Author Topic: Bike theft hypothesis - discuss...  (Read 1556 times)

telstarbox

  • Loving the lanes
Bike theft hypothesis - discuss...
« on: 27 August, 2017, 03:18:36 pm »
The chance of a parked bike being stolen at a specific place and time depends on two factors:
Motivation of nearby people to steal bike - whether opportunistic or organised, the thief needs to have that thought in the first place ;
Ability of nearby people to steal bike - possession of relevant tools (more specialist tools needed to break better locks), speed of getaway, confidence to continue with theft if challenged, etc.

So for example, in central London there are 'full time' thieves with tools who are both motivated and able to steal bikes. The chance of theft of a nice bike is high without a decent lock.

In a rural village there are fewer people about and probably no professional thieves. You might get away with leaving a bike unlocked by the duck pond overnight.

 


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hellymedic

  • Just do it!
Re: Bike theft hypothesis - discuss...
« Reply #1 on: 27 August, 2017, 04:31:25 pm »
I have never had an unlocked bike stolen. A lock is a sign that the owner might be away for a while.

I suspect professional thieves study popular bike-parking locations and get a measure of owners behaviour and machines before pouncing.

I'm sure some nice machines are stolen to order.

Re: Bike theft hypothesis - discuss...
« Reply #2 on: 27 August, 2017, 05:37:31 pm »
When I worked in London for a few months in 2003 I avoided an opportunist theft of my bike
as I was on my way to Richmond Park one Saturday morning. I had stopped at a grocers store
to buy some fruit. As it was fairly quiet I lent my bike against the window of the store and then
entered to pay for the fruit. It as at that time that a young bloke casually walking past was just
about to wheel my bike away; that encouraged me to bring to bike into the shop as I paid for
my bananas. I was 100% certain that had I hesitated a moment longer, he would have cycled
away on my bike. An opportunist theft was avoided.

Re: Bike theft hypothesis - discuss...
« Reply #3 on: 27 August, 2017, 07:09:23 pm »
Red shiny bikes are most likely to be stolen, especially if you use a cable lock and park them outside an ironmongery. 

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Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: Bike theft hypothesis - discuss...
« Reply #4 on: 27 August, 2017, 07:48:07 pm »
The chances of theft are lower in rural areas but it does happen. I reckon some professional bike thieves target audax and sportive controls and other places where many bikes are left together unlocked at the same time.
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Re: Bike theft hypothesis - discuss...
« Reply #5 on: 27 August, 2017, 08:56:53 pm »
There has been a number of high-end bike thefts from cafes around popular cycling areas. The method seems to be that a van parks nearby. Someone in cycling kit wanders around the bikes, grabs the Colnago, Pinarello or whatever, jumps on it and rides to the van, at which point the " cyclist" and bike are spirited away.