I am not questioning the problem of bike thefts. I am skeptical of the seriousness or extent of the "problem" of bike thieves going to the trouble of wrecking/destroying bike racks to steal the contents when there are so many easier ways to steal bikes.

I blame Rob Ford.

I think he had OCD.

Igor Kenk's collection.

that shot Jesse James.. ?/

Maybe a Swords to Bike racks conversion Job for some big Military contractor.

of course the rack would have to be priced high as they really are used to spending a lot
of DOD/MOD money, making the other stuff, Now..

the heavy steel tools from making battle ships and Submarines in Shipyards would work well ..

Sticking a steel cable through those pipes and filling them with coarse cement would be fairly cheap and would make them pretty much unbreakable and uncuttable with a saw or torch. I suppose a carbide or diamond grinder would eventually get through but it wouldn't be easy.

Edit: Apparently I should have read the whole thread before commenting. It's a good idea and apparently an obvious one to everyone except bike rack makers and customers.

IMO, it is an obvious "solution" looking for a problem.

a picture of a cut rack. maybe it was cut by a bike thief.

Not a total loss. The article said 2 people told "market stewards" that they witnessed the thefts. Most people in a crowd get so lost in what they're doing they don't watch their environment. I wonder what percentage deliberately ignore such crimes and how many just never see anything unusual.

Damn. They are getting smarter. Soon they'll figure out it's cheaper to just get a job...

Toronto mayor.

Maybe somebody can post a picture of a bike rack located somewhere (anywhere) that has been hit by an errant motor vehicle and smashed the attached bikes. Then we can have all sorts of proposals and solutions to solve this problem, maybe concrete Jersey Barriers, T-Walls, or Hesco Bastion Barricade/Fortifications surrounding all bike racks to protect bikes from this "problem."

i wonder what thieves have to do for the people to notice them.
Maybe ask politely.

-(Thief) May I steal your bike?
-(Bike's owner) Sure, no problem. Do you need help in any way?

-(Thief) No thanks! Uh Yes! Should I cut here or there?
-(Bike's Owner) Here, maybe it looks weaker.

(5 min later)

-(Thief) Thank you very much for your help! Do you want to keep the lock? It's a little cut here and there but with some glue it should be ok.
-(Bike's owner) No that's ok. You can keep it! I was thinking of getting a new set since you're stealing my bike.

-(Thief) Ah yeah! Oh maybe we should keep it touch then?
-(Former bike's owner) Definitively! Here is my card.

-(Thief) Thanks you very much and goodbye!

What the ****.

So basically. no matter what. Theres always a way. Besides keeping the bike by your side. Even then you'd lose at gun point.

guess it depends on the bike... a $4000 job is worthy of the jaws of life...a wal mart huffy isn't worth stealing if it's not even locked!



You might...difference between me and the thief is I know how to use my gun...here's a hint: ya don't holdit sideways

cement walls with wire cables in them

Even empty bike racks are not safe from theft.

You have expressed this opinion multiple times in multiple ways. Probably enough to convince the convince-able, don't you think?

You are correct. Conversely as this thread among many demonstrates, some of our comrades are convinced that any report of a "problem" somewhere on the Internet, no matter how insignificant or isolated, is a sign that the Sky is Falling and in need of a "solution."

I'm done convincing on this thread.

It takes only one case to demonstrate that something happens and accordingly has to be considered.
But to demonstrates that something requires taking actions is another story.
I believe this is what you were saying here:


Anyway. In most fields a good outcome is usually what should be considered first. But in matter of security it's usually not the case. That's why there are so many safety features on cars even though the risk of being hit is usually low, that countries are ready to defend themselves against foreign nuclear attacks even though it happened only once in the history, that you look before crossing the street even though you've probably never been hit by a car etc...
But up to a certain extent, the level of security taking place is something very personal.

If I were a bike rack thief, I'd cut the rack sometime when nobody's around, and replace the cutout section with wax, and paint it over, so I could just come by later, when all the bikes are hooked to the rack, and just knock out the plug and make off with all the bikes...

In fact, I'd save myself some effort, and just put down my own bike racks in high-use areas...

Yep, as David mentions, some thieves do prep or stage things in advance such as unbolting street signs or pre-cutting locking locations. This is why some recommend always lifting up on or rotating whatever you are about to lock your bike to and ensuring it isn't a prepped location. The sky isn't falling, but it is good to be aware of things and of the methods of thieves.

True, or something? Nobody's gonna wanna take on a dude with a sawzall ... unless you can yank his plug out?

A lot of people have cell phones. All you have to do is make a call. I wouldn't expect nor want someone to risk their body or life for my bike. But would appreciate it if they at least called the police if they saw someone cutting the cable, lock or whatever the bike is fastened down to.

you could call it in but they're gonna be gone before the cops show up, if they show up at all..