Landgolier

"This is great, it feels like I'm herding you guys."

-Dan, bringing up the rear on his tallbike with about 15 of us vertically challenged "sheep" in front of him

I've never had a bike stolen (knock on wood), and I really don't get how the thieves around here (Hyde Park, south side Chicago) work. We have plenty of random front wheels locked to stuff, a few stripped down frames, and one awesome question mark-shaped piece of twisted metal on a parking meter that used to be a cheap U lock, but there is a bike I pass every day with the quick release back wheel all the way out but still there. The thief was apparently thwarted by the chain (?!?). Come to think of it, I want that frame, I'm going to go put a note to the owner on it (no, I'm not going to take it if nobody calls, though it is time for an abandoned bike cleanup around here). There are also two hipster kids who are one 15mm wrench away from needing new surly/mavic rear wheels, and another guy who freelocks in the same spot every day. Other stuff gets stolen daily, but the same easy pickings sit there week after week. The adage is always that you don't need to make your bike impossible to steal, just harder than the one locked next to it, but around here it just seems totally random.

mattman

When I was a kid someone stole my bmx off of my front porch. I stayed home from school to go to the dentist so on the way out of the neighborhood we drive past the park and there is my bike taped up to the sign! I begged my mother to stop but all i got was " no were going to be late it will be there when we get back." So we get home and its gone and the grass was freshly cut at the park and the park workers "didnt see any bike" .

peterbarson

shortly after I got back into riding I left my Jamis at the train station here in Arlington Heights, and some ******bag took the seat and shock post(yes it was on a quick release, I've learned from this experience). I actually saw some fairly unsavory guys riding around but not wanting to get my butt kicked in the middle of the night I didn't accuse them of the theft.
I saw one of the guys a few weeks later at the same train station with my stuff on his bike. I complimented his bike and asked him where I could get a fancy seat post like that and he launches into defence mode."Everything on my bike was bought or traded" "are you accusing me of stealing" bla bla bla, he took off and I got on my train.Haven't seen him around since.

stickyfoot

When I moved to Boston, I brought my moutain bike with me. That bike survived a 3000 mile road trip across the country strapped on a trunk rack. I even hit a guardrail in Pennsylvania and the bike was fine (though the rental car took a beating). All that, only to have it completely destroyed in my first dooring. Frame was bent, the new front shock was ruined, front wheel and bars. Totally wrecked. The insurance company denied my claim because the man lied and said he never opened his door. So I saved and saved and used student loans to buy a brand new $1400 Gary Fisher with disc brakes. I was so happy to finally have a bike again! Two days after I bought it, I took a late lunch and decided to ride it around for fun, hopping onto benches and showing off. When the lunch was over, I locked it up to a street sign right on Boylston, a very busy road. It was nearing rush hour and there was only two hours left in my work day, so I figured I was good. When I came out at 5pm, my brand new bike was gone. The thieves had loosened that signpost so they could just lift it out of the ground, take bikes locked to it, and put it back. I was so furious I posted signs all over it saying a bike was stolen from this pole. Then, when my signs were taken down, I took the street sign and threw it into an empty lot. I had to save for another few months before I could finally afford another bike.

EricDJ

I had a weird one. My Trek full suspension MTB got jacked one night off my balcony while I was at a baseball game. 2 years later I was at a pet food store while a guy rode up on it and locked it up to the front of the storre. It still had my bar extensions and my light mounts on it. I followed him home and called the cops. They came and impounded it while I went home for the owners manual with the original receipt and where the retailer wrote the serial on the receipt. The guys son had purchased the bike from a store downtown shortly after it had been stolen, they had hardly ridden it and it was in storage almost for 2 years. I still had the original seat and post brand new at home and had a bike in almost the same condition as new when it got jacked. A polish and a car wax and I resold it on ebay to buy a new road bike since I have another mtb now. I got more on ebay than it retailed for brand new.

In LA it's hard to get a bike back. The cops don't care, they hadn't even put the serial number in their system from when I reported it. But they were more than willing to help since I did the work. The PD station had all gotten a laugh about the story when I went to pick it up. The city is so big, they even know the odds of retrieval is near impossible.

Many bikes that are stolen can be spotted by the rattle can paint jobs so its harder to spot them. All the bums have nice bikes around here.

noriel

The last bike I had stolen was when I was in elementary school. My Aunt just bought me a red bmx bike that had two chainrings or something like that where you could actually shift. for some reason I got into the habit of not locking it up so I could leave school quicker without having to unlock. The worst feeling was coming out, and not seeing the bike there anymore. You know? You look around, maybe trying to see someone riding off with the bike. Nothing. Still mad at myself to this day.

*edit*

At this moment, there is a trek Y bike that is locked up with a cable, and the cable is only running through the wheels. At least this person will still have their Rolf wheels, but will be out an XTR group and frame/fork if someone comes around with a crap bike and wants to swap out. I better leave a note....

JRider

I had a Trek Mountain bike stolen from outside my front door when i was in 9th grade. Like an idiot i just left it out there.

Do you think FG's get stolen less often than other bikes because of the lack of parts and the fact that most people who steal bikes wouldn't get past the end of the block without crashing?

Anyone ever seen someone steal a FG only to crash it? That would be pretty cool.

MacG

A guy I have met once or twice told me about a ghetto suicide fixed conversion of his that someone tried to steal once. He found it down at the end of the block on the ground with a pretty impressive bloodstain on the pavement leaving a slight trail away from the flipped bike.

jacobpriest

hahahahhah good story. but sorry.

kurremkarm

OK , my schwinn world tourist which had new custom wheels and nashbar fenders and lights was just stolen 30 minutes ago. Classic mistake, convenience store, 20 witnesses, in and out in 1 minute and they got it and were gone.

Nope, didn't lock it. I ran around, talked to cops, homeless people, and crack heads. I'm trying to get the store to let me post a poster offering a reward for its return no questions asked.

We shall see.

ChicagoxBoston

you should have locked it!!!!

kurremkarm

[QUOTE=ChicagoxBoston]you should have locked it!!!![/QUOTE

Really I can't blame anyone but myself. I have other bikes. Just glad i didn't buy that A.N.T. bike, had that been a 1500 dollar bike i would be really upset.

crushkilldstroy

thank you captain obvious.

i'm still not sure why you even come here. you kind of have the internet mentality of that 5'4" skinny math nerd who got beat up all the time in high school. can't talk big in real life, so you make up for it by being a jackass on an internet forum.

Rikardi151

Holy crap check this ***** out!

kurremkarm

So what is the simplest, lightest, easiest to use lock out there?

I had a cable lock had i even just locked the front wheel to the frame they wouldn't have taken it. Basically total crime of opportunity.

mascher

Worst: thieves busted my 15$ ulock off of my bike (my first in 10 years, in my possession for 36 hours) with the front wheel and frame locked to an immovable bike rack in front of the building I lived in. Bent it with a jack.

Best: my girlfriend happening to be in a bike shop 36 hours later (Jimmy's on Rachel, rip) 36 hours later waiting for a repair and the guy who bought it off the thief for $20 coming in to have the front brake adjusted, which had been bent in the theft, saying, hey, that's my boyfriend's bike, him saying, that can't be, I just bought it for $20, and her saying, want me to go get him? Rode it for three years after that.

2nd best: the guy I gave it to is still riding it, gigantic dent in the downtube from the theft and all.

mascher

Never leaving your bike anywhere weighs nothing and is entirely free, but the ease of use depends on how you use it.

moz138

the krypto pocket locks are awesome...depending on where you live. if you live in new york or chi forget it. light isnt an option. in boston i was able to free lock my bike all the time and never had a problem. i have heard that boston is getting really bad as far as theft goes though. but yeah those pocket locks are the best granted you dont live in chi or ny. you dont have your town listed so im not sure.

krypto site

paule

You were 9 brother, you were having fun and some a**hole stole your bike. You learned a big life lesson as a young one, it was not your fault....I had a similar thing happen to me although with a better ending. I was on a ride outside of the neighborhood on my first real bike, the bike that made my life really. It was a black Redline MXII with tange forks and red Maxy Cross cranks. This thing was so sweet. Well, I'm riding with a friend around age 10 and 2 older guys stop in their car in front of us cutting us off. The passenger hops out of the car and grabs my bars with both his hands and asks me why I flipped him off. I did not flip anyone off and I was rattled, totally blown away, scared and confused. He proceeds to pull my bike from me and ride off. I begin to cry and look around without knowing what to do. I get on my friends pegs and we ride down the road with a totally new reality to deal with. Then we see a cop coming down the road and I flag him down and guess what, he stops and helps! Amazing..I get in his car and my friend rides home. So, me and this cop ride around a few minutes and we find my bike ditched in the woods! I sometimes think I could have been a tough guy and fought off the guy but I was little and he was big, I was scared and he was a total a**, this stuff was all new to me.

cdm

I had a Celmins 1985 custom frame that was stolen while it was locked up in front of the high school.

I had saved up lawn mowing money in order to buy it.

The frame was incredible.

Anyhow, I know the walk out to the rack, no bike, where did I leave it feeling.

ianjk

Rampar ghetto conversion, got jumped. Nose busted into eye sockets, bag (with full tool kit) stolen, bike stolen, my fancy dual beam light was on it, helmet hosed, cops were arses.

Home-built lowrider/chopper taken from back yard.

Scott Mohaka MTB stolen from inside our porch, saw a dude that I know riding it a month later, called him out on it, said he had 24 hours to bring it back to my house or I would have the cops come and take it (kinda shady dude, the type that wouldn't want the 5-0 around their place). Never shows up, call his roomate and let him know that the cops are going to be there if it doesn't get back to me(another shady/tweaker dude). Finally a buddy calls and says that dude is at bar, I track him down and get him to tell me where it is... I woulda just grabbed the bike when I first saw it, but dude is an ex-marine, known to be violent and likes meth, not a good combo.

Zachee

Seriously, in Arlington Heights? I'm originally from Buffalo Grove and I'm surprised anyone would steal anything around there. Super high class area. Man if I saw some guy riding around on my stuff I would be so insanely pissed.

ianjk

necroquote.

Zachee

whoops, didn't realize this thread was revived.

bluej7

so let me give you some background info

my friend just bought a bianchi pista no longer than a week ago
i was using my friends old school road bike cant remember what it was
and my friend had a bianchi conversion

So my friends and i head to a party and when we got there we realized that i was the only one to bring a lock and its one of those wire locks i throw them the keys and walk away and my friend comes up with the idea that we should lock all three bikes together and not lock it to anything(how you going to ride away on 3 bikes locked together?lulz) 3hours later all the bikes are gone some ******bag bros stole them because they got kicked out of the party. good news it was a kick ass party