What do you do if you see someone closely checking out your bike?
04-07-16, 10:37 PM
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Bozeman
Posts: 4,096
Bikes: 199? Landshark Roadshark, 198? Mondonico Diamond, 1987 Panasonic DX-5000, 1987 Bianchi Limited, Univega... Chrome..., 1989 Schwinn Woodlands, Motobecane USA Record, Raleigh Tokul 2
Mentioned: 24 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1125 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
What do you do if you see someone closely checking out your bike?
You're in a small store, with a glass store front. You're browsing the merchandise when you see someone outside bending over your bike checking it out. You watch them for a while and they continue to look at your bike. What do you do?
This has happened to me once. My bike was locked very well with two locks, so I wasn't really worried that he'd be able to steal it. I still kept him in my sight though. He eventually came into the store and I asked him if he liked what he saw (Don't quite remember what I said, perhaps "Did you like my bike?")
Turns out he was just a bike enthusiast who liked my internal hub. We sat and talked about bikes for a while. But still, I was slightly worried when he was looking at my bike.
What would you do?
This has happened to me once. My bike was locked very well with two locks, so I wasn't really worried that he'd be able to steal it. I still kept him in my sight though. He eventually came into the store and I asked him if he liked what he saw (Don't quite remember what I said, perhaps "Did you like my bike?")
Turns out he was just a bike enthusiast who liked my internal hub. We sat and talked about bikes for a while. But still, I was slightly worried when he was looking at my bike.
What would you do?
04-07-16, 10:57 PM
#2
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: New Rochelle, NY
Posts: 35,968
Bikes: too many bikes from 1967 10s (5x2)Frejus to a Sumitomo Ti/Chorus aluminum 10s (10x2), plus one non-susp mtn bike I use as my commuter
Mentioned: 124 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4351 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 4 Times
in
4 Posts
As someone who has scoped out bikes from time to time, I'd tell you to accept it as an unspoken complement, implying that at the very least your bike is interesting.
OTOH- It may vary from city to city, but here bike thievery is a quick crime of opportunity. Wheels are wheels, and thieves tend to be more interested in good looks, or even color that actual spec. It's about fast turnover and high end bikes don't necessarily sell for much more than clean garden variety bikes.
If anything, a thief would more likely be looking around to see if anyone is interested in him, than at the bike. The guy to worry about isn't the one focused on your bike. It's the guy giving it a quick once over while tying to look nonchalant and uninterested.
OTOH- It may vary from city to city, but here bike thievery is a quick crime of opportunity. Wheels are wheels, and thieves tend to be more interested in good looks, or even color that actual spec. It's about fast turnover and high end bikes don't necessarily sell for much more than clean garden variety bikes.
If anything, a thief would more likely be looking around to see if anyone is interested in him, than at the bike. The guy to worry about isn't the one focused on your bike. It's the guy giving it a quick once over while tying to look nonchalant and uninterested.
__________________
FB
Chain-L site
An ounce of diagnosis is worth a pound of cure.
“Never argue with an idiot. He will only bring you down to his level and beat you with experience.”, George Carlin
“One accurate measurement is worth a thousand expert opinions” - Adm Grace Murray Hopper - USN
WARNING, I'm from New York. Thin skinned people should maintain safe distance.
FB
Chain-L site
An ounce of diagnosis is worth a pound of cure.
“Never argue with an idiot. He will only bring you down to his level and beat you with experience.”, George Carlin
“One accurate measurement is worth a thousand expert opinions” - Adm Grace Murray Hopper - USN
WARNING, I'm from New York. Thin skinned people should maintain safe distance.
Last edited by FBinNY; 04-07-16 at 11:04 PM.
04-07-16, 11:22 PM
#3
A Roadie Forever
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Portland, OR
Posts: 7,194
Bikes: (2) ti TiCycles, 2007 w/ triple and 2011 fixed, 1979 Peter Mooney, ~1983 Trek 420 now fixed and ~1973 Raleigh Carlton Competition gravel grinder
Mentioned: 94 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1773 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 167 Times
in
124 Posts
I'll second FB. Those looking at it with real interest and making no attempt to hide that fact are probably the least likely folk to steal it. And yes, it can almost always be construed as a compliment.
You can always go out to chat with the viewer. If is a cyclist, the conversation is often interesting and fun. And it he's a thief, he won't come back for your bike! (He knows he would never survive the police line-up!)
Ben
You can always go out to chat with the viewer. If is a cyclist, the conversation is often interesting and fun. And it he's a thief, he won't come back for your bike! (He knows he would never survive the police line-up!)
Ben
04-07-16, 11:52 PM
#4
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 256
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Most of the time it's just people looking, I do this with old cars, hot rods and motorcycles.
If he is removing parts from your bike, sneak up very very quoit, rabbit punch him in the back of his head knocking him out.
Then with a black Sharpe write Vote for Hillary on his forehead, drag him to the nearest 4X4 truck with big southern flags on it and hand cuff him to the truck hitch.
It's all up to his Karma at that point.
If he is removing parts from your bike, sneak up very very quoit, rabbit punch him in the back of his head knocking him out.
Then with a black Sharpe write Vote for Hillary on his forehead, drag him to the nearest 4X4 truck with big southern flags on it and hand cuff him to the truck hitch.
It's all up to his Karma at that point.
Last edited by goraman; 04-07-16 at 11:56 PM.
04-08-16, 12:04 AM
#5
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Brisbane, Australia
Posts: 3,943
Bikes: 2017 Surly Troll with XT Drive Train, 2017 Merida Big Nine XT Edition, 2016 Giant Toughroad SLR 2, 1995 Trek 830
Mentioned: 26 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1275 Post(s)
Liked 25 Times
in
23 Posts
Originally Posted by goraman
If he is removing parts from your bike, sneak up very very quoit, rabbit punch him in the back of his head knocking him out.
Then with a black Sharpe write Vote for Hillary on his forehead, drag him to the nearest 4X4 truck with big southern flags on it and hand cuff him to the truck hitch.
It's all up to his Karma at that point.
Then with a black Sharpe write Vote for Hillary on his forehead, drag him to the nearest 4X4 truck with big southern flags on it and hand cuff him to the truck hitch.
It's all up to his Karma at that point.
04-08-16, 12:30 AM
#6
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Middle Earth (aka IA)
Posts: 15,797
Bikes: A bunch of old bikes and a few new ones
Mentioned: 124 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3892 Post(s)
Liked 225 Times
in
183 Posts
Originally Posted by goraman
Most of the time it's just people looking, I do this with old cars, hot rods and motorcycles.
If he is removing parts from your bike, sneak up very very quoit, rabbit punch him in the back of his head knocking him out.
Then with a black Sharpe write Vote for Hillary on his forehead, drag him to the nearest 4X4 truck with big southern flags on it and hand cuff him to the truck hitch.
It's all up to his Karma at that point.
If he is removing parts from your bike, sneak up very very quoit, rabbit punch him in the back of his head knocking him out.
Then with a black Sharpe write Vote for Hillary on his forehead, drag him to the nearest 4X4 truck with big southern flags on it and hand cuff him to the truck hitch.
It's all up to his Karma at that point.
04-08-16, 12:47 AM
#7
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 256
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Originally Posted by bikemig
Sounds like something that a Trump supporter might do, right? Anything is better than responding to the question the OP asked.
If more people had just a little Donald Trump in them it would be a safer world.
Read a little Winston Churchill.
04-08-16, 04:40 AM
#8
Administrator
Enough with the politics, please.
__________________
See, this is why we can't have nice things. - - smarkinson
Where else but the internet can a bunch of cyclists go and be the tough guy? - - jdon
04-08-16, 05:28 AM
#9
Senior Member
Back to the original subject. Happens to me all the time. Usually not just one person, though. A group of guys will be walking past and one will stop dead in his tracks, then wave the others back. They'll all stare at it for a minute or two, probably trying to decide what it is or if it's a home-built. Then they'll all wander off, with the first guy to stop being the last one to tear himself away.
Kinda funny, actually.
Kinda funny, actually.
04-08-16, 05:31 AM
#10
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Munising, Michigan, USA
Posts: 4,130
Bikes: Priority 600, Priority Continuum, Devinci Dexter
Mentioned: 14 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 683 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 48 Times
in
30 Posts
Originally Posted by FBinNY
As someone who has scoped out bikes from time to time, I'd tell you to accept it as an unspoken complement, implying that at the very least your bike is interesting.
04-08-16, 05:50 AM
#12
Senior Member
Originally Posted by BlazingPedals
Back to the original subject. Happens to me all the time. Usually not just one person, though. A group of guys will be walking past and one will stop dead in his tracks, then wave the others back. They'll all stare at it for a minute or two, probably trying to decide what it is or if it's a home-built. Then they'll all wander off, with the first guy to stop being the last one to tear himself away.
Kinda funny, actually.
Kinda funny, actually.
04-08-16, 06:37 AM
#14
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: North Central Florida
Posts: 181
Bikes: 1972 Royce Union 5-Speed
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 42 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
If I saw someone closely checking out my bike, I'd probably feel a little self conscious. It looks like crap, which while being a good theft deterrent, also makes me look like I can't afford a good bike.
04-08-16, 07:14 AM
#16
Senior Member
I'd watch him like a hawk and surreptitiously move closer to the door just in case. They're probably just looking.
04-08-16, 08:02 AM
#17
Passista
Happened many times to me. My commuter has an IGH and dynohub and that attracts people because it's not common, they just look at it and ask a few questions, that's all.
Agree about thieves going for looks, they would steal a shiny new crappy MTB over an old steel De Rosa with full Campy NR any day.
Agree about thieves going for looks, they would steal a shiny new crappy MTB over an old steel De Rosa with full Campy NR any day.
04-08-16, 08:06 AM
#18
Senior Member
On a similar topic, do you do anything different when you're checking out another bike? I find myself clasping my hands behind my back when I get within a few feet, just an instinctive thing I do to say with body language, "I'm not going to steal anything, but that is an interesting bike!"
More for bookstore or restaurant looks than major supported bike ride looks. When there's hundreds, or even just dozens, of bikes, I don't feel self-conscious about looking at them.
More for bookstore or restaurant looks than major supported bike ride looks. When there's hundreds, or even just dozens, of bikes, I don't feel self-conscious about looking at them.
04-08-16, 09:35 AM
#19
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Cabot, Arkansas
Posts: 1,538
Bikes: Lynskey Twisted Helix Di2 Ti, 1987 Orbea steel single speed/fixie, Orbea Avant M30, Trek Fuel EX9.8 29, Trek Madone 5 series, Specialized Epic Carbon Comp 29er, Trek 7.1F
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 12 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Depends on the person looking and if they are carrying bolt cutters.
04-08-16, 03:08 PM
#20
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Up
Posts: 3,870
Bikes: Masi, Giant TCR, Eisentraut, Jamis Aurora Elite, Zullo (trainer bike), Cannondale, 84 Stumpjumper, 2 Waterfords, Tern D8, Bianchi, Gunner Roadie, looking for a Ti frame and Brompton M6R
Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 156 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 30 Times
in
25 Posts
I have had this happen when I was at the pool. I just walked over and asked if I could help them. They thought that it was an interesting bike because it has hydraulic rim brakes
04-08-16, 03:23 PM
#21
Standard Member
I'd be totally stoked that someone thinks enough of my bike to stop and look it over. Myself, I'm a sucker for Raleighs (even new ones), so I am a moth-to-a-flame, checking out everything on it. That having-been-said, I'd still watch the guy, though, even if just to enjoy his reaction(s).
04-08-16, 04:08 PM
#22
Me duelen las nalgas
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Texas
Posts: 9,592
Bikes: Centurion Ironman, Trek 5900, Univega Via Carisma, Globe Carmel
Mentioned: 171 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2949 Post(s)
Liked 289 Times
in
216 Posts
I've struck up some nice conversations over bicycle gawking, and met a good friend that way.
04-08-16, 05:00 PM
#23
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2015
Location: Colorado
Posts: 1,719
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 258 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Originally Posted by goraman
Most of the time it's just people looking, I do this with old cars, hot rods and motorcycles.
If he is removing parts from your bike, sneak up very very quoit, rabbit punch him in the back of his head knocking him out.
Then with a black Sharpe write Vote for Hillary on his forehead, drag him to the nearest 4X4 truck with big southern flags on it and hand cuff him to the truck hitch.
It's all up to his Karma at that point.
If he is removing parts from your bike, sneak up very very quoit, rabbit punch him in the back of his head knocking him out.
Then with a black Sharpe write Vote for Hillary on his forehead, drag him to the nearest 4X4 truck with big southern flags on it and hand cuff him to the truck hitch.
It's all up to his Karma at that point.
04-08-16, 05:08 PM
#24
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Bozeman
Posts: 4,096
Bikes: 199? Landshark Roadshark, 198? Mondonico Diamond, 1987 Panasonic DX-5000, 1987 Bianchi Limited, Univega... Chrome..., 1989 Schwinn Woodlands, Motobecane USA Record, Raleigh Tokul 2
Mentioned: 24 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1125 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Originally Posted by pdlamb
On a similar topic, do you do anything different when you're checking out another bike? I find myself clasping my hands behind my back when I get within a few feet, just an instinctive thing I do to say with body language, "I'm not going to steal anything, but that is an interesting bike!"
More for bookstore or restaurant looks than major supported bike ride looks. When there's hundreds, or even just dozens, of bikes, I don't feel self-conscious about looking at them.
More for bookstore or restaurant looks than major supported bike ride looks. When there's hundreds, or even just dozens, of bikes, I don't feel self-conscious about looking at them.
04-08-16, 05:19 PM
#25
bill nyecycles
Like has already been said - I'd watch them like a hawk, see what their body language tells me. If they linger, they're probably checking it out and liking it. If they look, walk away, then come back and look again, they're probably looking to see how they can steal it. So I'd let a security guard know if there was one, and probably go out to my bike even if I wasn't done shopping or whatever.
