Bike theft technique
 

Yea my bike just got stolen. I had it locked to this bike rack, one of the triangular ones with the big metal bar. This time I had just locked it to the small triangular part, which I usually don't do, and when I got back it was gone. I looked at the triangular metal piece which extends from the larger metal bar and it had been cut near the back, obviously this had been done some time prior and I didn't notice it, the "assailant" was just waiting for someone to lock his bike to that particular part so he could take it. All in all, I am not too upset because now I can get more of a bike I want, a cheap light-framed single-speeder that I have been wanting to get for a while now. God works in mysterious ways lol. Anyways thought I would share this with the peeps here so someone else doesn't have the same thing happen to them.

-Matt

Bummer. Hopefully you'll enjoy your singlespeed and get back to riding quickly.

--- AHA! THANKS for the tip. Sorry you lost your bike, but your warning may HELP someone else.

An optimistic person about getting his bike jacked, wow.

Yeah, optimistic, we must put a stop to this... :)

madnomad, go post your drivel elsewhere... There will be no discussion of bicycle* theft at BikeForums.net unless there is a serious threat of using deadly force against the infidel** who stole from you the most important thing in life.

Unless discussion of various barbaric acts are described at ever-escalating cruelty, with bloody details, you must not mention anything that interferes with cycling*** in these forums.

It is attitudes like yours that would allow a bicycle thief to escape with only paying a fine, making restitution and having a permanent record of theft, or maybe some jail time... How can we protect these bikes, which are worth more than someone else's life, with attitudes like this?


Footnotes:

* Bicycle: The one and only holy item that is worthy of invoking violence. Not only are bicycles as a class of vehicles to be protected at all costs, but if one specific bicycle is stolen or damaged, it must be avenged as if there aren't millions of others waiting to take its place, available at hundreds of thousands of retail locations around the world.

** Infidel: Any person or animal who interferes with a single moment of another's cycling, whether intentionally or unintentionally, is an infidel and has abandoned any rights to life, liberty or the pursuit of happiness. A bicyclist can not be an infidel, unless the bicyclist is not riding a bicycle at the time of their wicked act.

** Cycling: The one and only holy act.

:D

"Gimmicking" places that folks lock bikes to is a common tactic in high-crime areas. A favorite technique is to cut off a street sign or something similar near ground level, then attach the sign to a larger piece of tubing that's a slip-fit over the stub. Looks quite normal, but all the thief has to do is lift the sign off the lock, then replace it for the next victim.

You didn't lock it up like this did you? ;)

http://argville.com/images/funny-pictures/safe-bike.jpg