Brompton bikes being stolen

I have been here before on the subject of bike thefts here in London. Sadly, it does look to be on the rise again. 

The way most bike thefts are carried out hasn't really changed over the years. Put simply you lock your bike up somewhere and the chain is broken or cut through and your bike is gone. The new way has involved traditional scooters and the electric variety which can really motor along and almost silently. Along with the new way has been the increase in the level of brazenness and violence employed to get your bike.

Most Brompton riders take their bike with them, folding and carrying with it never out of slight for long so the theft of your Brompton being chained up somewhere is rare - only because most Brompton user do not do this.

There have been a few reports recently of usually two people on a scooter knocking people off their bicycles with one pedalling. In addition that level of violence mentioned previously is definitely there. 

Report it to the police and you will probably get a crime number which you can forward to your house insurance company to see if you they will cover some of the cost of replacement. Apart from that, many report that nothing else is really done. 

Your chances of recovering your bike a limited but you could register for free your with schemes like 'Bike Register' which often pop in various locations so that an identity number can be etched somewhere on your frame. If you are a Brompton owner you can register the frame and serial number of your bike on the Brompton website. 

For many it would be very tempting to defend yourself and your bike and in the right set of circumstances, this might be okay to do. However, my 9+ years of Judo and Karate in my youth taught me that flight is always better than fight. 

As always I welcome what you think, so please leave a comment. 

Until next time, stay safe out there people!