Originally Posted by
smasha
From memory, I know I've heard one story about someone who lost a very expensive bike this way. They left it locked up to a railing with a U-lock around the railing and the top-tube. 20-30 minutes later, the bike was gone, but the U-lock was still locked around the railing.
The frame and the components were all top-tier.
Occam's razor. Maybe actually didn't put the lock around the top tube. An ex-GF did that with a relatively cheap fixie.
Even if the bike were locked correctly, how many people get struck my lightning in the U.S. every year? But go ahead and defile your bike if it makes you feel safer. I mean, it's not as if thieves will ever know that some people try to disguise expensive bikes that way and focus their attention on such bikes.
BTW...Anyone who is capable of identifying expensive components and doesn't care about destroying the frame isn't going to care about the makes and model, so I don't see how covering up the make and model would make one bit of difference. If it's built with SRAM wireless eTap and someone is looking to steal components at the cost of the frame I don't see why it would matter if the frame is a high-end Trek or a GMC Denali.