Bike Theft

[maelithil.livejournal.com]

As a warning, bike thieves are afoot.

Someone, I'm assuming two people, broke into our screened porch on Day St last night between 1am and 8am and stole two mountain bikes. Considering they moved my new hybrid out of the way to get to the two old, scratched up mountain bikes it was leaning against, I'm betting the thieves were either idiots or very savvy, as my bike was the only one that was registered.

Police was notified and unsurprised.

Figured I should tell you guys to keep a vigilant eye out for assholes.

Comments

[m00n.livejournal.com]

Not to add an I-told-you-so so much as just a warning to other people around here with bicycles:

*Literally* every single person I know who either a) leaves their bike locked up outside for long periods of time with any regularity OR b) leaves their bikes inside but in an unsecured location (porches and vestibules are common), has had a bicycle stolen at least once and, in many cases, multiple times. Unprotected bikes, like after-market car stereos, have a high difficulty-of-theft to resale value. If someone can take it, they will most likely do so. If you value your bicycle, bring it completely inside whenever possible, and if you must leave it outside (as anyone who hopes to use their bicycle will certainly do!), replace the quick-release stem on the rear wheel with a lugged stem, use a non-quick-release seat (unless you want to take the seat with you every time), and lock the front wheel *and* the frame to an object that is at least as sturdy as the lock itself (i.e. NOT the chain-links of a chain-link fence).

[m00n.livejournal.com]

As an addendum to this, I meant to add that Cambridge was number eight on the top 10 cities in the United States for bike theft. In many recent years this list has included Somerville, too.

A different perspective

[ethanfield.livejournal.com]

I will probably jinx myself by saying this, but: I've had the same ugly-colored but decent-working hybrid for six years. I've parked it outside year-round for the last five years. I commute and travel with it constantly. I have a simple U-Lock, with no cable. I never lock the back wheel. I never remove the seat (though the seat has its own little cable lock.) I never remove my head or tail light at home or away, even in Davis or Harvard. A few times I've even left the bike parked overnight in Davis or Harvard. In that period of time, the worst that's ever happened was my head light being stolen exactly once. In that same time, I've gone through five other headlights due to water/freezing damage (from leaving it outside).

My different perspective is this: I could spend an extra five minutes every time I locked and unlocked my bike, to make extra-double-triple certain nobody could steal it. Given how much I ride, that would add up to dozens of hours per year -- not to mention all the times I'd get stuck somewhere without a headlight because I'd left it at home by accident, or when I'd have to go back and forth three times between my bike and the house because of something I forgot. Even at minimum wage, all that time would add up to way more than the cost of a new bike, tricked out with all the accessories. So, I just LET IT GO and tell myself I'm not going to worry about it. If someone takes the bike one day, I'll be pretty upset, but the cost of a new bike will likely be worth all of the time I DIDN'T spend doing unpaid labor for the Department of Bikeland Security.

Re: A different perspective

[m00n.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I should add as an aside that in spite of all that stuff I said about how to keep the bike from getting stolen, I *always* leave my lights on my bike, and when it's wet I always leave the fender, and I've never had any of those get stolen, ever (though I, too, have broken several). In fact I am probably more likely to permanently misplace the light if I take it off the bike than I am to have it stolen from *on* the bike.