Is a bike thief likely to steal a fixed gear or are they still scared off by it? I know in boston i see tons of ss/fixes all over, but have the thieves picked up on their popularity? I know a shiny new langster would probably be a good target for a thief, but would they pass over it if it was fix? or would they just go for whatever they could pic with a bic?

how much could you get for an 80s road frame "missing" most of the hardware and unable to coast? Not to mention that it "looks really uncomfortable."

I doubt a pawn shop would give too much for something like that.

Watch Craig's List sometime. People steal fixes. Some thieves are even smart and steal just the wheels since they know that's all the expensive bits anyhow.

Someone once tried to steal a hack fixie of mine from outside a pub in Oxford. We were sat on the green watching as he rode off and was suitably thrown off. I strolled over, pint in hand, said, "I'll take that back now, mate," and left him in a bruised heap. Ahh, the joy of no freewheel >

LOL, that's priceless!

I know a few people in boston who have had their fixies, or their wheels stolen...

Of course, the whole concept of a fixed gear isn't hard to pick up on. Steal a fixie, sell to a college student, rinse and repeat.

fixie minus brake plus eggbeaters = virtually unrideable without the knowhow and right shoes. but very easy to walk away with or throw in a truck/van.

Thats my setup, and it makes me feel a lot more secure. Even if its a false sense of security, hey, that's worth something.
(WARNING TO EPHEMERALSKIN: I'm going to tell a story! Look out! ) Last week I was riding through a pretty ghetto area on a detour from my commute, and some kid yelled "Yo! Gimme your bike!" as I was riding by. I kind of chuckled to myself and kept riding (naturally, a little faster) but it was funny to imagine anyone trying to make a successful getaway.

Hmm, I too use eggs on my fixie but have never really thought of them as a security device. I think of my fenders as more a theft deterrent at this time of year than anything else. Fenders = less sporty to most lower levels of humanity.

I tend to just jump on it with flip flops if I need to make a quick run down to the grocery. Its definitely rideable, just rather hard to keep on the pedals under good power.

I think the fixed gear is the larger of the security features. That and the typically older frame, road bike components, lack of many parts, and typical less than flashy fixie style (not always the case, I know).

-Pete

A friend of mine had her fixed stolen about a month ago (there abouts)...a few days later her lock was back at the rack...bunch of savages in this town

You could ask the thief who took my fixed gear.

Dang. Whereabout?

Knock on wood, but I usually leave a taillight or something for the opportunist to swipe when I lock up as a barometer on the neighborhoods I park in. Not at all scientific, but I'm not about to fund a study. Nothing of mine has wandered off (yet).

In the past 6 months, I've known of 4 stolen fixies and one stolen SS (with a flip flop fixed).
2 of them from the same road!

i used to ride a fixed bianchi bobcat mountain bike, which was parked outside of the seward cafe, where i used to work, when i walked up on a drunk from the neighborhood walking away from the bike rack with my bike. he didn't try to get on, just strolled down the alley with it. i chased after him and yelled at him a lot and took my bike back with little difficulty. i think i scared him, which is funny, because if it had come to violence i wouldn't have really known what to do. the point is, when someone is straight up broke, and/or addicted, you could be riding a magna from wal-mart and it won't make a difference. they'll turn around and sell it for twenty bucks, less than you spent on bar tape.

Exactly why I don't have bar tape.

How 'bout a fixt with a 56T to a 10T rear? Leave unlocked in front of the coffee shop,

return>
-Someones trying to getaway on your ride!, walk up to them as they struggle to push the cranks- push them over..

hahaha. that and andygates' story: amazing