Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg) - Stolen.. :(

A few days ago I decided to do a little maintenance on my bikes. I took them out to the driveway (which is in my alleyway) and U-Locked them and threw a chain around it, then I went in my shed to find a few tools and my chain cleaning stuff, went back and set the tools next to there. After, I went inside to get a water and take the laundry out of the dryer when I heard a knock on the door; 3 kids with a lawn mower asked if I needed my lawn mowed, which I replied "No thanks." About a minute later it dawned on me that they had no gas can and 3 kids to mow one yard with one lawn mower, so I walked to the back and my bikes were gone. I then sprint back in to the house to call the police and I hear another knock on the door! THEY HAD THE AUDACITY TO STEAL MY BIKES THEN KNOCK ON MY DOOR AND RIDE AWAY! Unfortunately the bikes haven't been recovered and I don't think they will.

This really, really sucks. I live in a nice neighborhood, but this is the third time I've had my bikes stolen, except this time they weren't wal-mart BSO's. Now I need to work my ass off to buy two more bikes while bumming rides of my parents and friends until I have transportation. I'm thinking about heading to wal-mart and buying a cheap roadmaster (YUCK) so I have transportation. I guess it's my fault because I must not have locked it all the way or something, but if I did, how did they break/get in to the lock so damn fast???

Have any of you had your bikes stolen?

:( :mad::twitchy:

I am so sorry that your bikes are gone. I would be heartbroken in your situation. I hope they are recovered.

First, very , very sorry about your bikes. That sucks big time. Second, any chance your homeowners policy covers the loss?

Sorry to hear about your bikes.. Yeah, I've had 2 bikes stolen. One when I was in the 6th grand and left it totally unlocked while I went into a store... It only took 5 mins or so. The second one was in Warsaw Poland. I had JUST BOUGHT it and 4 hours after buying it, I went to the local mall to buy some gloves and stuff.. I was with a friend and we had both of our locks through e bikes and through the rack. There were lots of security guards and video but no one saw anything...did you file a police report? You'll need one for insurance if you can file.. Also, not sure if this applies but if you purchased either of them with a credit/debit card, there maybe a replacement policy. That's how I got my next bike after Amex worked their magic...

Next you'll be telling me you've been married 3 times.

First, very , very sorry about your bikes. That sucks big time. Second, any chance your homeowners policy covers the loss?

I live with my parents still so I don't have homeowners insurance :|

Maybe your parents have coverage and you are covered because you are a student? It is kind of a long shot because homeowners deductibles tend to be fairly large.

My sister's BF just had his bike stolen from their front yard.

I live with my parents still so I don't have homeowners insurance :|

They do though. The deductible is probably high but better than nothing.

Watch Craigslist, and check the pawnshops around your area. If you have the serial numbers, and they are in a Pawnsop, the Pawnbroker is obligated to return them to you if you have a police report and the serial numbers.

I've never had a bike stolen; I have around ten bikes and I ride at least one daily. The reasons why they've never been stolen:

1) I never leave a bike outside my home when it is not ridden. Not for a minute. If one of my bikes is outside it is in my hands when I am walking it to the street or riding it. I also keep the bikes inside the living quarters and not the garage.
2) I only use the highest rated U-locks and Kryptonite chains. I don't give a damn about how much they weigh, carrying around the extra weight every time is better than discovering that your bike has been stolen a single time.
3) If parking the bike on the street while shopping or movie-watching, etc, I park it in a modern rack (not some cheap playground-type rack) that is directly next to people outside, like a restaurant patio. I'll even walk a couple of extra blocks if I have to.
4) For bad areas, or places that do not feature the secure racks by an outdoor public gathering place, rather than riding a beater bike I've gone a different route: ride my Brompton and fold it up & take it in with me. It doubles as a chick magnet once inside.

Seriously, there's a BBC special on London bike theft on youtube: they had a security company break or cut through every lock they gave them in under 20 seconds, even "New York" locks yielded to medicre boltcutters. Some they just hit the lock section with hammers until they broke in a few seconds. I guess we just have to accept that we have to keep them locked and in sight. Locks just keep honest people honest...

That sucks. I've had two bikes stolen from our train station while I was commuting. Apparently thieves come up from ny and hit the mall and train station since they're close to the highway, take a few and are gone. It was one of the most disheartening feelings. The walk home stunk too. All locks are just to keep honest people honest. Both were beaters with good locks, but were mtbs with racks which are attractive apparently.

If I still had that commute, I'd get a folder. Now I use locking skewers, great locks and keep the bikes in sight.

I am sorry to hear about that. I have not had a bike stolen, yet, but I am riding in Philly tomorrow so dont get your hopes up yet! lol

The brutal truth: You had your bike stolen three times. That should be a red flag not to have your bike out of site really. Next time, make sure you have timed cleared in your schedule (aka no laundry) and make sure you have all the tools you need in a basket or something like that and get your water ready before heading out. Personally, the tools can go out first and then the bike. I try not to let the bikes out of my site if I can.

I am sorry to hear about that. I have not had a bike stolen, yet, but I am riding in Philly tomorrow so dont get your hopes up yet!

Philly is where I had my bike stolen, chained up in front of my workplace where the security department's video monitor supposedly had a good look. That was a cable lock. Since then, I've upgraded to a U-lock, and I've brought my bike inside at the office when I can.

Beware that if you file a theft claim on your homeowners insurance, the insurance rate can be raised for several years after the event (found this out from my agent and confirmed it through the MN insurance commissioner's office). By the time you pay the deductible (often anywhere from $500 to $2,000) and ten years of inflated premiums, you are actually behind for filing the claim. Your company has to tell you up front what the increase in rate will be if you file, so do the math before you turn in the claim. Some policies specificly exclude bicycles as they are such common targets and are so vulnerable, so check that out as well. Insurance ain't what it used to be.

The average cable lock and u lock are rediculously easy to circumvent. Definitely call the police, not that they will do a lot of footwork over it, but chances are good that if they are up to this bad stuff, they will get caught soon enough doing something else. What were the kids doing with the lawnmower as they rode away? If it is still around you might be able to take prints...however, most juvenile prints are protected unless you have a specific idea who committed the crime. Even if they pull a good print, and even if it is in the system, there is often little that can be done due to privacy issues for being underage (at least here in GA).

Also make sure to take pictures of your bike every time you add something to it (lights, etc) and make SURE to take a picture of the serial number too!

So sorry, Axiom. That's really distressing!!!

I did have my new Trek 6000 (aluminum was all the rage) stolen at a local college - while I was taking a 50 minute class - in 1992. The perps cut through a cable. I was crushed. I was young and attached to the bike, and it took me nearly a year to save up for it. My renter's insurance did cover it - with the deductible and help from a friend, I got a model that was less expensive - a Trek 930 Chro-Mo - which I still have to this day! (And I appreciate the steel frame now more than ever!!) ;)

I hope your luck changes and you find a great bike that sticks with you many years!! good luck!

I had a number of bikes stolen (including my first Bianchi...) back in the 1960s and 70's, when I still lived in New York.

Despite that, (or maybe because of that), I still just use a cheap cable lock, which I know is pretty useless except to prevent the most impulsive "crime of opportunity" by people who don't really steal bikes on a regular basis. Anybody who steals bikes regularly will get through just about anything you can think of, and will do it quickly and efficiently.

My approach has been to minimize the loss when the risk is high. I only have one expensive bike that I ride, and I never lock that one up - it doesn't leave my sight when it's out of the garage. I've even taken it into mens' rooms at parks with me...

When I'm riding in riskier places, I ride bikes that aren't really targets - a nearly 50 lb grocery-getter that I made from an early-90s Specialized HardRock, and a Franken-bike I made out of an old Raleigh Record frame. Neither is much of a target because the resale value is probably really low, and they're not the type of bikes kids think are cool around here. Still, if either of them were stolen, I'd be upset because of all the work I put into creating them, but I wouldn't be out much money...

I guess there's a lesson learned in this experience, but I'm really not sure what it is. No matter what you do, if someone wants something you own badly enough, they'll find a way to get it. The only thing you can really do is lower the odds.

Beware that if you file a theft claim on your homeowners insurance, the insurance rate can be raised for several years after the event (found this out from my agent and confirmed it through the MN insurance commissioner's office). By the time you pay the deductible (often anywhere from $500 to $2,000) and ten years of inflated premiums, you are actually behind for filing the claim. Your company has to tell you up front what the increase in rate will be if you file, so do the math before you turn in the claim. Some policies specificly exclude bicycles as they are such common targets and are so vulnerable, so check that out as well. Insurance ain't what it used to be.

Yep. As my agent told me unabashedly, if you ever file a claim, make sure it's a very big one.

In any event, not sure I completely understand this story. What were the bikes locked to, and were they loked in such a way that they had to defeat the U-lock and/or chain? If so, was the lock and/or chain left behind? Your say the same kids who who asked to mow your lawn were the thieves. What happened to the gas-powered mower you say they had? Did they leave it behind? Do you think one of them road away towing the mower? How do you know the second knock came from the alleged thieves? They knocked on your door to ask about the mow, went into the alley while you were inside, defeated the lock, you went back into the alley, discovered the bikes missing and went back in the house. Then the kinds went back to your door, knocked again, and then road off? Where do you think they went between lifting the bikes and the second knock?

Yep. As my agent told me unabashedly, if you ever file a claim, make sure it's a very big one.

In any event, not sure I completely understand this story. What were the bikes locked to, and were they loked in such a way that they had to defeat the U-lock and/or chain? If so, was the lock and/or chain left behind? Your say the same kids who who asked to mow your lawn were the thieves. What happened to the gas-powered mower you say they had? Did they leave it behind? Do you think one of them road away towing the mower? How do you know the second knock came from the alleged thieves? They knocked on your door to ask about the mow, went into the alley while you were inside, defeated the lock, you went back into the alley, discovered the bikes missing and went back in the house. Then the kinds went back to your door, knocked again, and then road off? Where do you think they went between lifting the bikes and the second knock?"I will call your attention to the curious incident of the dog in the night time." "But the dog did nothing in the night time!" "That is the curious incident..."

"I will call your attention to the curious incident of the dog in the night time." "But the dog did nothing in the night time!" "That is the curious incident..."

It's Monday, and I am more of a cat person. Care to explain what you are talking about?

My younger brother and I were walking our bikes home from the park one afternoon in 1981 or '82. He was 9 and I was 10. Some older kids from a few neighborhoods over(NOT a nice neighborhood at that time, but sufficiently gentrified now)were walking towards us when one grabbed my brother's new BMX racer by the handlebars and took off. I dropped my bike and lunged at his friends, but one of them was armed with a sharp piece of wood, which he stuck towards my face while grinning. I backed off and they ran, and so did my brother and I. When we got home my folks called the cops, who came and made a report. Being good liberals back then, what upset my mother the most was the semi-racist comments the cops made about the thieves, not that her sons had been robbed and threatened by them.

Thirty years later it still angers me whenever I think about that day. The helplessness I felt at not stopping them, the leering smile of the one who jabbed a sharpened piece of wood towards my eyes, and the seeming indifference of all the adults involved in filing the police report. What also bothers me is that in many, VERY politically-incorrect ways, the cop was right. Many of the kids from that neighborhood would venture into ours to steal what they could. In time, many of them graduated to more serious crimes, which resulted in early death or incarceration.

This event was one of the eye-opening experiences that has shaped my beliefs and daily habits: No one is safe from crime, the cops don't give a crap, learn how to defend yourself, and most importantly, don't risk your life for "stuff". My brother got a new bike a few days later but I would probably have been permanently blinded if the robber's friend had lunged six inches closer to my face than he had.

I HATE thieves!!!

Have any of you had your bikes stolen?

Yes. Suddenly, I understood why they used to hang horse thieves in the cowboy days. :mad:

1 No one is safe from crime, 2 the cops don't give a crap, 3 learn how to defend yourself, and most importantly, 4 don't risk your life for "stuff".

I agree with these statements except #2 (I numbered them to make easier to reference). The police are typically understaffed and overworked at least where I live. YMMV I believe the do care about your loss but unfortunately unless it is life or death at the time, it is not priority. Much like with the news, "if it bleeds it leads". Bike thefts are minor in comparison to other crime they have to deal with and they don't have the manpower or time to devote to tracking down your stolen property unless you can identify the thief well enough for them to actually go investigate. Once we had a break in and guns were stolen. They came right away due to nature of items stolen. If it had been a bike, the response would have been much much slower.

Sounds like a harrowing story with regard to what you and your brother experienced.

I am still surprised there is not a chip for bikes that you can locate them if they are stolen.

It's Monday, and I am more of a cat person. Care to explain what you are talking about?Sorry - it's a famous exchange from a Sherlock Holmes story. I was thinking about what happened to the lawn mower.

Sorry - it's a famous exchange from a Sherlock Holmes story. I was thinking about what happened to the lawn mower.

Without elaboration, not much of the story makes sense to me. Maybe what really happened is that the kids were a distraction and someone picked up the bikes, tossed them into a pick up and drove off. The kids and mower were then picked up by the same truck.

I am still surprised there is not a chip for bikes that you can locate them if they are stolen.

I found something but it was not in the US.

http://www.integratedtrackers.com/GPSTrack/Support.jsp

So unsure if it is legit or not but you would think EVENTUALLY there will be something lojack like on the market. Something easily could be put inside the seat tube.

I found something but it was not in the US.

http://www.integratedtrackers.com/GPSTrack/Support.jsp

So unsure if it is legit or not but you would think EVENTUALLY there will be something lojack like on the market. Something easily could be put inside the seat tube.

I have been throwing emails back and fourth with RoadID on the idea. It would fit their product portfolio very nicely.

I have been throwing emails back and fourth with RoadID on the idea. It would fit their product portfolio very nicely.

Yes it would!!! Good idea to do that!!

Yes it would!!! Good idea to do that!!

We will see. Just getting lip service so far.

I have been throwing emails back and fourth with RoadID on the idea. It would fit their product portfolio very nicely.

If Bob Rohl is associated with it, you can count me out. Have you seen that dumb-azz RI commerical where he gets in the truck with the guy who has been eating beans? Fart jokes just aren't funny after about the age of 13.

Fwiw.. there already is a bicycle gps tracker to goes down the steerer tube. I'd love to have it myself but the antenna for it replaces your cap and I use the supernova plug II+ for my cap. Bummer...

I personally think that the headset makes more sense than the steerer tube. Takes way more effort to get off than a cap on the steerer tube.

Fwiw.. there already is a bicycle gps tracker to goes down the steerer tube. I'd love to have it myself but the antenna for it replaces your cap and I use the supernova plug II+ for my cap. Bummer...

I personally think that the headset makes more sense than the steerer tube. Takes way more effort to get off than a cap on the steerer tube.

Thanks for the heads up. But I am thinking of something slightly different. Of course perhaps what I am thinking wont work. lol.