FrenchFit 

I think someone warned me about parking a bike at Target, Walnut Creek - I obviously wasn't listening.

Ride, then Farmer's Market, then picking up a few odds and ends at Target I locked my heavyweight in the bike parking area out front. When I returned, no seat post & seat, all the USB lights had been stripped off both my and my wife's bike. So much for QR seat posts. Lost a Brooks, carbon seatpost and two expensive usb lights.

Interesting dilemma, my bike was loaded...probably 40+ lbs...maybe 5 miles to get to my garage. I thought about ginning up a temp seat but opted to just stand and mash it home. Not bad at all, but those hip flexors are a little tender today.

We reported the theft to Target, and their response was "Gee, we're sorry". Expensive shopping trip.

dachshund

Yike! Sorry to hear about this, but thanks for the warning.

Blylan

I invested in both an allen wrench steapost clamp, and a security bolt to lock down my brooks,uses a specific allen key just for my bolt. The two allen wrenches barely add any weight to my backpack and i feel at least a little more secure.
Nothing beats a chain for your seat connected to the frame, but i just dont feel like dealing with that.

Sorry for your loss, and thank you for the warning next time i find myself in WC

andr0id

If there were two of you, why didn't one of you stay with the bikes?

longbeachgary

Is that a serious question or are you just trying to be an ,,,,,,,,,,?

CliffordK

Sorry to hear about the theft. I like to stand some, but 5 miles would be a pain.

So far nobody has messed with my seats and seatposts. The seats also often have a bit of a worn look to them, maybe discouraging thieves. I did lose my headlight once, but the locals pass up those cheap silicone tail lights.

I wish stores would acknowledge the theft potential, and start installing cameras. But then they would have to deal with the footage.

Keep an eye open on Craigslist. Perhaps a nice Brooks saddle will show up sometime

FrenchFit 

It's been discussed, but the whole point of going to a destination together is to be at the destination together. We've ridden through some sketchy areas, (Richmond comes to mind), and in-person bike monitoring has been our default practice. But WC? - at Whole Foods we've been locking up and walking away routinely.

Got a second cheap cable lock for saddles-to-bikes. My Leynze lights are going with us.

Deaver

The truly sad part is that probably ten people or so, walked in or out past your bikes while the theft was occurring in plain view.

CompleteStreets

I really don't find the bicycle chain method to be that big of a deal. It lasts for years without having to give any thought to it. For those unfamiliar with this method, I'm talking about using the bicycle chain that wraps around the sprockets of bikes. Get a junk chain from a bike shop or co-op, figure out how many links you need to wrap through the rails of the saddle, then cut an inner tube to fit around the chain to prevent it from looking too janky. For good measure you can add a zip tie to synch the chain so there's no slack. I've had my saddle chained like this for a few years and no one has made any theft attempts.

CompleteStreets

Unfortunately, nearly all USB lights are extremely easy to remove quickly. They will get stolen with regularity if you don't remove them.

Generator lights are one great option, but the upfront cost is fairly steep (~$150-$200 for something pretty basic). I had a generator hub, but the hub decided to stop working. Rather than spending a boatload on a new hub, and having to rebuild the wheel, I decided to jury-rig a AAA battery light to make it appear like it is a generator light. I purchased some scrap bike parts for $0.50/pound from a bike co-op in Portland, OR. I ended up cutting a set of old handlebars, a seat clamp, and a flat bracket. I bolted this to the fork mount, just above the front wheel. The light I use is designed to be permanently fastened to handlebars. The lens cap must be removed to access two hex screws. I decided that mounting to the handlebars wouldn't be enough security, so that's why I decided to disguise the light as a generator light.

Yes, this is what is takes to bike care-free without having to be paranoid about theft or constantly removing and putting lights back on.

The only alternative I can suggest is buying cheap knogg frog lights for $1 on ebay.

bjorke

sorry to hear this! I've had both seats and lights pinched in SF

a solution: brompton. stick it in the shopping cart (or use it as the shopping cart). no lock!

jade408

I don't like the chain thing because it doesn't match the style of my bike.

OP: sorry to hear about your loss. I have the pinheads on my front wheel and seatpost. My seatpost clamp is so close to my seat, there is no way you can fit any sort of tool to remove the seat. I got these cheap seat covers and I use them on my seat. I leave it on all the time on a short ride to cover my Brooks. It is also weather proof. A longer ride I just take it off, and put it back on when I lock up. Then it looks like a cheap seat.

I don't know if you have noticed the bike theft maps for BART, stations like Dublin and Walnut Creek are worse than the urban stations in Oakland and Berkeley for theft!