What to do if your bike is stolen

load of great info here. cheers all

I'd be pretty keen to known of any recommended insurers. I'd quite like to not have to lock the bike to a mountain sized lump of concrete when indoors. Obviously I'm exaggerating but I'm not sure I can easily meet the criteria of my home insurance policy.

Hiya, I just had my weeks-old single speed pride and joy nicked today, police asked me if I had a good lock (which I did), but they said that there has been a spate of thefts around London recently where even the kick-assest locks have been overcome (and disappeared), so they're thinking there might be some key thing going on... not sure what the solution to this is, but just sharing info in this moment of pain

thanks for this, ironically my locks will now weigh more than my bike, but anything to keep the scumbag tea leaves off my wheels

Anyone here have the tech know how to do an App that all cyclists can have on their phones and report to the app a theft that will then alert all other cyclists within say 2 miles of where the theft took place. If anyone knows someone that can do that then maybe we could all contribute to such an app?
Just a though. I live in small village on south coast and even I have had bikes nicked from my garage nowhere is safe but when I get into london and see how many peletons of cyclist are out there I think an app would alert so many people that we could be catching them within minutes!

just read fact 60,000 bikes stolen in London in 2012 and bear in mind estimates say only 1 in 5 bike thefts reported to police and it seems it is low reporting as police action against bike theft is not seen as a priority which to some degree I understand but that means people need to start thinking about taking some action against all those involved, thieves, buyers of stolen bikes, advertisers of stolen bikes. I intend to pursue the app idea so if you have any ideas regarding an app let me have them I will be talking to an app guy tomorrow.

Hiya, I just had my weeks-old single speed pride and joy nicked today, police asked me if I had a good lock (which I did), but they said that there has been a spate of thefts around London recently where even the kick-assest locks have been overcome (and disappeared), so they're thinking there might be some key thing going on... not sure what the solution to this is, but just sharing info in this moment of pain

Sorry to hear that, Dangerlady. Do follow the advice in the first post in this thread, and post details of the bike in the 'Stolen Bikes' thread.

I've heard excellent things about cycle guard, the other option is home insurance but - thgat can vary

Anyone here have the tech know how to do an App that all cyclists can have on their phones and report to the app a theft that will then alert all other cyclists within say 2 miles of where the theft took place. If anyone knows someone that can do that then maybe we could all contribute to such an app?
Just a though. I live in small village on south coast and even I have had bikes nicked from my garage nowhere is safe but when I get into london and see how many peletons of cyclist are out there I think an app would alert so many people that we could be catching them within minutes!

Check this out. http://www.thetileapp.com
It's called the tile and I think it's a really cool concept especially if everyone were to use it. I'm not sure how you could secure this onto a bike but they may make a down tube version?

Regards, MJ

Been reading that the Cycle Task Force are better than the police in dealing with stolen bikes. Have dropped them an email already but heard it takes them a few days to get back. Does anyone have a contact number? The one on the front page just goes to voicemail.

As a new owner of some nice bikes, any suggestions on how best to arrange insurance? (Using house and contents cover or otherwise)

My bike got nicked this week. But through some massive stroke of luck I found it on gumtree and got it back!

The advice everyone's given is right: you need to do it yourself. Arrange with the thief to meet and then get the police involved.

Although for me, the met police were rubbish. Despite all my calls over a few days and letting them know about the meeting, I never heard back. And the only time I heard back from the Cycle Task Force was to warn me not contact the seller.

It was the British Transport Police who really outdone themselves. I walked into their station, told them everything and within 15 minutes they had a whole team of plain clothes and uniformed police ready to help me out. I can't recommend them enough!

My tips are:
Make sure you register the bike as stolen and get a crime number asap.
Arrange to meet at a tube stop with a british transport police station and get them involved instead. They're well up for it!

The btp told me later that my crime no. hadn't even been looked at yet by the police. Had I listened to them, I could still be waiting for them to contact me and my bike be long gone.

Hope that helps a few people out.

Had my bike knicked, locked to a gate inside a gated private compound in Canning Town, unfortunately I was stupid enough not to write any of my serial codes or id the bik somehow, never got it back. To this day I still think my only hope is to come across them on my bike and undertake a diving saddle to saddle tackle!

Hiya, I'm entirely new to lfgss, and really sorry to have to make this my first post, ..but my self built lo pro bike was stolen last night!

It's a tubular build, with 24' front, so very distinctive looking, in fact it might be the only one on London streets. It's tatty grey, tubular wheel, old school aero seatpost and 3tt bullhorn bars..

If anyone spots it, and can let me know, I would be forever grateful and indebted..I loved this bike so much..

Hiya, I'm entirely new to lfgss, and really sorry to have to make this my first post, ..but my self built lo pro bike was stolen last night!

It's a tubular build, with 24' front, so very distinctive looking, in fact it might be the only one on London streets. It's tatty grey, tubular wheel, old school aero seatpost and 3tt bullhorn bars..

If anyone spots it, and can let me know, I would be forever grateful and indebted..I loved this bike so much..

Pics would be really helpful There are a lot of unique bikes around, and quite a few lo-pros. Good luck

Could you give more of a description, merijn? Colour, where it was stolen, perhaps a picture?

Check out the info here:

http://www.lfgss.com/thread52193.html

Good luck finding it!

Snap.

Thanks everyone for your replies.. Only photos I've got, not great..

The frame is Columbus tubing/drop-outs, not sure of the make, bought it from Hilary Stone,
Pete Matthew rear wheel, mavic front, Miche Primato chainset, Vitus aero seatpost, Titanium Saddle, 3tt Moscow bullhorn handlebars, Condor stem

I'm hoping it'll pop up on gumtree..

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Had my bikes nicked a couple of weeks ago. One of them showed up on eBay a few days later. Spotted on bikeshd which is really useful if you're London based. It shows all bikes advertised on eBay and Gumtree. Spoke to the Police who were useless. It got sold on so no idea whether they'll be arsed to follow it up. I'd built the bikes up myself and kept all the receipts for parts so can identify them. Make sure you write down frame numbers from under the bottom bracket casing too. I wish I'd just gone and got it back myself but I'm a skinny runt who's never had a fight in his life!

The police are even worse up here in Manchester - had my bianchi cut from a railing in the morning before uni and I can't even trust they checked CCTV - how long before your bike was on eBay buddy

Then you lose bike and tracker. Unless you're a big bloke this could cause you even more problems.

I have seen something stolen from me listed on ebay. Is it worth going to the police and are they able to get the sellers address from ebay before the sale ends.
What is the best way to proceed?

Buy it and then go round there/get the address send the coppers over.

if you sure.

Had two bikes stolen overnight in Homerton. be careful round here. we are not the first to be gotten at night. A van must have been involved (other stuff nicked, including child seat!) and intelligence is gathered from spotters who roam the streets by day. Ours was a reasonable high security shed. No forensics, so we to were advised to go to brick lane, check out ebay and gumtree.

should have said police were hear within 40 minutes of it being reported and I have to say, helpful.