London cycle thefts up 75 per cent in four months say police

Definitely avoid using ANY cable devices for securing your bike with chinese cropper toting hoodies around. And make use of one of the public Bike Registry services off the net if you want more than of an ice cubes chance in he&% of getting it back when (not if) nicked...

Ah, but the cops act on intelligence we don't understand. they really wanted the guy who stole my forks to move on to drug dealing so that they eventually had to batter down his door, which I also saw as my office was right opposite his home.

Yeah, they probably score more points against their government targets for breaking down a drug dealer's door than nabbing a bike thief…

Some years ago someone stole the costly suspension forks from my mountain bike. When I range the cops to report the theft, I was told, "I could probably tell you their names," by a bored cop who seemingly didn't give a stuff.

I went out and managed to track the thieves. The cops were again disinterested in recovering my stolen property when told. I don't advocate vigilante behaviour. but I was pretty annoyed that the cops didn't think the crime serious enough to warrant their attention. And I know the thieves graduated to bigger crimes as I continued working in the same area and was able to monitor their progress.

Ah, but the cops act on intelligence we don't understand. they really wanted the guy who stole my forks to move on to drug dealing so that they eventually had to batter down his door, which I also saw as my office was right opposite his home.

I'll have you know I'm a fully qualified hoody-wearer....and I only carry those bolt croppers around with me in case I lose the key for my lock

looks very convincing.

Mass arrests on club outings, if thats what it takes to get these pesky cyclists off our streets....oh, no, its the thieves we want to lock up...hmm

Yep, he's our all-purpose scallyswag

Who is it in the picture? That dodgy Oli character?

Mass arrests on club runs… the music from Benny Hill is suddenly playing in my head

Okay, there would be room for the occasional misunderstanding with this approach… club tea stops might attract some unwelcome attention from the rozzers, with mass arrests and the like, but hey! You can't make an omlette without cracking a few eggs!

Well, if they are going to go around dressed like bike thieves I'm sure most right thinking people would say they were asking for it m'lud

Love the idea of mass arrests of club runs ... :-]

MTB riders have have the harder life what with all that
brown, black, grey, green baggy gear we (ooppps) wear !

Maybe the police were acting on intelligence, about a new breed of bike thief, that they aren't able to share with members of the public

Although I can't help feeling that they are missing a trick by failing to think completely outside the box… a more effective use of police time would be to disrupt the villain's activities before they nick the bikes – it'd be easier too, they aren't going to be able to run very fast if they are sliding around on their Look cleats and they are going to be very conspicuous clopping unsteadily around town centres in pro team Lycra…

Okay, there would be room for the occasional misunderstanding with this approach… club tea stops might attract some unwelcome attention from the rozzers, with mass arrests and the like, but hey! You can't make an omlette without cracking a few eggs!

I was stopped on Saturday out near Failand with the
same ploy .... but .... blue lycra bib-shorts, Astana
s/s jersey and ionos lid on a trek 1.9 !!!!

Ho-Hum ... at least I was stopped so something appears
to be being done ... wonder if they'll ever find my
Mountain Cycle Fury :-p

"... targeting more quieter location not covered by ..."

*grinds teeth*

I've never been stopped by the police. Does this mean that the image in my minds eye of me looking like some buffsome road warrior is inaccurate, in that I actually look like some kind of scallywag?

Thats where the conversation went afterwards. Im all for them flghting cycle crime, I am more for it than most having been the repeat victim of it but its so half hearted and aimed at the wrong people. They know who commits the crime but choose not to target them.

Interesting logic from our friends in the force. Wasn't it a 'judgement call' based on your appearance that led them to stop you in the first place…

Talking of cycle and on a similar note I was stopped while cycling through Bristol two days ago by two police officers on foot, one of whom jumped out in front of me while cycling up past the bristol marriott (in the bus lane near cabot circus for you fellow bristol residents).
Anyway, it was raining and I was on my felt ar4, I was wearing clip in pedals, I ahd a giro ionos helmet on, jawbones, waterproof trousers and a nike acg cycling jacket. He stopped me because, I quote "you dont really look like a cyclist do you mate". Apparantly this is what they do, they stop people who are on expensive bikes but dont appear to fit the image. I explained that as it was chucking it down I wasnt likely to be wearing lycra. I also suggested that they should stop people in baseball caps with trousers tucked into their socks riding around town on £2000 cannondales...clearly stolen. The response was "thats a bit judgemental"! Bike crime is going through the roof and the police are so inept that they stop proper, equipped cyclists and then get defensive when asked why they dont stop those who clearly have nicked bikes. Hmm...rant over.