[Closed] too many bikes getting nicked

Giant flags?

im serious. loads are getting nicked

There have been a few attempts at a register/database in the past hasn't there?

Maybe if it were compulsory to include the serial number to all ebay/craigslist ads that would be a start.

Although given that I was told when i had mine nicked that the frame (merlin xlm) would likely be dumped and the parts sold separately I'm not sure how much good it would do.

Giant flags?

this method could work

1st tip is make it know how much a bike is worth when its nicked asap locally in the paper etc... it stops it being broken down and sold for a bag of weed

The solution isn't a simple one.

More people have less expendable cash so the prospect of a decent cheap bike becomes more appealing = a market.
It might help if the punishment for the crime was more severe.

I agree that more can be done, but we will always be up against a whole pile of society who happily buy stuff cheap, regardless of any dodgy history.

The thing is you buy a laptop 400 quid, or a mobile phone, and you keep them nearer to you than a teenage virgin, yet you spend 1500 quid upwards on a bike and shove it in a shed, secured by a cheap padlock from the pound shop, you have hinges on the shed door that can be unscrewed easily, you have no alarm, no cctv, no outside light, and then you hang the said bike off the back or roof of your car, sometimes you advertise it for sale, and someone rings up and you tell them when youre working and where you live.

Then you wonder why it gets nicked.

Thats without the career criminal who comes equiped with crow bar, and cutters, just incase youve chained it up.

heres a cash cow for some enterprising ipad pod phone android app bod

http://www.buddi.co.uk/buddi.html assisted gps tracker packaged in a tube down the seatube.

bike gets nicked ,activate gps thingy track on ipdoid thingamibob

not sure how it would work if it needed to be active all the time or you could just activate it when stolen ,uses telephone network from what I read

Alternate idea as much semtex as you can cram into a seatpost if some **** nicks it activate gps buddy the rest as they say is history

This website is quite useful. It scans eBay & gum tree for all bikes currently for sale

http://bikeshd.co.uk/

So might help in tracking down a stolen bike

Ok, giant flags aside.

As long as there are bikes they will be nicked by ne'erdowells. So surely we should focus on more on prevention rather tracking down stolen bikes. I doubt a database would work let alone be enforceable.

Longer sentences 💡 What happened to the guys that nicked your bikes? slap on the wrist and home for tea I expect...

Network idea is sound but difficult. Best you'll probably ever get is what we have here, or on similar forums. Maybe a little coordination between websites? If each site has a 'stolen' section that is synced with all the other sites then we get eye's on, as long as people bother to read the section.

Personally I think a better society is the only way and that's not going to happen anytime fast, all the bankers have stolen or lost our money, makes vermin desperate 🙄

if bikes were easily located when stolen they'd become less likey to be nicked. that in turn will help prevent it

Bike register is regularly checked by the police. Also have to make sure you note frame numbers down.

The trouble is they all go overseas now. Straight to eastern europe, from the site of the crime. No point even going down Brick Lane or wherever to see if it's for sale. They're nicked by gangs who have all the machinery, bike goes straight in a van and over the Channel. They won't show up on Ebay or Gumtree.

I can see two problems with any kind of tracker.

1) The power source, needs to have power at any given moment, not checked the batteries recently. Tough.

2) If they are removable they will just be removed and dumped by the thief. Wouldn't take long for word to get around that that these sorts of things were being used.

So given those it would need to be built into the frame, and be self powered. Gonna add weight and drag somewhere in the system.

I think a bit of vigilante justice using bait bikes would be a worth while pursuit. Just hold 'em and call the cops with good evidence.

Just hold 'em and call the cops with good evidence.

Given the propensity for violence described by most people on here I'm not sure that would end well.

[edit] See below for further details.

I think a bit of vigilante justice using bait bikes would be a worth while pursuit. Just hold 'em and call the cops with good evidence.

yes you are half right but i think just beating them half to death with a bit a scaf bar would deter crime much more..

TandemJeremy - Member

I think a bit of vigilante justice using bait bikes would be a worth while pursuit. Just hold 'em and call the cops with good evidence.

FFS. Ok. Lets me and you set this up. Seriously. I am up for some late night skull ****ing of some scum bags.

HANG ON THERE! I actually have a respectful job and a family. As worthy as your cause is, this isn't going to happen. Not by you or the majority of folk.

yes. I have an ice axe for just this sort of thing

If people stopped keeping them in bloody sheds it would reduce the problem by 80 percent...

If people stopped keeping them in bloody sheds it would reduce the problem by 80 percent...

True, but for a lot of people keeping bikes in the house is either impractical or undesirable. Not everyone has the room or wants to keep mucky bikes in their house.

Yes, buy a bloody proper storage unit. Got a proper secure unit never had a bike nicked. I have a shed and that has a roofbox and a lawnmower in. Would I be gutted if they were stolen? No.

I bought a bike I don't mind being nicked for when I have to leave it chained up outside (specialized ****ster)

I live in a £300 a week shoe-box, with electric heating only (no gas, super-expensive), and no break clause in the lease, and a dodgy landlord who doesn't speak English and calls me "stupid! crazy!" when I ask her to arrange to fix the washing machine.

The reason? It has a little cubby hole just big enough for three bikes - an attic, effectively - but right by my front door - and is not on the ground floor either.*

Nonetheless I still had an uninsured £2,000 bike nicked a few weeks ago - I was at a house party for under an hour and left it locked to a street sign. They sawed through the sign.

Had been riding around London on it, locking it in exactly this fashion, for 6 years so my number was due to come up. My hardtail has actually cut my commute down from 22 minutes to 16 because I can bunnyhop up curbs and across traffic islands, and accordingly take more risks, but I miss my Roubaix.

*and it's in Hampstead and I'm done with flatshares

HANG ON THERE! I actually have a respectful job and a family. As worthy as your cause is, this isn't going to happen. Not by you or the majority of folk.

Also, as nice as some bikes are, they're definitely not getting stabbed over. Unfortunately, for as long as there have been people with possessions, there have been people willing to steal them - the problem isn't going to be solved anytime soon.

The trouble is they all go overseas now. Straight to eastern europe, from the site of the crime

Where on Earth d'you get that nonsense from? Do you really think criminal gangs are nicking bikes then going to all that trouble for the sake of a few quid? 😕

Given the propensity for violence described by most people on here I'm not sure that would end well.

Pft. Many folk on here woon't have the bottle to even challenge someone nicking a bike, is the troof.

challenge someone? i have issue with that at all. violence isnt the issue. they always just grass up who ever else was involved

the local police contact me if bikes get found or they have a suspicious bike as they admit a bike is a bike to them wheter 50 quid or 5 grand

challenge someone? i have issue with that at all. violence isnt the issue.

Maybe not to you, but a lot of people on here just blow hot air when it comes to stuff like this. I doubt very much they'd dare challenge some of the nasty little gangs round my way that go round stealing bikes.

True, but for a lot of people keeping bikes in the house is either impractical or undesirable. Not everyone has the room or wants to keep mucky bikes in their house.

Bung some plastic sheet down. Store a bike under yer bed. Stick one behind the sofa. Compromise.

It is shocking how many stolen bike posts there are on here and how few get recovered.

There has to be a place for gps trackers for bikes. Problem is the size of them and the fact that putting one in a frame will reduce it's effectiveness. There are rear light based gps tracker units for bicyles that are triggered by an sms text message and have 1 years stand by.

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23863285-gone-in-9-minutes-bikes-stolen-to-order.do

One bike stolen in Hammersmith and taken on the Tube was tracked to a house in Ealing Broadway which police raided the next day. They found the decoy loaded into a van with several other suspected stolen bikes ready to be driven to the Ukraine.

Two Ukrainian nationals were cautioned. They admitted going back to their home country regularly to sell stolen bikes.

"I doubt very much they'd dare challenge some of the nasty little gangs round my way that go round stealing bikes."

I did, and got torn a new arsehole on this board for it!

Most scrotes that nick bikes will be scrawny underfed junkies - a few of us will easily be able to control them.

as for challenging people - despite being a middleaged wuss Ihave done adn will continue to do so. I put a cheeky wee teenage ned in tears and threatening to set his dad on me the other day - and I didn't even touch him

elf there are organised gangs stealing bikes and exporting them I believe.

I would have no isssue with setting up bait bikes and collaring the neds who try to steal them

Hi guys. My bike was stolen today, from within a block of flats that supposedly has an electronically locked security door that requires visitors to ring a doorbell and be 'buzzed in' by someone from within one of those flats. What I now know is that theres is also a 'trades' button that opens the door anyway and renders the whole system useless.

I came on here looking for advice on what to replace my beloved Kona with, after looking aimlessly at manufacturer's sites for hours and seeing nothing that really 'does it' for me. I stumbled across this thread and thought I'd share my pain a little 🙁

FWIW, the bike is (was?) a Kona cromoly hardtail (originally a 1996 Fire Mountain and owned by me since new), custom painted white, rear canti bosses shaved, IS disc mount brazed on and support strut brazed between non-drive seat stay and chainstay, FOX F80 RLT forks, XT cranks, mechs and shifters, silver Hope hubs, discs (Mono M4 180mm front, Mono Mini 160mm rear), ti skewers, stem and headset, Mavic XC717 disc rims, Easton EC70 carbon flat bar, X-Lite Enduro Stubbie bar ends and USE Alien carbon seatpost. Stolen in Waterlooville at around 3.30pm on Mon 28 Nov 2011.

Hi everybody
My bike got taken by some scumbags the other week it's the second time. First time it turned up on eBay and me and a mate recovered it. It was locked in a garage and they use a bar to rip off the lock. I don't see in some cases what more you an do to protect your stuff if they want it they'll take it how ever secure you think it is. Datatag is a good Idea I've got it on my motorbike and it marks everything making it harder to use the parts. You get transponders for in your wheels and a chip you inject into your seat. Maybe more new bikes should have somthing fitted as standard and registered to you. The problem with bikes is they have to be easy to take apart for such as punctures and other repairs and also we change parts over alot this making it hard to mark parts and if only the frame is chipped/traceable they will discard it for that very reason. The problem is bikes are to easy to strip making it easy to distribute parts for sale

How hard could it be for Singletrackworld to start off that database? free for Premier users, (Hint Hint MODS) Maybe they could tie that in with a GPS tracking company?

Its got to start somewhere.

Come on Singletrack, there's money to be made there. Just remember who gave you the idea eh!

Had a couple of bikes nicked in the past.
My new one gets locked up to the radiator in the house on a night, sits in my office on camp when i'm at work (some idiot infantry guys find it funny to loosen the front wheel!).
It's on Bike shed, tagged and bagged with the police and has a class 8 Kryptonite lock on it.
And yet, the one time i used it to go into town, i return to find some chav trying to pick the lock! Takes him a couple of minutes to realise i'm stood behind him, in uniform explaining to him he can't pick the lock.
3 minutes later he's on the floor moaning about his jaw and i'm away on my bike to the sound of clapping from shoppers.
Despite my bike being locked to the damn raditor in the house, i've still had 3 attempted break-ins since buying the bike 3 weeks ago.
I've even got anti-theft paint on the fence leading to the back garden and this hasn't stopped them trying.
Short of laying claymores i'm at odds on how to stop the buggers.

Got a bike nicked about a year and a half ago. Wee kona stuff 2 - 4. The genius who nicked it then put it on gumtree for sale. I notified the police who then took 3 days to do anything about it and all I got back was a front brake and front mech. The guy stays one street away from me so off I went to see him. Spoke to his dad in a civil manner and returned home. About 2 hrs later I had the police at my door asking why !I had been threatening money with menace from this guy. No word about when a court date for the laddie and the father continues to ignore me and I cant approach him. Fantastic.

gunny - locking your bike to a radiator - you know whatever scumbag makes off with your bike will just saw through the radiator pipes - so not only will you lose your bike, but your house will be flooded as well. Lock it to something that doesn't matter (or is impossible) to saw through.

I often think what would happen if I caught someone nicking my bikes - I would love to think that the chainsaw/axe/hammer would come in handy, but I doubt anyone would stand still while I got the equipment ready. And, not being a hard bloke I'd no doubt come off worse, so I'd probably be more likely to shout and scream a lot instead. Having said that, the chances of catching anyone in the act is quite small, given that I am at work all day and asleep at night.

I know I post it up here every time there's a bike security thread, but the more people that use this the better. It won't necessarily get your bike, (or stuff) found, but if it is this increases your chances of having it returned and the scrotes being convicted if the police turn it up.

[url= http://www.immobilise.com ]immobilise.com[/url]

Mine went on Friday. Was chatting to Jedi on FB about it on the weekend. Was locked in the shed to a chain that goes through the floor. They couldn't break the lock so sat in the shed and dismantled it - even took the shock off the frame. They could have easily had the £500 brand new track bike in seconds but instead went to the effort to completely strip 3ks worth of mtb kit.

I'm not convinced its any worse now than it ever has been, I just think more people are now posting on places like this that its been nicked.

I'm not so sure at the end of the day that its necessarily about how good your shed security is. I went through a spate of thefts about 15 years ago, and the Police said you could have the best lock in the world, but then they will just cut through the frame and nick what they can if they cant get the lock off.

The Police said that if they are nicking high end bikes its more than likely that you have been followed home, or they have seen you cleaning the bike etc. To that end I always try not to leave my bike any where on view around my house, make sure no one is around when I ride home etc etc. Also I've stopped loading my Endomondo sessions to the web if going direct from home.

muppetWrangler - Member

the frame (merlin xlm)... would likely be dumped

🙁

I'm not convinced its any worse now than it ever has been, I just think more people are now posting on places like this that its been nicked

I think ebay, gumtree, stw classifieds etc all provide a much easier way of disposing of stolen parts than in pre internet days, I know I take care over people I will buy from but who's to know if they have been so careful or even if they are being very clever in the first place 🙁

Hi guys. My bike was stolen today, from within a block of flats that supposedly has an electronically locked security door that requires visitors to ring a doorbell and be 'buzzed in' by someone from within one of those flats. What I now know is that theres is also a 'trades' button that opens the door anyway and renders the whole system useless.

The trades button is sometimes a code that the postie is told, or its a general unlock button set to a certain time by a time switch, and its so easy to enter a block of flats as a visitor just buzz any number the higher the better, as they will not usually come down to check and say youre checking TV licences, for another number,and you didnt want to buzz their flat,strangely the neighbour usually buzzes you in, especially if they dont like the neighbour or dont know them.

Try it and see.

I know I post it up here every time there's a bike security thread, but the more people that use this the better. It won't necessarily get your bike, (or stuff) found, but if it is this increases your chances of having it returned and the scrotes being convicted if the police turn it up.

immobilise.com

+1 my stuffs on there with frame numbers. The police check it and its national so hopefully its of some use. I did see one of those "police camera action" type things where they stopped a white van with loads of obviously nicked bikes in it, but they couldn't prove they were stolen from the frame numbers so had to let them go.

I got three nicked from a locked garage last year. Pulled apart timber side door (proper door with mortice locks, not some crap 2" thick shed style thing), snapped out the mortice lock body and got in. Having been burgled the year before that and taking it as a lucky escape I'd got all the bikes locked together and hanging off hooks, effectively blocking the up&over door. The scrotes brought 42 inch (i.e. massive) Irwin Record bolt croppers and cut the 11mm security chain (tried the Squire padlock but it resisted).

3 bikes and c.£6.5k worth of gear gone, never seen again.

Since then I've beefed up chains, locks, doors and linked it to the house alarm which is on whenever we go to bed and y'know what? I still check out the back when I come down in the morning with a slight feeling of "they'll have been back".

I'd have loved to have given the three (spotted in the street riding off) of them a good slap. I don't belioeve in violence and have no personal illusion about how tough I am. But honestly thank Christ I slept through and didn't know. 3 against one when they've already got screwdrivers and chisels (that they ditched after getting through the door) would have likley ended badly for me.

Personally, I think one way would be to make bikes more identifiable. I'd get the frame number stamped on several visible places on the frame, not just under the BB at point of manufacture. At least that way there's a quick, easy and relatively unique identifier that can be used by the police and everyone else.

Wouldn't stop the stripping and parts selling but would go a long way, IMO, to help.

If ebay, gumtree and classifieds made it policy that you couldn't sell a bike / frame without listing / photo of the frame number it'd make disposal harder. It seems relatively straightforward to me but I remember discussing it on here with Brant and him thinking it'd be rather difficult (at the factory). I'm not convinced but then again I reckon he probably knows more about manufacturers than I do 😉

Whilst I can imagine some stuff goes off abroad the mate locally who got his Spesh back (the only one of 5 nicked) was a more (IMO) typical scenario. It was lying in the back garden of some scrotes house (pretty local to my mate) who got raided for some other reason. THe guy was just getting round to sripping and flogging it. Got 9 months I believe for handling stolen goods (claimed not to have done the burglary).

[url= http://http://road.cc/content/news/34677-just-spylamp ]Gps bike tracker[/url]

I knew I remembered seeing a gps tracker somewhere. I guess that once they are popular then yes they will get ripped off but for the moment it may not be a bad idea.

The problem with trackers is whether the police will dedicate resources to actually tracking it! Cant find/remember the thread but it was discussed here a while ago. Police just see bikes as bikes and dont really differentiate between 20quid and 3k ones.

I would like to know where they are all going????????How many people on here own bikes with no receipts?Do they know where there bike has come from?They are to easy to steal and are worth alot of money.

why cant they put a chip in the frame before the bottom bracket is put in.Like a dog and cat chip!As you say something needs to be done.

Its the same with enduro/trials and motocross bikes they never seem to be found.
Couple of years ago police were watching a guy for awhile arrested him,he took them to an old warehouse near Stonehouse in Gloucestershire and there was over 300 cycles being processed for e-bay nightmare.alot money there.

I meant to reply to this yesterday but the day got away from me.

I was up at Sele on Saturday when I saw three young men pushing what looked like a nice jump bike (rigid). It struck me as odd, not right.

As I was driving away I saw the same three, this time no bike but with a Staff. Now, I don't want to jump to conclusions but...

I thought to myself what a good idea it would be to have, eg, Jedi's mobile number, I could have quickly called him or taken a photo and sent it. We could set up "friend groups" round the country of folk we know and trust, share very brief descriptions of bikes and mobile phone numbers (but obviously not addresses, in case the person went bad or lost their phone).

The Polis don't seem to care.

eg.

Mates Surly gets knicked.

Same bike appears being ridden in London.

Polis involved and bike returned although for some reason original owner has to pay about £150.

Vender of stolen bike has loads of similar bikes for sale on ebay, obviously some form of organised bike crime going on.

Polis, not intereted, at all.

Nothing new about lack of police interest. I have bike magazines going back to the 1890s and it was a common complaint back then too.

It's a shame there isn't more police interest. Organised bike theft is probably a stepping stone to greater things in the criminal world. If they got caught at that stage it may help overall.

Had my 3stolen 17nov when I was at work got my road bike back after 3days thanks to twitter put the photos on there and sent them to local PCSO who found my road road bike in a house raid the photos are all local police stations as well. I was told told that Manchester and London is very bad with gangs looking for bikes to strip and sell the parts on. Not sure how to stop this prob as no body checks to see if the parts we buy on eBay or inter web are stolen. Frames poss but not stuff like every day parts. Any best thing to do is get as much info as poss on the Internet.

The solution is simple, don't leave your bike in the garage or shed.

The solution is simple, don't leave your bike in the garage or shed.

yes it is that simple 🙄

I can't think of many stolen goods that are as valuable and easy to shift as high-end mountain bikes. Mine went for £400 on Ebay last year (retrieved by police but only after I started making formal complaints; before that they couldn't care less).

Mate in the Met was telling me car thieves only get ~£150 per car so £400 for a bike with a much, much smaller chance of being caught is a no-brainer. Mine wasn't that valuable either, I wonder what the scum get for a 5k bling machine :-/

No disincentives either - detection/conviction rate for burglary in west yorkshire is ~6% iirc, and then they'll only spend a month or two in a young offenders institute.

I imagine most of the scum have prior convictions so another makes no difference - not like they're fussed about employment prospects is it?

. mine was nicked from my car outside in daytime. i know people who have had theirs nicked from inside their house too

I haven't read all the thread but to reduce the amount of bike thefts I think you need to reduce the market place for stolen items, whether they are a full bike or bike parts. For this to happen you need to persuade Ebay, CraigsList,Gumtree and STW/Pinkbike/Bikeradar etc classifieds to agree a single policy, what that would be i have no idea.

Then you would need the police to tackle bike crime more seriously. Only with all of these different organisations (and possibly insurance companies too)working together will you see a noticeable reduction in bike crime.

Also, at the moment I would guess that the individuals stealing bikes see their crimes as victimless as nobody gets hurt and insurance company pays out the owner.

flow - Member
The solution is simple, don't leave your bike in the garage or shed.

But this is a better option than them breaking in to your house to steal them.

FunkyDunc - Member
I'm not convinced its any worse now than it ever has been, I just think more people are now posting on places like this that its been nicked

Is this also because there is media exposure?

Sad to say but suicide has been thrust into the spotlight recently and all of a sudden you get bombarded with statistics and "experts" giving their views.

But this is a better option than them breaking in to your house to steal them.

Break into a shed or garage with no one in it, is slightly different to breaking into a house full of people, don't you think?

Break into a shed or garage with no one in it, is slightly different to breaking into a house full of people, don't you think?

True but would you want to take the chance.

True but would you want to take the chance.

bloke on here posted a story on here, pre hack, about being woken up 2am with a shotgun in his face. 😯

iirc they were after the keys for his motorbike. no bike is worth that

True but would you want to take the chance.

Do you keep your TV, PC and the rest of your valuables in your shed too, just in case someone breaks into your house to steal them?

One question if your bike was stolen.

Did you know the frame number?

[quoteBreak into a shed or garage with no one in it, is slightly different to breaking into a house full of people, don't you think?

Well, 2 years ago they broke into my house whilst we were all (family of 4) asleep upstairs. The dog (soft sack of spuds lab) was downstairs as well. We'd been stupid and left keys, wallets, laptop etc on tables etc in the room. Never seen the wife's Zafira since (some could argue small loss 😉 Never knew until we came downstairs in the morning.

Year later and the garage gets done. It's so close to the house you wouldn't believe it. Again all four in the house, plus dog. No idea again.

Friends round the corner had their back room cleared whilst she was upstairs putting the kids to bed.

Whilst in some cases inside the house may be more secure I wouldn't kid yourself.

Yes, I know my frame numbers except for the ones that are illegible due to paint thickness.

Again, my solution would be frame numbers marked clearly and vissibly in several prominent places. One illegible due to damage might be legit but anymore is likely to be dodgy. All classifieds etc insist on a listing including the frame number / a photo of it.

Would make police identification and tracing easier as well, surely?

Doesn't stop everything / everyone but, IMO, would go a long way and seems relatively simple. Hey ho.

relliott6879 - Member

Hi guys. My bike was stolen today, from within a block of flats that supposedly has an electronically locked security door that requires visitors to ring a doorbell and be 'buzzed in' by someone from within one of those flats. What I now know is that theres is also a 'trades' button that opens the door anyway and renders the whole system useless.

I came on here looking for advice on what to replace my beloved Kona with, after looking aimlessly at manufacturer's sites for hours and seeing nothing that really 'does it' for me. I stumbled across this thread and thought I'd share my pain a little

FWIW, the bike is (was?) a Kona cromoly hardtail (originally a 1996 Fire Mountain and owned by me since new), custom painted white, rear canti bosses shaved, IS disc mount brazed on and support strut brazed between non-drive seat stay and chainstay, FOX F80 RLT forks, XT cranks, mechs and shifters, silver Hope hubs, discs (Mono M4 180mm front, Mono Mini 160mm rear), ti skewers, stem and headset, Mavic XC717 disc rims, Easton EC70 carbon flat bar, X-Lite Enduro Stubbie bar ends and USE Alien carbon seatpost. Stolen in Waterlooville at around 3.30pm on Mon 28 Nov 2011.

Now that I've figured out how, I thought I might as well add some pictures. I know there's probably very little hope of this turning up now, 2 months after it was nicked, but one never knows. Please ring or text me on 07747 595059 if you [b]do[/b] happen to spot it.

[img] [/img]

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Can't see things changing myself, police in general are ill-informed about the value of bikes and mostly seem to treat it as a very low priority. Sentencing is hardly a deterrent either. Until both of those change then the situation isn't going to improve.

Bait bikes backed up with decent convictions would be good but done by the police not vigilantes.

I'm assuming Flow is just deliberately being a muppet, for some people the only real option is to keep bikes in a shed or garage.

Personally, although my bikes are locked up (inc. ground anchor and decent chains) I'm not kidding myself thinking they're theft-proof. I rely mostly on insurance to 'protect' my bikes, the locks/chains are just to slow people down in case I'm in. I'd love to be able to rig up some electric-shock type deterrent (I really wouldn't care if it's lethal or not) but sadly I'd be the one standing before a judge if I did that.

I like that Kona. ****ers 🙁

I have often thought about a GPS tracker, google threw up these: http://www.trackstick.com/

http://www.trackershop-uk.com/Micro+2+Magnetic+LiveMap+GPS+Tracker-p-58.html

Must be lots of others out there.

One problem is where to hide it - most bikes are still metal which will block GPS so under the saddle is one option but it is easily removed. At lease carbon frames have one undeniable benefit here! Also you have to remember to charge them.

They are not cheap but how much is your excess and how much does your insurance go up next year and then the same (uncaught) thieves return to get your next bike.

Maybe there could be some sort of investigation into the best GPS solution for bikes and the ideal unit offered at a good price due to bulk buying? Maybe a module hidden in the frame with a discrete external antenna for metal frames?

Another good security measure is a rape alarm just tied around the bike somewhere inconspicuous so that it doesn't get noticed but when the bike is moved the cord gets pulled out and set it off. Sometimes the simple things are the most effective.

Been looking at options with a client who does gps tracking. The obvious one is a small device that can be fixed into the seat tube in a star-fangled nut stylee which could utilise the frame itself as an antenae. The problem here is power supply - he is looking at whether it is possible to utilise a conductive(?) charging system (think electric toothbrush) which doesn't need direct contact with the battery unit. Unfortunately this is not looking promising due to frame material (other than carbon).

The alternative was something that generated a charge from kinetic energy but this seems too clunky/heavy.

I reckon someone could make a fortune if they can get this right.

Another good security measure is a rape alarm just tied around the bike somewhere inconspicuous so that it doesn't get noticed but when the bike is moved the cord gets pulled out and set it off. Sometimes the simple things are the most effective.

The LFGSS lot seem to like the alarmed disc locks (designed for motorbikes) - [url= http://www.kabrus.co.uk/xl505.html ]like this[/url], or there are plenty of [url= http://www.maplin.co.uk/alarm-padlock-476808 ]cheap copies[/url] that may not be as strong but still effective.

One of those through a chainring makes a hell of a noise if the bike is moved, are a pain to cut off, and prevent it being ridden away.

Here are some really simple, basic things you can do to avoid having your bike nicked:

[b]Use a decent lock[/b]. Yes I know it's obvious, but so many bike thefts are the result of a cable lock. Bolt cutters are your basic beginner thief's tool.

[b]Lock to something secure[/b], not old cast-iron railings (which can be smashed with a tap from a hammer), signposts or bike stands secured by standard bolts. Some thieves have even taken to cutting Sheffield stands and disguising the cut with a bit of tape.

[b]Don't leave it on display[/b]. Roof racks,leaving it in the car, etc. are all bad for this. Frost the windows of your shed or garage (you can get spray-on stuff to do this). Ask the pub if you can stash it round the back.

[b]"Secure" bike storage sheds are often a gift to thieves[/b]. Lock it up as well, and if you hear stories about bikes going missing from the one you use, be extra cautious.

Garage defenders, ground anchors, reinforcement for doors, etc, will all slow a thief down to some extent. A lot of them go for the low-hanging fruit.

[b]Build a pikey bike for everyday use[/b] if you've got the storage space. De-logo your nice bike or make it look crapper than it is.

[b]Bike thieves coming back [/b]to nick your insurance replacements is a common problem. After a burglary, make everything more secure in whatever way you can.

[b]
To stand a chance of seeing your bike again:[/b]

[b]Photo and serial number[/b]. The serial number is the first thing police will check if they recover a stolen bike. If you don't have this, your chances of getting it back will be slim.

[b]Make it unique somehow[/b], preferably in a way that's visible enough to be spotted in an online pic. It could be something as simple as different coloured grips or cables. If it's completely stock, there will be hundreds like it.

[b]Let everyone know about it[/b], on the Internet but also on paper. Shops can check a paper flyer with a picture and your contact details more easily than a computer.

GPS trackers are available that fit inside your steerer tube and require special tools to remove. This company makes one, as well as the lamp someone posted above:

http://www.integratedtrackers.com/GPSTrack/Products.jsp?target_item=SpyLamp.jsp

The problem is, GPS is only accurate to within 30 feet or so. Which means you could trace your bike to a street, or a block of flats, but not know which house it was inside. Also pretty much all the GPS units I've used stop working indoors.

GPS with radio tracking for close range?

You could pass on the GPS details to the police and there might be a "known" address within that area.

There was a long and rambling story on Outside mag recently from someone who used a GPS tracker to see if it worked.

http://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-adventure/biking/Who-Pinched-My-Ride.html?page=1

His bike got nicked by a tramp and was recovered very easily. I suspect most of the bike thefts people on here come across are a bit more organised.