I know there are plenty of you who can relate so I just thought I would let it out. I have spent the last 4 months saving and working my ass off to build the bike I wanted. It wasn't the perfect bike or the best one but it was "mine" and I loved it! I am on holiday visiting my girlfriend in NYC. We went out to have dinner for a friends birthday for about an hour and when we came out both of our bikes were stolen. I even bought one of those fucking NYC Fugettaboutit locks! They went through the bike rack instead!

I have never had a bike stolen. If it had been a £100 bike I wouldn't have given a shit, but we had both been saving and dreaming about our bikes for ages and now they are gone?

I'm not rich by any means and I wont be able to afford another bike for quite a long time. I was really looking forward to coming out and meeting all of you (with my new bike) but that has all been rudely interrupted by some fucking knob end who has stolen my bike!!!

There is nothing we can do about it, they are gone. It just fucking kills me, I dont know what to say or do. I really loved my bike and I am so so sad that it's gone. I wish I had another one, but I don't. I'm inconsolable, really I am.

Shit. Heartbreaking stuff.

Makes me wonder whether we can set up a fund that acts like insurance... I doubt it, but I wish we could.

I have had two bikes knicked, and it certainly isn't pleasant. In fact scrub that, I hate thieving bastards.

The second time I had my bike nicked was in the university bike lockup, told the security guard and his response was ... "Fill in this form".

I now have some old ratty looking racer that though it looks shite, it still runs dead quick though. I just have something that doesn't look like it is worth nicking.

EDIT: As velocity boy said, Heartbreaking stuff.

not insured i take it?

Unfortunately not. I have never had anything stolen that mattered. Lesson learned on that topic I suppose? I feel like shit.

Really sorry to hear that, man

Perhaps not a financial thing but maybe have a parts bin? I'm sure between the lfgss minions there's enough going in terms of spare bits and bobs certainly to get any number of short term replacements going, though obviously it's not going to mean much in cases like this when so much heart was poured into a bike...

ive had, god..4 bikes stolen now, only 1 that i cared about.. and have always felt like shit for a while, but they have all been insured, so it hasnt been TOOOO bad.

feel for ya man, sorry :(

Shitting hell, just noticed in the names and faces thread that you only posted the a pic of your girls bike/your zappa/pizza combo a day ago...

what we really need is one of these

Sorry to hear of your loss, that shit would really piss me off. Was trying last week to educate my GFs 11 year old son that no one likes a thief. It seems a v normal thing with the younger generation that if you see something you like its okay to nick it. As a kid in the 70s I knew at that age it was wrong to do and would never have dreamed of it, where have we as parents gone wrong? Had a couple of my cars stolen in the past, it really cuts you deep.

Going to bed. I'll sleep on it. :( Hmf.....!

sad times elguapo. feel for you dude

sorry for you man.

and I couldn't resist:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZZngTkp54I

Sorry to hear about that EG

You'd be better off setting up a fund to buy everyone insurance and good locks etc. Like the idea above of a bits box if anyone suffers from a stripping.

@elguapo
I've got an old Raleigh Dynatech 531 road frame and forks I'd be happy to let you have for nowt to get you started. It is huge though - you'd have to be at least 6'2"...

Feel for ya. Have had three bikes stolen (one recovered), plus a car (also recovered, but fucked right up).

To anyone who has never had it happen to them, the feeling is simlar to when you get back to where you think you've parked your bike/car to realise 5 seconds later "oh, it's over there", but the feeling lasts for fucking hours. I hope it never happens to you.

ouch, bad news

I am so very sorry to hear of your loss- I know how it feels. If and when you start a rebuild let me know, I have some spare bitznpieces lying around

What really bad about these kind of theives is that there fully grown adults knowingly taking something that someone really cares about to make like £15.

When you see someone with a hefty lock on a bike you can tell how much they care about it, also the rear wheel probably wouldve been locked?

Which would mean the thief would get what, a front wheel etc to sell second hand?

I dont understand the huge efforts these thieves go to when they know they are doing something horrible. Its kind of understandable when its some 14 year old who sees a flashy bike leaned outside a shop.

I had a bike stolen which I tracked down at a market, it had already passed to a new owner who had locked it up outside. Got the market police to stake out in case it was the thief, but it was just a guy who had bought it from the market. So we went and found the guy who sold it, who bought it off the thief for £10, which sold to the buyer for £15!

Thatm really does suck the hairy ones. My house has been broken into twice in 6 months. The first time they nicked my shiny new Mac that I'd just bought - on my credit card. Still paying that fucker off!

I leave work everyday wondering whether I'm going to see my bike as I round the corner. It's locked in a very 'knowing' way, if you know what I mean, d-lock through frame/wheel, back-up cable lock, tight to the stand, nowhere to get a jack or anything wedged in there. I wonder if that means anything to the tea-leaves, or do they just see it as an extra bonus challenge.

surely it would have been insured by the credit card then?

Jeez, how dangerous a job do you have?
;-)

Sadly I bought it on HP then paid it off with my credit card. What wonderful planning that was!

Holy shit that was awesome! I needed that.

Thanks Platini, I'm not elvin but I'm not 6'2 either. Really appreciate the offer though.

Thanks MG. I'll put the word out when the building starts. It's gonna be a little while though unfortunately.

Tough break, on the good side you didn't have a great deal of memories of it so you should be over the emotional side very quickly..
Financial is a hole new story - get your ass out on the social events and you got a good chance of putting together a scrap heap challange number with begged and borrowed parts

Bad luck elguapo, my comiserations.

Ohhhhhhh, I feel your pain. I've just written off my pride and joy (rain, skid, lamp post) and am still coming to terms with the fact that I'll never ride it again. It's almost worse than having it stolen, because it's now sitting in the corner of my room, making me cry every time I walk past.

Ouch!

I feel your pain

Tough break fella...
Thieves are scum.

Do you have household insurance? You should be able to claim on that if you do