Yeah, but what about pocket change from the drive up window? Somewhere there's a line beyond which we carry everything in with us and everybody draws it a little differently.

The OP states that the items were expensive for him/her. Sorry, but the question is idiotic.

I drove the wife's convertible top down Friday on the way home from the gym. I stopped by Walgreens on the way home, and put my lunchbox and gym bag in the trunk.

I came out and a pleasant elderly gentleman was admiring the car. He just as easily couldv'e been someone up to no good.

Secure what you want to keep.

I have a slightly different take on theft prevention.

Forget about you losing your stuff. Think about your friend, neighbor, or co-worker, with that 14 year old kid that has been having problems. He's the kid that going to ride off on your bike, or steal the light, or get caught by a cop digging through your cars glove compartment.

If you lock your stuff up well enough.... maybe the kid can (by no choice of his own)... stay out of trouble just long enough to clean up their act. And sometimes.... that's all it takes.

Before I read any reply I thought. boy this guy is going to get hammered. And you did. Good for you.

I haven't had anything stolen since I begun biking hardcore four years ago. I either take everything in with me, which I do when commuting. I take my entire bike in with me when I commute. I can take it all into my office. Since I work with medical patient information, when I lock my office door, it is locked and monitored. My bike is safe. When I am out in the city on my bike, I strip it down of all valuables and take them with me. I have a $90 bike computer and $200 worth of bike lights that get stuffed in my trunk and carried with me. I use a Krypto lock and cable on my bike when not in my office. So far, after four years. nothing has gone missing.

You have a point but I think that you guys are being a little bit harsh. It sounds to me like OP was feeling the inconvenience of taking his stuff off to carry in and was hoping somebody would give him permission not to have to do it. That's not going to happen.

My point is that it is a decision that we make for ourselves and that as such we need to take ownership of the results.

There is another point: Where do you stop? Do you pull your seatpost and saddle? How about QR wheels? How much inconvenience are you willing to commit to your locking system? These are decisions that we all make either consciously or not. The loose change in the convertible is the opposite end of that spectrum. Who would bother with that? And yet, I understand that loose change is the most common item stolen at trail head parking lots.

When I used to live in San Diego, I knew a fellow who left his top down while parked, so the top wouldn't get cut by thieves. He also had his stereo wired so it sat loosely in the open glove box in plain sight, so the wiring would not get damaged when stolen.

Now that I live and work in Wichita, this kind of problem is rare (but getting worse). I usually don't take my stuff off the bike. It sits in a bike rack 8 to 12 hours and is just like I left it at the end of the day.

My post wasn't to be harsh. It was my intent to lighten things up.

I now have to side with the "take it in" folks. I just had my mind changed: After a long, stressful shift last night, I went out to my bike for my soothing ride home. I found my tube-mounted bicycle pump kidnapped by thieves in the night. First time since I started bicycle commuting 4 or 5 years ago that my bike's been touched.

This changes a lot, because if I have to remove the pump, I probably should also remove the bag and the saddle, as well as remove the front wheel and lock it to the rear.

All of a sudden, commuting by bike is not so fun and convenient.

Our daily riding places bikes have dyno lights so not much worry that anyone will steal them. They're always on the bikes, always ready to go, always work, never need to be charged, and never need to be taken in a store or café with us. And as mentioned by someone earlier, wheels have hex nuts, saddle has a little anti-theft cable pinched on, etc. These bikes are designed to be as easy and comfortable and efficient as possible which is why they're about the only bike you'll see people using for transportation outside of the U.S.

More: City Bikes | LocalMile

Or the thief simply had a flat.

I leave my stuff attached to the bike.....




.... but take the bike inside (a Brompton )

Ok this is what I do, if my bike's in view like say if I'm in a coffe stop cafe or similar then I leave it all on, but if I'm out of sight of the bike then I take the lot off, personally I never leave my bike unattended it's a pinarello, they tend to be on the top of bike thieves lists. Another rule to thumb could be, assume it's definitely going to be stolen when your backs turned! now would you do things differently ?

I have about $40 in lights mounted on the bike; where I live is tame enough that they've been safe for four years now (granted, the only time it's vulnerable is at the grocery store). My smaller-than-a-golf-ball headlight is screwed to a bolted mount, the tail can unclip. I'm guessing, as much as lack of a motivated opportunist, the idea that bike lights are not "not cool" in my area is what keeps them safer.

Speaking as a person that had his bike seat stolen and had to walk 14km at 2am in the rain I would remove the lights. If it can be stolen it will by some ******bag with nothing better to do.

I have the Hollywood Racks 4-bike platform rack and I always take it in after I'm home and done riding. It's not as nice as a 1up or Kuat and it's heavy, but made very well. It would rust if I left it in the weather for a long period of time. Still... I love the rack and it beats the hell out of the traditional "hanging" rack I had before.

Those things fit easily in your helmet for carrying in.