rampant bike thieves

[suzybuzz.livejournal.com]

There are some serious bike thieves on or around Willow Avenue.

After parking my bike in front of the house for a year, nothing happened until last week, when someone stole my wheel. It was an old Trek, and time for an upgrade anyway, but still really annoying.

So then I got a newer bike from Craigslist. I bought a cable, which I've wrapped through my wheels in addition to the U Lock I was already using. At night I brought the bike inside EVERY night but Saturday. Saturday the downpour was so bad, and I was busy, so I flaked on bringing the bike inside.

Sunday I was ready to ride my bike to the Union Square flea market, only to discover that the seat was missing.

I understand now that I will ALWAYS have to park my bike inside at night. But I find it ironic that after living on Columbia St. in Cambridge for 4 years (an area where people shook their heads in dismay upon me telling them I lived "across from the projects"), the worst theft has happened right here on friendly Willow.

Comments

[ron_newman]

I never thought of that! Cool idea. But do people really take flats to bike shops instead of patching or replacing the tubes themselves?

[haptotrope.livejournal.com]

Go to your local bike place and ask them how many flats they fix in a day.

Hell, I know how to do it, but sometimes I'd just rather not be bothered, or sometimes don't carry a patch kit, and tools at all times, or sometimes am just plumb lazy, and sometimes I want to support my local economy... (inevitably I will also buy tons of other bike crap when I'm there)