Bike was stolen while having coffee this morning

[stapfam]

When I go on a ride with other roadies- I use my Boreas Ignis. It is the most expensive bike I have and the best. One thing it does not have is "Bling" In comparison to any other bike- it looks nothing. You have to know bikes to realise the quality of the bike- the ancillaries and the wheels. If someone is going to take your bike--it is going. You just have to make it awkward for them and one group I ride with carries a Long Brake cable with a Joining link. Cable is linked through the bikes and the link is done up with an allen key. Just a normal cable joiner but I have never seen this type before. Lightweight and effective enough to deter the opportunist scumbag.

[Doohickie]

This is no joke. Masterlock combination locks are susceptible to an attack like this IIRC.

Inconceivable. I've been using the same Master Lock and cable since high school in the 1970s. That thing is bulletproof, I tell ya.

[CbadRider]

I'm sorry.

Were there any security cameras nearby that could have caught the thief in action?

[chasm54]

As the OP of this thread, I must ask a question about some of these locks. Many of the rides I am on are all out, meaning we are not racing, but we are pushing very hard. We try to eliminate any weight possible. Heavy locks will not work.

I go hard too, I train for racing. The Kryponite D-lock I carry in my jersey pocket (if I am likely to stop and step away from the bike) weighs a fraction under two pounds. That's about the weight of water I will carry on such a ride. If my body fat was under ten percent I might seriously notice the extra two pounds, but it isn't, and I don't. And even if that two pounds slows me down fractionally on the climbs, what of it? I'm training, not racing, and the effectiveness of my training is determined not by how fast I go, but by how hard I work.

It isn't rocket science. If you want to minimise the risk of your bike being stolen you either don't let it out of your reach, or you lock it. If carrying a lock is too much trouble, don't leave the bike anywhere. That's it.

[Tom Bombadil]

As the OP of this thread, I must ask a question about some of these locks. Many of the rides I am on are all out, meaning we are not racing, but we are pushing very hard. We try to eliminate any weight possible. Heavy locks will not work.

I have 4 different types of locks. I have a massive chain lock that must weigh close to 10 pounds. I use it when I'm on trips to secure bikes overnight and with the car close by. I have a very good quality U-Bolt that I use when I am going to walk away from the bike when in a city or higher crime area. I have a thick 12mm cable with key lock that I sometimes use with my recumbents, as they aren't that light and I can wrap the lock around the seat support posts. Recumbents are not prime targets for bike thieves. And I have the thin combination cable lock, described earlier, that I take with me on rides in rural Wisconsin, where theft is very low and I just want something on the bike to secure it to a pole or tree so I can walk away from it for a few minutes. Very light (approx 6-7 ounces), can easily stash it in a seat bag.

An experienced bike thief can get through any of them. But even the simple thin cable lock will stop a street vandal from jumping on and riding away with it. At least the bike isn't sitting in a bike rack or leaning against a tree screaming "Take me!"

[contango]

As the OP of this thread, I must ask a question about some of these locks. Many of the rides I am on are all out, meaning we are not racing, but we are pushing very hard. We try to eliminate any weight possible. Heavy locks will not work.

How do you know when you ask someone to "watch your bike"? How do you know that person is not the thief in that area? Just asking/

Also, My bike was one of three together. Mine happened to be the one that was taken. None of the bikes were locked, and never are. They were all top notch bikes, but the type of thieves in the area I was in would not have a single clue about an expensive bike. Actually, at a meeting I attended last year a Little Rock City policeman told us they have more "Wal-Mart" bikes stolen than race type road bikes. First, there are more of them, but more importantly, there is more bling on them. The cop knew bikes and told us the race type bikes are stripped of any bling, such as fenders, to eliminate weight and therefore are not as appealing to most of the snatch type thieves in the area.



Having the helmet straped to the wheel would not have done much good in this situation. I think, with some proof, the bike was carried into the next door apartments. Rolling or riding the bike was not necessary. The bad thing about a lite bike is that it is easy to carry.

If you're that sensitive to weight, how about one person watches the bikes while two go in and order coffee, then the one goes in to order while two watch the bikes, then you drink coffee outside while watching your bikes?

Ultimately you can put whatever fine-sounding reasoning around it you want, at the end of the day if you leave something expensive unlocked and unattended you take the chance someone else will steal it. If you just want to buy some time to pop into a store and grab a coffee and a cake before coming out again, try a relatively lightweight chain to lock all three bikes together. I gather it's pretty hard to carry three bikes at once (especially if they are also locked to a signpost). Admittedly your thief might come prepared with a heavy duty bolt cutter, but that's when it comes back to balancing how much security you want with how much weight you're willing to haul.

[Snydermann]

So sorry for your loss. We had two of three bikes stolen many years ago when my friends and I stopped for pizza at a strip mall. We had the bikes all leaning against each other right outside of the pizza shop window. We were only distracted for a second and two of the bikes were gone. The thieves took the top two bikes in the stack and left the third, and most valuable, bike behind.

Since I don't think like a thief, as I'm sure most people don't, I've trained myself to view my valuables as piles of cash. I won't leave them anywhere in a condition that I wouldn't leave a stack of hundreds. Many people that would be otherwise honest might be tempted to walk off with a $7,000 pile of cash, that we've been complacently thinking was a bike.

[goldfinch]

I go hard too, I train for racing. The Kryponite D-lock I carry in my jersey pocket (if I am likely to stop and step away from the bike) weighs a fraction under two pounds. That's about the weight of water I will carry on such a ride. If my body fat was under ten percent I might seriously notice the extra two pounds, but it isn't, and I don't. And even if that two pounds slows me down fractionally on the climbs, what of it? I'm training, not racing, and the effectiveness of my training is determined not by how fast I go, but by how hard I work.

It isn't rocket science. If you want to minimise the risk of your bike being stolen you either don't let it out of your reach, or you lock it. If carrying a lock is too much trouble, don't leave the bike anywhere. That's it.

There is always something more to carry. I have a very small frame bike so only one water bottle on the frame. I ended up having to put a bottle mount on my handlebars and I am not happy with it. My seat bag carries equipment and things like cleat covers. I have a small top tube bag for the phone and money. I end up stuffing a jacket or other extra clothes in a jersey pocket. Along with food. No more room for locks. Frankly I am thinking what was the point of my light weight road bike. I should have got a tourer for all the crap I end up needing to carry.

[Phil85207]

When I go on a ride with other roadies- I use my Boreas Ignis. It is the most expensive bike I have and the best. One thing it does not have is "Bling" In comparison to any other bike- it looks nothing. You have to know bikes to realise the quality of the bike- the ancillaries and the wheels. If someone is going to take your bike--it is going. You just have to make it awkward for them and one group I ride with carries a Long Brake cable with a Joining link. Cable is linked through the bikes and the link is done up with an allen key. Just a normal cable joiner but I have never seen this type before. Lightweight and effective enough to deter the opportunist scumbag.

Now thats a great idea!!!

[chasm54]

Frankly I am thinking what was the point of my light weight road bike. I should have got a tourer for all the crap I end up needing to carry.

LOL. I do sympathise, I really do. And you know what? You are probably right.

Most of us who ride around on lightweight road bikes would be just as happy, and just as fast, on cross bikes or light tourers or whatever. And even those of us old fools who are daft enough to ride competitively could train effectively on heavier bikes and keep the super-doop CF racing bike for occasions when there is no risk of our leaving it unattended.

I'm lucky enough to have several bikes. I ride everywhere, and recently I picked up a used 1984 steel touring bike precisely because I wanted a bike I wouldn't worry about leaving in the town centre (stil locked, of course) for hours at a time. It cost me the equivalent of about $150. Ironically, it has turned out to be the most comfortable bike I own, perhaps the most comfortable I have ever owned. I'd hate to lose it. LOL.

[trek330]

Bought a GMC Denali 5 years ago.It was my first bike.Just to get around.Bought a cheap cable lock too.About a week after I bought it I locked it outside for 7 minutes while in a store.Came out and the cable was cut like tissue paper but the bike was untouched!!Maybe someone saw the guy and yelled or maybe someone pointed out the bike was a piece of**** and don't bother or maybe he was just teaching me a lesson but it taught me something about those locks!!About 3 years later the same bike was stolen while chained to a tree.Simply broke the tree and took the Denali.I actually was glad as I had since had heard about the joys of steel framed bikes and bought a Trek 330 and my life was never again the same.Now I have 2 steel Pinarellos and a Litespeed.Also 2 very strong locks.Sorry about your loss!

[contango]

There is always something more to carry. I have a very small frame bike so only one water bottle on the frame. I ended up having to put a bottle mount on my handlebars and I am not happy with it. My seat bag carries equipment and things like cleat covers. I have a small top tube bag for the phone and money. I end up stuffing a jacket or other extra clothes in a jersey pocket. Along with food. No more room for locks. Frankly I am thinking what was the point of my light weight road bike. I should have got a tourer for all the crap I end up needing to carry.

I've often wondered about the point of shaving a little weight here and a little weight there unless someone is taking racing seriously. For those serious about racing it makes sense to keep weight to a minimum. For the rest of us it seems pointless to fuss about a few grams here and a few grams there, only to mount water bottles (at ~800g each), then a saddle bag with a multi tool, spare tube, cellphone etc on it.

[chasm54]

I've often wondered about the point of shaving a little weight here and a little weight there unless someone is taking racing seriously. For those serious about racing it makes sense to keep weight to a minimum. For the rest of us it seems pointless to fuss about a few grams here and a few grams there, only to mount water bottles (at ~800g each), then a saddle bag with a multi tool, spare tube, cellphone etc on it.

True. Unless you are competing a couple of pounds here or there doesn't matter. Of course, some people who do compete want to train on their race bike, but it's still racing-related.

[doctor j]

Sorry to hear this, BA.

I hope you get it back and that the bad guy gets caught and dealt with appropriately.

[Dudelsack]

I know they steal bents but I can imagine some doper redneck at the Dairy Queen grabbing my bike, trying to ride it 29 feet, and throwing it down, saying " I didn't want this POS anyway".

[xizangstan]

I keep thinking about this thread, and several others like it over the past couple years here. Like many of you, I have often left my pride and joy unprotected in places I hoped she would be okay. And each time, I knew I was tempting the odds and fate. Eventually, if I keep up the reckless behavior, some scumbag's going to take her. And should that happen, I will have only myself to blame.

So the question is, how secure do we really have to be to eliminate all likelihood of our bikes being stolen? One U-lock and a heavy cable lock, even in the garage or tool shed? Keeping the bike with us even as we go to our motel rooms, the restaurant or coffee shop, or in a park restroom to pee? How do we know where to expect thieves to be waiting?

[chasm54]

By coincidence, this thread was started today in another forum. It's titanium, so it is light, and it doesn't take up room that would be devoted to anything else. Might be an idea...

[goldfinch]

By coincidence, this thread was started today in another forum. It's titanium, so it is light, and it doesn't take up room that would be devoted to anything else. Might be an idea...

I thought that lock was cool. It seems to me that the weak point might be the lock itself, not the titanium loop part. Man is it pricey! And with my small frame CF bike I don't know that I have a place to mount the loop part.

[chasm54]

I thought that lock was cool. It seems to me that the weak point might be the lock itself, not the titanium loop part. Man is it pricey! And with my small frame CF bike I don't know that I have a place to mount the loop part.

The bike it is pictured on isn't very big and it doesn't quite make it to the seat post, so you may be OK. Yes, it is expensive. Innovative idea, though.

[Bikey Mikey]

The thief throws it in the back of the truck and removes the lock elsewhere. I don't see how it prevents a bike from being carried off.

[Artkansas]

The thief throws it in the back of the truck and removes the lock elsewhere. I don't see how it prevents a bike from being carried off.

Fortunately, not all thieves have trucks.

[chasm54]

The thief throws it in the back of the truck and removes the lock elsewhere. I don't see how it prevents a bike from being carried off.

Read it again. It's a bow, flexible enough to go round a lamppost.

[Gnosis]

In an earlier post on this thread I said that the worst thing that they take from you is your peace of mind. Somebody got yours didn't they?

You have much to learn about “peace of mind”, grasshopper.

“Peace of mind” is that which can be acquired, as well as lost. If your efforts fail to achieve “peace of mind”, then the lack thereof is yours to whatever end. Just as one can always build a better mousetrap likewise, one can always do better to prevent theft hence, “peace of mind” can be acquired by manner of applied efforts and repeated success.

At 56 years of age and a lifelong success in theft-prevention, try to imagine the magnitude of “peace of mind” that I’ve long enjoyed.

Thieves are a fact of life and as such, they must be acknowledged for their negative attributes and matters must be dealt with accordingly. This is a matter of applying common sense.

Additionally, I view theft-prevention as a kind of challenge, in which case, every time I pull off another “theft-prevention” success, I further enjoy the fruits of my preventative efforts. I’ve applied theft-prevention techniques since childhood, so it’s as natural to me as pedaling a bike.

[Tom Bombadil]

Bought a GMC Denali 5 years ago.It was my first bike.Just to get around.Bought a cheap cable lock too.About a week after I bought it I locked it outside for 7 minutes while in a store.Came out and the cable was cut like tissue paper but the bike was untouched!!Maybe someone saw the guy and yelled or maybe someone pointed out the bike was a piece of**** and don't bother or maybe he was just teaching me a lesson but it taught me something about those locks!!About 3 years later the same bike was stolen while chained to a tree.Simply broke the tree and took the Denali.

TWO theft attempts of a GMC Denali! Who would have thunk it?

Yes, it is true that if one has any kind of decent wire cutter, that you can go through a thin cable with ease. However most of the time would-be street thieves aren't walking around with a wire cutter in their pocket. I think almost any kind of lock that one can't pull apart with their hands, will stop about 75% or more of potential bike thefts. But if someone is good at recognizing valuable bikes and is an experienced thief, then you need a very good lock to stop them.

[Retro Grouch]

Yes, it is true that if one has any kind of decent wire cutter, that you can go through a thin cable with ease. However most of the time would-be street thieves aren't walking around with a wire cutter in their pocket. I think almost any kind of lock that one can't pull apart with their hands, will stop about 75% or more of potential bike thefts. But if someone is good at recognizing valuable bikes and is an experienced thief, then you need a very good lock to stop them.

My theory too.

I think that the first lock that you use on your bike, regardless of how cheesy, is about 90% effective because it forces the thief to bring a tool with him. As you progress from 90% > 100% you engage in a progressively more expensive and high tech battle with the thief which you will ultimately always lose. Given the time and technology, any locking system can be defeated.