Outside Magazine recently ran an article titled, “Who pinched my ride” where Patrick Symmes talks about stolen bicycles and his experience (with multiple rides stolen) in New York City. While Symmes is probably in the worst place in the US for bicycle theft, it is something that happens every where to every group of cyclists.
I am not sure if I have a couple weeks that go by where I don’t see someone talking about their stolen bike on Facebook. A friend of mine even had one stolen off the top of his SUV in his company parking lot.
It may not surprise you that the FBI statistics claim that 204,000 bicycles were stolen nationwide in 2010, but those are only the documented thefts. The actual number, I would imagine, is much higher.
So the big question of the day is “what can we do to protect ourselves?” This is obviously a problem that is not going away. With the price of equipment going up, the street value is as well. And…let’s face it…even if that were not the case, bicycles are a highly sought after item for the people low enough to steal.
We can bitch, moan and complain, but the reality is that petty theft is a real problem and bicycles are a big ticket item in that category. We need to protect our two wheeled treasure as best we can given the conditions. However, even when it seems like we have done everything, bad people will still try and succeed. Our hope is that what goes around comes around and they pay for it eventually.
6 Tips To Secure Your Ride
So what can we do to decrease the odds and keep our bikes…well…ours.
- Forget the cable…go steel or chain – While cable locks look like they protect you from theft, all they really do is keep someone who doesn’t know how to steal bikes from performing a grab and go (think kids). By using a chain like the Kyrponite I personally use or a heavy duty u-lock made out of hardened steel, you greatly increase your chances of the thief going to the next bike to save the trouble.
- Bike rack locks are worthless – Yes, that lock on your Thule T2 arm looks like it does something, but even I can un-rack your bike from the bike rack in under a minute with those things. All you have to do is take the front wheel off the bike. Any cable lock or locking system on bike racks only prevents the thieves mentioned in the tip above. Anyone who knows how to steal a bike will have yours quickly if that is all you rely on.
- Never leave your bike outside overnight – It’s dark, they have almost unlimited uninterrupted time and you can’t do anything about it. Even the best locking systems fail in these conditions. Take your bike inside or put it in the trunk of a car if you can.
- Avoid really flashy looking parts – If you are going to be in situations where your bike is going to be in danger a lot, try not to lust after the matching ano and carbon bits are you are just creating more attention to your bike.
- Ride a beater – Sounds funny…but think of this as a different horse for different courses. If you have certain situations where you know you are more at risk for theft, have a cheaper bike for then and your staple, high end bike for when you know it isn’t going to get taken. That way, you aren’t quite as upset when your cheap bike gets stripped down or taken. You can get anything off of Craigslist and eBay that it is great condition on the cheap.
- Get Insured – Auto insurance doesn’t normally cover stolen bikes. If you really want replacement cost taken care of if your bike is stolen, get a renters insurance policy or an adder to your homeowner’s insurance to cover the bikes while you are out driving around with them or riding them. You also need to be sure to accurately document all parts with pictures so they can be provided for the claim. These insurance policies are crazy cheap and can save you thousands.
Nothing is truly ever safe and at the end of the day…it is still just stuff. It is never worth dying over a bike trying to save it from getting stolen, but at least we can increase our chances of it not happening to begin with.
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