Stolen bikes

shit man - there are cities in this world where people don't even lock their bikes

• isn't that amazing
  
  

i honestly wasn't aware HOW bad and scary this whole business-with-stolen-bikes is...

I'm sure this is a well funny joke...

:)

Thanks !

just to update this and that i put it with
stolen bike thread: http://www.londonfgss.com/thread123-19.html

2 Hours Ago #945 grit

    hi guys,

just back from quite a bad day on bricklane - i started at 8 on my own before meeting up with friend at 9 (bad idea especially if you are a girl, also i guess i was a bit naive talking to the 'wrong' people (if there is something like that) ...)

we didn't spot my bike (monoc tc2 concept) BUT hej something good happened aswell - 3 bikes were recovered together with these guys from tower hamlet:
http://www.londonfgss.com/thread3948.html#post357441 > so do get in touch with them if you happen to be down at bricklane - they are good people!
(and don't let any - really NONE! of the bikesellers at the market know that you are looking for a stolen bike! it was probably just me at 8 being really stupid
learned some lessons I guess -
And I'm happy for Rasmus and the other that got there bikes back today(:

apparently more rare bikes might get shifted to another city (cambridge or birmingham ...)
if you know anything about this - please let me know...
they also might take it appart and sell all the bits separatly - which would make it more difficult to get it back together):

I'm still looking for it tho

thanks for keeping your eyes open!

don't let any - really NONE! of the bikesellers at the market know that you are looking for a stolen bike! it was probably just me at 8 being really stupid
learned some lessons I guess -

what actually happened then?

With more and more reports of thieves getting INTO homes and stealing bikes, isn't it soon time we don't just consider the best locks
(Krytonite Fahgettaboudit, Abus Granit Extreme) but also alarms that can be fitted to bikes, at home, or when out of line-of-sight at the pub?

Here's something that looks like it could work. Fitted to the chainring maybe?

after today i'm might look into this ... ;)

what actually happened then?

i first just had a look around and as i didn't see it went to one that 'don't sell stolen bikes' (they are still part of this shit business...) and said i'm looking for a a racing bike - a yellow one. he showed me one and i said 'that's really nice, but i'm looking for a different one. (i might have told him twice that i'm looking for a different one...) he asked me if mine was stolen - i said yes - he asured me that they don't do stolen bike blah blah and aked me: which one, how does it look - i first discribed and than showed him a picture - him: can you leave this with me if i see it i let you know ... at that time i believed him and left the picture (how silly).... blah blah balh
he basically made sure that everybody knew i was looking for this bike - and he basically was taking the piss (which i didn't realize at that time yet)
i had another quite agressive and bit scary confrontation with another guy i had a quick chat with before in a 'second hand' shop there .. just a few minutes later
(that's when i first realized how bad and scary the whole thing is ...)
...
later in the day i went back a couple of times with a friend to check
and then to see if he'd give me back the picture
but he was taking the piss and told me he gave it to a newsagent on bethanal green rd (that's where he puts all stolen bikes with his mobil on... blah blah (
he got super arsy and aggresive in the end...

(of course we tried to find this 'amazing helpful' newsagent as we thought it could be one of their middle-man... no luck there;)...

basically: don't let anybody know that you are looking for a stolen one and don't let anybody ever see a picture (except the tower hamlet guys)- also be aware who listens to your conversations with your mate you walking around with...
it get more and more difficult if they know your face
and i believe they remove the bikes that they know are searched for from the market that day

shakes head

what did you think would happen if you told them you were looking for a stolen bike? that they'd all rally 'round and help you find it?

sorry Grit but that was totally naive.

my advice:
if you really want this bike back:

set up ebay searches to email you every day for monoc, track bike, fixie
scour gumtree every day (london, brighton, bristol, etc)
don't go down brick lane for a couple of weeks, send your mates

alternatively, suck it up, chalk this one up to experience, get a new bike.

+1 Fred

Those fellas down at Brick Lane are cunts and wouldn't give you the steam off their piss

agree - he was just really good at making me believe he's not part of this stolen-bike-business. - yes stupid and naive me (feel bad enough about it dude)

i'll set up the ebay and gumtree searches ...
and ask my mates to have a look at bricklane - and if you happen to be at bricklane (and they don't know your face;) give me a ring if you spot it

thanks again for your help!

+1 Fred

Those fellas down at Brick Lane are cunts and wouldn't give you the steam off their piss

ok ok ok - i know now
thx

apparently more rare bikes might get shifted to another city (cambridge or birmingham ...)
if you know anything about this - please let me know...

I live in Birmingham and always have my eyes & ears peeled on any bikes being sold in the city, not just fixers - As I am bit of a bikeaholic.

Also the fixed riding 'community' here is small, and we always keep a keen eye out for any new bikes/riders in the city. If there was anything for sale it would be offerend to one of us lot, but most likely me as im continually on the lookout for bikes and a regular visitor of markets/boot sales.

There is definetely not a stream of stolen bikes coming in from London, especially no track bikes. But if it does occur ill let you all know.

This really does annoy me. It's lucky I don't condone vigilante action where our police force are obviously unable to do their fucking jobs.

what a fucking bunch of cunts

I havent lived here that long so I had heard about the Brick Lane Market before when I was looking to buy a bike but I wasnt interested in supporting people stealing them so didnt even check it out untill, after only having my bike for a month, it was nicked and I went to Brick Lane in the hopes of recovering it (at least we got one). I know theres nothing you can do to completely stop these people but cant we be a thorn in there side somehow? Mess with them? Flyer to maybe stop people from buying them? Demonstrate like the fur people that were out on that shop at the top of Brick Lane today? I would volunteer some Sundays just to annoy them for a few weeks and maybe they wont make their normal income for a few weeks.. even though I have no hope really in getting mine back I hate to know how crappy everyone else that got their, usually sentimental, bikes stolen has to feel.. I saw some really unique looking ones out there today that were for obviously stolen and it made me really sick..

Also.. Bike crime here in London is the worst Ive seen it anywhere.. I even think it was better in Cape Town!! So Im sure it can get better here..

(rant over :0/)

I havent lived here that long so I had heard about the Brick Lane Market before when I was looking to buy a bike but I wasnt interested in supporting people stealing them so didnt even check it out untill, after only having my bike for a month, it was nicked and I went to Brick Lane in the hopes of recovering it (at least we got one). I know theres nothing you can do to completely stop these people but cant we be a thorn in there side somehow? Mess with them? Flyer to maybe stop people from buying them? Demonstrate like the fur people that were out on that shop at the top of Brick Lane today? I would volunteer some Sundays just to annoy them for a few weeks and maybe they wont make their normal income for a few weeks.. even though I have no hope really in getting mine back I hate to know how crappy everyone else that got their, usually sentimental, bikes stolen has to feel.. I saw some really unique looking ones out there today that were for obviously stolen and it made me really sick..

Also.. Bike crime here in London is the worst Ive seen it anywhere.. I even think it was better in Cape Town!! So Im sure it can get better here..

(rant over :0/)

making people more aware that they are actually buying stolen bikes there is a good one!
it needs a bunch of people tho
as after today - i'm not even sure how healthy it is when they know your face...

(and don't let any - really NONE! of the bikesellers at the market know that you are looking for a stolen bike! it was probably just me at 8 being really stupid
learned some lessons I guess -

I would send someone else down there next week as they probably phoned everyone to say dont bring ur bike down.

I would send someone else down there next week as they probably phoned everyone to say dont bring ur bike down.

i'm sure they removed it from the market today (if it ever was the way there)
let's see for the coming weeks ...

making people more aware that they are actually buying stolen bikes there is a good one!
it needs a bunch of people tho
as after today - i'm not even sure how healthy it is when they know your face...

I know its not healthy but youre right in numbers is what you need.. im surprised with all the bike owners in Brick Lane no one has figured out some way of just making the people in the area aware that they are stolen and maybe ones who know to think twice about supporting it.. Im going to try and think of something :0/ any more ideas on here would be good..

We need bigger/better locks that electrocute/stralize the would be theif!

Either way it would stop them nicking your bike, and render them incapable to
produce anymore thief offspring.

Put a shitload of posters all over Brick Lane proclaiming "BEWARD - BIKE THAT ARE SOLD HERE ARE LIKELY TO BE STOLEN".

All we need is approval from the Mayor and my "Clean Up Brick Lane" project can commence..

I think it's kind of a blessing in disguise that although bikes get stolen, and unfortunately there is a market for them, at least we know where to start the recovery search. I'm sure if the brick lane black market for bikes was spread out more thinly across east London, I wouldn't have got back my Cannondale racer 2 months ago - I knew exactly where and when to look.

I am blown away at the amount of bike thefts I've read about in the last few minutes. If I had the time I would offer a GPS tracking chip that can be installed inside the bike frame, then when an access number is dialed from your mobile phone, you get a text message on the bike's location.

I would be rich & a lot less bikes would get nicked.

invented already
http://www.retrievatracking.com/bicycles.aspx

I think it's kind of a blessing in disguise that although bikes get stolen, and unfortunately there is a market for them, at least we know where to start the recovery search. I'm sure if the brick lane black market for bikes was spread out more thinly across east London, I wouldn't have got back my Cannondale racer 2 months ago - I knew exactly where and when to look.

I disagree with this.. I thought about it too.. But I still think it perpetuates a vicious circle which still makes it worth it to steal bikes.. These guys are also stealing so many bikes because its EXTREMELY easy to sell them in 5 minutes down there with so many idiots who buy them!

Although we did get are bikes back Im sure the majority of people dont.