Stop Thief

Lock your Bicycle discussed some of the common sense things you could do to reduce the risk of having your bicycle stolen. In Lock your Bicycle – Winning I showcased two of the three classic videos created by Hal Ruzal. Where he walks the streets of New York City rating how well bicycles are locked, a great way to see multiple examples of good and bad locked bikes.

So what can you do to prepare for the possibility of your bike being stolen? No one wants to have their bike stolen, but there are some common steps solutions to protect yourself if it happens.

1. Write down the serial number on your bike. Turn your bicycle upside down and look at the underside of the bottom bracket. The part where the axle for the pedals passes through the frame. The serial number is the most effective way to prove ownership and to help reunite you with our bike if it is recovered.
2. Treat your bicycle like a supermodel – Give it a fashion shoot. Take pictures of the bike; especially the serial number and closeups of parts that can be used to identify your bike. Make sure you can clearly read anything printed on them.
3. Selfies!! - Now that you have immortalized your bicycle, its time to proclaim your relationship to the world. Take pictures of you and the bicycle together.
4. Take all these pictures and store them on-line. Create a private album on Facebook, Instagram or some other site that only you can see. In the event of theft you can access this information
5. Last but not least FILE A POLICE REPORT. There have been several stolen bikes recovered through the Philly Stolen Bikes Facebook page, as long as five months later. Having a police report that includes the serial number and a picture of your bike is the most effective way to recover your bike. Especially if you find it on Craigslist or locked on the street. Or if the police recover the bike they can match the serial number to a police report.

Lock your Bicycle - Keystone Cops Edition

Bike theft in Philadelphia is a problem, but to the police this is a “quality of life” problem, viewed in the same light as graffiti and broken windows. In light of the more serious crimes the Philadelphia police have to deal with quality of life crimes have a very low and understandable priority. Short of catching someone in the act the police do not have the time and manpower.

But on Saturday night, January 12, a bike thief made an attempt to steal two bicycles that would have been straight out of a Keystone cops movie. Had it not been for the fact that the two bicycles he stole were property of the Philadelphia Police department and he tried to escape the scene by loading the bicycles onto a SEPTA bus. The police had locked their bicycles to a signpost while making a security check.

The question that needs to be asked is; what did the police officers lock their bicycles with, shoe laces? Clearly whatever the Philadelphia Police Department use could not stop someone with a bolt cutter purchased at a hardware store. I'm sure the police never thought someone would steal a police bicycle; then again people tend to underestimate just how ingenious or stupid criminals can be.

If you're going to take the time to lock your bicycle do it right, invest in a Kryptonite chain or u-lock. You should review the two videos in this post by Hal Ruzel which provide real world examples of what to aovid and what to do when locking your bicycle.

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Lock your bicycle - Winning

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It seems the only way to get the local media to report on the issue of bicycle theft is when it happens to one of their own, 6ABC reporter Brian Taff, we get an in depth report.

http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/video?id=8373535

After watching this video I can understand why Brian's lock got cut, it was never intended to be a primary lock in a city environment. It's the type of lock that could be cut with the scissors they used to give us in kindergarten. While its effective to lock a rim or a seat, I would never use it as a primary lock for any bicycle.

The error is compounded by the advice given by Lee Rogers, owner of Bicycle Therapy. Given the cost of replacing a rear wheel, a minimum of $140.00, I would never lock a rear wheel with any cable. All it takes it some bolt cutters, a little bit of muscle, and you have a set of rims.

But instead of pontificating, I would rather bring in an expert of my own, Hal Ruzal, founding partner of Bicycle Habitat. In 2003 Hal did a video where he walked the streets of Manhattan with a camera crew rating how well people had locked their bicycles.

This lead to to two more videos, the third leads off with Hal showing you how he locks his bicycle before he goes on a tour of the streets.

So what grade would you give yourself on how you lock your bicycle?

Lock your bicycle

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With the return of all of the college students to Philadelphia a rise in theft of bicycle parts and bicycles, all you have to do is read Craigslist or hangout at any number of local bike shops. The worst part is that many of these thefts could have been avoided. Below are list of some of the most common statement you will read or hear when someone has his or her bike stolen.

I locked my bike outside overnight and now its gone.

I locked my bike to a fence and now its gone.

I locked my bike to the railing outside my home and now its gone.

I locked my bike in the backyard and now its gone.

My front/rear wheel was stolen.

My saddle (seat) was stolen.

My cable lock was cut.

Meet the bicycle thief’s favorite tool, bolt cutters, capable of cutting any lock and chain you can buy in your local hardware store, cable locks, and chain link fence in less than 10 seconds. And can easily be concealed in a backpack or under a jacket. And leaving your bike in a public place with an inferior lock won’t help as demonstrated in this video.

So how can you reduce your risk of having your bicycle or parts of it getting stolen?

Step 1. Make the investment in a high quality lock, my preference has always been Kryptonite locks, because of the way they rate their locks and the effort they make to create locks for any situation. Get the five foot long Kryptonite chain and wear it like a belt. Yes I know the lock may cost almost as much as your bike, but it’s cheaper than having to buy a new bicycle.

Step 2. Think about what you are locking your bike to solid objects are best, lampposts, parking meters, signs, and bike racks. Remember chain link fences and railings can be easily cut. Please avoid the trees, its bad for the trees and trees can be easily cut.

Steps 3. Never leave your bicycle outside overnight. No matter how securely you've locked it, even if you think locking it a backyard  is out sight. All you have done is give a bicycle thief plenty of time when everyone is asleep. For all the years I have had bikes I always made room where I lived to store it indoors, even if it meant having one less piece of furniture or some highly creative storage techniques. Like bike lifts or wall mounts.

Step 4. Be careful what you own. Bicycle thieves are not stupid and they recognize high-end bikes like Trek, Jamis, Cannondale, and Specialized. There are plenty of older bicycles available through Craigslist and Via Bicycles, who specialize in restoring older bicycles. You can still ride a quality bicycle that is not a target.

Step 5. Lock your bicycle thoroughly, especially if you have quick release. It only takes a bicycle thief seconds to remove any part off your bicycle. Get a cheap cable lock to lock down your saddle

Seat and seat post - $50.00

Rear rim - $125.00

Front rim - $75

These are just costs for basic replacements.

In the end this is all up to you and how important a primary source of transportation is to you.

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