Cite d'europe theft! (1 Viewer)

[Rob Turner]

In Annecy!
The police told us that lots of bikes go everyday from around there, it's a real problem.
It was a busy time and there was literally 100s of people with bikes. I was just unlucky, we go every year and never had a problem before and it won't stop me from going back, just make sure you chain them up the best you can and insure them correctly.
You can also buy padlocks with alarms on to which I now own and it's bloody loud.

 

[BMStewart2004]

Making me think a garage is a must - really don't fancy leaving my baby dangling off the back - and no I'm not talking about SWMBO....

 

[DL42846]

Sorry to hear of the sad end to your holidays. My brother in-law heard someone around his camper van in the early ours of the morning whist at an aire. He peeked through the curtain from inside the camper and saw this b--tard looking through the side window casing the van. The brother in-law thumped the window and frighten the b--tard off.

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[eddie]

You can get bike alarms for this risk. This is the first I found, there are others. http://www.seton.co.uk/lock-alarm.html

Of course bike loops can be added to some MH alarm systems, such as Outsmart the Thief and Van Bitz.

It is standard on our systems, included at no extra cost

 

[Viennese]

Both our bikes are old and rusty - no one would want them However, both are reputable makes, lightweight and in good condition, which means they are just as good to ride as expensive new ones which will obviously appeal to thieves... Buy yourself some good old ones which they won't want. The hassle of claiming and replacing I can do without.

 

[Just smiffy]

It takes somthing like this to spoil the whole Holliday .... Hope the insurance coughs up...




Anyway,........

Anyone wanna buy a cheep bike....?

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[colyboy]

Don't condemn CIE this could have happened in your local Tesco. But sorry to hear your news,

colyboy

 

[EuroTrotters]

Thats a real bummer and as you said, sad end to holiday. What is annoying is that you don't have time to report it. Not to say that it is the people suggested. Could easily have been another motorhomer!.

I have not come back via Calais for years now. Nearly knocked a black person over on the A26 back in 2009. Very close.

We do sometimes go out that way. But as we now have a house in Spain, we mostly use Bilbao/Santander. If going east, its Hull or Harwich.

 

[MattR]

What sort of lock were you using and were they covered up?

We lock each one of ours on with a gold rated 'sold secure' D lock (£25 each on Amazon) and have an accessory loop round them linked to the Strikeback alarm.

Thanks for posting as we are overnighting there in a few weeks so I'll keep a look out for bumps in the night!

Your lock can be picked in less than 2 mins (assuming it is the one that I think it would be). That is about twice as long as it would take to pick other locks. They are good, but don't rely on it.

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[GAVLAD]

I take the saddles off ours - might taken the pedals off as well now.
We lock and strike back growler them too.
Wonder if the Bike rack will fit the kid on?

 

[Big Nick]

Your lock can be picked in less than 2 mins (assuming it is the one that I think it would be). That is about twice as long as it would take to pick other locks. They are good, but don't rely on it.

It's a Pitbull type with a long thin key supposedly for higher security, is that the type that's easy to pick?

 

[Gorse Hill]

It's a Pitbull type with a long thin key supposedly for higher security, is that the type that's easy to pick?

No, but a good pair of bolts cutters will sort it out
If they want it it's gone unfortunately best anyone can do it is make it as difficult as possible for the scum

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[Big Nick]

No, but a good pair of bolts cutters will sort it out
If they want it it's gone unfortunately best anyone can do it is make it as difficult as possible for the scum

Well 'Gold' rated are supposed to last a 5 minute sustained attack using a multitude of tools which is about the most you can expect and after that the alarm will go off as well so if we are inside the van they better be quick getting it down off the rack as there will be 16 stone of angry Yorkshireman bearing down on them!

 

[brodie]

Sorry to hear about that, such a shame at the end of your holiday.

We have just returned from 2 weeks in the Ardeche.

One day at a lovely picnic spot where we were there with about 5 other vans, we spotted 2 French vans parked next to each other with trailers in them carrying some kind of motorbikes/scooters.

The occupants of these 2 vans went wandering off down a footpath by the river just as we were packing up to leave. No more than 5 minutes later a flatbed truck with 3 men (I suspect gypsies) in pulled up by one of them. Straight away I said to my daughter look at this lot upto no good. Too much interest in the bike for my liking, we sat and watched them all chatting to each other hands waving about. They pulled off then stopped and one of them got out and approached the trailer.

Obviously he was giving it the once over, once they disappeared Rich went off down the path to try and catch the owners up to warn them but they had gone.

Daughter wrote a note in her 3rd year French to let them know and Rich put it on their door, hopefully they didn't return for it.

 

[cruiser]

Now I know where you are going @Popeye . Look out I am after your scotch.

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[Big Nick]

I think a bike cover is worth using, the more time they need to spend messing around to get a look at what's under it the better and hopefully it will be too much hassle

 

[Adbt]

Daft as it may seem but I also use long cable ties ( just a couple ) It's just to hold the scum up time wise .

 

[MitchandJenny]

A LONG chain from the bikes attached to my ankle would do the trick.
I'm not worth stealing.
Mitch.

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[maison]

Any theft of ones property causes major grief.

It is not so much the financial loss as the thought that the bast@&£s who nicked it probably don't even work in order to buy their own.

I don't approve of some of the Sharia Law ideas but there are times I think that chopping their hands off might be a good idea!

 

[Lot lover]

I don't approve of some of the Sharia Law ideas but there are times I think that chopping their hands off might be a good idea!

First offence = right hand only which means that you cannot eat in polite society

Second offence = kak hand as well so not sure how this works in practice, car wash perhaps?