smasha

Last time I had a bike stolen, I was a little kid. My parents were reading me a bed-time story, we didn't think much of the noises we heard outside the window, but that was my bike being stolen off the front porch of a rural house.

A few years ago, I had a Kryptonite M-18L (motorcycle lock) and a 10mm hardened chain chopped off of a rack, where I frequently locked my commuter bike, and left the locks; I didn't lose a bike, just the locks were "removed". In the last few months, I've lost count of how many bikes have been stolen from that same rack. I've been parking around the corner for the last few years.

My concern is not driven by reaction to any specific theft, rather it's being driven by observations of what's happening where I live. A few years ago, a decent lock (used properly) was all that was needed to prevent bicycle theft. About 99% of bikes that went missing where either not locked (many stolen from cars, apartments, and residential garages), or they were locked with a cable-lock from the dollar-store. The other 1% of bikes that got stolen tended to be the 3-4 most expensive bikes in an office parking garage; security footage showed 2-3 guys with orange vests using an angle grinder to cut the locks, then toss the bikes into a stolen van and get moving.

The game has changed, and the strategies need to change. Aside from the types of thefts that have "always" happened here, decent bikes, locked up properly, parked outside, are being stolen.

Since locking up outside is something that I do with my commuter bike, it seems like a prudent addition to a good lock (used properly) might be making the bike not look desirable to steal.