Fork / brake lever theft (& other valuable parts)
just a nickname
Posts: 30
Hello,
I recently bought an used Jamis Ventura 2008. It has 105 groupset and front ultegra. I am realizing how easy it is for some one to steal the fork as I am learning to service the bike. The levers are also quite expensive to replace and relatively easy to steal (cut the wires, remove the handlebar tape + unscrew the levers). I am pretty sure an experimented thief could get away with the fork and levers in less than 5 minutes.
I know most of these thief are crack heads looking for an easy target but I've seen bikes stripped on my campus. Since I paid the bike 360$, I don't want to end paying 100-200$ to replace one of the two elements mentioned. I wonder if I could replace the brake levers with something like the tektro brake levers + cheap speed shifter compatible with the read and front derailleur.
Have you EVER heard some one that got his bike stripped or is it extremely rare a thief will do that?
Cheers!
I recently bought an used Jamis Ventura 2008. It has 105 groupset and front ultegra. I am realizing how easy it is for some one to steal the fork as I am learning to service the bike. The levers are also quite expensive to replace and relatively easy to steal (cut the wires, remove the handlebar tape + unscrew the levers). I am pretty sure an experimented thief could get away with the fork and levers in less than 5 minutes.
I know most of these thief are crack heads looking for an easy target but I've seen bikes stripped on my campus. Since I paid the bike 360$, I don't want to end paying 100-200$ to replace one of the two elements mentioned. I wonder if I could replace the brake levers with something like the tektro brake levers + cheap speed shifter compatible with the read and front derailleur.
Have you EVER heard some one that got his bike stripped or is it extremely rare a thief will do that?
Cheers!
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Comments
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It's far easier to nick the bars, stem etc with the shifters still in place.My blog: http://www.roubaixcycling.cc (kit reviews and other musings)
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Facebook? No. Just say no.0 -
Do we have crackheads in Balamory?My pen won't write on the screen0
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just a nickname wrote:Hello,
I recently bought an used Jamis Ventura 2008. It has 105 groupset and front ultegra. I am realizing how easy it is for some one to steal the fork as I am learning to service the bike. The levers are also quite expensive to replace and relatively easy to steal (cut the wires, remove the handlebar tape + unscrew the levers). I am pretty sure an experimented thief could get away with the fork and levers in less than 5 minutes.
I know most of these thief are crack heads looking for an easy target but I've seen bikes stripped on my campus. Since I paid the bike 360$, I don't want to end paying 100-200$ to replace one of the two elements mentioned. I wonder if I could replace the brake levers with something like the tektro brake levers + cheap speed shifter compatible with the read and front derailleur.
Have you EVER heard some one that got his bike stripped or is it extremely rare a thief will do that?
Cheers!
I know exactly what you mean and I share your concern. I once saw a bike with a bare aluminium frame, chained to a fence. The thieves had only stolen the paint..!!!0 -
Doesn't make any sense to me.
IF I was after bike parts I would pick as much as possible in one action, i.e. the complete bike.
Cut the lock or crack the frame/wheel whatever and the rest is mechandise.
Use an old piece of junk where the risk is high.
Although I don't have very expensive bikes, I never loose them out of sight on the road.0 -
Keezx wrote:Doesn't make any sense to me.
IF I was after bike parts I would pick as much as possible in one action, i.e. the complete bike.
Cut the lock or crack the frame/wheel whatever and the rest is mechandise.
Use an old piece of junk where the risk is high.
Although I don't have very expensive bikes, I never loose them out of sight on the road.
I'm guessing a thief would need some decent tools to steal a well locked up bike, but an Allen key and pair of pliers could bag them nice sets of bars and shifters without any trouble at all.
I agree though, if it's going to be locked up and left then take a cheap bike. I don't carry a lock as my bikes never get left anywhere.0 -
Keezx wrote:Doesn't make any sense to me.
IF I was after bike parts I would pick as much as possible in one action, i.e. the complete bike.
Cut the lock or crack the frame/wheel whatever and the rest is mechandise.
Use an old piece of junk where the risk is high.
Although I don't have very expensive bikes, I never loose them out of sight on the road.
True, but you can secure your bike as much as you want some valuable parts cannot be secured.
The tools required to steal most of the bike components are very easy to conceal. Plus I regularly see a bike with a missing rear wheel, fork and some bikes are there year long - the owner didn't bother take the frame back! I will be using two u-locks to secure the front and read wheel so I doubt a thief will go for the whole bike in my case.0 -
What I often see is a bike gets left overnight somewhere, gets wheel kicked in, gets left,slowly gets stripped of parts, ends up as frame still locked to fence.
It seems pretty rare that people actually strip shifters etc in situ, it may not take long but it's going to look suspect if your there peeling back tape and undoing them. I'd be more worried about the whole thing getting nicked than parts.0 -
secretsqizz wrote:Do we have crackheads in Balamory?
They clearly all are on something up there!
If you mean suspension forks (the bulk of the cost of some MTBs) then you can loop a cable through the wheel, frame and between the crown and stanchions and through the frame.
Interlocking D/U locks and a cable should deter all but the most determined and clued up thieves.I used to just ride my bike to work but now I find myself going out looking for bigger and bigger hills.0
