bikehoco

If you’re going to leave your bike unattended (even if locked), then buy a Walmart bike so you’re not upset when it’s stolen.

bikehoco

If you have a nice bike that you must leave unattended, lock it near a nicer bike so the thief will steal the other bike.

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.

smasha

1- If they want to do that, then it wouldn't make an ugly-bike any more of a target. Any bike that's not locked as well as mine is an easier/ more attractive target. I'm not trying to rely on ugly; I'm thinking of using ugly in addition to secure locking and being smart about where/when I leave the bike. In general, anyone motivated to either have a nondescript bike for themself or sell a nondescript bike is likely the kind of thief who's looking for bikes that are either not locked, or locked very poorly; a thief looking to ride or sell a "nice looking" bike is likely to be a thief who can and will cut through a decent lock to get what they want.

2- Ultimately, the serial number stamped into the frame is the best evidence of ownership.

smasha

Don't conflate you not liking an idea with that idea being wrong.

It may not be the best/right answer for you, but you have not explained why my idea wouldn't be right for me.

Bald Paul

That is true, IF:
You have recorded your serial number
You have registered your serial number with something like 529 Garage
Your bike is actually recovered
The local law enforcement knows enough (or will actually care enough) to check the registration to determine who the real owner is.

That's a lot of ifs.

smasha

Not entirely. Seems like we both ride nice/expensive commuter bikes, and both take reasonable precautions to prevent theft.

My "minimum" security tends to be a U-lock through the rear-wheel and rear-triangle and a solid rack. I often cover my expensive saddle with plastic shopping bags. Sometimes I use a "seat saver" cable, secured to the U-lock. Sometimes I run a cable through the front-wheel and front-triangle, ideally secured to a rack at one end, and the U-lock at the other end. Sometimes I use the U-lock, as described, and add a chain around the front-wheel, front-triangle, and a secure rack.

I don't plan on being lazy with any of that basic security stuff... I'm just thinking that combined with secure locking, no one would even want an ugly, distinct, or nondescript bike.

smasha

The first two items in your list are within my control, and done.

The 3rd item would not be within my control. Anecdotally, and consistent with research I've seen, the more effort that's required to cut a lock, the less likely the bike will be recovered. Using good locks, as I do, should make a bike less likely to be stolen, but correlates to a stolen bike being less likely to be recovered.

The 4th item seems decent, and seems to be gaining traction around here via 529 (which apparently accesses similar registration services). I know a few people who have had phone calls from police, to pick up their recovered bikes. They all filed police reports with enough information to identify the bikes.

base2 

You're getting the right idea. If you give all the signals that a bike is already stolen. It has lower than zero value. It is open season on whatever the thief wants. The thief knows the risk of actually stealing the bike was already taken & it is now safely unreportable, black market, off-grid & no one is going to waste time or resources on worse than junk. Busy cops, honest people, concerned citizens will actively avoid seeing it. Else, confront their own feelings on societies ills. Besides, it's homeless owner will understand that nothing in life is permanent & will get over it.

This is too far in the devaluing direction.

A splotch or 2 of paint, tastefully done to identify it, however that's a different story. That would be an easily identifiable defining feature.

I think the goal should be something respectable, utilitarian, working-class, something owned, but nothing compelling & enough locks to deter opportunistic thoughts.

smasha

Finally, someone sharing ideas and explaining why, rather than just complaining that they're offended by the idea of "defiling" the aesthetics of a new commuter bike.

OK... So maybe just a little spray-paint to compliment the factory colour palette, maybe even with tape so it's not too "splotchy", and maybe some stickers might accomplish what I want better than my original ideas...

Thieves that don't break good locks will be deterred by good locks, and thieves that do break good locks should be deterred by enough paint/stickers to make the bike easy to identify. That leaves thieves who will cut good locks to get the components, which shouldn't be too much of a concern with a mostly Deore level bike.

This is making sense to me. Now cue the people will still cry about "defiling" a new bike.

Dave Mayer

Around here, the #1 target for thieves is 50 pound full-sus downhill rigs that are ridden around by the new 'owners' in day-to-day errands, most of which involves drug transactions. Or stealing more stuff to pay for drugs. Notwithstanding that there is no mountain biking anywhere near, only urban paved riding - go figure. I guess the rad and bad boy bike look trumps speed and efficiency. Second choice are undersized BMX bikes with no seatpost or brakes, which is probably a better choice in that it allows you to weave quickly around pedestrians on crowded sidewalks as you look for or sell drugs.


High-end bike stuff does get stolen and then broken down for parts. So the sketchy second-hand bike market around here features an apparent mish-mash of bizarrely incompatible stuff hobbled together. So forks mixed up, as well as groupsets, cranks, etc. We've had innumerable seemingly honest folks come into our Co-op stating that they: "just bought this on Craigslist", and hours of parts swapping and head-scratching follows. Common stuff:

• Fork is not original. Headset is completely incompatible to the frame. In order to make the headset work, the bearings were removed and replaced with scrunched-up aluminum foil.
  
• Carbon road fork seems a bit 'loose'. After removing a big obnoxious decal on the fork, we find that one of the fork legs is broken clean through.
  
• Derailleur hanger missing or broken. Original Ultegra derailleur replaced with a claw-mounted Tourney (or worse) unit.
  
• Deraillers and shifters completely mis-matched. 7-speed Shimano (freewheel) rear wheel matched with 10-speed Campagnolo shifters. Shifters are broken.
  
• Rim-brake only wheels shoved into a disc brake frame. No braking. Can we fix this?
  
• Every bike features a chain that is the wrong number of 'speeds' for the cassette. Every chain is worn out, or mangled, and either too long or too short.
  
• Etc. etc.
  

70sSanO

I think this speaks volumes. I would not leave a bike I did not want to lose unattended, even locked. Years ago, I had no problem removing the front wheel and using a U-lock to keep my bike safe; even if a Bic pen could have unlocked it...lol!

I don't fault the OP from going to lengths so that he feels he has done whatever possible to deter his bike getting stolen. I might not do the same, but if the bike were a short distance commuter, I would build it for that distance. Mis-matched wheels, freewheel, friction shifting, ball bearings in the hex bolts, and a plan to get home if it were taken. I would not build a bike beyond its basic function and leave it unattended.

John

indyfabz

I don't you understand how the mind of your average bike thief works. You also portray yourself as someone who fears there is a thief lurking behind every lamp post.

That aside, imma keep doin' what I have been doing for decades, which is employ situational awareness and appropriate locking techniques, because they have worked every time without any need to defile my rides.

Buh-bye

P.S. Let's see this bike you think looks so desirable to steal that the bike thief army is licking its collective chops.

indyfabz

Who did that? I am not "offended" by the idea. I simply think it's dumb because it offers nothing. It is certainly not worth 4 pages of thread.

Indeed, if you think the idea has merit why even start a thread about it? (To start controversy? Oh. Wait. Now I remember. You were asking what others think of the idea--until you weren't asking that. ) Just do it. Make it as fugly looking as you want. Just make sure you post proof-of-life photos after you do. A before and after comparison so we know you are for realz. That might redeem this thread.

Eric F 

Your advice in action...Last week, my daughter moved into her college dorm along with a bunch of her classmates who brought bikes. The bikes were put in a locked cage at the dorm, and each bike had its own lock(s). That first night, the cage was broken into, and most of the bikes were stolen by sawing though the steel frame of the bike racks. One of the few bikes to survive was that of a non-freshman who used 8 u-locks on his bike.

In preparation for her move to college, I had spent a couple of weeks putting together a late-90s steel Bianchi "townie" bike for my daughter. At the last minute, she decided to leave it at home until she got a feel for how safe it would be. This tuned out to be a very good decision.

Flip Flop Rider

lock it up and take the saddle with you

Flip Flop Rider

I've de-badged (taken the labels off) my B and W hitch on my truck as well as my Fulton jack stand on my boat trailer

Milton Keynes

Or at the very least, get some Next, Roadmaster, or Mongoose stickers or whatever cheap brand they're selling now and put them over the brand logo stickers on your bike.

DMC707

its been done

mstateglfr 

The disagreement hasnt been productive because you dislike it. It appears you just want posters to agree with you and that will qualify it as productive.

As for requiring others to explain why they think you are wrong, that has been done over and over again. base2 went into great detail about how a crappy looking bike isnt safe and why- base2 works at a bike collective where inexpensive bikes are maintained and customers are often struggling, so he has some experience here.
Paint your bike if you want. It will certainly lower the value and if you think a lower value will keep it from being stolen, then have at it.

Milton Keynes

Actually, if you've recorded your serial number and filed a stolen bicycle report with the police, AND given that police officer the serial number, they can enter the bike into NCIC which is the National Crime Information Center computers. If any other agency across the country recovers your bike and runs the serial number, it will come back stolen and they'll be able to contact the agency who filed the stolen report to let them know it's been recovered. Then they contact you and let you know that your stolen bike has been found.

That is, if the bike is found, which hopefully it will still be in one piece and not stripped of all usable components and the frame dumped in a ditch somewhere.

But it's still a good idea to register your bike in an online registry as well. I use bikeindex.org.

3alarmer 

.
...back in D.C., many years ago, we just used a cheap paint brush, and paint the frame with flat latex house paint. It's plenty fugly, attracts dirt and grime, peels in places, and is easy to remove if your theft risk situation changes. For a really fugly look, add some random wrappings of duct tape.

Brennan

Back when I lived in the SF Bay Area, there was a chance of finding your stolen bike at one of the local flea markets. Some thieves were much more organized though. They collected lots of high value bikes and trucked them up and down the west coast to sell in different markets so they would be harder to track, probably hitting LA, SF, Portland, Seattle mainly.

70sSanO

Can’t beat a duct tape wrapped saddle.

Mis-matched front wheel screams that the original was stolen but the bike was left.

John

Maelochs

Depends .... A lot of bikes are stolen for joy rides or to fund a minor drug habit ... those folks will steal what is easy. Best deterrent there, is a big fat lock and chain---if the bike is Visibly locked, by someone who obviously knows how to lock a bike. When I lock up at the hardware store or gym, I use two locks---anyone who wanted to could disable either lock in five or fifteen minutes, but most sneak-thieves don't want to spend that much time or energy.

If you have a bike actually worth stealing and selling, then you need a Fahgedaboutit-sized lock---which weighs more than the lightweight, expensive bike. What's the point? And no matter what you use for a lock and chain, a grinder can grind through it. The pros who go out and load a van full of high-end bikes a couple times a weekend, know what bikes are worth stealing and have the tools to defeat almost any lock quickly. Clarification": any lock or chain can be defeated, but the pros are not going to spend five or fifteen minutes and two batteries grinding through a 70-pound chain (most will cut through whatever the bike is locked to.)

On a college campus, Anything will get stolen. $50 Craigslist bikes, free bikes picked up of the side of the road .... anything. Your hope is that there is a better bike on the rack that is easier to steal.