Originally Posted by
Rowan
The other trick with potentially serious consequences is undoing the brake cables on canti and V brakes. It's happened once to me and I knew the perpetrator (who was actually a good kid, but a misguided prankster). He got a severe mouthful when I saw him next.
I had someone steal the brake pads from my front brake once. I don't think it was a prank, though. I lock my bike up outside my office building most days, right near the messenger center for the building. I suspect a messenger needed new pads and helped himself.
I came out of work, unlocked the bike, hopped on, rode off, and came to a red light a few blocks later. I grabbed the front brake and nothing happened. After a split second of brain-freezing terror, I tried the rear brake. It worked. I guess the thief only needed one set of pads.