Thick as Thieves

[Laldi]

It would cost the manufacturer virtually nothing to locate an RFID and/or QR code under the lacquer or inside a tube impossible to get to. Scanners for bike shops etc could easily be paid for by sponsorship.

 

[Guinessisgoodforyou]

As is the police with involved pursuing 300,000 reported stolen bicycles each year. I know which one would be less costly to the taxpayer.

The police don't chase stolen bikes.

 

[Laldi]

The police don't chase stolen bikes.

I understand your cynical comment, but the paperwork involved with stolen bicycles is immense. A simple technology solution like RFID with the cooperation of bike shops and online entities like eBay would reduce that to virtually nothing.

 

[Guinessisgoodforyou]

There is no paperwork because they do nothing.

 

[novocaine]

The answer is to cut off demand.

How many times when you (generic, any of us) have bought a second hand bike have you asked for the serial number or provenance?

National register for bicycle serial numbers with eBay and others refusing to list bikes for sale without one and cross referencing all sales against the register. This site could very easily insist on serial numbers for all bike/frame sales. We could also have a ‘stolen bikes’ sticky with a picture and frame numbers to aid ID (might already exist - haven’t looked).

I would suggest a fair few of us who have been involved since the beginning have probably unwittingly handled stolen goods, whether bikes or parts.

Serial numbers removed on a frame? Assume it’s stolen and don’t buy it.

Dodgy black or white paint job or obvious evidence of one being removed? Assume it’s stolen and don’t buy it.

Dear government, we've changed our mind, please can you give our vehicle registration numbers?

Oh sorry, yes you are right, there is a cost, we'll happily pay a fiver a bike, no problems.

what do you mean the cost has gone up to 10 pounds, ok but no more upping the price please

wait, you want us to take the bike for a yearly test now to prove it's still the same bike and that it's ok to be used still?

hang on, I've got to pay for that and by the way, fat tyred bikes will cost more because they result in damage to the environment?

wait, turns out road bikes are bad too, they'll now cost more.

hold up, the admin costs gone up again because everybody is buying bikes.

and so on.

thanks, but I'll stick to not buying stolen stuff from the dodgy bloke on the market.

 

[Russell]

Yes you’re right, if there is an admin burden or the risk of minimal cost to the end user, it’s not worth the bother.

Much better to do nothing.

 

[Russell]

The police don't chase stolen bikes.

A number of years ago, my garage was broken into and two bikes stolen.

Next morning, SOCO was in my garage, doing whatever they do.

Police don’t chase ALL stolen bikes.

 

[Guinessisgoodforyou]

A number of years ago, my garage was broken into and two bikes stolen.

Next morning, SOCO was in my garage, doing whatever they do.

Police don’t chase ALL stolen bikes.

They don't chase any now.

 

[pigman]

A number of years ago, my garage was broken into and two bikes stolen.

Next morning, SOCO was in my garage, doing whatever they do.

Police don’t chase ALL stolen bikes.

Probably more to do with getting intelligence for a shed breaking gang than looking for your bikes. Hell , maybe a prominent councillor lives in the vicinity and has pressured the local superintendent