Magnetized

I was doing a dash-in dash-out shop at the Gap Picadilly, buying some clothes for work. I got back outside after no more than 7 minutes and as I was undoing my Abus Granit D I noticed this:

Which reminded me of this:

Something a bit odd happened in brick lane this Wednesday after (my rather pathetic attempt at) polo. Was sitting in the bar right at the top of brick lane (on the right hand side) with my bike chained to 2 lamp posts in my line of site. This old guy came up to it, started checking it out, then lifted it up (at this point i bolted to the door clenching my fists). By the time I was right next to him he was making some suspicious arm gestures (golf swing?) to what appeared to be a window on the top floor of a building across bethnal green road, to the left of the street that the polo court is on. I dropped my bag on the floor and curtly told him to piss off, got a good look at his face in the process. While i was unlocking my bike I noticed half a magnet on the top tube. Cycled home feeling pretty angry.

I can only assume that
a) this guy (wearing a check blue shirt, blue jeans, heavy (fat) build, greying/thinning/shortish mousy brown hair, bright blue eyes (and with a squint)) had marked my bike with the magnet for someone else to come along and steal it(I had 2 locks on it, mini kryptonite and an abus cable lock);
and b) The people who would come along with bolt cutters etc were in the building across the street.

Either that or he was just a crazy guy, but I somehow don't think so.

I think/hope that this of some use to everyone here. I am considering parking my bike within easy reach and in clear view somewhere else in brick lane and seeing if I catch the same guy at it again! (Although that's sort of playing with fire i guess.)

Weird as fuck.

u were probly mere minutes from getting it nicked then ?
why would anyone put a magnet on it otherwise :/

Very lucky, I'd say.

pah, they only used half a magnet on mine, obviously a bridgestone is worth a full one.

how would a magnet help a bike get stolen? the thief would first have to check if it had a magnet on it, then still check the locks out. also its not like its a tracking device they would still have to be told where the bike is.

makes no sense, possibly used to see if the bike is consistently locked in the same place?

... or, i've heard stories of people using little LED lights with magnets on them as a kind of graffiti tag, turn them on and throw them at signs etc, maybe it's something along those lines.

A quick phone call would let the bastard's minions know where the bike is, the magnet just indicates which bike(s).

Jason,

thieves don't work on their own. One person identifies the bikes, & tags them with a magnet, another comes in and cuts the locks.

Yes they are that organised.

walk up the street, mark the bikes, phone the man with the van, so he grabs the right bikes, low risk for the marker.

They wouldn't have been able to get through my Granit in the scant time I left it.
It would need to be ground-off I'm sure.
Was on that crazy-busy corner opposite Eros.

yeah, i was thinking why bother with the magnet?

but re-thinking i guess the guy in the van might not be an expert on what bikes will be able to sell.

i kinda liked the idea of someone spreading a harmless tag that you don't have to paint over.

Yeah, but it's a bridgestone, probs worth the risk to the thieves.

thy ming not be grinding it, if they have a van could have knocked the sign off the top of the poll and lifted the bike over, or used the abus pick.

surely too strange to not related.

The lesson learnt today, buy an alloy bike

Nah it was locked to multiple railings.

The lesson learnt today, buy an alloy bike

My thought too :)

WTF! You said you would take care of it. Please don't leave alone again ;]

btw I really think these cunts are on and using this forum.

You on hotel WiFi ?
:o

last night nada. Tonight running it red!!!

btw I really think these cunts are on and using this forum.

What makes you think this ?

i agree, they can use google, are probably looking at this fourm

i agree, they can use google, are probably looking at this fourm

What would lead them here ?

Googling web pages that they could sell bikes on maybe?

What makes you think this ?
cause I put the magnet on it

What would lead them here ?
london, bikes, custom bikes, fixed, single speed. My fav google entry is "expensive bikes london" we are the sixth hit