Magnetized - London Fixed-gear and Single-speed

|³|MA3K · 2nd April 2008

I was doing a dash-in dash-out shop at the Gap Picadilly, buying some clothes for work. I got back outside after no more than 7 minutes and as I was undoing my Abus Granit D I noticed this:

Which reminded me of this:

Quote:

Originally Posted by asm

Something a bit odd happened in brick lane this Wednesday after (my rather pathetic attempt at) polo. Was sitting in the bar right at the top of brick lane (on the right hand side) with my bike chained to 2 lamp posts in my line of site. This old guy came up to it, started checking it out, then lifted it up (at this point i bolted to the door clenching my fists). By the time I was right next to him he was making some suspicious arm gestures (golf swing?) to what appeared to be a window on the top floor of a building across bethnal green road, to the left of the street that the polo court is on. I dropped my bag on the floor and curtly told him to piss off, got a good look at his face in the process. While i was unlocking my bike I noticed half a magnet on the top tube. Cycled home feeling pretty angry.

I can only assume that
a) this guy (wearing a check blue shirt, blue jeans, heavy (fat) build, greying/thinning/shortish mousy brown hair, bright blue eyes (and with a squint)) had marked my bike with the magnet for someone else to come along and steal it(I had 2 locks on it, mini kryptonite and an abus cable lock);
and b) The people who would come along with bolt cutters etc were in the building across the street.

Either that or he was just a crazy guy, but I somehow don't think so.

I think/hope that this of some use to everyone here. I am considering parking my bike within easy reach and in clear view somewhere else in brick lane and seeing if I catch the same guy at it again! (Although that's sort of playing with fire i guess.)

Weird as fuck.

pilky · 2nd April 2008

u were probly mere minutes from getting it nicked then ?
why would anyone put a magnet on it otherwise :/

BRM · 2nd April 2008

Very lucky, I'd say.

asm · 2nd April 2008

pah, they only used half a magnet on mine, obviously a bridgestone is worth a full one.

JasonLewer · 2nd April 2008

how would a magnet help a bike get stolen? the thief would first have to check if it had a magnet on it, then still check the locks out. also its not like its a tracking device they would still have to be told where the bike is.

makes no sense, possibly used to see if the bike is consistently locked in the same place?

... or, i've heard stories of people using little LED lights with magnets on them as a kind of graffiti tag, turn them on and throw them at signs etc, maybe it's something along those lines.

BRM · 2nd April 2008

A quick phone call would let the bastard's minions know where the bike is, the magnet just indicates which bike(s).

asm · 2nd April 2008

Jason,

thieves don't work on their own. One person identifies the bikes, & tags them with a magnet, another comes in and cuts the locks.

Yes they are that organised.

chris crash · 2nd April 2008

walk up the street, mark the bikes, phone the man with the van, so he grabs the right bikes, low risk for the marker.

|³|MA3K · 2nd April 2008

They wouldn't have been able to get through my Granit in the scant time I left it.
It would need to be ground-off I'm sure.
Was on that crazy-busy corner opposite Eros.

JasonLewer · 2nd April 2008

yeah, i was thinking why bother with the magnet?

but re-thinking i guess the guy in the van might not be an expert on what bikes will be able to sell.

i kinda liked the idea of someone spreading a harmless tag that you don't have to paint over.

asm · 2nd April 2008

Yeah, but it's a bridgestone, probs worth the risk to the thieves.

chris crash · 2nd April 2008

thy ming not be grinding it, if they have a van could have knocked the sign off the top of the poll and lifted the bike over, or used the abus pick.

Kelvin · 2nd April 2008

surely too strange to not related.

The lesson learnt today, buy an alloy bike

|³|MA3K · 2nd April 2008

Nah it was locked to multiple railings.

tynan · 2nd April 2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kelvin

The lesson learnt today, buy an alloy bike

My thought too :)

Build · 2nd April 2008

WTF! You said you would take care of it. Please don't leave alone again ;]

Build · 2nd April 2008

btw I really think these cunts are on and using this forum.

|³|MA3K · 2nd April 2008

You on hotel WiFi ?
:o

Build · 2nd April 2008

last night nada. Tonight running it red!!!

tynan · 2nd April 2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by Build

btw I really think these cunts are on and using this forum.

What makes you think this ?

chris crash · 2nd April 2008

i agree, they can use google, are probably looking at this fourm

tynan · 2nd April 2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by chris crash

i agree, they can use google, are probably looking at this fourm

What would lead them here ?

horatio · 2nd April 2008

Googling web pages that they could sell bikes on maybe?

Build · 2nd April 2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by tynan

What makes you think this ?

cause I put the magnet on it

Build · 2nd April 2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by tynan

What would lead them here ?

london, bikes, custom bikes, fixed, single speed. My fav google entry is "expensive bikes london" we are the sixth hit

tynan · 2nd April 2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by Build

london, bikes, custom bikes, fixed, single speed. My fav google entry is "expensive bikes london" we are the sixth hit

I see !

brett · 2nd April 2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by Build

btw I really think these cunts are on and using this forum.

This thought has occurred to me more than once. Sadly I think there's next to nothing that could be done about it.

Kelvin · 2nd April 2008

sudden rush on these babies?

Richard Cheese · 2nd April 2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by Build

btw I really think these cunts are on and using this forum.

I can't believe they wouldn't be on here. They might be inbred pedo cunts, but they aren't necessarily incapable of using the internet. It doesn't take much for anyone with a particular purpose to do a bit of research, and if you're researching fixed bikes in London you'll end up here. And if they didn't know it already, they'll soon know exactly what brands are popular/desirable/outdated, and have a fair idea where to get them.

eeehhhh · 2nd April 2008

Hmm very weird all this.

Quote:

Originally Posted by brett

This thought has occurred to me more than once. Sadly I think there's next to nothing that could be done about it.

Yeah, occurred to me a couple of times too.

The only thing we could do would be to limit lots of threads to members who are somehow 'verified' as genuine, which would suck a lot.

|³|MA3K · 2nd April 2008

Soweto888 · 2nd April 2008

You'd think the spotter could just tell his accomplice, "It's the one that says 'Bridgestone' on it." Or is London awash with Bridgestones? If every bike rack and set of railings features at least two, then the risk of stealing the frame in the less desirable colour clearly explains the use of the magnet. :-)

Don't leave it unattended again, eh? Take a different bike when you need to lock up in the street.

|³|MA3K · 2nd April 2008

I wasn't concerned, just bemused.

I was pretty confidant the bike would be there when I got back. Left it for under ten minutes in a really busy area, tight pedestrian thoroughfare. It was locked up high to multiple railings with a very-near-fuck-off-lock with me but seconds away.

As I said up top, it was just weird as fuck, plus I scored a magnet.

tynan · 2nd April 2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by |³|MA3K

I wasn't concerned, just bemused.

I was pretty confidant the bike would be there when I got back. Left it for under ten minutes in a really busy area, tight pedestrian thoroughfare. It was locked up high to multiple railings with a very-near-fuck-off-lock with me but seconds away.

As I said up top, it was just weird as fuck, plus I scored a magnet.

Result !

2nd April 2008	#28
Kelvin	sudden rush on these babies? Attached Thumbnails
	quote reply

2nd April 2008	#2
pilky	u were probly mere minutes from getting it nicked then ? why would anyone put a magnet on it otherwise :/
	quote reply

2nd April 2008	#5
JasonLewer	how would a magnet help a bike get stolen? the thief would first have to check if it had a magnet on it, then still check the locks out. also its not like its a tracking device they would still have to be told where the bike is. makes no sense, possibly used to see if the bike is consistently locked in the same place? ... or, i've heard stories of people using little LED lights with magnets on them as a kind of graffiti tag, turn them on and throw them at signs etc, maybe it's something along those lines.
	quote reply

2nd April 2008	#8
chris crash	walk up the street, mark the bikes, phone the man with the van, so he grabs the right bikes, low risk for the marker.
	quote reply

2nd April 2008	#9
\|³\|MA3K	They wouldn't have been able to get through my Granit in the scant time I left it. It would need to be ground-off I'm sure. Was on that crazy-busy corner opposite Eros.
	quote reply

2nd April 2008	#16
Build	WTF! You said you would take care of it. Please don't leave alone again ;]
	quote reply

2nd April 2008	#23
horatio	Googling web pages that they could sell bikes on maybe?
	quote reply

2nd April 2008	#32
Soweto888	You'd think the spotter could just tell his accomplice, "It's the one that says 'Bridgestone' on it." Or is London awash with Bridgestones? If every bike rack and set of railings features at least two, then the risk of stealing the frame in the less desirable colour clearly explains the use of the magnet. :-) Don't leave it unattended again, eh? Take a different bike when you need to lock up in the street.
	quote reply