Write your name clearly and boldly on everything you own and value. My father taught me this and I've not had much stolen in my life. Typically I use either a paint-pen or an engraver. Even stuff like my TV set has my name on the back in 1 inch high letters. Try pawning that. Strangely there are people who find this repulsive for reasons I cannot fathom. They will make remarks "oh you wrote you name on everything, how weird" So what is the basis of this aversion folks have to someone declaring their ownership? Any thoughts?

BTW: I've not engraved my bike frame though, due to concerns about initiating fatigue cracks.

Use a security bolt instead of hex or QR.

A.

Funny you mentioned that because I was thinking about it the other day. I could have wrote my name underneath the saddle because of the coloring. My other saddles are black so I'm not sure what to use.

I'm going to ask at my LBS if they have anything when i give them the flyer I made.

Just pass by a hardware store. Something like, this, secure hex or secure torx:



Sure, it can still be stolen, but it further increases the chances the thief won't have the right tool. Although, you'll need one

Right now I am looking for the cheapest solution until I get my finances in order.

Sorry to hear you had that seat nabbed. What caught my eye was the comment from the thread about riding something that looks like complete garbage but rides well.

I thought it was interesting that the idea of working hard for something nice that you like is being mitigated by someone else's desire to make you miserable. Not so much a rawr moment as an interesting thought.

Would you drive a Dodge K car circa 1982 simply because you want people to NOT steal it? Has society really evolved into a place where owning nice things is not a viable option? Has this mindset been perpetrated by a more liberal mindset?

Just some interesting sociology really, nothing heated.

I hope you find your seat though, because it'll make you feel like you got some justice and lower the chance of someone eating a lot of negative energy if they're riding THEIR brooks saddle in the wrong place at the wrong time

I understand what others were saying Santaria about riding something that looks cheap so it looks unappealing. I could have probably avoided it looking appealing by placing a plastic bag over it.

Thieves happen to be very low forms of life. The thing is I lost my job back in June and really haven't gotten to many promising leads so I am surviving off savings. Since I use my old colleges library I lock up my bike at the rack. Although I could, it wouldn't be right for me to take from someone else who could be in the same boat as me.

I could simply go around stealing things from other bikes or steal bikes without it even being noticed, but it wouldn't be right. Hopefully by alerting the police and putting up flyers makes others aware and more cautious. For instance today when talking to another person who uses the bike rack I told them to look at Sheldon Browns site on how to lock the bike, and also warned him about leaving his helmet and light on the bike unattended.

Making your valuables look less valuable is a very smart strategy, but it shouldn't detract from the value of it or make you less likely to use it.