jkrueger Posted February 13, 2003 Posted February 13, 2003 My brother's bike was stolen by a guy who watched him lock his bike to a long horizontal handrail each day. At night he came in and hacksawed the beam way down at the other end and taped over it. Then when my bro locked his bike to it, he just undid the tape and slid my brother's bike off.And you know this because... you were the guy? Quote
dirtwigle Posted February 13, 2003 Posted February 13, 2003 All I can say is I feel your pain. Twice now, once in P-town ($4000) and again in Seattle ($2500). The best way I have found to deter the little bastards is to ride a stout well tuned beater for cite commuting and save the high end bike for trail or road riding. If you go with a new bike chip the paint, sticker the shit out of it, remove any trace of a brand name. And use at least two different kinds of locks. I use a "U" lock and a cable lock. Good luck. Quote
rbw1966 Posted February 13, 2003 Author Posted February 13, 2003 Chris-- It was a krypto U-lock, not that it matters. This is the third bike ($400, $2000, $600) I've had stolen in downtown portland and all three were secured with Kryptonite locks. Thankfully I still have my road bike so all is not lost. It still bites. Quote
catbirdseat Posted February 13, 2003 Posted February 13, 2003 There is a special place in hell reserved for bike thieves. They have seats that are red hot pokers... Quote
freeclimb9 Posted February 13, 2003 Posted February 13, 2003 Hey, at least now you have a great excuse to buy a new ride. I'm loving my Surly. They've got a 29" coming out in a few weeks that has a bracket for a derailleur too (Karate Monkey). Quote
Roger Posted February 13, 2003 Posted February 13, 2003 Total bummer. Some shithead stole my almost-new mountain bike out of my garage last year. At least they left the beater commuter bike. Rob, depending on where your office is downtown... there are bike racks downstairs in the parking garage of the building I work in that anyone could use. It's not far from PSU, and definitely more secure than leaving it locked on the street. the garage locks up at 9:00 pm though. Quote
rbw1966 Posted February 13, 2003 Author Posted February 13, 2003 Roger--I bet you work in the Wells Fargo Tower. I used to lock my bike there too. But if I am going to leave it downtown whilst in class I might as well use my locker by my office. It sonly 3 blocks away and there has never been a theft from one of them. Thanks for the offer though. Quote
b-rock Posted February 14, 2003 Posted February 14, 2003 Sux Rob, sorry to hear it. Used to work in a bike shop many moons ago, and this trick worked for someone - pull your fork out and scratch or tape "This Bike was stolen - contact...." onto the tube that goes into the headset. If it ever gets into a bike shop and gets taken apart it might get noticed. Quote
Gordonb Posted February 14, 2003 Posted February 14, 2003 Doesn't kryptonite have a guarantee that they will replace you bike if it was locked with a kryptonite? Or am I mis-remembering? Quote
COL._Von_Spanker Posted February 14, 2003 Posted February 14, 2003 Doesn't kryptonite have a guarantee that they will replace you bike if it was locked with a kryptonite? Or am I mis-remembering? I think you gotta send some shit in to get that. Quote
richard_noggin Posted February 14, 2003 Posted February 14, 2003 I had my mtn bike stolen, than three years later I seen it chained on a appartment bolcony so I called the local police they said they could not do any thing unless I had a receipt with the serial #, to there supprise I dug it up out of my big box of receipts that I throw all my receipts into .So they come out cut the lock and give me my bike back, when ask if they were going to persue the case ,the officer said I should be glad I got the bike back and that was it. A few years ago I find a bike in the woods by my house and also read in the local paper of a bike thieft a few miles away so I call the police an officer arrives tells me to keep the bike because he doesn't want to fill out paper work I tell him of the police report in the paper , he says it's not the same bike, and to just keep the bike, so I know this guy in that hood so I go over and ask him if he knows where such and such a address is, he says its mine so I show him the bike and it was his . Kind of makes you wonder don't it Moral to the stories: Don't throw any receipts away ,don't expect help from the police, sometimes you have to do the legwork yourself These stories are true no BS!! Quote
erik Posted February 14, 2003 Posted February 14, 2003 i just ride whatever bike is handy. never have to buy one. i try to return them, but i forget soo often Quote
iain Posted February 14, 2003 Posted February 14, 2003 That has worked pretty well at times in Minneapolis/St. Paul (at least when I was there for school). They had a bunch of yellow bikes you just rode around and left wherever. Quote
rbw1966 Posted February 14, 2003 Author Posted February 14, 2003 Works great in Amsterdam too. Someone in Portland started a similar program but the homeless folks were stealing the bikes and keeping them or selling them. Quote
glen Posted February 15, 2003 Posted February 15, 2003 I think old west horse-stealing rules should apply. "Get a rope" It is probably worth your time to call a few of the used bike shops in town and mention that your particular make/color of bike was stolen. Longshot, but I've heard of longer shots paying off with stolen bikes. Quote
allison Posted February 15, 2003 Posted February 15, 2003 Dude, anyone who can afford a mountain bike, can afford to get insurance. I have 12K worth of coverage on my renter's, and it is less than 20 clams a month. PS. Sorry about your bike. Quote
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