Originally Posted by
KitN
Umm, this is a thread about a stolen
Bike Friday Tikit!! This has absolutely nothing to do with Bromptons!!
Anyway, I'm sorry his bike was stolen. As someone who is a recent victim of bike theft, I know it's a horrible feeling, so I completely empathize. (Although I used a lock which was clipped by the thief!) If I see a Tikit as described online I'll definitely raise the call.
BTW, always carry a lock and use it properly. Even though locks can be broken, it at least slows down the thief giving you a chance to get back to your bike in time. NEVER LEAVE YOUR BIKE UNLOCKED AND UNATTENDED FOR ANY REASON or deal with the consequences.
The reason the bike was stolen was because he had a large load on an attached trailer and, thus, didn't take it inside with him. This is endemic of folders in general because if you're running errands, as Walter was, you might literally find yourself with more than you can handle and the folding feature you thought "replaces ten pounds of lock" (as Bike Friday founder Alan Scholz described the tikit) suddenly doesn't.
So I'm wondering if there's any solution to this problem and, in particular, to what extent a modified Brompton might address the issue. I'm sorry for Walter's loss and if I see the mofo riding past me I'll be sure to jam a stick in his spokes, but I also think that discussing the root of the problem is a worthwhile exercise.