Hi,
I had my first pair of bicycles stolen from under my house on Friday night. While we were getting ready to leave for Sabbath dinner at my aunt’s house.
Those were a pair of 2nd hand Cannondale mountain bikes I bought years ago and they held up with me for about 7 years. I keep beating myself I messed up when tying them up outside the stairs room.
I then bought a pair of Trek 3500 (mountain bikes – that does not matter for a flat city like Ramat-Gan) and a Kryptonite that keeps them safe since then. I use them to ride with the kids in Park HaYarkon (and for that mountain bikes are good as they are more stable).
About 2 years ago I found a pair of vintage Raleigh bikes. It cost about 600 NIS to fix them up and here you go! A pair of road bikes almost for free. I then invested in the a bit more (after all I do ride on them about 36km a week).
Those were got stolen about 2 weeks ago, in clear daylight underneath my working place. This a place you know you should keep your bikes tied good, but I left them with just a combination lock.
I then went to look for them near Tel Aviv central station. Where all the stolen bikes are shown but it seems you need to know how to ask (or to come in the evening/on weekends).
My coworker introduced me to a Whatsapp group of stolen bikes in Tel Aviv. People send pictures of their stolen bikes, and bikes they think are stolen. Around once a week someone joins in and sends a message about stolen bikes…
When my Cannondale bikes were stolen, I went to Ramat Gan police station and filed a complaint. Now I could send it over on the internet and find out about the police bikes application. You can write your bikes (so if they got stolen you can prove they are yours) and you can look for your bikes around bikes the police had found. But it is not so promising – there were only 5 race bikes found (and the pic of the last one is of an Apple mouse…).
I did not find it (surprise) and decided to buy another pair of bicycles apart from the mountain bike I use to ride with the kids (they are falling apart and very slow). I found the most expensive bike I ever bought, Wilier Triestina that cost 1,100 (with pair of wheels that probably cost more than that) – which I found to be around 20 years old…
Apart from the pair of bikes in my home, I bought myself one Flet bike, about 5 years ago, to ride from the train station to the factory and back. They cost 500 NIS and came with a lock that fits a motorcycle and probably cost more than the bike and what I paid for. They have also stolen about 2 months ago and I had to buy another 2nd hand bikes that cost 400 NIS (as I am aware they might be stolen as well).
Take Care
Gad
My pair of Raleigh Stolen bicycles
My new pair of bike to ride to the factory
The new escape Wilier Triestina bikes
The list of race bikes that police have found, shown the bicycle app (look on the last pic in the list – stolen bicycles
Returning the Bicycles whatsapp group