Another Bike Swiped...

PeadarofAodh

As per title...pretty gutted about it. Place I work in has a courtyard (Place is situated just off Palmerston Road) and I had locked my bike, a Trek 1000, to the bike rack. Cycle in this morning, walk past the rack on the way to the next building 15 mins later and...bike gone :mad: The total cnut would've have to walk past a number of classroom windows, cut lock from often populated courtyard and walk past windows again.

Reported it to Rathmines Garda station, got chatting to frienly Guard there about bikes etc - him complaining about how they should set up central unit to deal with it and tackle problem but that all he's heard is it's "too expensive". Unfortunately my wallet (along with ipod and phone...not having a great month!) was also swiped a few weeks back which had my bike reg. no. in it so was only able to give a description.

On another note, I've thinking for the past few weeks about upgrading to a better bike. I'd be willing to spend from 1-1.5k - does anybody have any suggestions for this price range? Also is it a good idea to order over the web? I've only ever bought clothing/accessories online before.

Chips Lovell

As long as you know something will fit you, then I'd have no qualms about buying over the web. Lots of people here have been buying Focus from Wiggle of late in that kind of price range so I'm sure they'll chip in before too long.

Bambaata

sorry to hear that man, fopr these reasosn i dont lock a bike outdoors anymore whatsoever and i even lock it indoors in our house!

New bike wise, i just got a new Focus Cayo from Wiggle today! I'll be out tonight for it's maiden voyage so i'll let you know after how i get on! I'm coming from a similar bike to (trek 1.5). Cant wait to try it out now. just 5 more mins of work and im out on it! It cost me 1499 with bbb carbon bottle holders (from chain reaction), cateye strada wireless computer, pump, degreaser, bottles and keo classic pedals. bike itself was 999 sterling

penexpers

What kind of lock did you have on it, if you don't mind me asking.

stuf

PeadarofAodh wrote: »

Reported it to Rathmines Garda station, got chatting to friendly Guard there about bikes etc - him complaining about how they should set up central unit to deal with it and tackle problem but that all he's heard is it's "too expensive"

There's the catch 22 - if insurers were offering bike policies then they would help fund a system but because there's no recovery system in place then the insurers won't get involved with bike policies.

PeadarofAodh

penexpers wrote: »

What kind of lock did you have on it, if you don't mind me asking.

It wasn't anything heavy duty - just a wire coil lock through the front wheel and frame. I'm not shocked that they cut through it - more shocked that they'd have the nerve to walk in and take it. When I say courtyard I mean you can walk from one end of it to the other in about 10 seconds.

Dirk Gently

PeadarofAodh wrote: »

It wasn't anything heavy duty - just a wire coil lock through the front wheel and frame.

It would have only took him seconds to cut that lock, about the time it takes to open it with a key. It probably didn't even look suspicious. I wouldn't use a coil lock for anything more than locking my bike outside a shop for 30 seconds. You'd be unlucky to have someone randomly walk by with a bolt cutter handy in that situation. If you're leaving your bike anywhere you should use a heavy duty lock. People walk around with cutters in their jackets specifically to take bikes at bike racks with cheap locks. You're bike was probably spotted sometime previously by the thief if you lock it their regularly.

A pupil at the school maybe?

TinyExplosions

Man, it always sucks to have your pride and joy stolen

I'd second the recommendation for the Focus Cayo -top bike!

Bambaata

the focus is great. got nice speed on it..... and then crashed! went into a dog lead, dog was hidden behind a bin and cudnt see the lead! so i'm afraid i cant give a good review as i was only on it 15 mins lol. landed on my head and shoulder so lovely and sore now but i think its not broken, just did the ligament in they believe!

littleknown

always hate to hear about someones bike getting nicked. place is full of thieves. to be honest for getting too and from work your better off with an old but goodish quality steed that thieves wont recognise its worth but will do the job well.its a pity not to be able to use a decent looking bike but such is city living.:(

TinyExplosions

Bambaata wrote: »

the focus is great. got nice speed on it..... and then crashed! went into a dog lead, dog was hidden behind a bin and cudnt see the lead! so i'm afraid i cant give a good review as i was only on it 15 mins lol. landed on my head and shoulder so lovely and sore now but i think its not broken, just did the ligament in they believe!

Man that's unlucky for a first ride! Hope you and the bike are ok

Caroline_ie

Bambaata wrote: »

the focus is great. got nice speed on it..... and then crashed! went into a dog lead, dog was hidden behind a bin and cudnt see the lead! so i'm afraid i cant give a good review as i was only on it 15 mins lol. landed on my head and shoulder so lovely and sore now but i think its not broken, just did the ligament in they believe!

Ouch! Is the bike ok ?

neilled

littleknown wrote: »

always hate to hear about someones bike getting nicked. place is full of thieves. to be honest for getting too and from work your better off with an old but goodish quality steed that thieves wont recognise its worth but will do the job well.its a pity not to be able to use a decent looking bike but such is city living.:(

Its amazing being home and getting away from all the lowlife bike thieves that are endemic to cities and (if my impression is correct) Lenister in general. Theres a rather expensive type of bike parked near me every day and secured by a coil lock and the chances of it being nicked are few and far between.

I learned the hard way in dublin that even with a cheap bike (A battered falcon Corsa) that having a cheap lock is a recipe for dublin character with name ending in "o" to get his hands on it.

Caroline_ie

neilled wrote: »

I learned the hard way in dublin that even with a cheap bike (A battered falcon Corsa) that having a cheap lock is a recipe for dublin character with name ending in "o" to get his hands on it.

... and a mullet too

luckat

If someone can tell us where to write, perhaps we could all write to the apposite person in Garda HQ, the Department of Justice, etc, asking for a central bike theft unit? If we got a bit of a campaign going, we might get a unit.

It would have a good effect on crime generally; a lot of good boys turn into bad boys through stealing bikes.

crotalus667

Caroline_ie wrote: »

... and a mullet too

Correction an over priced mullet with bad highlights

Chips Lovell

Bambaata wrote: »

..... and then crashed! went into a dog lead, dog was hidden behind a bin and cudnt see the lead! s

Was it one of those extendable dog leads? Those things are lethal. Let me guess, was it on a off-road bike track?

PeadarofAodh

Doubt it was a student as it's a language school so all the students we have come to us are all pretty well off...

Not even sure how the scumbag could get onto the bike - 63cm frame with the saddle probably too high even for me at 6"5...hopefully he fell off at the first set of lights he came to!

Was looking on Wiggle at the Cayo but apparently they've discontinued their XXL(60cm) which, if my Trek was fitted right, would probably be too small for me anyway. Any other online shops I could take a look at?

I was having to use the Trek to commute as the 30 yr old Raleigh I found in a skip and fixed up got nicked in town...and that looked like it wouldn't fetch €5! I reckon if you locked a unicycle up in town it'd be gone in half an hour...

Bambaata

yeah i think the bike is fine. have to laugh really, was only out on it 10/15 minutes and had ben so careful to not get scratches on it at home. is there any way of making sure a carbon frame is ok? i dont see any cracks so that's a good thing. the shifters and handlebar didn't even get a scratch. the saddle took some pounding and is scratched along the side. i think i took the brunt iof it because i think i was still clipped in and it came down on top of me as far as i can make out.

and yup it was one of those expendable dog leads. it happened at the very start of the clontarf strand cycle track beside where a few of ye have met from time to time for spins. just beside the first bench.

Wet to the VHI clinic in DCU so i'll be ringing the guy to cover that and the physio i have to go to in a little over a week. that probably be a few sessions too so hopefully he's a decent skin, he seemed so when it happened anyway.

unfortunately it means i cant take part in the duathlon tomorrow and will probably miss the focus ireland tri which i was really looking forward to.

i think god is trying to tell me something as i broke my collarbone (same shoulder i went down on this time too) twice last year so i missed most of the season then too! it seems to just be ligament damage this time but i don't know how long that'll take to heal, not as long as the breaks anyway!

kenmc

Bambaata wrote: »

went into a dog lead, dog was hidden behind a bin and cudnt see the lead!

crap! I'm always terrified of those things. I think there's a good argument to installing razor blades on your headtube and forks
I suppose the dog owner bawled you out for riding into his lead too :rolleyes:
get well soon. hope the dog broke the bikes' fall though, and didn't get it all scratched up.

Bambaata

ah he was in shock, only about 16/17 id say and out walking with his gf. his gf had the cheek to point to the "walking path" but as soon as she did she realised it was actually a cycle path. he was fine, he came back to check i was ok again after (sat there a good 20 mins).

the dog had the cheek to piss on my bike wheel as it was on the ground lol. he's lucky im a dog person and saw the funny side of it. i think i took the impact of the bike cos apart from the saddle it seems in perfect condition. i might see about bring it to a store like css to get it looked over as i dont know the first thing about bike mechanics tbh.

daymobrew

luckat wrote: »

If someone can tell us where to write, perhaps we could all write to the apposite person in Garda HQ, the Department of Justice, etc, asking for a central bike theft unit? If we got a bit of a campaign going, we might get a unit.

Reducing bike theft might increase bike usage which will support the Government's pathetic One Small Step promotion. (I call it pathetic because all they did was put up the site and have a few ads - nothing 'on the ground' changed)

Chips Lovell

Bambaata wrote: »

and yup it was one of those expendable dog leads. it happened at the very start of the clontarf strand cycle track beside where a few of ye have met from time to time for spins. just beside the first bench.

I avoid that bike track at all costs for that very reason. Dogs, pedestrians, kids, rollerbladers make it a bit of an obstacle course and you never know when someone is going to step out in front of you.

I'm doing the Focus Ireland triathlon as well, so if you're mended by then I might see you there. Doing it as part of a team though. Don't fancy getting wet!

kenmc

What're the chances of "cyclepath Joe" popping by this thread to see how dangerous cycle tracks are. Bet if you'd been on the road you'd be fine.

Bambaata

el tonto wrote: »

I'm doing the Focus Ireland triathlon as well, so if you're mended by then I might see you there. Doing it as part of a team though. Don't fancy getting wet!

I'm really hoping i can make it. wont be doing well in it which i had hoped i would but still want to do it. i might be ok but just wont have trained for it. had been hitting the gym 3 times a week before work and running/cycling after in preparation for it so unfortunately that time will be lost. have you down them before? i did the last two down in ballymore eustace or wherever it was. they were the first i had ever done and with it being in the city this year adds a little more to it so fingers crossed!

PeadarofAodh

Anyone have any alternative websites to look at as Wiggle don't seem to have my frame size on offer.

Bambaata

www.chainreactioncycles.com is another but they dotn really have a good stock of bikes anymore. then theres www.wheelworxbikes.com (shop in clondalkin) and www.cyclesuperstore.ie (tallaght)

Chips Lovell

Bambaata wrote: »

have you down them before?

Nope. Was meant to do a team one in Brittas Bay last year, but one of the team mates had to cancel at the last minute. Haven't done any specific training for it.

PeadarofAodh

Bambaata wrote: »

www.chainreactioncycles.com is another but they dotn really have a good stock of bikes anymore. then theres www.wheelworxbikes.com (shop in clondalkin) and www.cyclesuperstore.ie (tallaght)

After reading and hearing the reviews of the focus cayo I wouldn't mind looking into that. Obviously Wiggle don't do my size but d'you reckon I could get it from Europe somewhere? Google isn't being my friend in this regard!

stuf

PeadarofAodh wrote: »

After reading and hearing the reviews of the focus cayo I wouldn't mind looking into that. Obviously Wiggle don't do my size but d'you reckon I could get it from Europe somewhere? Google isn't being my friend in this regard!

might be worth contacting wiggle by email or phone and them may be able to help you out. You might open their eyes to offering special order and I'm sure they have an excellent relationship with focus. At the very least they may be able to advise you on where to go

Raam

Bambaata wrote: »

and yup it was one of those expendable dog leads. it happened at the very start of the clontarf strand cycle track beside where a few of ye have met from time to time for spins. just beside the first bench.

I go by there every day on the bike. It can be tricky due to the convergence of multiple paths and the cycle track/lane (or whatever it's called). Half the time, people just wander into the cycle section without looking.