Will This Increase The Chances Of My Bike Being Stolen? | Cake Stop | Road | Forums - BikeRadar

freehub · **Posted** Wed Nov 4, 2009 11:14 pm

Hi, I've just put a Mavic Aksium front wheel on my commuter I cycle to college on, before I had an Open Pro on a Tiagra hub, the tyre split on it and I cba changing it so I put me aksium on that I've got laying around.

The thing is, the stickers saying "Mavic Aksium Race", I'm worried they might make thieves more attracted to my bicycle?

Thanks
Will.

My Bike
Winter bike
bookface
My name is Will, not Freehub.

brownleather · **Posted** Wed Nov 4, 2009 11:16 pm

Take the Decals off, and the wheels will be lighter anyway.

You need some security skewers too, to stop scum nicking your wheels easily.

freehub · **Posted** Wed Nov 4, 2009 11:19 pm

Well I use a D lock on my rear wheel, cable on the front wraped around the cages, the bike lock area is fenched off and apparently has CCTV looking at it.

I don't know about taking the stickers off, the wheels look better with them on, or do they? thoughts? Should I take the stickers off?

My Bike
Winter bike
bookface
My name is Will, not Freehub.

Jez mon · **Posted** Thu Nov 5, 2009 12:00 am

TBH, Will I don't think they will particularly make the bike much more nick-able, IMHO, most bike thieves outide london are just looking for mountain bikes which are pretty easy to shift once stolen.

GavH, it's a perfectly valid question, whilst the common thief may not know his dura ace from his sora, he is sure to be attracted to big shiny stickers!

FWIW Will, if you are worried, de-sticker the wheel, IMO, the stickers on askiums are a bit garish anyway! You could take the front wheel out and use the D-Lock to secure it.

You live and learn. At any rate, you live

djetelina · **Posted** Thu Nov 5, 2009 4:56 am

Another idea, locking type skewers for USD 3.99 a pair.
(one skewer for front, one for back wheel; includes 2 spanners)
http://www.bikeregistry.com/estore/product_info.php?products_id=56
Shipping to UK, 'bout another USD 1.5.

Le Commentateur · **Posted** Thu Nov 5, 2009 6:41 am

A thief doesn't waste time assesing the relative worth of the machine unless it's a total clunker. Generally if it looks easy to pinch they'll take it and worry about what to do with it later.

rake · **Posted** Thu Nov 5, 2009 8:09 am

Limburger · **Posted** Thu Nov 5, 2009 9:02 am

Perhaps this is the wrong forum to ask this question. A bike thieves forum would be your best bet.

If you are really worried about someone pikeing your wheel then fix the tube on the other one. Simples.

God made the Earth. The Dutch made The Netherlands

FCN 11/12 - Ocasional beardy

John Stevenson · **Posted** Thu Nov 5, 2009 9:05 am

Personal abuse, and responses thereto, deleted.

gavH - knock it off or a ban will follow.

John Stevenson
Editor-in-chief, Future cycling

MattC59 · **Posted** Thu Nov 5, 2009 9:07 am

Sounds like GavH has got sand in his mangina !!! Some unnecessary abuse when you only asked a question. In my humble opinion, he's being a d*ck the abuse was unwarranted (and now I'm waiting for a load of abuse from GavH !!)

Anyway, back to your question......

When I was at Uni, all be it a few years ago, I had a few bikes nicked from outside the college buildings. These were all spangly, shiney ones. I got a my old Kona Fire Mountain, stripped it of decals and used it to commute into college for years, and guess what....... I've still got it !

In my opinion, if a bike looks shiney and expensive, (lots of Mavic stickers etc) the thieves will target that before a cheaper knackered looking bike. It's the Magpie effect, thieves are attracted to shiney stuff ! They may not have the first idea what a Mavic Aksium is, but if it looks more expensive, it becomes more attractive. How many London couriers do you see, thrashing around on battered looking bikes ? These are often reasonable bikes which have been de-stickered, had inner tubes wrapped around them, re-sprayed etc. Anything to disguise their value.

Take the stickers off and you'll reduce the magpie effect. It can't do any harm.

When I am grown-up I will understand how BEAUTIFUL it feels to administrate my life effectively. Until then I will continue to TORCH all correspondence that bores me and to DANCE NAKED over the remnants of its still glowing embers.

freehub · **Posted** Thu Nov 5, 2009 9:32 am

Hmmm, I might consider taking the stickers off, I'll plaster my PC case with them :p.

Thanks djetelina I might get some of those, but then again, my rear wheel is locked with a D Lock to the frame/pedals and the front uses a cable lock that I wrap all around the cages. I'd hope my SPD pedals might put thieves off, they look weird and it's difficult to cycle on them without spd shoes.

I have another D lock that I want to use with the cable lock on the front, but I've being told too many locks can actually attract thieves, so 3 locks Im unsure about.

My Bike
Winter bike
bookface
My name is Will, not Freehub.

Ollieda · **Posted** Thu Nov 5, 2009 10:17 am

You have to accept that even with locks on, if a well planned theif wants your bike then they're going to get it. My friend just had his bike nicked, D lock cut through and cable just slipped off after.

I'm not saying dont bother locking it as that would be stupid! But when you lock it up just be sensible......well light area, if not CCTV covered then CCTV covering the entrance/exits, other bikes parked there. At least this way there are external factors to discourage a thief. Whilst your bike might still get nicked, things like the CCTV or potential witnesses means you have a better chance of getting it back/police actually caring.

Secondly get your bike on immobilise (http://www.immobilise.com/) Theres been a lot of talk about weather the Police actually use it and if its worth the hassle, but just signing up is free so theres no harm! They also do a little tag that sits in your seat tube and if police recover the bike they can scan it and get your details https://www.immobilise.com/view.php?stage=product&category=1&product=2
I've got one in my MTB which I use for my short uni commute and will be getting another for a new single speed im getting off a friend (can finally ditch that crappy MTB!)

[Edit] - I forgot to mention that the police were handing out flyers for immobilise at one of there bike safety stands a few months ago near me and they said they use it here (Gloucestershire Constabulary) I guess theres no harm in giving your local police a call and asking if they use it. (obviously dont ring 999!)

There has been mention of locking skewers already, I personally think the best are these style: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Zefal-Lock-Security-Wheel-Skewer/dp/B001CR6PPE unlike most which use a key or spanner these ones will only open when upside down! therefore if an opportunist thief trys to nick your wheel then they just wont be able to unless they unlock the bike. From the online reviews about the other ones theres talk about how the locking keys can break off and stuff, and its possible that a planned thief might bring a spanner for the spanner ones. Obviously, don't make a big thing out of them and don't take your wheels/saddle off too many times in public otherwise people will begin to cotton on!

Hope this helps!

You see impossible, I see the finish line.

Ash_ · **Posted** Thu Nov 5, 2009 10:53 am

dmclite · **Posted** Thu Nov 5, 2009 11:05 am

Will, think it would be much less hassle to repair the other wheel, change the tyre from the askium to the original wheel. saves you stickers and negates the chance of a shiny wheel getting nicked. Wink

FCN 1

I don't mean to brag, I don't mean to boast but I'm intercontinental when I eat french toast.

freehub · **Posted** Thu Nov 5, 2009 11:43 am

Well yea but, the old wheels are worn, rough bearings, the actual rims are pretty concave and the rear hub is knackered, I cycled to college today and on the aksiums I notice how much smoother it is and I get quicker acceleration now, before it was like I was pulling a tank behind me, no wonder my knees where killing after a 3 mile commuter on my worn out open pros.

My Bike
Winter bike
bookface
My name is Will, not Freehub.

mikesmith80 · **Posted** Thu Nov 5, 2009 11:54 am

just thought i'd chip in,
no real advise but an anecdote from personal experiance...

I ride my rockhopper into work 2-3 times a week. (just off oxford st in west london) and have done for the last 4 years or so.

I park it up in a bike rack just out side the office, with cctv coverage, outside a starbucks, so very public, and use kryptonite d lock and cable.

Anyway one lunch, I had the dumb luck of seeing someone riding my bike off into the sunset.
longstory short, no one saw him doing it, the police said the cctv coverage was not sufficent so got my crime ref number and went to give my insurance gimps a reason to bump up my preimium!

A mate suggested i check on gum tree, and low and behold a coulpe of days later there it was .. mocking me! called the police.. they couldn't be arsed... so I went to go and check it out (alll vigalanty style) . so to speed up the story, I met the guy, bike was defo mine sratches marks etc.. made my excusse i needed to go get some money from the cash point and then called the police... 2 hours later they tuned up knicked the guy, I got my bike back and they found another 10 or so bike in his house, all 1500k plus machines.

when the police asked how i found it i told them that I looked on gum tree.. to which they replied "what is gum tree?!?"

so the moral of this tale is that, no matter how much you secure your bike, with cctv, public etc.. if a scally is gonna twock it they will always find away, and secondly, from my experiance, the police treat bike theft as a uber uber trival crime and only did anything cos i did their job for them.... I bet if you tot up the cost of bikes that are stolen in London every year, it would look more than significant,

anyway, my advise, make sure you know what your serial number is and have good insurance!!

hope your wheels stay safe!

Rockhopper '05
Cube Reaction RX '10 (when ever they get around to building it)

Nuggs · **Posted** Thu Nov 5, 2009 12:28 pm

Pross · **Posted** Thu Nov 5, 2009 12:36 pm

Also, it might be worth leaving the bike in different places each day. An opportunist thief is unlikely to be bothered trying to get through locks but someone who knows what's what may see it there one day and come back the next tooled up. Make sure it's covered on yours or your parents home contents insurance too just in ase the worst does happen!

freehub · **Posted** Thu Nov 5, 2009 12:44 pm

Anyone got a picture of an aksium wheel with no decals on?

My Bike
Winter bike
bookface
My name is Will, not Freehub.

Buckled_Rims · **Posted** Thu Nov 5, 2009 12:58 pm

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