Bikes stolen on tour?
10-23-17 | 10:55 AM
#26
Junior Member
Joined: Aug 2017
Posts: 17
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I have small Abus u-lock, it's not that heavy and so far so good. I also subscribe to the idea of making the bike ugly and removing/hiding silly loud logos, none of which effect the performance of the bike, but makes it less attractive and less noticeable.
10-23-17 | 10:56 AM
#27
Senior Member
Joined: Sep 2017
Posts: 1,581
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From: Center of Central CA
As far as the entrapment argument goes, anyone who leaves their bike unlocked is "baiting them into stealing it"? Sorry, but I don't buy that. Because otherwise, the prisons are full of people who were "baited" into robbing banks ("there was no guard on duty") kidnapping people ("that kid wasn't locked up") or raping people (won't go there).
If laughing at bike thieves getting some street justice makes me a bad person, so be it. It's the only justice that I will ever get for my 4 stolen bikes.
10-23-17 | 11:03 AM
#28
Senior Member
Joined: Apr 2015
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From: Metro Detroit/AA
Bikes: 2016 Novara Mazama
If you are ever dumb enough to try it yourself, be prepared for some legal justice against you when it goes horribly wrong and you maim or kill the individual. That is my only point, what that video portrays is likely a felony everywhere in America.
10-23-17 | 11:35 AM
#30
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Joined: Nov 2013
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From: Big Apple
Bikes: yes
As far as the admittedly funny video goes, These guys are obviously engaging in premeditated behavior, with the specific intent of exploding a device under someones butt and genitals, for entertainment purposes. Luckily for them, criminals tend to avoid reporting crimes committed against them, while they were in the commission of committing a crime against someone else. I doubt any D.A. would have a problem with prosecuting the guys making the video.
10-23-17 | 03:30 PM
#31
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Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 6,977
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From: Washington, DC
Seems like a great way to get yourself arrested and imprisoned. Whilst one can take some humor when bike thieves get what is coming to them through natural karma, that is nothing more than akin to running out and bashing them with a baseball bat, or shooting at them as they ride off.
As one who works at an auto supplier with a line of airbag products, they are most certainly not toys for such gimmicks.
As one who works at an auto supplier with a line of airbag products, they are most certainly not toys for such gimmicks.
10-23-17 | 03:59 PM
#32
Senior Member
Joined: Apr 2015
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From: Metro Detroit/AA
Bikes: 2016 Novara Mazama
Even if just a prank, I sure hope they don't get a hold of any of the defective Takata inflators.
10-23-17 | 05:35 PM
#33
ambulatory senior
Joined: Dec 2016
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From: Peoria Il
Bikes: Austro Daimler modified by Gugie! Raleigh Professional and lots of other bikes.
10-23-17 | 06:42 PM
#34
Senior Member
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 924
Likes: 9
Last week it was not safe to camp anywhere because of meth head boot hell m&fers.
This week you do not need more than a plastic lock to camp.
did I click the same page ¡¿
A cable lock is good enough for a corner ma & pa store, where you can see it through the window.
You want to shop at Walmart, kmart, Soriana, well, Abus makes the best locks, get one.
U locks; get a short one, short enough so there is not room for a 3 inch thick tool to fit in and pry it apart.
Cable locks; get one with 2 looped ends and a small pad lock; the key cable locks can be brolen by a 7th grader faster than you can open it with your key
This week you do not need more than a plastic lock to camp.
did I click the same page ¡¿
A cable lock is good enough for a corner ma & pa store, where you can see it through the window.
You want to shop at Walmart, kmart, Soriana, well, Abus makes the best locks, get one.
U locks; get a short one, short enough so there is not room for a 3 inch thick tool to fit in and pry it apart.
Cable locks; get one with 2 looped ends and a small pad lock; the key cable locks can be brolen by a 7th grader faster than you can open it with your key
Last edited by chrisx; 10-23-17 at 06:54 PM.
10-23-17 | 08:39 PM
#35
Senior Member
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 489
Likes: 50
From: Way Out West
Bikes: carbon bamboo composite is the best
Last week it was not safe to camp anywhere because of meth head boot hell m&fers.
This week you do not need more than a plastic lock to camp.
did I click the same page ¡¿
A cable lock is good enough for a corner ma & pa store, where you can see it through the window.
You want to shop at Walmart, kmart, Soriana, well, Abus makes the best locks, get one.
U locks; get a short one, short enough so there is not room for a 3 inch thick tool to fit in and pry it apart.
Cable locks; get one with 2 looped ends and a small pad lock; the key cable locks can be brolen by a 7th grader faster than you can open it with your key
This week you do not need more than a plastic lock to camp.
did I click the same page ¡¿
A cable lock is good enough for a corner ma & pa store, where you can see it through the window.
You want to shop at Walmart, kmart, Soriana, well, Abus makes the best locks, get one.
U locks; get a short one, short enough so there is not room for a 3 inch thick tool to fit in and pry it apart.
Cable locks; get one with 2 looped ends and a small pad lock; the key cable locks can be brolen by a 7th grader faster than you can open it with your key
10-24-17 | 11:55 AM
#40
Sunshine
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 18,699
Likes: 10,233
From: Des Moines, IA
Bikes: '18 class built steel roadbike, '19 Fairlight Secan, '88 Schwinn Premis , Black Mountain Cycles Monstercross V4, '89 Novara Trionfo
10-24-17 | 12:37 PM
#41
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10-24-17 | 03:59 PM
#42
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Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 9,684
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From: northern Deep South
Bikes: Fuji Touring, Novara Randonee
Back to O.P.'s question, no, I've never had a bike stolen while on tour.
It might happen. Doing a few things will greatly reduce the chance it'll happen to you. A lightweight cable lock will secure the bike at night, or when you pop into a grocery store or diner. Don't leave the bike unattended in sketchy areas. Ride with a group, there's safety in numbers (maybe the next bike down looks prettier?). Lock it in a motel room when you're in a big(ger) town or city. Leave heavy panniers on it if you're not in bear country, especially if there's a trick to detaching the panniers that's not immediately obvious.
But don't let the possibility of losing something deter you from what can be a wonderful experience!
It might happen. Doing a few things will greatly reduce the chance it'll happen to you. A lightweight cable lock will secure the bike at night, or when you pop into a grocery store or diner. Don't leave the bike unattended in sketchy areas. Ride with a group, there's safety in numbers (maybe the next bike down looks prettier?). Lock it in a motel room when you're in a big(ger) town or city. Leave heavy panniers on it if you're not in bear country, especially if there's a trick to detaching the panniers that's not immediately obvious.
But don't let the possibility of losing something deter you from what can be a wonderful experience!
10-26-17 | 10:00 PM
#43
Senior Member
Joined: Aug 2017
Posts: 89
Likes: 0
Like others mention I am on the lighter cable lock plan. One thing we also do is I have a battery powered alarm. Can't even remember where I got it and not sure if it is a r-a-p-e alarm or what exactly it is for but it has a little plug/key that pops into it and when the plug/key is pulled out the alarm sounds. It was pink but I spray painted it black and on evenings I would tie it to one of our bikes and tent peg in the plug/key that was on some thin rope. That way if someone tried to cut our lock the alarm would be going off and attached to one of the bikes. The alarm is super loud and although it has never happened I figured it would wake me up and thought the thief likely would not go far with a siren on the bike.
10-27-17 | 12:31 AM
#44
Senior Member
Joined: Sep 2015
Posts: 5,126
Likes: 1,324
From: Left Coast, Canada
I usually take a cable and lock. Just enough to stop opportunistic theft.
But on my summer trip I experimented with an old pup tent fly I have. It covers a smaller free standing tent and half my bike. Inside I can see it through the mesh and you would have to pull the whole tent down trying to steal it.
But on my summer trip I experimented with an old pup tent fly I have. It covers a smaller free standing tent and half my bike. Inside I can see it through the mesh and you would have to pull the whole tent down trying to steal it.
10-27-17 | 11:45 AM
#45
Senior Member
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 6,627
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From: Oregon
We locked our bikes to to this fence using a cable and padlock from early morning to well after dark. We left the Swiss campground before sunrise and walked 3 miles to the train station in a nearby town. We took 3 different trains for a total of 300km to see a mountain I dreamed about climbing since I was a kid. At my age I was just happy getting to see it
We also left all our gear in in the tent. We evaluated the risk and thought theft of our bikes or gear was a very low probability. I feel that situational awareness is probably the most important aspect of bike security.
I also believe that if worrying about your bike acts like an anchor, and keeps you from enjoying yourself and exploring the places you are travelling through, most of the freedom of bike touring is lost.
The Eiger (the one with snow).
We also left all our gear in in the tent. We evaluated the risk and thought theft of our bikes or gear was a very low probability. I feel that situational awareness is probably the most important aspect of bike security. I also believe that if worrying about your bike acts like an anchor, and keeps you from enjoying yourself and exploring the places you are travelling through, most of the freedom of bike touring is lost.
The Eiger (the one with snow).
Last edited by Doug64; 10-27-17 at 12:07 PM.
10-27-17 | 12:59 PM
#46
Senior Member
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 68
Likes: 1
From: Western New York
Bikes: 2008 Jamis Aurora; 2013 Surly Cross-Check
While touring, since I have always locked my bike, I've been most concerned about people opening my panniers & h-bar bag, to help themselves to my equipment. To give myself a little piece of mind about that, I installed a motion detector on the frame. The $5 device is easy to activate, takes up very little room & weighs <70g.
10-28-17 | 03:25 PM
#47
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: Jul 2017
Posts: 919
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That's extreme
Your kidding right?
Not only do you ruin the resale value, but you ruined the bike for yourself!
Not only do you ruin the resale value, but you ruined the bike for yourself!
This is a good topic - no one wants their bike stolen.
Recently a friend bought himself a new bike. Just by looking at it you could tell it was expensive - not a good thing. We decided to make the bike as visually as unappealing as possible.
1.Sanded off the bright flashy paint - slapped on flat black.
2.Took a Dremel tool to the various components and got rid of the silly logos - in this case SRAM in big white attention grabbing letters.
3.Removed the various stickers from the rims, and painted the rims flat black.
With any type of luck rust will start forming and bleeding all over the frame within a year of two, a good thing.
This bike will pretty much disappear in a sea of bikes that no one is interested in, it barely needs a lock.
My bike is pretty much in that state: flat black, no logos on anything and plenty of rust. Last summer on a 3 month tour of Italy, I never worried about anyone stealing my bike, it's practically invisible. All I carried was a small u-lock (also flat black), and only bothered to lock my bike in big cities, otherwise I never bothered to use the lock - no one wanted anything to do with my ugly bike.
Recently a friend bought himself a new bike. Just by looking at it you could tell it was expensive - not a good thing. We decided to make the bike as visually as unappealing as possible.
1.Sanded off the bright flashy paint - slapped on flat black.
2.Took a Dremel tool to the various components and got rid of the silly logos - in this case SRAM in big white attention grabbing letters.
3.Removed the various stickers from the rims, and painted the rims flat black.
With any type of luck rust will start forming and bleeding all over the frame within a year of two, a good thing.
This bike will pretty much disappear in a sea of bikes that no one is interested in, it barely needs a lock.
My bike is pretty much in that state: flat black, no logos on anything and plenty of rust. Last summer on a 3 month tour of Italy, I never worried about anyone stealing my bike, it's practically invisible. All I carried was a small u-lock (also flat black), and only bothered to lock my bike in big cities, otherwise I never bothered to use the lock - no one wanted anything to do with my ugly bike.
10-28-17 | 03:59 PM
#48
Full Member
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 472
Likes: 43
I buy a bike with the intention of keeping it, resale value is irrelevant. Why would I want to sell my bike?
Removing logos and other attention grabbing nonsense doesn't ruin the bike, it works just as well sans logos.
10-28-17 | 10:12 PM
#50
Full Member
Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 363
Likes: 14
From: Phoenix, AZ
Bikes: 2015 Trek District 8, 2017 Salsa Vaya Claris, 2012 SE Draft
Not to say the bikes won't get dinged, scuffed, scratched, etc... I view that as patina