick it just for the tyre.

 

[jdallan]

cwah, given the opportunity thieves will steal anything. Don't rely on your bike being cheap looking to deter them.

 

[cwah]

I'd like to try and see how does it work. I've always been so restricted by the thieves. The bike only cost £150 gbp, maybe £180 shipped. So it's not too much a big hassle to loose it.

The biggest benefit is that it would save a lot of space at home and sometime work office doesn't allow bikes in! This has a dual benefit.

I'd install these thieves proof nuts:

http://www.aliexpress.com/item/20Pcs-Set-Wheel-Nut-1-25-7Star-Design-Car-Anti-theft-Nuts-Gold-M12-x-1/1772661716.html

So front wheel won't get nicked. Same for rear wheel and seat.

 

[jerrysimon]

I bet those could be undone fairly easily with a set of heavy duty pliers.

I often wondered given how expensive a good set of tyres are, if a lot of wheels are stolen just for them.


Jerry

 

[jackhandy]

There was a thread on here last year, reporting that thieves broke into a secure parking facility & most of the bikes they took were nothing special - Other than to the owners.

Park next to a flash-looking bike with a crappy lock, so they won't bother with yours.

 

[pea]

I read somewhere that it's best to use two different type of locks, so I bought a D lock and a massive chain, now I've got two good locks that just about drag me on my back when I've got them in the backpack cause they weigh an absolute tonne! Two locks confuse me never mind a thief, sorting all the keys out is a nightmare, especially if it's raining

 

[pdarnett]

Hey that's my cheap girls bike you're talking about! Any bike is fair game where I live in Bradford, I only ride the A2B to work because it's parked outside reception, in a bike shed, with cctv and I have a motorbike lock through the front wheel and a kryptonite d lock and chain through a metal loop out of the concrete. Oh. and I have an alarm on it. Paranoid? Me?

I've seen erm, travellers, drive into our car park and throw anything metal, not screwed down onto the back of a flat bed and then off. So it probably doesn't matter too much about the type of bike, just how much it's worth for scrap!