Is SoCal that unsafe?
06-20-12, 01:47 AM
#26
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2004
Posts: 4,224
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 6 Times
in
6 Posts
My advice is to never leave a nice, expensive bike unattended. Beach cities are especially hit hard during the summer months. In Huntington Beach, don't ever lock your bike in the racks uner the pier, as your chances of having it stolen are very high. Last July, 131 bikes were stolen in Huntington Beach and many of them were either stolen from under the pier or from any of the bike racks on Main Street. Yes, Bella Terra Mall (Beach/Edinger) gets hit pretty hard, as well, especially from outside 24-Hour Fitness, from the theater area and from Barnes and Noble. Be sure you know your serial number, too, so if your bike is stolen, your chances of getting it returned will be far greater.
06-20-12, 04:49 AM
#27
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Garden Grove, CA
Posts: 5
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
My advice is to never leave a nice, expensive bike unattended. Beach cities are especially hit hard during the summer months. In Huntington Beach, don't ever lock your bike in the racks uner the pier, as your chances of having it stolen are very high. Last July, 131 bikes were stolen in Huntington Beach and many of them were either stolen from under the pier or from any of the bike racks on Main Street. Yes, Bella Terra Mall (Beach/Edinger) gets hit pretty hard, as well, especially from outside 24-Hour Fitness, from the theater area and from Barnes and Noble. Be sure you know your serial number, too, so if your bike is stolen, your chances of getting it returned will be far greater.
06-20-12, 12:53 PM
#28
This town needs an enema.
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Huntington Beach, Ca.
Posts: 794
Bikes: Bridgestone 400
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Same here, although I'll add most of OC in with that.
I worked at the Belle Terra REI part-time when it first opened and bike theft has been a problem to one degree or another since the place opened.
Downtown HB can be a really bad place to leave a bike unattended (as someone stated already). Lived near downtown for a couple years and in that time there were at least have a dozen people in my apartment complex (that I knew about) who rode their bikes downtown for a drink only to end up walking home.
Thanks for the replies everyone! I think I'll definitely invest in a good U-Lock. I just read about all the Santa Ana incidents and the Bella Terra theft. I must admit, I'm a little surprised because I always thought that places like Bella Terra would be the least place you'd expect to get your bike stolen. I guess I was wrong.
Downtown HB can be a really bad place to leave a bike unattended (as someone stated already). Lived near downtown for a couple years and in that time there were at least have a dozen people in my apartment complex (that I knew about) who rode their bikes downtown for a drink only to end up walking home.
Last edited by cradduck; 06-20-12 at 12:57 PM.
06-20-12, 11:32 PM
#29
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: San Francisco!
Posts: 909
Bikes: 2010 Surly LHT (main rider and do-everything bike), 2011 Bike Friday NWT (back-up bike and multi-modal)
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Hi LelandT, I also live in Garden Grove and I grew up here. Most of my rides start and end at my doorstep in Garden Grove and take me to Fountain Valley, Costa Mesa, Huntington Beach, Newport Beach, Long Beach, Seal Beach...I just love going to the beach too much! Anyway, I'm very familiar with this area, having ridden it for about five years or so already. I ride the SART frequently from the Warner Ave. entrance/exit to the beach. I used to ride north from there until the SART robberies started up and now I'm not sure if I wanna go back north after hearing about the robberies and the increase in homeless people.
My main bike lock is a Kryptonite New York Fahgettaboutit:
https://www.kryptonitelock.com/produc...=1000&pid=1095
Dang, bike theft is that bad in Orange County? I haven't had either of my bikes stolen yet (knock on wood) but then I usually don't lock 'em up much. I have locked my Surly Long Haul Trucker under the Huntington Beach pier before, and I even left my bike unlocked at the McDonald's along PCH in Newport Beach near Dover Dr. Most of my rides tend to be recreational runs while stopping only to drink water or eat a Clif bar. I guess I'll be sticking with that unless I really need to buy stuff from a store.
My main bike lock is a Kryptonite New York Fahgettaboutit:
https://www.kryptonitelock.com/produc...=1000&pid=1095
Dang, bike theft is that bad in Orange County? I haven't had either of my bikes stolen yet (knock on wood) but then I usually don't lock 'em up much. I have locked my Surly Long Haul Trucker under the Huntington Beach pier before, and I even left my bike unlocked at the McDonald's along PCH in Newport Beach near Dover Dr. Most of my rides tend to be recreational runs while stopping only to drink water or eat a Clif bar. I guess I'll be sticking with that unless I really need to buy stuff from a store.
06-21-12, 05:07 AM
#30
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Garden Grove, CA
Posts: 5
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Hi LelandT, I also live in Garden Grove and I grew up here. Most of my rides start and end at my doorstep in Garden Grove and take me to Fountain Valley, Costa Mesa, Huntington Beach, Newport Beach, Long Beach, Seal Beach...I just love going to the beach too much! Anyway, I'm very familiar with this area, having ridden it for about five years or so already. I ride the SART frequently from the Warner Ave. entrance/exit to the beach. I used to ride north from there until the SART robberies started up and now I'm not sure if I wanna go back north after hearing about the robberies and the increase in homeless people.
My main bike lock is a Kryptonite New York Fahgettaboutit:
https://www.kryptonitelock.com/produc...=1000&pid=1095
Dang, bike theft is that bad in Orange County? I haven't had either of my bikes stolen yet (knock on wood) but then I usually don't lock 'em up much. I have locked my Surly Long Haul Trucker under the Huntington Beach pier before, and I even left my bike unlocked at the McDonald's along PCH in Newport Beach near Dover Dr. Most of my rides tend to be recreational runs while stopping only to drink water or eat a Clif bar. I guess I'll be sticking with that unless I really need to buy stuff from a store.
My main bike lock is a Kryptonite New York Fahgettaboutit:
https://www.kryptonitelock.com/produc...=1000&pid=1095
Dang, bike theft is that bad in Orange County? I haven't had either of my bikes stolen yet (knock on wood) but then I usually don't lock 'em up much. I have locked my Surly Long Haul Trucker under the Huntington Beach pier before, and I even left my bike unlocked at the McDonald's along PCH in Newport Beach near Dover Dr. Most of my rides tend to be recreational runs while stopping only to drink water or eat a Clif bar. I guess I'll be sticking with that unless I really need to buy stuff from a store.
I've yet to ride on the SART and I really wanted to until I heard of the robberies. Since you don't use your lock much, do you regret buying the fahgettaboutit at all?
06-21-12, 09:12 PM
#31
Grammar Cop
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Papa Smurf's Lair
Posts: 1,543
Bikes: in my sig line
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 3 Times
in
3 Posts
It actually runs southwest to northeast. Since I usually take the 405 which runs "north" from San Diego, (in spite of the fact that parts of it are due east/west), and it crosses the 55 at a right angle, it is convenient for me to call Santa Ana and Costa Mesa "north" of the 55.
CalTrans designates the north/southness and east/westhness of the designated route based on whether the termination points are more north/south, or east/west.
Life is too short to quibble over insignificant "flaws".
CalTrans designates the north/southness and east/westhness of the designated route based on whether the termination points are more north/south, or east/west.
Life is too short to quibble over insignificant "flaws".
US 101 is considered a north-south highway. The Hollywood Freeway runs east and west. They're the same stretch of pavement.
"Westhness"?
06-22-12, 10:30 PM
#33
Member
Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 25
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
I too was a victim of bike theft at Marina Del Rey. It happened on a saturday in front of a restaurant during lunch hour! Since then I never leave my bike ever and I got like 3 locks.
06-24-12, 01:35 AM
#34
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: The Angels
Posts: 294
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
I ride an old beater chromoly MTB that i tuned-up really nicely so it rides well. it looks like a real POS with fake rust paint i added. I lock it up everywhere, downtown, Venice, Culver and i never have any problems. Sometimes you just gotta swallow your pride and leave the carbon fiber roadie at home if you plan on leaving a bike outside for a while.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
megacoupe
Commuting
11
07-18-11 04:45 PM
