Thick as Thieves

[Russell]

https://www.bikeregister.com/

How about we (this site) do our bit by insisting that all frame and bike sales on here list the serial number?

It is free to use the site linked above to check if a bike is stolen.

One of the pictures on every sale advert on this site should be a screen shot of the bike register confirmation that the frame/bike isn’t on the register.

Or are we not part of the solution?

 

[Laldi]

I'm fine with posting a photo of the serial, but verifying that your bike is NOT stolen is pretty useless. The register is fairly limited, it

https://www.bikeregister.com/

How about we (this site) do our bit by insisting that all frame and bike sales on here list the serial number?

It is free to use the site linked above to check if a bike is stolen.

One of the pictures on every sale advert on this site should be a screen shot of the bike register confirmation that the frame/bike isn’t on the register.

Or are we not part of the solution?

probably has less than 10% of bikes actually stolen. The people in my community would rarely report a stolen bike, unless it was rare or valuable.

 

[Russell]

Therein lies the problem. The cycling community is totally apathetic.

We sit around bemoaning the Police and blaming society and everyone else but when faced with a simple, free tool to help combat the sale of (and identify) stolen bikes, no one can be arsed to use it.

 

[Laldi]

Totally agree, we are as a community politically so apathetic. I suppose it's like most things, unless it's happened to you recently, no one gives a toss about it, until it happend to you.

I'm kinda dubious about a register though, who updates it? How how current is it, does it reflect bikes returned to owners, who funds it?

Also like I said above, the vast majority of ordinary cyclists or bike owners tend not to report a theft. Much better to put proactive measures in place at the time off manufacture: RFIDs and QR codes under the lacquer. Both cheap and easy to achieve. Serial numbers imo are a waste of time.

 

[Laldi]

The technology is readily available and cheap. If I was a thief and had the choice of two bikes, one with an impossible to remove tracker and a QR code under the top coat, versus one without I know which one I'd go for. Prevention is better than scrambling about online after the fact

 

[pwebb]

It's the stickers that give it that 'nothing to see here' look

yup - I agree - below is my 'leave it in the town centre' bike - not going to attract any attention from thieves imho - its a shame that you cant leave anything nice in plain sight - but face reality, when shoplifters are not challenged, when crimes including theft and criminal damage are not followed up on and when the police are acting under the direction of the activists in their midst and only focused on pursuing people posting on social media ( that includes us btw) - then you would be ill advised to risk losing something more precious. I set a limit of £100 total when building this one and covered it with stickers to make it less attractive, more recognisable and although kids probably snigger at it, I dont have any qualms about leaving it anywhere - it also doesnt through fit through any narrow alleyways so hard to speed off on in the unlikely event I get hijacked whilst riding it - lol.

 

[bikeworkshop]

No- one nicks a bike with 26" wheels any more

 

[highlandsflyer]

https://www.bikeregister.com/

How about we (this site) do our bit by insisting that all frame and bike sales on here list the serial number?

It is free to use the site linked above to check if a bike is stolen.

One of the pictures on every sale advert on this site should be a screen shot of the bike register confirmation that the frame/bike isn’t on the register.

Or are we not part of the solution?

How am I going to shift all my shifty gear?

 

[highlandsflyer]

yup - I agree - below is my 'leave it in the town centre' bike - not going to attract any attention from thieves imho - its a shame that you cant leave anything nice in plain sight - but face reality, when shoplifters are not challenged, when crimes including theft and criminal damage are not followed up on and when the police are acting under the direction of the activists in their midst and only focused on pursuing people posting on social media ( that includes us btw) - then you would be ill advised to risk losing something more precious. I set a limit of £100 total when building this one and covered it with stickers to make it less attractive, more recognisable and although kids probably snigger at it, I dont have any qualms about leaving it anywhere - it also doesnt through fit through any narrow alleyways so hard to speed off on in the unlikely event I get hijacked whilst riding it - lol.

View attachment 1001755

If I was still nicking bikes, I'd be asking 'what town?'!

 

[bikeworkshop]

My colleague advertised his beetle on FB,
some guys came round,
seemed keen
- went away to "think about it"

Came back in the middle of the night with a trailer.
Loaded it up badly,
it rolled off on the first corner into his neighbours garden.

Thieves scarpered.

7am,
very angry neighbour at the door