Stolen bike register on Retrobike ?

[silverclaws]

Now, as I peruse the forums on this website, I come across threads where a retrobike has been stolen, but yeah, they are reported on site, but they are to all intents and purposes lost in the forums, who is going to search, bearing in mind the search function is not the first thing many members use anyway.

Ok, we all have nice bikes, bikes that we have spent lots of time money and karma on, but these bikes we have, it appears there is a market for them with the dishonest fraternity, which this website might have unwittingly aided in.

If it is this website is aiding the thieves, perhaps a register on this website will offset that by providing members and lurkers with what is not worth touching because of the bad karma attached to it, and indeed stuff up the thieves who undoubtedly look into here to see what is nickable and there saleable.

Yeah, I know there are various registers on the net, but who looks there amongst all the bikes from different years, if a retrobike would a register be better here, in the place where retrobikes appear to have become a fashion, perhaps even where the fashion was created in the UK at least ?

Furthermore such a register might actually help members in not buying stolen goods which could leave them in the poo if a stolen bike is recognised by the plod, be that financially at least and aid those that want their lost steeds back.

With such a register in place when members and indeed lurkers view private advertisemnts elsewhere, gumtree, ebay etc, they can if they care ask for frame numbers and so stuff up a thieve's market base.

Now, I know the police look in here, so why don't we help them to help us ?

So how do others feel, if there was a part of this website where members could register stolen retrobikes and anything that can be positively identified via serial numbers ?

 

[paulmashall]

Having just had my bike stolen this sounds like a wonderful idea.

 

[bryan555]

Sounds like a great ides to me.

 

[silverclaws]

Oh, and one other thing I practised with my first lost bike, was to engrave expensive componentry like wheels with the bike's frame number, that being it makes them easily identifiable and deters thieves because they can't easily sell them.

My last bike that got stolen was also heavily marked with those security marker felt tips, a UV light will reveal it's home. I am not going to say where I marked it, but the police to whom I reported the theft know.

Oh, and it doesn't wash off easily.

Also another idea I got from a MBUK magazine in the nineties was to write a note shove it in a plastic bag and stuff it down the seat tube, deep down towards the bottom bracket even, makes it a pain to remove, but can be removed if need be. Now we have microdots, at my last look into these things, about £20.

It won't stop bikes being stolen unless the bike is marked to say it has been microdotted, but it will give the police a field day if they find identifiable and reported stolen property in the wrong person's hands.

Help the police to help us.

But as to such a register on here if the powers that be decide and construct something as a section to the website, may I suggest that bikes being stolen recently be entered before they hit the unsuspecting ebay and gumtree public. Also the more recent reported thefts stand more chance of stuffing up the thieves if people are looking in the usual places with the knowledge of something being stolen from a fellow retrobiker.

Spread the good will and karma !

 

[paulmashall]

I'd certainly taken my bike security for granted. I was putting new cranks on only 2 weeks ago and saw the frame no, and thought to myself I must make a note of it.

Will take the measures you suggest when the insurance pays up (fingers crossed).

 

[silverclaws]

I'd certainly taken my bike security for granted. I was putting new cranks on only 2 weeks ago and saw the frame no, and thought to myself I must make a note of it.

Will take the measures you suggest when the insurance pays up (fingers crossed).

And surely what you say regarding taking your cycle's security for granted, I did too, but I did not have insurance on it to claim, so a major loss. But if the attitude is something gets nicked claim on the insurance, then no wonder insurance premiums are climbing at the rate they are doing, to the point the less well off can't afford insurance.

But having insurance is a bit of a cop out in a way, sure it recompenses for losses, but if something was not insured, would one take more care of the article ? As surely many losses or even a few would make one wise up to the inconvenience of it all and the fact that much cannot be replaced, the memories being one of them.

Oh by the way, keep clear of those nasty little sub ten quid ebay motion sensor alarms that run off nine volt batteries, they are good when they work, but they go wrong all too easily, mine failed a week before the bike was stolen from a communal area behind a security door, odd that isn't it, as just breathing near the thing was enough for it to send out warning plips. If I hadn't of removed the nasty little weighty lump of uslessness, maybe the bike would not have been taken, as thieves tend to notice differences, as if it were still on the bike and working that alarm would have prised open every neighbour's door to see what was going on, a 115db siren !

If we don't look after our property's security needs are we in fact in a way as guilty as the thieves that steal our property ?

 

[paulmashall]

Mine was in the same place, behind a security door chained to a railing.

Luckily it is my contents insurance which I think it is common sense to have, especially as we were burgled 2 years ago (perhaps we need to move).

I'm not sure insurance is a cop out, as you say the memories are gone (it was a '97-98 Rockhopper and still ran sweetly) as is my £200 excess.

 

[wurzelmike]

Wonder if anything came of this?

It's such a great idea even if it's only a sticky or something. I can remember when my bike was stolen and how surprisingly emotional it was. Couldn't this site have a section devoted to stolen bikes, maybe? I know it's not something any of us want to think about but we all know how often it happens..... and it hurts :cry: