New Bike Stolen Today...

Zmarchie

...outside citizensinformation center on 56 Aungier Street between 19:40 - 19:55.
It was of the brand Goldrush and colors grey and purple.
I was only in the building for 15 min but someone managed to take it during that time.
See pic below of what bike looks like.

Anyone who saw annything or who's come across someone trying to sell it please let me know.

Chris Peak

Littls b#stards.

WHat kind of lock did you use?

It may be worth keeping an eye in the buy&sell.

Zmarchie

Used a u-lock...but that didn't stop them.

I guess I will never see that bike again, but one can always hope.

delllat

what did u lock it to?
and did u manage to get the lock around the fraame and a wheel?

Chris Peak

Apparently, it’s very easy to pick u-locks.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6StNOX_654

If they can’t, they do something like this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zeDLMxs_waM&feature=related

Sorry for your loss though. If you have house insurance, you may be able to claim off that. But that’s not the point, is it?

Bambaata

yeah any lock with the old convential circular hole can be opened with biros. key locks are they onbly ones for me but that said i am actually never going to leave any bike in public. i have 3 in the house all locked together with a big Kryptonite u lock

Zmarchie

I used the key u-lock...locked it around the frame and a fence...outside a church! I checked it before I went in the building and everything looked fine.
I would be surprised if I actually managed to find the bike again...probably long gone by now.

delllat

my friend uses bicycles to get to work and has had 3 stolen this year,guard told him 100 bikes a day get stolen in dublin and u may as well forget about seeing it again
its useful to keep the frame number and purchase reciept in case it does turn up since its the only way u can "prove" ownership if it does turn up somewhere

Chris Peak

Zmarchie wrote: »

I used the key u-lock...locked it around the frame and a fence...outside a church! I checked it before I went in the building and everything looked fine.
I would be surprised if I actually managed to find the bike again...probably long gone by now.

Gotta keep an eye on those nuns all right. They'll have the fillings out of your teeth given half a chance!

72hundred

What was the actual U-lock that you used?

('m just after spending 71 yo-yos to get a Kryptonite one with 7 foot flex. Not delighted to be hearing that u-lock aren't safe!)

FergusF

72hundred wrote: »

What was the actual U-lock that you used?

('m just after spending 71 yo-yos to get a Kryptonite one with 7 foot flex. Not delighted to be hearing that u-lock aren't safe!)

Some locks that use cylindrical keys (not just u-locks) can be opened with a Bic biro or similar 'tool'. There was a lot of publicity about this in 2004, check out the bikeforums archives if you want to learn more. At the time Kryptonite offered a free replacement lock and they have since upgraded their locks to prevent the problem, so your new lock should be fine.

I remember as I took advantage of their offer and got a free lock to replace my old one, I think they even paid for the old lock to be sent to them by FedEx and they sent me a new one from the USA after a couple of weeks, great customer service.

Not sure about locks from other manufacturers however, I'd say some of the cheaper locks might still use cylindrical keys. There is a summary of this story on the Ask Mr Bike website.

kenmc

i got the same one I believe, from Wiggle. came yesterday. it's a beast. i'm just locking it indoors, up 3 flights of stairs, so hopefully it's total overkill, but in fairness if anyone gets my bike with that on it, the deserve it!

seamus

Aungier Street seems to be a black spot for this kind of thing. Guy here in work had his stolen from outside the YMCA gym a couple of weeks back at 6 in the evening. I cycle down Aungier street at that time every day, and it's not quiet, so clearly these guys are operating with complete disregard for anything.

In this case, he had only locked the back wheel, so they simply disconnected the bike from the back wheel, then took the back wheel of the bike locked beside it, and left.

I'd imagine there's some right dirt hanging around there looking for bikes, it's a dodgy area. No-one will mess with them when they're taking the bikes and they can just wander off into a backstreet with the bike.

If you can, lock it somewhere else, such as Grafton street or in the RCSI car park and walk to Aungier street.

daymobrew

delllat wrote: »

my friend uses bicycles to get to work and has had 3 stolen this year,guard told him 100 bikes a day get stolen in dublin

At a residents association meeting last night someone said that Blanchardstown Gardai said that 817 bikes were reported stolen in the first 3 months of this year. :eek: I suspect that many are not reported stolen.

72hundred

kenmc wrote: »

i got the same one I believe, from Wiggle. came yesterday. it's a beast. i'm just locking it indoors, up 3 flights of stairs, so hopefully it's total overkill, but in fairness if anyone gets my bike with that on it, the deserve it!

Yeah that sounds like the one alrite.

Ordered mine Friday and should be with me soon, I'm looking forward to seeing it after all the talk about how good it is. Really excited now I can leave the bike almost anywhere.

72oo

blorg

72hundred wrote: »

Ordered mine Friday and should be with me soon, I'm looking forward to seeing it after all the talk about how good it is. Really excited now I can leave the bike almost anywhere.

I hope you are joking with this no lock provides that level of protection! (If it's a nice bike they can steal the bits off it and may kick it in if frustrated by the lock.)

niceonetom

72hundred wrote: »

Yeah that sounds like the one alrite.

Ordered mine Friday and should be with me soon, I'm looking forward to seeing it after all the talk about how good it is. Really excited now I can leave the bike almost anywhere.

72oo

NO NO NO NO NO NO NO

i have that lock, and it is indeed a beast, but there are no guarantees. don't get cocky.

72hundred

Yeah, maybe a little cocky there alrite.

Well i guess it gives me the best chance, in combination with some smart parking locations.

Actually I was almost considering mucking up my new Trek 1.5 so as not to draw attention to it... but this would almost bring a tear to my eye as I keep perfectly clean!

ruprect

72hundred wrote: »

Actually I was almost considering mucking up my new Trek 1.5 so as not to draw attention to it... but this would almost bring a tear to my eye as I keep perfectly clean!

I "ruined" both my bikes, and it was the best thing I ever did. I do still lock them but often leave them unlocked outside shops etc, never have people looking at them except little kids in awe at how crap it looks. While I used to return to young lads messing with it. Also means you do not got worrying about it being scratched etc.

Better still is flying by lads on their 3k carbon fibre jobs on something that looks like it was fished out of the canal.

Some mates said I was crazy and would pefer their bike to be nicked, not me. Lads have said "I wouldnt give you €20 for that", I am delighted when I hear that, would cost around €8-900 new here.

blorg

ruprect wrote: »

I "ruined" both my bikes, and it was the best thing I ever did. I do still lock them but often leave them unlocked outside shops etc, never have people looking at them except little kids in awe at how crap it looks. While I used to return to young lads messing with it. Also means you do not got worrying about it being scratched etc.

Have you met Harpz, he has a pretty amazing bike

TBH even then I wouldn't leave it unlocked, some people will steal anything. Also if you have the drivetrain cleaned and maintained well enough to work, it's likely to stand out to anyone in the know.

72hundred

ruprect wrote: »

I "ruined" both my bikes, and it was the best thing I ever did. I do still lock them but often leave them unlocked outside shops etc, never have people looking at them except little kids in awe at how crap it looks. While I used to return to young lads messing with it. Also means you do not got worrying about it being scratched etc.

Better still is flying by lads on their 3k carbon fibre jobs on something that looks like it was fished out of the canal.

Some mates said I was crazy and would pefer their bike to be nicked, not me. Lads have said "I wouldnt give you €20 for that", I am delighted when I hear that, would cost around €8-900 new here.

Hhhmmm interesting.

What method did you uses to make sh^t of your bike? Sand paper all the paint off, sticky tape all over, spray painting, etc. ?

sprinkles

agree with Seamus. Lock your bike somewhere open and well lit. The top of grafton street is grand, locked my bike there quite a few times and no problems. There's a load of bike rails to lock it to. Why do scangers want bikes so much!?

If I caught a scanger trying to rob my bike he'd be lucky to walk again never mind cycle!

On the topic of locks, what's the concensus on code locks?

paulksnn

I had a decent MTB stolen from a supposedly secure car park underneathe the apartments where I live.

My replacement bike was black, so I went out and bought a small pot of paint and a cheap brush. Grey strokes all over - with only little bits of black. It broke my heart.
Everyone else thought I was mad as well, but no-one touched the bike for the next 4 years till I left Dublin.

I doubt sticky tape would do deter people - but a bad paint job - either more paint or sandpaper should do the job alright.

Gavin

I'd be dubious of the effect of creating an unpleasant aesthetic. From what someone mentioned on the boards recently, bikes aren't necessarily stolen to be resold complete, but rather to strip components and sell those.

It's effectively security by obscurity, which isn't great, but then again, it is one extra layer to fool the opportunistic thief.

ruprect

blorg wrote: »

TBH even then I wouldn't leave it unlocked, some people will steal anything.

It would only be quiet places I leave it unlocked, a lot of the time I can keep an eye on it from the shop most of the time. Usually scum will stand around it a few minutes before pouncing, I see them do it in town and have often gone up pretending it was my bike.

72hundred wrote: »

What method did you uses to make sh^t of your bike? Sand paper all the paint off, sticky tape all over, spray painting, etc. ?

Tin of yellow paint from woodies and a paint brush. Just slapped it on everything but being careful not to mess up the mechanics. I painted rims, spokes, seatpost, hubs, levers, crank, under the seat!, brakes.

Tape would be useless as mentioned, they just peel it off. Another method was cheap stickers to make it look like an aldi bike. Painting it pink was my first plan and other online had done it. I reckon 99% of scumbags are homophobic, but they could kick it in too because of that, so I went for yellow, bright too for cars.

blorg wrote: »

Also if you have the drivetrain cleaned and maintained well enough to work, it's likely to stand out to anyone in the know.

Most scumbags I see do not look like they are in the know. Many are townie kids. The bike is probably not good enough for a pro theif to bother with, especially all the cleaning it needs.

sprinkles wrote: »

Why do scangers want bikes so much!?

If I caught a scanger trying to rob my bike he'd be lucky to walk again never mind cycle!?

They nick them because nothing happens to them, the cops (well some) treat/view robbing a bike like playground bullying, the bike could be worth more than a car that got nicked which they would take very seriously.

Verb wrote: »

I'd be dubious of the effect of creating an unpleasant aesthetic. From what someone mentioned on the boards recently, bikes aren't necessarily stolen to be resold complete, but rather to strip components and sell those

That is why I painted them too. Most with a very good bike simply would not lock it anywhere. If somebody did recognise my bike, even if it was worth 5 times the price, there is a HUGE amount of labour involved in getting all that paint off, it would be far more worthwhile for them simply to rob a different bike, even if it was cheaper.


Another big factor is that it is instantly recognisable. If a scumbag was on it in town he would be spotted in a second. Just think like the thief, you would go for an easier target, why cycle off on that mad looking yoke where the owner could spot you, or could have reported it to gardai who would also easily spot it. Who would buy it in its current state (I would sell on to a mate if I had reason to sell it, they know the deal). If my bike was in perfect nick and I saw a scumbag on it there would be no way to be sure enough it was him to be confident enough to give chase. If it was my yellow one I would not hestitate in running up and pushing him off it and battering the crap out of him, if it was weeks later then he may have (knowingly!) bought stolen goods and still deserved a beating - just like in the playground most cops won't give a damn.

Harpz

As blorg mentioned, I have "ruined" my bike. Its only an entry level racer but i have had 5 bikes stolen over the years and was getting tired of it. I used silver masking tape, I also put on silver mudguards from an oul '80's peugeot. The end effect is pretty special. don't underestimate how unattractive covering a bike in tape makes it. Someone told me that its so ugly its almost beautiful.
It doesn't get a second look by anyone. IMO thieves are generally stealing to sell on and this bike is unsellable. It would take hours to pull all the tape off it. Its not high end enough to have componants stolen. I can leave it anywhere and walk away confident that it will be there when i get back (I also use a Kryptonite new york lock, call me paranoid)
Some people just tape out the name on the downtube, this is a bit of a waste of time, It essentially says "this bike is worth enough for me to block out the name but also cost so much I can't bear to totally destroy the look of the bike by covering it completely"

PeadarofAodh

All makes sense to me, still don't think I could bring myself to de-prettify my racer...

When I sort myself with a commuter I'm going to town on it! (chuckle...

Thomas_S_Hunterson

sprinkles wrote: »

On the topic of locks, what's the concensus on code locks?

Waste of time I should think. There's lots of videos on the net of ways to open them, and it looks a lot less suspicious if someone is just fiddling with a code-lock as opposed to attacking a U-lock with a car-jack or an angle-grinder.

They could effectively have all the time they want just neeling by the bike trying to guess the code, and no tools required which makes it a target for the oppurtunist.

blorg

@Harpz- you really need to post that bike in the Bike Gallery.

Harpz

http://wiki.boards.ie/wiki/Image:Commuter.jpg
Its there!

Doesnt have the mudguards there though and they really make it look bad

blorg

Ah yes, so it is. Nuclear powered bike.