What I've learned from the Stolen Bikes page

[Hello Ruan]

I have seen bikes on racks outside in parking lots and the first thought I get is "Wonder if I could steal those bikes. ".

[AeroTucker]

When I stop at a coffee shop on a road ride, it gives me piece of mind to loosen the front skewer on my road bike. That way if someone tries to move the bike, the front wheel will fall out and most times they won't know how to put it back before someone notices something is up. 

[ChrisF]

Stupid question but when they say this do they mean the bikes were taken off the rack and they were locked on the rack or the rack was taken off the cat with the bikes on it and the rack was locked?

 

Worth noting that the insurance will only pay out if there are "signs of forcible removal" of the bikes.

 

 

Thus the clamps of the bike rack must be damaged, or a cut chain, or similar ...

 

 

There are many videos of the older Thules where you could "twist" the bike frame out of the rack clamps - perfectly safe for transport, but no deterent for thieves, and most importantly no signs of "forcible removal".

 

The current Thule platform rack has slightly better "jaws", but certainly no match for a determined thief.  The current Thule roof rack has some good jaws !!

 

 

 

So here is what we do :

- thule rack is locked to the towball

- bike is clamped in position, and then the clamp is locked (thus the twist grip is "opened" and spins freely) .... in theory this satisfies the insurance

- as far as possible we park where we can see the car !!  Two weeks back we were having lunch, and I DARTED out when a person lurked too close to the bike rack ....

- my bike is insured .... the benefit of this is that the insurance also provides some peace of mind in the event of a bad crash.

 

As nice as it is for the solo rider to place his bike inside the car .... have a look in the next bike park .... MANY vehicles have 3+ occupants, and the bikes MUST be on racks !  So saying no to racks is hardly the answer ... one needs to find the balance between the best rack, some "chain-lock", safe parking, vigilance, and then insurance for those times that you cant be next to your car ....

[dave303e]

The bikes are broken free from the rack and the rack is left behind, most of the time. Securing cable locks are cut and I'm not sure how they get through the Thule locking arms?

 

I suppose there have been some cases of making off with the entire bike and rack combination?

 

I know a lot of the racks come with 1 locking screw knob for the arm, a friend had a knack/method he would push down super hard and turn gently and he could get it to unscrew while locked, this was a few years back, not sure if the newer ones are better.

 

I have a 10mm chain in an old inner tube and a Ulock to secure them on the rack, can loop the chain through the spare wheel on the Pajero. Nothing is fool proof but my bike looks old and not that fancy and it just needs to look more secure than the next car along with bikes on a rack.

[Dirt Tracker]

I have seen bikes on racks outside in parking lots and the first thought I get is "Wonder if I could steal those bikes. ".

 

I m always amazed by how long people leave their bikes on the back of their cars. Last time I was in Plett' there was a house opposite ours with 3 cars and they all had their bikes left other Thules platforms 24/7, all night parked on the street, no locks. Nothing happened but they were all top end SC, YT and Spez Enduros so would have been a good haul. Maybe I needed to change my view point as they were still there at the end of the long weekend. 

[ByronH]

The best protection you can have against bike theft is insurance.

 

Haha ya absolutely... Murphy's law... you insure it... nothing EVER happens to it, again, ever

[ByronH]

When I stop at a coffee shop on a road ride, it gives me piece of mind to loosen the front skewer on my road bike. That way if someone tries to move the bike, the front wheel will fall out and most times they won't know how to put it back before someone notices something is up. 

 

Nice idea... but when i pull stunts like that i'm often the one who forgot I did it in the first place and fall prey to my own plan...

[madbradd]

Haha ya absolutely... Murphy's law... you insure it... nothing EVER happens to it, again, ever

Like if you lose something fairly valuable.... The best way to find it is to buy a replacement.

[Dexter-morgan]

I have an old Silverback insured for the last 8 years, anyone interested in stealing it............LOL

[Spoke101]

I have bikes locked on the Thule rack and then a home made version of this through all the bikes, rack and tow bar with a disc lock.

[Fruity]

Not that I've visited every part of SA, but there are areas where you'll be mugged for your shoes, let alone your bicycle.

[Wet Ears]

• Try not to live in Stellenbosch, and if you must, try not to own a bike  - very funny

[jdwet1980]

When bike touring through Germany, my mate went into the market to get food, while I was waiting outside a little way off from the bike, with a clear field of view. A German skollie was hovering around the bikes and started looking around. When he saw me staring at him, he walked away smiling.

 

Bikes are safe nowhere!

Are you sure it was a skollie and not an immigrant?

[Skylark]

When I stop at a coffee shop on a road ride, it gives me piece of mind to loosen the front skewer on my road bike. That way if someone tries to move the bike, the front wheel will fall out and most times they won't know how to put it back before someone notices something is up.

That is pretty clever but the thief will probably still ride off on it and only face plant a few kms down the road.

I m always amazed by how long people leave their bikes on the back of their cars. Last time I was in Plett' there was a house opposite ours with 3 cars and they all had their bikes left other Thules platforms 24/7, all night parked on the street, no locks. Nothing happened but they were all top end SC, YT and Spez Enduros so would have been a good haul. Maybe I needed to change my view point as they were still there at the end of the long weekend.

Unless parked in a main road/shopping center with lots of traffic you can get away with doing that, until a skoteni walks/drives through the neighbourhood and let's the team know there's gold freely available... then they'll probably all be gone by the morning