Originally Posted by
bingham333
#7 bums me out the most. I just spent half a year and and a buttload of money building my dream bike but i cant ride it anywhere because i;m afraid of thieves. i lock it down good( 2 U-locks through frame and both tires and a cable lock through my toe clips and seat rails) but what can i do about my stem, bars? nothing i know of. it took me almost a year to track down the cinelli 2a stem an half thet time to find the 67 bars to go with it and now anybody with a 6mm hex wrench can take em both in under a second.
It's very unlikely someone will steal your stem and bars. Popular targets are wheels and saddles, and whole bikes. I have never heard of someone losing just the stem / bars or anything else. I have heard of whole bikes being stripped, but these were bikes that sat in one place for weeks or months.
That said, it's best to have a bike you don't mind locking up in addition to your main ride. I have two bikes I will lock up (my beater, for as long as I need to, and my daily rider, for short periods) and two that I will not lock up at all. Sounds like your bike is one you don't want to lock up at all. I suggest getting a beater.
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1964 JRJ (Bob Jackson), 1973 Wes Mason, 1974 Raleigh Gran Sport, 1986 Schwinn High Sierra, 2000ish Colian (Colin Laing), 2011 Dick Chafe, 2013 Velo Orange Pass Hunter