A Bristol cyclist who has been the victim of six burglaries – two of those within four months – believes he is being deliberately targeted by bike thieves.
Jose Velazquez, who mountain bikes in the popular Leigh Woods, and rides to raise money for Bristol Children’s Hospital, has lost more than £10,000 of road and mountain bikes to theft in total, while thieves leave his wife’s and daughter’s bikes behind.
Velazquez secures his bikes with a D-lock inside a locked garage but he says bike thieves seem to wait for him to replace the stolen machines before striking again. He believes they may be targeting riders using apps like Strava.
Bristol thieves sawing through bike racks and concealing damage in bid to trick cyclists
Velazquez told the Bristol Post: “I have always locked my bike up. But the police said with the right tools people will be able to get in.
"My bike is insured and it looks as though they have seen it has been replaced and then come to steal the newest version."
In 2012 Avon and Somerset Police said thieves were targeting riders in Ashton Court and Leigh Woods, to find out who had expensive bikes that were worth stealing. At the time, PC Greig Difford was quoted by the Post saying: "There were 28 such incidents in March 2012, where bicycles have been taken from homes in Bristol.
"The owners of these bikes had been cycling in the Leigh Woods or Ashton Court area in the weeks leading up to the theft. Leigh Woods and Ashton Court now attracts many cyclists as it was voted the 'best inner city mountain bike trail in the country' and we are keen to put a stop to these thefts and bring the offenders to justice.
"Some of the bikes stolen have been worth up to £5,000 and we have increased patrols in the area."
Last year police in Bristol arrested five people following a year-long investigation into criminal gangs involved in bike theft.
Add new comment
18 comments
In all fairness, this isn't as uncommon as you may think. If a thief breaks in, pinches your bikes and then discovers their true value, he'll come back as he'll know you're replacing like with like.
Years ago, we had a customer in the LBS I worked in who was repeatedly targeted. He had loads of bikes nicked because he was spending so much on them and the thief caught on! I recall that one of them was a Tomac titanium mountain bike which was one of only a handful in the UK.
This was years before Strava existed as well.
I'd stick a Y-cam Homemonitor or similar up. It won't stop them stealing your stuff but you'll at least have a physical description of who did it, when they did it, and if positioned correctly, what car they chucked it into.
I'd also change the garage door for something more secure. Up and over doors are remarkably easy to get though.
I ride in Leigh Woods. I use Strava. I have privacy set up but when mountain biking that's irrelevant as I don't ride to or from Leigh Woods. I'm convinced I have been followed by a white van after riding there though, so I took several diversions and double backs before he obviously realised he'd been clocked and gave up.
If he's spending that amount on bikes, he clearly has a very understanding wife, so I think he probably needs to suggest that she sleeps in the garage so there's room in the bedroom for the bikes.
As above - they clearly know they've got a reliable stream of nice bikes to pinch, Strava or not - keep them in the house / massively ramp up security / get an Asgard / keep them somewhere else all spring to mind as possible avenues to stem the thieving tide...
plug it into the mains
http://securityforbikes.com/products.php?cat=Shed+Shackle%2C+Protector+C...
I use these, plus an alarm and various other locks and bolts.
Yep, common problem, no need to single out Strava.
Burglars often return, not just because of the insurance, but because they now know the property. They know how to get in, where things are kept and how exposed they are to being caught. Communial shelters, as provided at offices and larger apartment blocks can have real problems with this.
i am with scrumpy on this, nothign more than "normal" service, the bike has been stolen leave it a few weeks for insurance to pay out then return and nick the replacement.
There are many ways that theives could have found out in the first place, few cases local to me where cars followed people home for a starter.
A few weeks!
A few months with arguing with the mendacious scumbags at insurers more like.
Install a rabid dog next to bike!
I always wondered what the point of double d-locking is - if they can get one off, they can get two off, especially in a garage where it doesn't matter how long it takes. If the victim doesn't change anything about his security, the thieves will know exactly which tools they need to steal a replacement bike. After multiple bike thefts, I'd have invested in a ground anchor, a d-lock, a cable lock, CCTV, alarms, a more secure garage door etc.
And yes, I know he shouldn't have to.
Burglars coming back after giving you time to replace your stuff is common. No need to blame Strava for this one.
His strava is private so I somehow think it is unlikely to be that, although he could have set it private since the thefts.
You need to make sure you have a privacy zone configured in Strava for around your house, so your Strava ride doesn't show anyone else exactly where you live!
Would be useful to know if he does indeed have a privacy setting on his Strava or if he is posting up loads of details else where like twitter & facebook?
Sakes mate, if you've been hit on multiple occasions stick up a video camera. And block out yer home/work on Strava!
get.off.strava.