Comments on: Bike blues

By: recycle mobile

recycle mobile — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 11:46:14 +0000

Don’t take a holiday at Center Parcs then as these places are just a haven for bike thieves. I know friends who have had bikes stolen every time they’ve been! An I thought these places were closed-off??

By: Phil Clark

Phil Clark — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 15:06:56 +0000

Jon. Replace high-powered journo with digitial honcho struggling to make the numbers add up

By: Jon Goodbun

Jon Goodbun — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 11:40:40 +0000

bad luck… I have lost count of how many bikes that I have had stolen before going for a Brompton (which is great). I had found that two or more locks makes a big difference… but the only really safe route is to have a bike that you carry around with you… no doubt a high powered journo can afford the expensive lightweight aluminium brompton model!

By: Phil Clark

Phil Clark — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 08:20:34 +0000

Thanks for the thoughts everyone. Elementowl – certainly not been put off. Firmly got the bug. Paul – will be happy to take part but still grappling with Google Wave (just clicking on now). On the issue of folding bikes I can totally see the logic but still have an emotional pull towards the full frame ones (if that expression means anything – have not fully grasped bike lingo yet).

By: Mark Elton

Mark Elton — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 12:04:09 +0000

Phil, I had my 6-week-old bike stolen in the summer when visiting a potential job and leaving it locked to a lamppost outside. It is a terribly depressing experience as your blog reveals. However, the replacement duly arrived thanks to my insurance company and I’m back on the road again. I use a Dahon folding bike (cheaper USA version of Brompton) and just insist on taking into reception wherever I go, folded of course. Its too heavy to carry for a long time but I take it into shops, on the train, down the tube, into meetings . . . I think companies should be rated for how accommodating they are to bikes and folding bikes especially in London or other big cities. Even in my own practice it annoys me that I have to stow it in a cleaners cupboard for health and safety reasons! I think they should be arrayed loud and proud in reception like at FCBS! We should also be insisting on designing reception cloak rooms with storage for folding bikes! Still not as healthy as the days I used to cycle 12 miles to work and back though – must be getting old.

By: Paul Wilkinson

Paul Wilkinson — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:12:16 +0000

Phil, you may have seen some of the Twitter chatter after your loss regarding a scheme whereby buildings could have a ‘bike/cyclist-friendly’ rating, with the most highly-rated destinations offering secure, dry, off-road storage, changing facilities, etc. It is something that I once asked the CTC about (last year, I think), but nothing came of it then.

However, I’ve resurrected the idea and with a few others am using Google Wave (yes, geeky, but useful to collaborate on creating the criteria) to develop some ideas on how the scheme might work, who to work with to get it adopted, etc. As I’ve just see that you’re on Wave, I’ve added you to the relevant Wave

By: Will

Will — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:27:07 +0000

Go for the Brompton. It was designed for London. Theft, trains, the tube, buses, taxis, stairs, meetings all over town can all be conquered and integrated with your travel plan once you get one!

By: ElementOwl

ElementOwl — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:24:30 +0000

Sorry to hear about the theft.

I have spots where I prefer to leave mind, I usually choose somewhere covered by the towns CCTV system. Fortunately clients I go to see usually have a secure area where I can leave it. A good friend had his stolen from an area about 50 yards from a location where I leave mine. After speaking to the police he was told that the bike thieves in our area are well aware of the spots where they are less likely to be disturbed or seen while cutting off the locks.

While wheeling mine through a pedestrian area I did overhear two of the local yobs saying “thats a nice bike,” followed by “I could do with nicking that one” it was depressing to hear, but at least they didn’t try mugging me for it.

Hope you get back on a new bike soon and are not put off giving up 2 wheel transport