What to do if your bike is stolen

Thanks for that, @Randall_Memphis. It's always worth posting things like this in the 'Stolen bikes' thread, which many more people read:

https://www.lfgss.com/conversations/127215/

This one here is mainly for general advice.

I've updated the OP in quite a few sections. As ever, please do suggest corrections or improvements.

Thanks for this helpful first post & thread.

If I may make a suggestion for an addition to the OP, in the section about theft of components, it might be worth mentioning an old trick I was taught by one of the people who used to run the Reading Bike Kitchen.

Once you have your stem/bars/post/saddle/etc set up how you want it to be, get a ball bearing the right size to fit in the hex socket of the bolt that secures it, put some Araldite in the socket and push the ball in. Once the epoxy hardens it will be very very hard to release the bearing and it will not be possible for a thief with a hex key to undo the bolt.

For a slightly less "permanent" version, grease or wax can be used instead of Araldite/superglue.

I can confirm from my own experience that this is a very difficult (as in fiddly, time-consuming, non-standard-tool-requiring) thing to undo, and in my limited experience I have not suffered from opportunistic component theft from any of the bikes I've used the trick on.

Also swap a few normal hex bolts for torx. Double the tool needed, double the difficulty nicking a stem etc

Just had a nice pair of wheels nicked from my bike in the front garden (got complacent after a few years of no trouble and didn't lock them up properly), is Nine Elms market still the best place to go to try and find your stolen stuff in London?

Shut for the lockdown period mate - tried to take a look last weekend. Not sure if the Sally's head elsewhere or just wait.

Great idea. I've been using Hexlox on my bike - similar idea, but has a key that allows its removal to adjust/clean things still. I've not had any thefts of components using this - it's expensive, sure, but has kept me sorted for years now without any issue.

Whats the best solution to not having bars/stems/seatposts nicked?

Is replacing bolts with hexlox the way to go?

Hexlox are good but expensive. BB and wax in the bolt head works well, but can be a pain to remove. 2 part epoxy also works well but needs to be drilled away to access the bolt again, and also doesn’t look very nice.

You may be able to find a torx, Allen or other shape security bolt online for less than a hexlox. There is the possibility that the thief has the correct key on them, but the rarer the bolt design the less likely that will be.

Adding- carbon isn’t good for theft deterrence. If a bike has expensive shifters on a carbon handlebar, they’ll cut the bars. If it has a carbon stem, they’ll cut the stem. Etc etc.

interesting - thank you. my partner had her stem undone and brake hoses/gear cables cut and they just took the lot. didn't even bother with the seat post which had a decent seat attached so i'm guessing they were specifically after the sram shifters.

I was thinking of replacing one bolt for one hexlox bolt to the stem-handlebar and stem-steerer interfaces. To be fair, the cost of replacing the shifters probably makes sense to spend the money on the hexlox stuff...ffs

Apologies if this has been asked before/answered elsewhere, but is there a new alternative to Bikeshd (page isn’t loading for me)? A new way of receiving alerts across all online marketplaces ?

Thanks for the heads-up, bikeshd clearly doesn't exist any more. I've updated the OP. As I'm not in the loop much at the moment, I don't know what the current sites are called, but in the 'Stolen bikes' thread there was recently some discussion about a site called https://backpedal.co:

https://www.lfgss.com/comments/16956105/

I doubt their approach will work except for occasional successes, but I'm sure people will keep trying to find on-line solutions like that.

If anyone else knows more and has seen the latest, please post here and I'll update the OP.

I also just found

https://stolen-bikes.co.uk/

and

https://www.findthatbike.co.uk/ ,

which are twin sites.

NB I haven't tried them, so no idea if they're good.

Yes I’m inclined to agree

Great! Thank you!

Found some I assume stolen bike stuff near Wandsworth Common. Couple bike bags still with tubes and some basic tools + lights if anyone would like to reunited with this please send a message.

5 Attachments

Stolen Bike

My beautiful Jo 'Surly you can't be serious' King - a dark green surly Ogre, with cammo Jones H-Bar style handlebars and a few stickers on the frame. Got stolen last night in London!

Im super sorry to spam this group but imagine this group might be a good set of 👀👀👀 on some of the places it could pop up!

Also nicked were some nice Apidura bags - full frame and handlebar and a Big Agnes Copper Spur 1person Bikepack edition!

Incase any of them come across your radar! It's the bike I rode to Greece via Tunisia on last year 😢😢😢

Here's a link to social posts about it - which includes a photo and a video of the deed being deeded - any sharing much much appreciated:

Insta

https://www.instagram.com/p/C8GlE3_IYG0/?igsh=MTV2NjU0YjZrZGRxbA==

Twitter

https://x.com/elmers87/status/1800743220726424031?t=zO4BYmCRLf1P-ckcsZDGJQ&s=19

Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/uWrQZCF81T2o7aBX/

2 Attachments

Had my front wheel stolen last night - in clear CCTV view and on a main road next to a busy cab rank too!

1 Attachment

Stolen bike!!

I had to park my bike in a friend's garage in Bethnal Green yesterday because I had moved out of my house and had nowhere to store it for the next two months while I was in Thailand. He said the garage at his flat is pretty secure and nobody got their bike stolen there before and then I landed in Thailand I got a phone call from my friend saying my bike got stolen last night it was literally the same day I parked it there my guess is that this could have been a target stolen or something guys please keep an eye out in London, eBay, or Facebook Marketplace if you see this Surly special midnight anywhere don't hesitate to give me a shout or update in

Surly Midnight Special gravel bike (lilac colourway)

• Grx 1x11 drivetrain 40T front chainring
• Hope brakes
• Whiskey bars
• Shwalbee tyres
• Tubeless with mucoff valves
• Brooks saddle
• Hope headset and top cap
• Halo wheelset
• Allygn diamond rack
• B + M Lumotec IQ-XS Dynamo-powered Headlight
• SP PD-8 DYNAMO front HUB
• Quad lock phone mount
• blackburn rear light

1 Attachment

Arseholes! I presume you've already reported it to the fuzz - not that this will do anything :(

Stolen bike

My precious bike was stolen yesterday (October 11th) in Hoxton Street (N1 5Jx) between 7pm and 8pm.

Details on the bike:

• Specialized (Diverge E5)
  
• Serial: WSBC025052276S
  Accessories:
  
• Phone holder on handlebars
  
• Clip in for bikelight on handlebars
  
• Bike pannier
  
• Bike pedals with straps
  
  

This bikes means a lot to me - finder will be rewarded.

2 Attachments