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news
Stolen SpecializedRichmond Park cyclist spends a penny ... and has £6,000 bike stolen
A cyclist in Richmond Park who left their £6,000 bike unattended to spend a penny got a costly shock when they emerged from the toilet to find that thieves had made off with it – the latest in a string of similar thefts at the same location.
The theft of the black Specialized bike happened at around 8.20am at the toilets close to the Colicci Café near Roehampton Gate.
Royal Parks Police said that the theft highlights the need to lock bikes up, even if only leaving them for a few moments, as well as the importance of registering the bike’s details. In a tweet, they said: “A black Specialized bike worth £6k was stolen outside #Roehampton Cafe toilets this morning at 08:20 whilst the rider went inside, leaving it unlocked. Please lock your bikes, even if you’re just popping inside.
“Now would be a good time to remind cyclists that it’s always good practice to register with @bikeregister or @ImmobiliseCrime including adding micro dots/data tags to your bikes so we can identify them if recovered,” they continued.
Anyone with information about the bike is asked to contact officers at Richmond Park on 07920 586546 and quote Ref 0713161/20.
A spate of thefts at the same location in recent months suggests that thieves are targeting bikes that have been left temporarily unattended – and the popularity of the park with road cyclists means that often, they are making off with high-end machines, for example in August, a Pinarello bike was stolen when its owner went to the toilet with his son, with whom he had been riding in the park.
BIKE THEFT: On Sunday morning, a dad who had been riding in #RichmondPark with his son went into the toilet near the Roehampton Gate cafe to help his lad. When he came out 2mins later, his bike had gone. He has told the police. Let us know if you spot this black Pinarello, pals! pic.twitter.com/ssIFoTLnrY
— RichmondParkCyclists (@RichmondPkCycle) August 6, 2020
And because the bikes have been left unattended, insurers will almost certainly reject any claim – as they would even if the bike were locked but not to an immoveable object such as a bike rack, which are available in Richmond Park, and with a lock complying with any requirements stipulated in the policy.
In its February 2020 bulletin Richmond Park Cyclists, which represents riders who use the park, reported that in November last year two bikes were stolen from outside the toilets, another from near the café, and more than a dozen from the cycle hire shop there.
Police did catch two thieves red-handed though, with Richmond Park Cyclists saying: “The pair tried to offload the two bikes to a third person but failed and rode off towards the centre of the park where they were apprehended. Caught red-handed - lovely work, officers, and thank you for your efforts!”
The group added: “Once again, if you see anything suspicious, call 101 and ask for the Royal Parks Command unit, or call 999 if it is an emergency. We recommend that you carry a small portable lock so your pride and joy isn’t targeted, and if you don’t have one, remember that Colicci will loan you one for a cash deposit of £5.”
Of course, that advice came before coronavirus restrictions came into effect and it is unclear whether loan locks are currently available, so if you're not riding with someone who can look after your bike for you, it's best to take your own lock.
Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.
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36 comments
surely someone has some dashcam of this?
Have to say, I use those toilets in Richmond Park rather than the others precisely because you can drag your bike into the doorway and keep an eye on it whilst at the pissoir. There's also a bit of cattle gate to stop anyone getting away quickly.
My bike's didn't cost £6k, but they have zen - which is more valuable - and as such never leave my sight unless they're locked up at home.
The victim of the theft is a victim like any other, and deserves our support
If they had been pushed off their 6k bike and it had been taken by force, no one would be saying they deserved that for not taking sufficient security measures such as having bodyguards.
I appreciate locking the bike would have been extremely wise. And I am sure the victim would feel that in hindsight. But I'm sure we have all made mistakes of some nature over the years - even habitually. No one deserves to experience a crime because if that
But as we are forced to take extra care...My tips are:
Leave a spare lock locked at your local loos or high st. I have a few dotted around
Take bike into any shop or loo you frequent - rarely is it a problem, and if people don't like you having to keep bike on you, you can say well at least I didn't help unnecessarily wreck the planet by driving here, so please don't put extra obstacles in the way that might deter me cycling. This might also eventually help normalise the wheeling of bikes anywhere we may stop - for example shopping centres ( what's the harm )
Well why didn't you go just before you set out ( have to credit my mum and my long walk to infants school for that one )
In case of the spz, just follow the creaking of the bottom bracket
I’ve seen that black pinarello flying past my house with some pigs following.
I don't leave my bike unattended or unlocked anymore...but when I did - I would shift both shifters (while static) into the lowest gear. When a scrote tried riding off - the gears would go into a low gear or the chain might come off. I caught somebody after using this technique - after I had stupidly propped my bike up unlocked outside a LBS.
This spot is known for having high end bikes and so gets targeted by thieves. I'm not sure I'd want to leave a locked bike there for more than a few minutes.
Never worth leaving an unlocked bike anywhere (although I do remember a story of someone leaving a bike outside a cake shop in South Lambeth, seconds later realising it had been taken, only to find the thief with a serious head injury 100m up the road (having crashed it not realising it was a fixed wheel bike).
At the risk of victim-blaming...
Why on earth do you need a £6000 bike to keep up with your son who is young enough to need to be accompanied to the toilet. I have always had a cheap bike for trips where I may need to leave it unattended and I always lock it. Sometimes I use a D lock and a cable lock. I was told that thieves rarely have the tools to deal with both. The extra weight is great for training.
TFTFY
May be it's because they see other people getting away with it. MP's expenses, the bankers in the finacial crisis, a high street chain owner who has now raided two pension funds and got away with it, go betweens being paid £21m, luctrative ppe contracts given to mates, off shore tax avoidace scams etc. etc. If the example set by our leaders is to get what you can when you can then may be it's tricked down. And don't say "well they didn't break the law did they"; they make the law.
I'm not condoning it though.
Couldn't agree more... my quote applies to them too
Oh yes you are.
He's behind you!
He's behind you!
2 bikes? Are you made of money or something?
Something.
Why spend £6k on a bike if you arent going to take pride and enjoyment in riding it every chance you get?
I've seen similar in the centre of Reading, a chap nipped into Itsu to get something, I didn't catch the brand but it looked expensive.
Delieroo rider was hovering watching the bike, turns out he was keeping an eye on the bike, he rode off after saying to the bike owner he really needs to look after the bike or someone will ride off with it. Cyclist didn't seem overly concerned.
Chapeau to the Roo though. There was a video of a Roo (female) facing down a bike thief in London on this site recently.
Actually whilst googling looking for the video, I'd found the Deliveroo rider who was "looking" after the bike
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQI6u_ryh-OIQvWi2fKPiiA
An unlocked bike i like a magnet and shows maybe casual thieves are quite numerous. I stopped outside a fruit and veg shop on my way home once. I didn't lock the bike I leant it by the door against the window. I knew I was picking up something from the front and the till was by the door. I'd been in there about 15 seconds when some likely lads passing tried to grab the bike. Ran off when I told them to f off. So never ever leave your bike unlocked if you arent standing right by it.
Good luck with an insurance claim depending on a lock you'd be able to carry in a back pocket. The policies I've seen tend to want 2kg of Sold Secure Gold.
One of the reasons I decided not to bother with cycle insurance. The requirements like that weren't practical so I would probably end up not being covered.
(Edited because I thought it sounded like I was victim blaming and I hadn't meant to.)
At what point does "victim blaming" become moot? I left £6k cash on a park bench and when I came back it was no longer there? I just don't find the term very useful.
Theft v carelessness
They're both legally theft - and indeed studies have shown that a lot of people will return wallets/purses with cash in them e.g. https://www.newscientist.com/article/2206958-we-are-more-likely-to-retur...
But I agree it's hard to draw a line between "victim blaming" and "common sense". I'd love to love in a world where I could leave £6,000 on a bench and it would still be there when I returned, but this isn't that world.
Sorry I didn't put that across properly. One is a crime of knowingly taking something that you are fully aware is not yours, and have no permission to do, with no intention of return, for your own gain, regardless of the distress, inconvenience or harm to the owner.
The other is carelessly leaving your bike unattended (in this case) for a few mins whilst accompanying your child to the bogs
Whereas i agree that we don't live in the world described, and I either carry a lock or keep a hand on my bike, never leave my bike for longer than absolutely necessary blah blah, I can't bring myself to victim blame carelessness when the root cause of loss is some scrote maliciously taking of things that don't belong to them. These scrotes are why I have to do the above, regardless of how pricey my bike is.
So to clarify one of these things is a malicious act that harms others, the other is not
I'm sorry for their lose.
If I'd have spent £6k on a bike, I'd have taken it into the bogs with me... or found a tree.
Exactly what I do at Roehampton Gate if I'm caught short and on my own - the gent's is easily big enough, provided you're courteous and wait until it's empty. to take your bike in with you. But not blaming the victim (unlike the moronic troll below), it's very easy to forget when in Richmond Park that you're still pretty near the centre of London and its nefarious characters.
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