Reducing Bike Theft.............
I live in Chicago and may be biased but I think one of the most important advice for newbies is to buy a good lock. Why invest $400 for a purchase & spend $20 for a lock?? The minimum should be 20% of the value of the bike. I was on a college campus the other day near downtown and noticed 3 cable locks cut on the ground. The police won't even bother coming out for a report much less look for it. I have a standard NYC Kryptonite U-lock for the back and a Pitbull mini for the front. I have generic pit-locks & put glue with ball bearings in my stem & rack.