A beginner's guide to preventing bike theft
Bike theft is a huge problem! We hear about it almost daily at the bike shop. Customers tell us about their bikes being stolen from their homes, off their front porches, from secured parking garages, and even from second story balcony’s. (The record height so far is from the fourth floor.)
The great majority of bikes are stolen because they are not locked. They're often stolen from places that are assumed to be a safe when in reality they are not, like balconies and secured parking garages. Sometimes people leave their bike unlocked for just a minute while they run in the store, only to return and find their bicycle gone. Sometimes bikes are stolen even though they were locked. That’s usually because the bike was improperly locked or because the lock used was not adequate for the circumstances.
Evidence as to what happens to stolen bikes is mostly anecdotal; however, the drug trade seems to drive a lot of bike thefts. Bikes are very liquid merchandise on the street. It’s estimated that they sell for 5% to 10% of their original value. Stolen bikes rarely surface in bike shops. We’ve only recovered two or three since we’ve been in business. They’ll pop up at pawn shops once in while, but the majority of stolen bikes seem to be sold on the street within a short time of the theft and never seen again. Chances of recovering a stolen bike are, unfortunately, slim.
According to Kryptonite, the original U-lock guys, New York has the “best” bike thieves; (apparently it takes a New Yorker to succeed where Superman fails). Universities and urban areas are favored hunting grounds. Boston has the most bike thefts. Fortunately, and surprisingly, Atlanta did not make the top ten on the high-theft list.
Nonetheless, here are some tips from Kryptonite to help you avoid being the next victim of a bike theft.
A lot of these tips are common sense, but keep them in mind. We don't want you coming to tell us about how your bike got stolen. Thanks for reading.
Happy Trails
Mike