There is a common belief among cyclists and former victims of bike theft that thieves only like shiny, new bikes that look like a million bucks. Unfortunately, and anyone who has had an old clunker stolen knows this quite well, appearances aren’t everything to bike thieves.
Bike thieves seem to strike at bikes on bike racks and on streets almost at random. There doesn’t seem to be any rhyme or reason to why they choose one bike over another on any given day to the outside observer. However, upon closer analysis there are a number of things that pop up as trends.
The first trend is that the lock matters. A bike that is poorly locked, regardless of how nice or awful it looks, is going to present a much better target to any bike thief than a bike that may as well be in Fort Knox. The second thing is that the item to which the bike is attached matters. If one attaches one’s bike, somewhat securely, to a pole that can be scaled and have the bike lifted over, the effect is the same as a watertight compartment that lets water spill over the top to the next one: the bike may as well not be locked at all.
Next, bikes that are left alone and not surrounded by any real activity for an extended period become a target as well. For that reason, locking a bike at a school over a weekend may make it a huge target. Thieves know that schools are abandoned on weekends. In this same vein, locking a bike in an alley with little to no foot traffic invites the same thing.
Finally, thieves like bikes. That is really the last trend that can be observed. Even if a person does everything right, there is still the chance that an extremely ingenious bike thief is going to figure out how to steal the bike or vandalize it if he or she cannot steal it.
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If you have been a victim of bike theft and have vowed "never again," contact the bike lock experts of A & Js’ Bike Locks at 708-460-2999.
