The bike grew legs and ran away

[markle]

I went to go and have ride down to the shop this afternoon only to find that by beloved bike had abandoned me. I made the routine police report but I'm sure the have better things to think about.
Any ideas about going about trying to find my bike. I'm no fool, I'm under no illusions about the likelyhood of finding it but I would feel better doing something. What do the theives usually do? This wasn't a couple kids, they cut through a Kyptonite braided cable, so they were equipped.
I had a Gary Fisher which is not particularly common so it might be a little easier to identify.

The sad thing is that I just moved to Melbourne, I'm unemployed at the moment and the bike was the most valuable thing I owned, it's not like I can up and buy a new one anytime soon.

Any advice will be helpful.

 

[Jeremy Lunn]

In article <[email protected]>, markle wrote:
> going about trying to find my bike. I'm no fool, I'm under no illusions about the likelyhood of
> finding it but I would feel better doing something. What do the theives usually do? This wasn't a
> couple kids, they cut through a Kyptonite braided cable, so they were equipped. I had

Why were you purely relying on a braided cable? You shouldn't use anything less than a D-shackle
lock (aka U-lock). I bet a possum could eat through a braided cable!

--
Jeremy Lunn Melbourne, Australia Homepage: http://www.austux.net/ http://www.jabber.org.au/ - the
next generation of Instant Messaging.

 

[A-J-S]

(

I sleep with my bikes (Only the special ones, same room different beds).

Personally Paranoid and now even more so.

I wish you luck about getting a return and sympathy for the loss. Police = joke in my opinion. I can
list at least ten examples of being seriously let down by them not doing their job. Assault and
robs, theft from cars (Witnessed by many people, plate details taken, Police returned goods in a few
hour but did not take any action) and quite a few other occasions.

AJS

"markle" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> I went to go and have ride down to the shop this afternoon only to find that by beloved bike had
> abandoned me. I made the routine police report but I'm sure the have better things to think about.
> Any ideas about going about trying to find my bike. I'm no fool, I'm under no illusions about the
> likelyhood of finding it but I would feel better doing something. What do the theives usually do?
> This wasn't a couple kids, they cut through a Kyptonite braided cable, so they were equipped. I
> had a Gary Fisher which is not particularly common so it might be a little easier to identify.
>
> The sad thing is that I just moved to Melbourne, I'm unemployed at the moment and the bike was the
> most valuable thing I owned, it's not like I can up and buy a new one anytime soon.
>
> Any advice will be helpful.
>
>
>
> --
> >--------------------------<
> Posted via cyclingforums.com http://www.cyclingforums.com

 

[Steppenw]

Agree. Police = joke. Last year, at least 8 high-end bikes (both road and MTB) stolen from
government offices in the space of 2 weeks. This was just at Defence. I estimate the replacement
cost of these - at least $20k. The thieves were brazen, they were organised, and they were
efficient. They'd roll up on a pair of dungers they'd ripped off at the university and snip the
locks with a pair of cable cutters (secreted in a backpack) while one stood watch. Then they'd
abandon the **** bikes, and take off on the good ones. They looked like bicyclists - not thieves.
Everyone filed a report. No-one received a follow up, and needless to say, no-one's bike has ever
been recovered. I've learned from this experience that the minimum defence against thieves is a
D-lock, and that you can't rely on anyone but yourself to protect your gear. If you commute on
anything of value, park it next to your desk (and even then you should make sure it's securely
locked). I don't see the police taking the same pride in property theft that they do with traffic
infringements and 'anti-terror' initiatives. Maybe we should pay them a bonus for results.

 

[Luther Blissett]

Last year my girlfriends BMX was stolen from Sydney University. She told me she went to the security
office and reported it stolen. The "nice man" at University Security said they would do everything
they could to recover it. I asked her if she told them the correct make of the bike and she said
"Oh, they didn't ask for a description of the bike, just my phone number".

 

[Twisties]

the security guards didnt need the make of hte bike, they new exactly what it looked like, after they were the ones who took it.

 

[Mark B]

Luther Blissett wrote:
> Last year my girlfriends BMX was stolen from Sydney University. She told me she went to the
> security office and reported it stolen. The "nice man" at University Security said they would do
> everything they could to recover it. I asked her if she told them the correct make of the bike and
> she said "Oh, they didn't ask for a description of the bike, just my phone number".

You like blondes hey?

 

[Theo Bekkers]

"Jeremy Lunn" wrote

> Why were you purely relying on a braided cable? You shouldn't use anything less than a D-shackle
> lock (aka U-lock). I bet a possum
could
> eat through a braided cable!

My, what helpful advice from Jeremy.

Theo

 

[Al]

I know that this is stating the obvious, but you've tried the local Smack Converters and pawn shops?
People I know have (very) occasionally had success doing this. BTW if you do find your bike in one
of these establishments, expect a fight to get it back from them.

PS, sorry such a **** thing happened to you.

"Theo Bekkers" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> "Jeremy Lunn" wrote
>
> > Why were you purely relying on a braided cable? You shouldn't use anything less than a D-shackle
> > lock (aka U-lock). I bet a possum
> could
> > eat through a braided cable!
>
> My, what helpful advice from Jeremy.
>
> Theo

 

[Luther Blissett]

Mark B wrote:

> Luther Blissett wrote:
>
>> Last year my girlfriends BMX was stolen from Sydney University. She told me she went to the
>> security office and reported it stolen. The "nice man" at University Security said they would do
>> everything they could to recover it. I asked her if she told them the correct make of the bike
>> and she said "Oh, they didn't ask for a description of the bike, just my phone number".
>
>
> You like blondes hey?
>

I won't answer that for fear I might castrate myself.

 

[markle]

Thanks fellas for the advice.
I was mainly feeling sorry for myself, especially since I was just getting into cycling.
Well who knows your luck in the big city.

 

[Twisties]

city: BIG
luck:

 

[Kingsley]

On Sun, 22 Jun 2003 21:21:22 +1000, Al wrote:

> I know that this is stating the obvious, but you've tried the local Smack Converters and pawn
> shops? People I know have (very) occasionally had success doing this. BTW if you do find your bike
> in one of these establishments, expect a fight to get it back from them.

If you can proove that the bike is yours, under (NSW at least) 2nd-hand laws, they are required to
sell it back to you at their cost price. There is no obligation to give it back or anything, you
must buy it.

So there shouldn't be any fight.

-kt

 

[Theo Bekkers]

"kingsley" wrote

> If you can proove that the bike is yours, under (NSW at least)
2nd-hand
> laws, they are required to sell it back to you at their cost price. There is no obligation to give
> it back or anything, you must buy it.
>
> So there shouldn't be any fight.

Good God! I believe the law in WA is that it's stolen property, call the Police and they will not
only confiscate it from the Burglary Converters but also give the dealer a very hard time. Having to
buy your own property back from a "fence" is ridiculous.

Theo

 

[John Doe]

"Theo Bekkers" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
: "kingsley" wrote
:
: > If you can proove that the bike is yours, under (NSW at least)
: 2nd-hand
: > laws, they are required to sell it back to you at their cost price. There is no obligation to
: > give it back or anything, you must buy it.
: >
: > So there shouldn't be any fight.
:
: Good God! I believe the law in WA is that it's stolen property, call the Police and they will not
: only confiscate it from the Burglary Converters but also give the dealer a very hard time. Having
: to buy your own property back from a "fence" is ridiculous.
:
: Theo
:
:

I would check on that. The law in NSW is definitely there to protect the pawn shops from receiving
charges. Although they can be charged if they are knowingly receiving. ie if the same whacked out
smack head keeps bringing in $5000 bikes then they can get into trouble as they should be aware they
are most likely sus.

Pete

 

[Al]

In Victoria you apply to the registrar of the Magistrate's court and if you can prove the goods are
yours, they will order the pawn shop to hand them over. The dealer can of course contest and it then
goes to a magistrate. In reality however, an unscrupulous pawn shop (of course most are run by model
citizens who'd never deal in stolen goods - right?) will try and bluff or stonewall you, working on
the theory that a number of people will just give up.

For more information go to http://www.consumer.vic.gov.au/cbav/fairsite.nsf/pages/of_shop_SHD#stolen

"John Doe" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> "Theo Bekkers" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> : "kingsley" wrote
> :
> : > If you can proove that the bike is yours, under (NSW at least)
> : 2nd-hand
> : > laws, they are required to sell it back to you at their cost price. There is no obligation to
> : > give it back or anything, you must buy it.
> : >
> : > So there shouldn't be any fight.
> :
> : Good God! I believe the law in WA is that it's stolen property, call the Police and they will
> : not only confiscate it from the Burglary Converters but also give the dealer a very hard time.
> : Having to buy your own property back from a "fence" is ridiculous.
> :
> : Theo
> :
> :
>
> I would check on that. The law in NSW is definitely there to protect the pawn shops from receiving
> charges. Although they can be charged if they
are
> knowingly receiving. ie if the same whacked out smack head keeps bringing in $5000 bikes then they
> can get into trouble as they should be aware they are most likely sus.
>
> Pete

 

[John Doe]

Al" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
: In Victoria you apply to the registrar of the Magistrate's court and if
you
: can prove the goods are yours, they will order the pawn shop to hand them over.

That seems much fairer. I could not believe (well I did believe but was astounded) that even though
you could prove the goods were yours the second hand dealer had legal title.

 

[Adrian Tritschl]

Al wrote:

> In Victoria you apply to the registrar of the Magistrate's court and if you can prove the goods
> are yours, they will order the pawn shop to hand them over. The dealer can of course contest and
> it then goes to a magistrate. In reality however, an unscrupulous pawn shop (of course most are
> run by model citizens who'd never deal in stolen goods - right?) will try and bluff or stonewall
> you, working on the theory that a number of people will just give up.
>
> For more information go to
> http://www.consumer.vic.gov.au/cbav/fairsite.nsf/pages/of_shop_SHD#stolen

*Laugh* Yes, the owners of the second hand stores all claim to be virtuous, upright and unduly
accused, proudly displaying their rules, regulations and requirements.

First thing that happens when your bike gets stolen -- the Police give you a list of 2nd hand
dealers and tell you to go visit them all looking for it.

---------------------------------------------------------------
Adrian Tritschler mailto:[email protected] Latitude 38°S, Longitude 145°E,
Altitude 50m, Shoe size 44
---------------------------------------------------------------

 

[markle]

list of second hand dealers and tell you to go visit them all looking for it.

Any likely suspects in the SE subs area?

 

[Jeremy Lunn]

In article <[email protected]>, crustofcrust wrote:
> I had my bike chain to my front fence with something called "hacksaw proof chain". The thieves cut
> clean through with bolt cutters, I don't think a D-lock would have stopped them.

Depends what sort of D-lock and how expensive your bike is. If you've ever seen the lock they use on
Cecil Walker in the city (if they still use it), they tried to test it by cutting through with a
hacksaw. They blunted three blades without getting anywhere so they conluded that they may as well
use it to lock the shop. I doubt that they could cut through a D-lock with bolt cutters.

I have heard that they can use car jacks to break them open, though the more expensive brand name
D-locks have measures to counter that. Personally I wouldn't leave my bike chained to the front
fence at home anyway. I'd keep it inside.

--
Jeremy Lunn Melbourne, Australia Homepage: http://www.austux.net/ http://www.jabber.org.au/ - the
next generation of Instant Messaging.