no more commuting - thanks to thugs.

kuwa

R.I.P.
Kuwahara Badger (hybrid style), 56cm(high) hand-welded aluminium frame, clear lacquer, blue front suspension forks and blue lettering on frame, Magura Clara Disks. Naked, only clips for lights.

Taken while shopping for a piece of ginger while chained to the rails outside Sainsburys Angel/London.

As the bike in this config was only made in 2000 and not sold in the UK, I suspect its the only one of this kind in the UK. <sarc> If you see a retarded teenager riding it, feel free to hang him from a lock on the nearest lamppost. I'll refund you for the soiled lock. </sarc off>

Sainsburys didn't even have any ginger in stock that day. :evil:

Photographed last night, 1 hour before being nicked.

my bike now

kuwa
---

phil s

Commiserations but that "lock" is as much use as a chocolate fireguard

Nick6891

phil s wrote:

Commiserations but that "lock" is as much use as a chocolate fireguard

agreed, you should have a big U lock not a piece of cable

kuwa

noticed the 2nd key on the key-ring? what's on the table is all I found. suspect the D-lock made for further throwing. Thanks for your good wishes anyway.

Nick6891

Was it insured?

kuwa

I was sorting it out this week, have a quote on the table. So no, as I haven' t paid for it yet. f***

dirk_van_gently

Sadly, it doesn't matter how strong the lock, it will only ever stop honest folk, cos thieves will find a way.

blackworx

Despicable. I feel for you; I don't know what I'd do without my bike.

The fact they made such short work of a U-lock and a cable in the time it took you to nip in to the shop means heavyweight tools. Makes me think they must have been lying in wait nearby for a decent bike to nick, 'cause you don't carry that sort of gear around on spec.

ansbaradigeidfran

If I may ask, what model of U-lock was it?

il_principe

Cnuts. Excuse my french, but I get so cross with the sheer level of cycle theft in London - no one seems willing to try and do anything about it.

Commiserations.

For your next bike try an Abus lock. They used to offer a replacement bike if yours was was stolen whilst locked with Abus - of course you had to send the broken lock off to them so no good if that's gone missing!

artaxerxes

That area is pretty dodgy for cycles, lots of thieves and kids up to no good. I work round there but luckily we have a secure underground parking area.

kuwa

The U lock was a trelock. Don't know the model, but it passed the weight test.... It cost around £40 or thereabouts. I think someone was watching the stand too. By the time I got out, there was already a different bike parked in the same sopt, so I think they got to work as soon as I was in the shop.

I'm not a fan of conspiracy, but neither do I believe in coincidence. The CCTV that's watching the spot was taken down last week as building works commenced. Strange enough that is. Wonder how many other bike will disappear from that spot over the coming days. 100m from Islington police station.

@Dirk Van Gently:
I had my motorbike stolen earlier this year, secured with an 13mm English Chain from Matrox. £120, and designed to be the toughest thing around. Apparently some folk walk around with petrol angle grinders in their pockets.

kuwa

dirk_van_gently

kuwa wrote:

@Dirk Van Gently:
I had my motorbike stolen earlier this year, secured with an 13mm English Chain from Matrox. £120, and designed to be the toughest thing around. Apparently some folk walk around with petrol angle grinders in their pockets.kuwa

Like I wrote, you are only ever going to stop honest folks

toontra

See below :oops:

toontra

Wow, bad luck kuwa. You did all you reasonably could to safeguard your bike. This is particularly poignant for me because that's my local supermarket. I've noted what you say about the temporary lack of CCTV so I'll be walking there until the building work's over.

Always worth checking Gumtree - http://www.gumtree.com/london/bicycles-for-sale_86_1.html That seems to be the place where stolen bikes are sold these days (Brick Lane has been cleaned up a bit). Also ebay, especially with such a rare frame.

kuwa

Toontra, thanks for that, I'm on the case already.!

Harry182

I feel for you too, kuwa. I had my uninsured DeKerf stolen under similar circumstances while locked in front of the Bethnal Green Tesco.

The police were uninterested in viewing CCTV footage or pursuing the matter even when my extremely identifiable bike showed up on eBay.

Happy ending to my story though. I recently spotted my bike parked up against a wall in Clerkenwell - found the nearest police officer - and my bike and I were reunited - 5-years later!

My advice - keep record of your serial number and your eyes peeled.

kuwa

thanks, there's a suspicious listing on gumtree, I've pretended to be interested! (well I am, but with a nasty surprise for the seller!)

flattythehurdler

There was a lad on the old cycleplus site who had had his racer nicked whilst in the shop, part of the spec list on which was a pair of lightweight obermayers :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock:
I can't forget that.
Not sure if it makes you feel any better but it could be worse.

kuwa

here's the dilemma:

the listing is not too far from where it was nicked. I replied to it they ignored me. My girlfriend replied, with a sweet an innocent excuse (looking for a present...) and someone got back. Now we have a phone and address. It could all be innocent and genuine, but:

I called the police, they say won't do anything about it, suspicion isn't good enough.
I'm in Luton, and can't make it down there. But I don't want my girlfriend to go around some (potential) thugs house to ID the bike....

What to do?????

alfablue

If you want the bike, and maybe want justice, you have to get down there! Miss a day at work or anything it takes! Sending your girlfriend alone means she could identify the bike, but they will probably smell a rat. Sending her with any brief beyond that is too risky! If you do go down there a witness would be very useful!

How much is the bike worth to you? (It does sound quite special).

kuwa

£750 new

girlfriend is determined. if its mine she's gonna just buy it back , then we call the police and worry about prooving it. Even if I left now I woudn't make it in time. bugger. bugger, bugger. nervous as hell. I'll pray. for my girlfriend, not the bike.

toontra

Good luck. If she needs any help then let me know - I'm in the area.

ansbaradigeidfran

Could you suggest to your friend/accomplice that she asks for a receipt, 'so I can insure it'? If you get one, that's proof of purchase with which to build the case...

george.b

Good luck man

hope you kick his ass

biondino

Dude, don't let your gf go round to a thief's house with £750. Seriously. The bike's not worth it. Have her take a brother or mate - or mates ideally. If she does pay, then you won't get the money back even if the thief is arrested.

biondino

I mean, the bike's not worth your gf putting herself in danger, not £750.

toontra

If I know these types they will take £150 cash for a £750 bike. That's one of the ways of telling they're scum. Also, I don't think kuwa's gf will be going to anyone's home address - they will be meeting in the street. That's another way of telling they're scum.

As for losing the money, at least he'll get his bike back, and far cheaper than any other way. If the police won't do anything and he hasn't got insurance, it's actually the sensible option, galling as that may be.

kuwa

Nail biting afternoon...

biondino, you're right, money isn't worth risking anything. But it's neither acceptable to just give up and have thugs have their way! If you let them get away with it, you teach them that it's risk free and being caught is just bad luck. Being caught should be exactly what to expect! It's a fine line to decide what to do and judgement is often tricky. Moral courage should be seen more often, so I'll buy her a bunch of flowers when I get home... I trusted her gauge the situation right (while biting the leftovers of my nails away) and take off if she's only slightly uneasy.

Anyway turns out the bike wasn't mine after all. Against all odds.

It could all be innocent and genuine,...

there we go. false alarm. trying to calm down now, and thanks for everyone's support and ideas!

kuwa

@ toontra: you're right arranged to meet outside, still turned out it's not my bike, which doesn't exclude the possibility that it's stolen from someone else! No way of knowing.

lizro

kuwa wrote:

Nail biting afternoon...

biondino, you're right, money isn't worth risking anything. But it's neither acceptable to just give up and have thugs have their way! If you let them get away with it, you teach them that it's risk free and being caught is just bad luck. Being caught should be exactly what to expect! It's a fine line to decide what to do and judgement is often tricky. Moral courage should be seen more often, so I'll buy her a bunch of flowers when I get home... I trusted her gauge the situation right (while biting the leftovers of my nails away) and take off if she's only slightly uneasy.

Anyway turns out the bike wasn't mine after all. Against all odds.

It could all be innocent and genuine,...

there we go. false alarm. trying to calm down now, and thanks for everyone's support and ideas!

kuwa

@ toontra: you're right arranged to meet outside, still turned out it's not my bike, which doesn't exclude the possibility that it's stolen from someone else! No way of knowing.

wow - that got quite exciting - reading from the beginning! Cheered up my boring night duty loads!
Shame it was not your bike.

Seriously though - sorry to hear about your stolen bike - it is a horrible feeling. I just had my saddle stolen on Thursday when I nipped into the shops and that made me feel proper mad, so I can feel for you. I don't think it is worth having something nice unless you can keep it in sight all the time - if someone is going to nick it the minute your back is turned. My saddle was a nice Brooks - birthday present - now replaced with an old hand me down from my son!

moonio

Maybe we could start a sticky thread here with everyones bike details and serials? Would that help?