yet another stolen bicycle (May 06)

[sunnysideup]

mine's now become yet another statistic. just in case anyone sees it around - black ridgeback genesis day 00, rear plastic mudguard and red rear tyre.

[neubi]

Please report it to the police. The night mine was stolen at least 5 bikes vanished from the area I live in. They must have been in a van collecting all these bikes and somebody will eventually see these people. Maybe one day the police might even start doing something.

[Mark]

Could you let us know from where and when it was stolen? Someone may have seen something.

[Mellors]

Just a thought, but I wonder if somebody is taking them for scrap?

There was a low back truck came down my street in Central ED the other day and stopped outside the house to have a good rummage through the skip next door (which happened just to be full of garden rubble). They must have been after metal though, because they managed to fish a couple of metal brackets out of the front of my other neighbours garden. It was really early, so I was half asleep and not thinking straight, but I noticed there were a couple of bikes and a kids trike on the back which I later thought was strange...

Not very helpful, but you have my every sympathy, my husband got his Ridgeback nicked from our garden a while ago and was furious. Check your house insurance to see if you can claim?

[Otto]

Hi -

O - that is terrible. Sympathies - mine (also a ridgeback( was stolen a few weeks ago. Which area of Ed was yours in?

Otto

[sunnysideup]

colyton road area. another garden theft which i WILL be reporting to the cops of course. cheers for the sympathies

[ianr]

Mellors Wrote:

> It was really early, so I was half asleep and not thinking straight, but I noticed there

> were a couple of bikes and a kids trike on the back which I later thought was strange...

Can you be any more precise about the time? Even thieves can have routines and habits.

[Mellors]

About 6.30 - 7am on Sunday morning (last Bank hol weekend).

[James Barber]

You should'nt need to but was your bike locked with a Gold Secure lock to a floor or wall anchor?

Had you registered your bike with Immobolise?

[breadcrum45]

Has anyone thought to check gumtree for the bikes, a colleague of mine has his bike stolen on Tuesday, on Tuesay night an advert was placed on gumtree for exactly the same bike, he arranged to meet the guy the following day, only 5 minutes from where it had been stolen (which incidently was by a block of flats from where the guy appeared with the bike). My colleague was positive it was his bike so asked for a test ride, he then rode of with the guy screaming at him. The bike turned out to be his and the police are now looking at many other bikes this guy had advertised on gumtree.

Its worth a try, but if you think its your bike, you should at least report the advert as it is happening all the time.

[Otto]

Yes - I have checked gumtree, and, continue to glance at it...good suggestion...mine has not appeared there as of yet...

[Otto]

I just checked gumtree again for mine - to no avail. But - there are several bikes for sale in East Dulwich by the same person...but, none of these seem to match any of ours...and, of course, to give the benefit of the doubt these are legitimate sales...

here they are...

[sunnysideup]

still no bike but a big hurrah to the local police who had an officer round to my house within an hour of me reporting the crime, plus three follow-up calls throughout the day. very good.

[aileking]

I saw a bike advertised on Gumtree and googled the phone number, to find that the same phone number was being used to sell several different bikes, but the name given (and location) was different in each case. Will be informing the police today although doubt they will do much.

[SteveT]

Good for you aileking well spotted.

If you do not inform the police nothing will be done, but now there is a possibility.

[Otto]

sunnyside - I'm a bit jealous of the police response you received. I received a case number over the phone, followed by a "case closed" letter a week later in response to my stolen bike report. I am glad it appears they are exhibiting a bit more interest!

[Lucas24]

Hope you find your bike. I am trying to buy a bike. Trying to find one on gumtree that is not stolen is very difficult. Try Brick Lane this sunday morning.Apparently that is where alot of bikes are flogged.

[Townleygreen]

Get yourselves a folding bike. Then you can easily keep them indoors, both at home or at work.

Problem solved.

I thought they were crap until I bought a Brompton through the Ride2work scheme which also saves you around 50% of the cost.

They may have small wheels, but they are great bikes.

[thebestnameshavegone]

If you're keeping it outside, you really should lock it up, even if it's in your back garden. Speaking as someone who used to regularly 'garden hop'.

[ruffers]

breadcrum45 Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Has anyone thought to check gumtree for the bikes,

> a colleague of mine has his bike stolen on

> Tuesday, on Tuesay night an advert was placed on

> gumtree for exactly the same bike, he arranged to

> meet the guy the following day, only 5 minutes

> from where it had been stolen (which incidently

> was by a block of flats from where the guy

> appeared with the bike). My colleague was positive

> it was his bike so asked for a test ride, he then

> rode of with the guy screaming at him. The bike

> turned out to be his and the police are now

> looking at many other bikes this guy had

> advertised on gumtree.

I'm thinking that took a certain amount of bottle..

[kelliemchughes]

We had bikes stolen from our garden too, so we bought one of those shed-like bike sheds that fit in the front garden, just. I've seen metal ones too that might be more secure, or there's a nice one in Cornflower Terrace too, with flowers on the top. Anyway, we keep them locked to a ground anchor inside and they've been safe so far... Hope this helps.

[davidhealy]

http://www.gumtree.com/london/62/58357162.html

Sunnysideup - is this yours per chance?

The description fits and the gimp selling it clearly has no idea of its value and it was never sold for that much or anywhere close.

David

[Kapt.Kopter]

heres another Dulwich "cyclist" same seller for each of the below

http://www.gumtree.com/london/98/58398298.html

http://www.gumtree.com/london/31/58397931.html

http://www.gumtree.com/london/03/58397703.html

[neubi]

If you think it's a bit wired that the same phone number has currently 4 bikes for sale on gumtree and if you even think one of those might have been yours at one point -calling the police is one thing you can do. However, the response is usually that they will ask you to prove that any of the bikes are stolen. For me that has been difficult as I have no access to a stolen bike database and the one offered by a guy who changed his name and location for every add was not mine. If you however think an add is dodgy you can report it on gumtree and it will be removed from the listing...

[sunnysideup]

David, thanks so much for flagging that up, I had a look and it's not my bike although very similar. Got quite excited there for a second!