Forum Topic

Bike thieves again

There seems little point in owning any bike in Chiswick that looks decent.  Third time in 2 years I have a bike stolen (admittedly one was 30 yrs old and very rusty so thieves can keep it).This time in broad daylight with the bike attached to my outside wall with 3 different locks on it, one of which is a steel bike trap which is supposed to be far harder to break than anything else and a D-lock (around front wheel to stop that being stolen).  Apparently the thieves come along in a van, saw through anything else which is preventing them taking the bike and then simply throw the bike in the van (with D-lock still attached to the front wheel) take it to a different part of London and deal with the D-lock at their leisure.I was even in the house at the time and heard nothing.How on earth are we supposed to encourage cyclist if some criminal comes along and nicks the bikes on a regular basis

Justin Stephenson ● 1525d27 Comments

A bike seems to have been discarded in my street. What colour/make was yours?

Gordon McDonald ● 1525d

It's irritating and disappointing.Make sure all bikes are marked and registered with Bike Register and any other organisations and that you have photos and registration details so that these are ready to be tweeted out/circulated everywhere as soon as you realise they are missing.  If the police find them you will have to prove they are yours.

Philippa Bond ● 1525d

https://nextdoor.co.uk/p/DXL3QgptWFjm?utm_source=share&extras=MTc1OTIxOTQ4MTA4MTQ%3D"Have you had your bike stolen this afternoon?  There is a chance it is sat in my front garden on the Glebe Estate (dumped yours there and took mine instead). If you think it might be yours contact me with bike details (there are some distinguishing features which I won’t share). Presuming it was taken sometime mid afternoon as that’s when mine was stolen."

Catherine Steele ● 1525d

My observation is people park bikes in wrong places with cheap locks and also lock them in the wrong way.

Julian Pavey ● 1525d

Isn't that exactly one of the reasons why cycle clubs are important for cyclists?

Philippa Bond ● 1524d

NopeIts about using your noodle.

Julian Pavey ● 1524d

Perhaps they aren't all as street savvy as you!  I did hear a great story from a security guard about suddenly surprised to seei a locked bicycle rise up and over the top of a CPZ sign.  Not everybody has been living in a city for years.  There are still places where it is normal to leave your front door open.  Though I can't imagine there are many left now.

Philippa Bond ● 1524d

What has street savvy got to do with looking after the property so people cant easily take it from you? Not sure you have to be street savvy but not so stupid.

Julian Pavey ● 1524d

In vague hope:it is a Cube drop handle bar road bike.  Paint job is grey with florescent yellowish accents which are faded due to sun on left hand side (if looking from rear towards handlebars).  Black tape round handlebars, looking a bit worn at the top and missing handlebar end cap on the right

Justin Stephenson ● 1524d

" My observation is people park bikes in wrong places with cheap locks and also lock them in the wrong way."While that may be true in many cases its not *necessarily* the case. With a portable angle grinder with sufficient power its possible nowadays to cut through the hardened steel shackle on a U lock in a matter of minutes no matter how unpickable the lock itself. I locked my lightweight to a handrail in a supermarket car park with a Citadel ( bees knees ) U lock. The tublular mechanism jammed making it impossible to remove. Not owning an angle grionder I bought a cheapo £50 portable battery drill (still cheaper than a locksmith) and using cheap brown cuting discs sawed through the shackle in half an hour. (I already knew the capabilities of cutting discs in a conventional drill and would have taken as long as necessary. 2hrs ? - 4 hrs ? No around half an hour in fact. With plenty of stops to let things cool down, change disks etc.  The more scary thing was, plenty of people saw me doing this, with the attendent sparks etc  but nobody batted an eyelid,My hike is probably no longer worth stealing (for resale at least) but I would always be wary of leaving it locked anywhere in any publicly accessible location for more than an hour or two. So for anyone without adequate storage facilities in the current climate the best bet would seem to be a folder which could stored somewhere indoors.michael adams

Michael Adams ● 1523d

" My observation is people park bikes in wrong places with cheap locks and also lock them in the wrong way."While that may be true in many cases its not *necessarily* the case. With a portable angle grinder with sufficient power its possible nowadays to cut through the hardened steel shackle on a U lock in a matter of minutes no matter how unpickable the lock itself. I locked my lightweight to a handrail in a supermarket car park with a Citadel ( bees knees ) U lock. The tublular mechanism jammed making it impossible to remove. Not owning an angle grionder I bought a cheapo £50 portable battery drill (still cheaper than a locksmith) and using cheap brown cuting discs sawed through the shackle in half an hour. (I already knew the capabilities of cutting discs in a conventional drill and would have taken as long as necessary. 2hrs ? - 4 hrs ? No around half an hour in fact. With plenty of stops to let things cool down, change disks etc.  The more scary thing was, plenty of people saw me doing this, with the attendent sparks etc  but nobody batted an eyelid,My hike is probably no longer worth stealing (for resale at least) but I would always be wary of leaving it locked anywhere in any publicly accessible location for more than an hour or two. So for anyone without adequate storage facilities in the current climate the best bet may possiblt be a folder which could stored somewhere indoors. Altkough onviously not everyone can reconcile themselves to riding a bike with small wheels om roads littered with pot-holes michael adams

Michael Adams ● 1523d

While  I am concerned about theft, I can't sympothize with cyclists; who are generally the most selfish road users any where on Chiswick High Road. Many use the pavements. And complain if you are in their way. On pedestrian walkways!!Mike Preece

Michael Preece ● 1522d

This morning nearly knocked down by cyclists we were coming out of marks he was going some speed.

John Kennedy ● 1521d

There should be a no-cycling regulation on the pavement between Acton Lane and Chiswick Lane on the north side of Chiswick High  Road.Allowing cycling on the pavement along that busy stretch of shops, prams and walking sticks is stupid.

Jim Lawes ● 1521d

No point in that, unless there's enforcement from time to time though.

Andrew Jones ● 1521d

There already are no-cycling regulations to stop people cycling on the pavement, so one could legitimately take the opportunity to point this out to those who clearly don't understand it. 'Excuse me, young man, do you realise...?!'

Peter Evans ● 1521d

Thanks for the enlightenment. So one can perhaps boo those cycling on the pavement in front of M&S.A problem..what to do with childen cyclists? Can't really boo at them.

Jim Lawes ● 1521d

Small children on those little scooters and cycles often scoot/cycle on pavements in front of their accompanying adult whilst looking backwards.  That is a lack of parental/adult supervision.

Philippa Bond ● 1521d

Hi Mark,Yes I'm sure there already is a prohibition on cycling on the pavement. I assumed that Jim was suggesting putting up some sort of signage, and I was wondering how much point there was in doing that if there wasn't going to be any active enforcement.Maybe signage would encourage more people to desist from cycling on the pavement, but I suspect a fair proportion of those who currently transgress would still continue to do so unless there's at least some enforcement from time to time.

Andrew Jones ● 1521d

I can assure you that there are forum contributors who would verbally berate children as young as 5 and accuse them of trying to murder her dogs. And if you are a female cyclist on the pavement, well god help you - there’s another on here who claims to get into regular altercations with them. It is already a free for all of people losing their minds at the sight of a cyclist. The forum decided last week that a motorist somersaulted his car because he was spooked by a cycle lane - one even said that should be hailed as good news by cyclists (?!?). I think it safe to say a bit of booing at a child in the street won’t make you look too much  like a nutter compared to how far gone this lot already are.

Ed Saper ● 1521d

People don't understand a lot of signage.  Sometimes you get signs with a scooter or a cycle in it and a line through it and sometimes it is a circular sign showing a cycle.At Ealing Broadway Centre I'm sure that there were signs showing scooters with a line through them. (It's a shopping centre not a road.)  I'm told that parents just tell anyone questioning it to eff off and of course there are riders on the larger e-scooters who just sail in and through straight off the street and pavement into the centre.There's no-one doing anything about the parks either.  There was a cyclist cycling furiously past the duckpond the other week through all the pigeons (c 100) causing them to fly up in all directions where parents with small children and babies are sitting and standing together with the elderly and those in wheelchairs watching the ducks and fish (if any are still alive).I've seen no signs about cycling recently.

Philippa Bond ● 1521d

Ed, do you read all the  posts about cyclists and their poor behaviour?  Do you wonder cyclists are becoming unpopular? On the subject of stolen bikes I’m expecting to read that the Councils are spending a few million pounds turning a any and everywhere into secure cycle hangars. Otherwise there may be a reduction in cycling.

Maggie Dodge ● 1520d

Julian: Isn't it 'Noddle'?

Bobbie Carnegie ● 1520d

Apparently one of the new wheezes of the cycle thieves is to saw through the bike stand rail and then put tape over over it so that your bike can be removed swiftly.  Check any cycle stand has not had this done to it before you lock up!

Philippa Bond ● 1519d

I think the cycle in a red circle (without any line through it) is the one that needs to be used if cycling is prohibited on a road. A similar one but with a line through it has no legal meaning I think, even if the intention is very obvious.Should it come to trying to fine someone for cycling in a park, a no cycling sign (even with a line through it) would be sufficient to signify that cycling was prohibited in a park, assuming that it could be seen when entering the park (IMHO). Of course, issuing a fine shouldn't be the automatic response (again IMHO and I'm sure some others may disagree - each to her or his own).

Andrew Jones ● 1519d

You're right but the fact that the road sign one (also used on lanes/footpaths) is in existence as well as the one with a line through it confuses matters.  Some road signs could do with a redesign especially since many who should learn it won't have bothered to learn all the road signs in the Highway Code.There need to be more Cycling Proficiency tests and there are definitely a lot of cyclists who should have read the Highway Code and haven't - so the entrances to parks should go back to having those signs saying what you should NOT be doing in the park or doing to excess in the park!

Philippa Bond ● 1519d

https://zagdaily.com/featured/why-we-must-stop-bike-thieves-from-getting-away-with-it/

Philippa Bond ● 1512d