Bicycle thefts from Sainsbury's car park

[A1234]

Hi everyone - just a quick note to urge you to be extra careful if you take your bike to Sainsbury as there have been a spate of thefts from the bike car right outside of the main entrance. I had mine stolen last night after two locks were cut with bolt cutters- obviously the CCTV was next to useless!

[Carol]

Thanks for this, and sorry about your bike. I always assumed it was pretty safe there with the security guards and so on. I'll be using both my Ds from now on.

[James Barber]

Useful video from Barry Mason about locking bikes up - two different good locks is the key:

[Frankito]

Is there such a thing as a good lock when there are bolt-cutters about? How brazen of them to do it rifht at the front entrance....

[DJKillaQueen]

Good quality D locks usually suffice though. Many bikes that get stolen are using cheap D locks and/ or those wire locks. There is NO wire lock on the market that can't be cut in seconds with a basic pair of bolt cutters. You need to spend around ?100 on a gold standard D-lock if you want to minimise the risk of theft imo. I say that as someone that has never had a bicycle stolen in 20 years, thanks to a squire UBX and a trelock titan pair of D locks (they cost me ?110 for the two in the early 90's - money well spent).

[sandyman]

I know a good lock helps, but I think with the number of bikes on the road these days it is often down to bad luck that your bike gets nicked. I've got a bog standard Ridgeback, a bog standard ?10 D lock and it has not been nicked in five years. A few months ago I left it locked outside Oval Station for a week when I had to get to the tube to get an early holiday flight. I figured replacing the bike would almost be cheaper than a cab to Gatwick. Even I was surprised it was still there When I got back.

Of course, having written this it'll probably disappear next week.

[kevtils]

If they have the determinatin then they will succeed. I had a bike stolen not so long ago whiich was secured by a high quality D lock and a High tensile steel motorcycle chain. The best you can do is make it tough for them by chaining through the frame and wheels like someone else has stated, different locks 2/3 of them. Sadly a sign of the times.

[Carol]

True, with the right gear a thief can steal any bike, all you can do is make it harder for them. I use a mini Abus and Kryptonite, about ?120s worth (if bought online). These are gold and silver rated and to get through them would take five or six minutes with an angle grinder - but that's quite a long time in terms of theft. There's absolutely no way a bolt cutter would get through, or a hammer - they'd damage the bike first. Also they're too small to get a car jack in. I put a cable round the front wheel, and at worst that could go fairly easily but at least I know the bike and back wheel are safe (as they can be).

It's also better to have two different locks, should thieves discover how to pick, or any other weakness with a particular make.

[ironjawcannon]

Are there never any witnesses to people bolt cutting these locks? I wish people would challenge the person doing it.

[Frankito]

Is confrontation really the best solution here? The thought of having my arms bolt-cut off would make me slightly nervous! I would probably prefer to pee in an empty bottle and douse them in it whilst preparing for an olympic-speed getaway..>:D

[Salsaboy]

But risked getting nicked for indecent exposure...

Frankito Wrote:

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

> Is confrontation really the best solution here?

> The thought of having my arms bolt-cut off would

> make me slightly nervous! I would probably prefer

> to pee in an empty bottle and douse them in it

> whilst preparing for an olympic-speed

> getaway..>:D<

[James Barber]

Decent bike locks are around ?50 each.

You need two different decent locks.

I've two different types of D locks and, touch wood, haven't had the bike stolen are 15 years. Also it's a tourer (racer style) and just not as desirable wan fashionable as a hubris or mountain bike.

So don't have a fashionable bike and two decent locks.

[Undisputedtruth]

I'm interested to know what is Sainsbury doing to reduce the bike thefts on their land? Given that their Chief Executive Justin King is committed to green causes and cycling is one of the most greenest form of transport around.

I wonder if the dysfunction cctv is related to the fact it would take up security's time to rummage through the footage.

I would also suggest bike insurance in addition to the suggestion from above.