Bike theft epidemic

[MichalVermaak]

Dear fellow hubbers,

 

Being a hardworking citizen with a moral compass, it is extremely difficult for me to comprehend the fact that crime is effecting our lives 24/7.

 

I'm a regular mountain biker (switched over from road cycling due to riding on our roads just became to dangerous). And now I have to think twice when I want to go for a ride on a gravel road.

 

I'm even considering going for serious self defense classes. Not your average choke and kick in the balls classes. Muay thai mixed with gun fighting. At the rate these incidents are increasing, I see myself in 5 years time riding in a bullet proof vest, carrying a hidden .38 special, Gps'ing the sh*t out of my goods, and a remote surveillance drone hovering above me/or my cycling group.

 

I have given the mountain bike theft epidemic some thought...and please correct me if you think I have lost the plot.

 

Surely the guy(s) doing the robbery won't have the ability/available market to sell these goods???

 

These are guys who live on the street, doesn't really care what the consequences are if they hurt somebody, or self get hurt in the process. These guys are what I call "nothing to lose guys". Unemployed, unschooled guys. Which actually on its own is a pity. If only these guys were skilled, trained, they could have been of the streets...but that is a different debate for a different day...

 

Obviously there must be some kind of syndicate who handle these goods. They probably pay the guy robbing our bikes R500/bike...

 

This is then being sold to either a bike shop who also have lost their moral compass, or as second hand goods on the internet.

 

Now I just cannot go on with my life, adjusting my ways of living, to accompany these immoral creatures, ruining our daily lives.

 

We just have to stop this. Can't we all pool some money together, maybe TheHub can start a campaign and raise some funds. We can then use these funds to hire private detectives, who can try to identify the bike shops buying these stolen goods, and the syndicates behind the bike thefts.

 

The guys doing the robberies; we cannot do much about them, as long as our extremely competent government doesn't educate them, or stop them from crossing the border, they will always be there.

 

But we can do something about the middlemen who have a market for these goods, either via bike shops, or online sales. And with enough resources we can identify these crooks...

[ChUkKy]

Snipers will be better, detectives will do nothing.

 

When they get caught they get a free meal and R500 bail, stuff that.

 

Knock them off

[Furbz]

Snipers will be better, detectives will do nothing.

 

When they get caught they get a free meal and R500 bail, stuff that.

 

Knock them off

 

i have personally been hijacked. had a knife held to my throat and my back by 2 individuals.

i still dream of executing those mf's.

 

since that incident i am so much more aware of my surroundings and have in a sense lost a little bit of the enjoyment when i go out on a ride.

i even go so far as to ride in the middle of the road when passing people walking.

 

i dont trust anyone anymore.

[Wyatt Earp]

Dear fellow hubbers,

 

Being a hardworking citizen with a moral compass, it is extremely difficult for me to comprehend the fact that crime is effecting our lives 24/7.

 

I'm a regular mountain biker (switched over from road cycling due to riding on our roads just became to dangerous). And now I have to think twice when I want to go for a ride on a gravel road.

 

I'm even considering going for serious self defense classes. Not your average choke and kick in the balls classes. Muay thai mixed with gun fighting. At the rate these incidents are increasing, I see myself in 5 years time riding in a bullet proof vest, carrying a hidden .38 special, Gps'ing the sh*t out of my goods, and a remote surveillance drone hovering above me/or my cycling group.

 

I have given the mountain bike theft epidemic some thought...and please correct me if you think I have lost the plot.

 

Surely the guy(s) doing the robbery won't have the ability/available market to sell these goods???

 

These are guys who live on the street, doesn't really care what the consequences are if they hurt somebody, or self get hurt in the process. These guys are what I call "nothing to lose guys". Unemployed, unschooled guys. Which actually on its own is a pity. If only these guys were skilled, trained, they could have been of the streets...but that is a different debate for a different day...

 

Obviously there must be some kind of syndicate who handle these goods. They probably pay the guy robbing our bikes R500/bike...

 

This is then being sold to either a bike shop who also have lost their moral compass, or as second hand goods on the internet.

 

Now I just cannot go on with my life, adjusting my ways of living, to accompany these immoral creatures, ruining our daily lives.

 

We just have to stop this. Can't we all pool some money together, maybe TheHub can start a campaign and raise some funds. We can then use these funds to hire private detectives, who can try to identify the bike shops buying these stolen goods, and the syndicates behind the bike thefts.

 

The guys doing the robberies; we cannot do much about them, as long as our extremely competent government doesn't educate them, or stop them from crossing the border, they will always be there.

 

But we can do something about the middlemen who have a market for these goods, either via bike shops, or online sales. And with enough resources we can identify these crooks...

 

The detective thing has been tried, and believe it or not, as much as people were all excited and for it, very few contributed.

[forkie]

I have met so many people who complain about crime and the state of the police, but then will happily buy goods that "fell off the truck" or bribe a cop. As you say, you wont get rid of the robbers, but we must get rid of the market. If you buy stolen goods you are no better than the guy that stole them

[Honkdonk]

Sad fact of the matter is that this kind of thing is like your schools PTA, or local residents committee. Everyone wants to get involved, but when it comes to the push you can hear the back peddling from a block away. Folk get all vocal and rough and ready, but when it comes to mobilizing the masses reality paints a different picture.

Awareness rides and critical mass events are a great way to raise the plight, but when it comes down to the work and effort required for this to actually be effective the whole thing generally falls a bit flat. Ask anyone who serves on a residents association for which they donate their time free of charge.

 

Don't get me wrong. I would love to see something done about this, so that I too can ride in the safety of my area without fear. Been down this road so I know all about it. Wyatt aka Dangle spearheaded a similar thing a few years ago which got the Carte Blanche coverage, but then everyone rolled over and went back to work. I am sure the problem still exists in the Midrand area, but it does not seem as prolific as it was a few years ago. Perhaps its because the crooks moved on and folk took heed of the dangers.

Its a symptom of the South African way - we all live in isolation. We get together and rally at opportune moments and then retreat the minute it all becomes too much like hard work. I call it Camera Hysteria - point a camera in the general direction and see the results you get from folk. Switch it off and its like you never existed.

 

I also think that we shouldn't look to hard for where the bikes are going. I reckon its pretty simple. Bikes gets stolen and redistributed for a pittance of what its actually worth. Whether it goes to some chap in Diepsloot or off to Mozambique is really neither here nor there. Its informal and is not very complex.

 

We are easy targets with luxury items that present a short term fix for the opportunist criminal. Its easy to spot patterns and routes and come up with a plan of action until it becomes too hot - like now. Its all over the news and guaranteed they will back off and then find somewhere else to target. Midrand, Irene, R21 area, the Spruit and now Pretoria East. Each has had its turn.

 

The solution? Patrolled routes, marshalled rides? But this addresses the symptom and not the cause. The cause is deep and complicated. A dedicated task force?

A good start is to follow the right channels. SAPS, local ward councilor etc. Its a long road and I wish that I had the answers.

 

Be safe and smart

[WillHH]

The bikejack debate and general cyclist safety has been going on for some years. Still we see no improvement in the general trend ... and no comments it seems from authorities. The bike theft scourge is still alive and well!

 

The National Bicycle Registry was started about 3 years ago in response to two of my fellow cyclists being bike jacked ... I spent some time with SAPS forums after the event and discovered that law enforcement has a big problem when it comes to prosecuting perpetrators of bike theft [by any means] ... proof of ownership is in most cases not possible ... not to mention being understaffed and ill-equipped.

 

In addition, in cases where suspected stolen bikes were recovered [e.g. crossing our borders] there is no system to locate the original owner.

 

I thus started the Registry [free by cyclists for cyclists]. It proved itself when two bikes were recovered and traced [near Diepsloot]. The Registry is operated similar to motorized vehicle registration ... and its free to all cyclists.

 

If indeed the message goes out that stolen bikes can be traced and perps prosecuted we may well neutralize some of the motivation to steal ... and if this prevents even one bike jacking then I've achieved what I set out to do.

 

I have also canvassed bike shops and online 2nd hand bike dealers to check and track VIN numbers (frame numbers) when servicing or listing bikes ... and to visit the Stolen Bike list on the Registry. We cannot hold our breath hoping bike theft will go away ... we can and should look after our own.

 

Please visit www.bicycleregistry.co.za

[duringd]

My question is.... Where the $%^&* are all the bikes going that are being stolen? Is there a big secondhand store group opening somewhere?

[Wyatt Earp]

My question is.... Where the $%^&* are all the bikes going that are being stolen? Is there a big secondhand store group opening somewhere?

 

That was one of the things the private investigator was trying to ascertain before funds ran out.

[WillHH]

My question is.... Where the $%^&* are all the bikes going that are being stolen? Is there a big secondhand store group opening somewhere?

 

... a question often asked ... indications (there are no bike theft statistics available in ZA) are that random theft is a smaller part of the problem ... organized crime is suspected ... and then we also assume they cross our borders. Keep in mind that as ownership cannot be proven in general bikes crossing our borders go unchallenged ...