Stolen: Red Brompton

...not mine I should add.

walking along borough high street today at around 2pm-ish. Two ne'er-do-wells in baseball caps pass me, stepping on to their bikes. One riding a shiny new red brompton. less than two seconds pass whilst i process the event, and realise that a kid like that on a bike like that means it's probably stolen. I look over to see 2 halfords cable locks cleanly cut (another two seconds). I turn and sprint towards them but they're on the road and through the lights and away. there were maybe 50 people stood around at the various cash machines and entrance to borough market, no-one said a thing.

So... NEVER rely on a cable lock (especially a crap one from halfords - 20mm thick including plastic outer, but only <5mm of actual braided cable) or the fact that your bike is in full view of the public, and sorry to the owners of the two bikes that I wasn't 5 seconds quicker off the mark, as i'd have knocked the guy off at least one of the bikes and out had I caught him.

I'm off to buy (yet) another lock...

I hate the fact that you can spend stupid amounts on a huge lock and still not feel comfortable about leaving your bike places. I've seen dirty smack heads like the aforementioned trying to nick quick release saddles in the middle of busy streets before, never actually seen someone nick a bike though.