Vandals\Thieves or just bad luck!!!!!

Hi,

I commute into London and park around the Oxford Circus area. For the THIRD time now I've got back to my bike and found the Clutch Lever has been snapped off!!! The first two times it was just the clutch lever so I thought I'd carry one under the seat as a spare. However this time they also snapped my Gear Lever clean off!!!! (£15 for clutch lever and £35 for Gear Lever)

Needless to say I'm getting a bit p***ed of with this, has anyone else had this problem? The recovery people reckon somebody wants to steal my bike and are braking the clutch lever in the hope that I will leave the bike overnight when the thieves will return and put it in the back of a van.

My only other thought is that where people have tried to get their bike out they have caught the lever and snapped it off, however there is never any damage to the bodywork so find this hard to believe. I also can't see how someone trying to get their bike out could snap the gear lever off.

Comment\thoughts, ideas on how I could prevent this would be much appreciated, and has\does anyone else suffer from this problem.

Cheers
Desh

It sounds like the theft theory is pretty plausable. Hope this is not the case, luckily I work in police stations all round London, so park my bike in the yard of each. Is there no cctv in the area, so someone can catch the barstewards

I park near Cambridge Circus, so I know what a pain it can be
It might be caused by one of those dozy b****s trying to squeeze in their scooter as has happened to me before now.
Was it knocked over Can't see how you could break both clutch and break levers otherwise, unless there is someone trying to disable it so they can nick it later

I'd find somewhere else to park - there are lots of parking bays around
try this - http://www.bbc.co.uk/london/congestion/bike_map.shtml

there is a good .jpg of all the bike parks - takes quite a while to download, but is worth it

Originally Posted by BigApe

It sounds like the theft theory is pretty plausable. Hope this is not the case, luckily I work in police stations all round London, so park my bike in the yard of each. Is there no cctv in the area, so someone can catch the barstewards

I agree with BigApe, sounds a pretty logical idea. Shame you cannot capture the people doing this...then leg it over with a base ball bat *cough* sorry lump in my throat...any idea when it is happening?

Originally Posted by fraser01

...then leg it over with a bag ball bat *cough* sorry lump in my throat...any idea when it is happening?

Ah...........some special police-issue kit?

I have a "bite-stick" for splatting rats (when I'm on call) which might be useful in this case..........same thing the park rangers use to "cure" aggressive dogs. It's classed as an offensive weapon if I get it out in public*





[*over to you Cronos ]

*couch* (this cough is catching)

Thanks Jabba i have amended my last post ...I should have known you would have picked up on it

Should have just put heavy chain and lock (with sold lethal written on it) ?


anyhow to Cronos.....

[embee]

Originally Posted by Jabba-the-Hutt

Ah...........some special police-issue kit?

I presume that's for dealing with the odd scrote when you catch one? :-&

Just found these on the net and am gonna get one



http://www.lockitt.com/LeverLocks.htm

Anyone else use one of these?

I guess it can only help, I do generally park my bike in different places but so far it's happened whilst parked in a)Hanover Square b)Little Argyle St and c)Henrietta Place just by Cavendish Square. Don't think there is any CCTV camera's around and not sure how interested the Police would be as I've never bothered reporting it.

The bikes never been knocked over as nothing else is ever damaged or scratched which is why I think it vandalism.

Would love to catch the b****rds who are doing this as each time I have to wait for recovery which generally takes up to two hours, it also means I have to commute on the train till I can get hold of the parts!!!! It's the commuting on the tube that really ****es me off..

Could be wrong but it sounds like someone might have a grudge. Years ago I used to park my car outside someone's house whilst I went to day-release college. I wasn't blocking a driveway or causing a problem but every time I came back at the end of the dack a bit of trim was missing. So I moved my car elsewhere and it stopped.

If it were today I'd be knocking rather loudly on the door of the people I thought were responsible but I was somewhat timid then. Now now though!


.

Originally Posted by Jabba-the-Hutt

It's classed as an offensive weapon if I get it out in public*

[*over to you Cronos ]

*thinks*

No, sorry I can't think of anything to add to that! :P