Patchelicious Posted June 12, 2015 Share The rate of bike theft seems to be going up. Most of these bikes are high end bikes, ones you can spot a mile away. So my question is, where the hell do these bikes go? They surely cant all be kept by the thieves, or sold on online classifieds. Has anybody ever done an investigator into this, or had insight as to what happens with all this carbon? I will go ask my contacts at the insurers for some claims statistics to post here ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skipperw Posted June 12, 2015 Share There are willing buyers. Blue collar, or white collar. Crooks are among us...on the bike next to us. Such is life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
velomonatiCT Posted June 12, 2015 Share one word patch - CHOPSHOP as you say they reappear as bits here there and everywhere how many of us (including me) really ask questions when we buy used upgrade parts on here and everywhere else including thru dealers (who are also none the wiser)its a bit not a bike and when you accept that thieves (sophisticated ones) are organised, communicate and move stuff around ,its not hard to believe that they take them to pieces and sell them off as bits and the really exceptionally unique bits (including frames)are just dumped or scrapped thieves don't pay for this stuff if they think its going to get them caught they just trash it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DIPSLICK Posted June 12, 2015 Share The rate of bike theft seems to be going up. Most of these bikes are high end bikes, ones you can spot a mile away. So my question is, where the hell do these bikes go? They surely cant all be kept by the thieves, or sold on online classifieds. Has anybody ever done an investigator into this, or had insight as to what happens with all this carbon? I will go ask my contacts at the insurers for some claims statistics to post here ...MINE DIDNT EVEN CARE WHEN I TOLD THEM WHERE MINE//THEIR BIKE WAS AFTER I TRACKED IT DOWN,,,good luck with that Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DR ◣◢ Posted June 12, 2015 Share This may or may not be seen as a conspiracy but.... High end bikes are stripped down to spares. Spares are sold to shops who happily fit this as service parts to bikes. "Oh don't worry sir, we had a very good condition second hand <insert spare> we could fit to your bike for <insert rand value" Frames are binned or sold as scrap due to serial numbers etc. A lot of the bikes also make their way into africa. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patchelicious Posted June 12, 2015 Share There are willing buyers. Blue collar, or white collar. Crooks are among us...on the bike next to us. Such is life. I thought that too, but the volumes just seem to damn high for that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patchelicious Posted June 12, 2015 Share MINE DIDNT EVEN CARE WHEN I TOLD THEM WHERE MINE//THEIR BIKE WAS AFTER I TRACKED IT DOWN,,,good luck with thatOh no thats not good. PM who it was for interest sake please. Insurers are always keen to share their claims ratio, as that helps justify premiums etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T-Bob Posted June 12, 2015 Share A lot of the bikes also make their way into africa. When I was touring earlier in the your there weren't a lot of fellas on DS, #enduro or carbon rigs in Malawi, Zambia, Bots and the rest. On a serious note, where in Africa? I'd have to say that SA is the hub of African cycling economically and in numbers (with some action in Kenya and Ethiopia) so is there much evidence that these are getting shipped out or is it one of those things that people tend to say. Like in the UK if your car gets taken every one always says 'That'll be in the middle east by now'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patchelicious Posted June 12, 2015 Share When I was touring earlier in the your there weren't a lot of fellas on DS, #enduro or carbon rigs in Malawi, Zambia, Bots and the rest. On a serious note, where in Africa? I'd have to say that SA is the hub of African cycling economically and in numbers (with some action in Kenya and Ethiopia) so is there much evidence that these are getting shipped out or is it one of those things that people tend to say. Like in the UK if your car gets taken every one always says 'That'll be in the middle east by now'. Agreed, I have heard this too, but cant see them stealing R100k bikes and selling them to people in rural areas when they could sell it at a higher price somewhere else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jinga Posted June 12, 2015 Share Or the crooks do like the scrap metal dealers, wait until there is demand and then bring out the complete bikes or the parts and put up for sale. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JScottP Posted June 12, 2015 Share When my brothers bikes were stolen last year from Durban, we were fortunate that the Specialised Stumpy made an appearance on Gumtree within a week. Turns out the seller purchased it from a dealer in Victoria Street in Durban CBD straight off the side of the road for R2 000. He gave it straight back to us the minute we told him it was stolen, but after speaking to him he says that the guy had a whole range of bikes just lined up on the pavement, unfortunately the road bike was not one of them. Just goes to show that there are guys out there prepared to buy some dodgey bikes who are well aware of the situation surrounding the "bargain", and while that remains the thefts will just continue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bianchisti Posted June 12, 2015 Share With the amount of bike shops around and business not all that good for all I'm not surprised there will be a few dodgy dealers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T-Bob Posted June 12, 2015 Share Just another angle. With the rates of bike thefts going through the roof and them being taken in a number of ways (hijacking, from back of cars, from garages and sheds etc) is there maybe a small percentage of cases that are simply 'upgrades'? If you have a 2012 Anthem with good upgrades you're literally going to get nothing for it second hand leaving a big deficit. The insurance company can't get you another 26'r Anthem because they don't exist so will pay out on the 29'r if yours grow legs. Have been wondering about this since a guy I loosely know was trying to sell such a bike with out luck and then coincidently it was taken out of his car a few weeks later and new bike a couple of days after that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shebeen Posted June 12, 2015 Share What's the latest on neil's wheels? I'm sure some of the guys who had bikes stolen recently must have gone to scope at his stock, is it still the 419 version of a bikeshop? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pure Savage Posted June 12, 2015 Share Just another angle. With the rates of bike thefts going through the roof and them being taken in a number of ways (hijacking, from back of cars, from garages and sheds etc) is there maybe a small percentage of cases that are simply 'upgrades'? If you have a 2012 Anthem with good upgrades you're literally going to get nothing for it second hand leaving a big deficit. The insurance company can't get you another 26'r Anthem because they don't exist so will pay out on the 29'r if yours grow legs. Have been wondering about this since a guy I loosely know was trying to sell such a bike with out luck and then coincidently it was taken out of his car a few weeks later and new bike a couple of days after that. I know with the bike insured 100% that I am a little relaxed at coffee shops, just take the garmin off, because Strava. Also, if someone with a big stick asked for my bike I would not even take 2 seconds thought about giving them my bike. (Less garmin) I pay the premium for the luxury, why not use it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flippa Posted June 12, 2015 Share On a recent trip to Mozambique, I followed a dilapidated, overloaded bakkie through the borderpost. Tied to the back of this skedonk was a dual sus S Works, mostly wrapped up in black plastic. I could see the "S-Works" on the rear wheel where the plastic had peeled back, so definitely some of the stolen bikes go across the border. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.