Bike Theft

[wushijiao]

I bought a pretty good Giant bike in July and rode it around a lot in Shanghai. Noverber 1st or so, it was stolen. I had, of course, expected it to happen sooner or later. Some of the parts were getting rusty, it's brakes were getting old, I wanted a lame basket, and I had logged a few hundred miles on it, it was too small, so it wasn't that big of a deal. I wante a new one anyway, I consoled.

So, I bought a new one, this time with more customization to my needs. Nine days later- stolen.

I love biking in Shanghai- it's faster than taking cars during rush hour. You can see a lot of the old neighborhoods that buses and subways (of course) don't go through. Not to mention that biking helps keep you in shape. But I am wondering what to do now. I guess I'll buy a fold-up if I can find one that's big enough and fast enough.

Anyway, just venting....

[bluebird0811]

I'm sorry to hear that.I lost two bikes last year.And this usually happen in my school.My classmates complain that the time thief spend to open bicycle lock is even shorter than that they use their keys to open it.

[GuernseyMatt]

You have my commiserations too.

I am a real enthusiast for cycling. a couple of years ago I invested in a "cannondale bad boy". A nice hybrid style bike with ultra light/strong aluminium frame and thin racing wheels - a cross between mountain bike and racer and ideal for urban use.

It has given me lots of joy on my home island, but when I took it with me to university in Plymouth, I was too paranoid to take it anywhere in case I had to lock it and leave it.

Maybe the trick is to buy a nice bike and "decorate" it so that it appears to be old and of no real value? what you might describe as urban camouflage !

[PollyWaffle]

Maybe the trick is to buy a nice bike and "decorate" it so that it appears to be old and of no real value?

unfortunately it makes no difference... the first bike i had stolen was rusted beyond belief, the chain slipped cos the drive chain was worn out, bottom bracket was shot so cranks move an inch sideways, both wheels buckled (tho i trued them within resonable limits), no brakes...

[GuernseyMatt]

Well polly, I wouldn't want to trivialise your predicament, but it sounds like they did you a favour when they nicked your first bike. , sorry I am only joking.

I don't think there is any easy solution, what I have noticed is that most bike theft is opportunist - but there are professional bike thieves who will specifically target "nice" bikes, generally speaking if they decide they are going to take it they will.

Apart from making your bike less visually attractive it is wise to choose the location where you will leave it wisely. IE a suitably public place where many people pass by, and preferably where other people also leave their bikes. Lots of people coming and going makes thieves nervous.

If you have quick release wheels and saddle this is beneficial. remove the front wheel and place it next to the back wheel then feed your lock through both wheels and the frame of the bike when securing it to somthing really solid or heavy. Remove your saddle and take it with you, This will make stealing your bike a lot more hassle than it is to steal sombody elses.

Never leave your bike in a public location overnight, whether it is locked or not, as the extra security afforded by your considered approach diminishes in the hours of darkness, and the longer it is left the higher the chance of thieves taking notice of it.

Do you not have specific areas where bike usage is provided for with secure structures and cameras?

[wushijiao]

Thanks for the ideas. I think the problems might be:

1) My locks weren't of high quality. I'm thinking of having my parents send me a real U-lock from the US.

2) I should have found a better place to keep them.

3) (and I hate to say this) I doubt anyone would say anthything even if they did see my bikes in the process of being stolen.

[PollyWaffle]

I don't know if this is true, but I was once told that when someone gets their bike stolen, it is common place to go & steal somebody elses.

[Shingo]

Beats walking. If everyone steals a bike nobody would probably even end up buying a new one. Communism at its best!

[PollyWaffle]

yeah fully! it's kinda like the amsterdam white bike thingie, arrangement, wotever, where you'd just leave yer bike & someone else could take it when they needed it, & vice versa

[GuernseyMatt]

I heard about the Amsterdam situation, but never saw anything like that when I was there.

On reflection most of the bikes I saw in Amsterdam were not exactly what you would describe as stylish, typical granny style with one really low gear and a shopping basket on the front actually.

Great city for cycling though really flat; just watch out for the trams!

One thing I didnt mention was the method used for stealing bikes.

Because most modern locks are designed to be hack saw and bolt cutter resistant, lots of thieves (the really nasty organised ones) use crow bars to wrench the lock. If you minimise the slack left over on your lock cable, it makes it more difficult for anyone to slip a crow bar in.

[seagate]

Once heard a story. After being stolen of several bikes, a Chinese university student bought a new one, together with 7 locks. This angered the thieves and the bike was stolen again.

[roddy]

yeah fully! it's kinda like the amsterdam white bike thingie, arrangement, wotever, where you'd just leave yer bike & someone else could take it when they needed it, & vice versa

The logical conclusion here is that you are going to start stealing bikes . . .

Roddy

[PollyWaffle]

The logical conclusion here is that you are going to start stealing bikes . . .

hey, when in rome....

[Lu]

The 'white bikes' in Amsterdam only existed for a very short period in the Sixties. Within a very short time they were stolen (of course).

Tip I got from an Amsterdamren: make sure that your bike is a less good target than the bike next to it. More locks (in Amsterdam two might not be enough), and less good-looking.

The reason that the bikes in Amsterdam look so bad is that the new and flashy ones get stolen, so they are always parked indoors.

Please don't steal someone else's bike. You know how it feels when yours is stolen, it sucks, would you do that to someone else?

Many of my classmates bought bikes in the first week in Beijing, almost all of them were stolen within half a year.

[PollyWaffle]

Please don't steal someone else's bike.

别痛哭! i am only joking...

actually i have 3 bikes, none of which i paid for, but none of which i stole either... just wait till the end of any semester, there are lots of bikes from people who go home... if you are lucky, your friends will give you their bikes....

[Quest]

It used to be that if you know someone from a police station, u can buy a "rounded up" stolen bike for a v cheap price. I lost 3 bikes in 2 years in the period 93-95.

Always lock both wheels and tie at least one lock to a stationary object. If your bike can be lifted and taken away, chances are it will be stolen sooner or later. There used to be paid bike parking places where there would be someone to watch over your bike.

In Boston, bikes parked in public places for a long period of time (overnight) either get stolen or vandalized. If they can't steal it they would destroy it.

[Cyberian]

Stop getting those wire/cable or thin chain locks!

[Chappie]

I used to be a master in breaking locks, thievery and such. I didnt knew that the bike-theft in amsterdam was that famous....

Yes we put the crappy bikes (even more crappier then chinese bikes) next to better bikes with a lock which is used for motorvehicles/scooters and such. Most of the time the lock is even more expensive then the bike.

If my stolen bike is stolen in amsterdam, I simply "borrow" the other ones. ill return it next day . I have seriously 3 heavy locks (used for motor and such) and not those bike locks.

My bike was stolen in hangzhou also but luckly the bike was almost totaly f*cked up. Then another bike(the quality in china is very poor) is also almost wrecked.

The locks in china are very poor. Its better to not buy a bike at all, sometimes is a cab/taxi cheaper. Try to test the lock first (by breaking it, look if the metal is strong, etc.).

[Cyberian]

Why do people buy 'bike' locks at stores rather than going to the hardware store, and look for a thick (say 1.5cm diametre) chain and a 'good enough for locking store door' lock? I figure people would do this after their first lost.

[lpascoe]

Wow, glad I don't have a bike in China. It's silly, but I get sentimental about things like bikes, even if what I have is a pile of junk. I'd be an emotional wreck if my bike got pinched once or twice a year!

I've been lucky. A lot of my friends have had their scooters stolen here in Kaohsiung, but mine has been fine (touch wood) for all 4 years I've been here despite me leaving it unlocked in dodgy places.

My Chinese teacher told me to be careful and always lock my scooter, even if I'm only going to be gone for a while, because one of her students once went into a 7-11 for a minute to buy the paper, only to come out and find his scooter had been stolen. I was pretty impressed by the prowess of the thief until, upon further questioning, it turned out the student had left the engine running while he went into the 7-11. Chuh.

My friend has the worst luck though. She has the crappiest scooter on the planet. It would be pushing it to get it up to 40kmph, the front wheel is wonky and it has been making disturbing noises since a flood a couple of years ago. But someone snitched it. They must have been drunk to steal a scooter like that.