Monday 23 August 2010

Bike piranhas

I noticed this bike a couple of days ago.  Almost new, it had been securely locked up outside the A4E offices on the corner of Greenwich High Road and Norman Road.  You occasionally see a missing front wheel on a locked-up bike, especially when it's got a quick-release front wheel.  But this is an entirely different kettle of fish - they didn't come tooled up to break the lock and steal the bike, instead they must have come tooled up for bicycle dismantling.


Front wheel, check.  Forks, check.  Handlebars, check....crank, pedals, saddle and stem, entire brake system (bar the disk on the remaining rear wheel) , entire chainset (bar the remaining cassette)

There are a few scratches on the frame but I suspect the bike was virtually new - it's still got a 54cm frame-size sticker on it - and the thieves damaged it while they were speed-stripping it.  They didn't touch the lock though - it must be indigestible to bike piranhas. 

The saddest part of this - well, apart from how the owner must have felt when he first saw what they'd done to it  - is that the thief, once upon a time, must have been a cyclist to be carrying and using the necessary tools.  So it's treason.  A hybrid and a low-bred.

Anyhow, even if you have a decent lock, be very careful about leaving your bike overnight in Greenwich.

5 comments:

Deptford Dame said...

Not nice. I have to say I would hesitate about leaving my bike locked overnight at a bike rack anywhere. However I do realise I'm very lucky to have secure parking for it both at home and at work.

ndru said...

Very sad. I am wondering how a bicycle insurance would work in this kind of situation. I mean the bike is as good as stolen - unrideable.
I am sort of worried that this kind of theft will become more popular, since it's easier to sell parts then the whole bicycle - especially if they are premium parts.

Marmoset said...

That was spooky, ndru. I was just reading your BR thread about cycle infrastructure when you posted.

I posted a thread up on Bike Radar here

http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=12724754&start=0&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=

and the suggestion about using torx bolts makes good sense. As long as too many people don't do the same,I suppose. If using torx becomes more common, thieves will start to carry torx tools with them. For now though, if you've changed some of your bolts over, and the bike next to it is standard, your bike will be safer...

ndru said...

Hi Marmoset, thanks for the good points on BR.
The thing is I am not sure that torx bolts can beat good old policing and proper penalties for thieves.

Marmoset said...

No, but the thieves are one step ahead of the police, torx bolts might be one step ahead of the thieves...