Originally Posted by
smasha
If I want to buy a piece of art, I'll buy a piece of art.
I'm not buying a new bike to appreciate its aesthetics, I'm buying a new bike to get from point-A to point-B. When I'm not riding it, it will be locked up, often outside, often not where anyone is watching it.
How sad. I enjoy looking at my bikes. I like riding them even more. That said, we probably ride for different reasons.
As for attempting to disguise your bike, it might be helpful or it might not. Certainly, an obviously high-quality bike that isn't secured very well is going to be a juicy target. However, an ugly bike and a good lock still might not be enough of a deterrent from someone determined to take it. As I posted about above, a whole flock of locked bikes were stolen from a locked bike cage at my daughter's college dorm last week. It was clearly a coordinated and planned effort by multiple people. They took the bikes they could take easily, regardless of their quality. The few bikes that survived were the ones where the owner made it too much effort for the thieves to take.