Thieving Bastards!

[Max]

I walked out of work yesterday and was psyched to haul ass home on my commuter when I noticed that someone had stolen my front wheel completely. I normally lock the front wheel, or use two locks, but it is winter, and my commuter is an 11 year old Bridgestone. So, who would want just a front tire! Luckily, my girlfriend's joint isn't too far away. I hates me the bike thieves. It's a good thing to have extra rims. It'll all come around, but Oakland(Pittsburgh Neighborhood) blows, for the bastard who has my rim, kiss my irish d@#k!.

[Andy in Wi]

Nothing gets biker folk all mad like bike thieves. Hell, some girl got her seat stolen twice in less then a week (the second time with a seat leash) and was calling for blood. That, and some red haired drugged up dude always hung around the neighborhood I worked in. Some day we'll do it, Jon.
-Andy

[kennbenny667]

Back in highschool a friend's high-dollar bmx was stolen. He was smart enough to have taken a picture and made up flyers to distribute in school. Long story short, a posse was formed, proceeded to the suspects house, had a talk with his father, the bike was returned, and we rode of into the sunset.

[Max]

Yeah, I'll do that in the city.

[Rotifer]

Yeah, I'll do that in the city.

Get 'a rope boys ...

[mtnbkerman]

Yeah, last year my bike, as well as a friend of mine's bike, was stolen from outside our dorm:mad: . According to our insurance Companies(thank god for Home Owners Insurance covering it) that thief made off with about $3500 that night. That is about the only saving grace of the incidence, cause while I did love my old FS, I definately did enjoy spending my free time poring over online bike companies' webpages to find that perfect bike for what I wanted to pay. So, remember, if you haven't already, check and make sure that your insurance company will cover your bike, because you never know when the slime of the earth will grab your bike.

[Divscotty]

I would like to spend my hard earned money on some fun bike stuff but NO we are looking at purchasing another cable and 2 more cable locks. Seems radiculous to spend money so I can keep what I already spent my money on.

[Max]

I completely agree with the above statement, but in this world, there's what is, and what isn't. Yeah, someone stole my front wheel. Hell, someone stole a whole bike from me before, shattered the lock with freon(sp.) and everything, but you get over it. I just hate it however, when you know whoever stole the bike will never love/abuse it the same way. Won't appreciate the number of flats you replaced over the winter, never say thank you for replacing the chain, lubing it, or putting that mud guard on the down tube, to get it to that state where apparently your bike says "hey, take me! Take me!". Have you ever seen someone on a bike with clipless pedals, and you take one look at them and know they have no business being near a bike? You ask them how they like that anti-bob switch on their fork, and they're like "Huh????" Bitches man, bitches. Oh well, I replaced the rim, and slapped an old Tioga on it. Problem solved. What can you do?

[gtheller]

call me crazy... but someone would have to bike-jack my ride.
i don't let my bikes out of my sight. they are either under my ass or locked in my house (spare bedroom)
and from there protected by a nice big doberman.
i can't stand the thought of losing my bike. if i'm going somewhere after a ride i'll make a special trip home if there is no where safe to leave my bike. it's a sad world.
c ya
gt

[leapfrog]

gtheller, i'm with you. i never let my bikes out of my site for long, and if someone did try and take off on mine, they'd break their neck when the fixed gear bucks em off...or i'd chase em down cause the gearing on my ss is too slow for streets.

scott
leapfrog bike zine

[Andy in Wi]

nothing deters theft like a fixie. An ugly fixie. I never locked this one, mainly because my money investment was nil, the damn thing was uglier then sin, and that seat was uncomfortable to anyone but the rider who broke it in. Plus, 40:16 with everything on the verge of rusting into a solid block. A perfect ride!

[leapfrog]

that's a gnarly ass bike. i can certainly appreciate it's ugliness, but personally i would still opt for a different seat. to each his own.

scott
leapfrog bike zine

[LoneBiker]

yep, i used to have a friend that rode an ugly bike, albeit not quite that ugly, but we would ride places and id be busy double locking my 500 dollar tourer and hed just shrug and leave his bike to its own fate, and never had a problem. but i think its safe to say that the ugly uncomfortable seat on that bike likely decreases chance of theft by atleast 25percent.
and whilest were on the topic, i think all of us agree that stealing bikes from people is wrong, especially people that use their bikes, or just plain live and breathe bikes. But what are all of your ethics on liberating bicycles from massive chain department stores? Some of these things would cause hardcore riders to choke on the vomit they would heave at your face if you dared to refer to it as a bike, or suggest buying it. just curious

[mtnbkerman]

While I agree with you that while some hardcore bikers would projectile vomit if forced to ride a department store bike, for many people The Department store bike is all they can afford, or all they are willing to spend when just getting into biking. I know that when I got my first mountain bike, it was a bike from the king pin of chain stores, Wal Mart. But you know what, this bike got me into mountain biking, I soon changed to a Trek Hardtail that my older brother located for me, so while I believe that chain store bikes are definately not worthy of being real mountain bikes, I say that if they get people out onto the trail that otherwise would not get onto the trails, I say all for them. It is also these bikes that get stolen very quickly because they are the majority of the bikes out there, and the companies are getting the bikes to look more and more attractive, so we should actually be thankful for these bikes.


But that is a completely other thread now isn't it?

[i8urbrain]

There was a specialized big hit stolen from a shop in nothern VA, along with other bikes. Someone saw one of my co-workers riding a bike matching the discription and called the cops. The next thing, out of the blue a cop is throwing her detective badge in my face, and I sure as hell know she is not my PO. She then starts asking about one of my co-workers and this bike. Wehn she asks why I seem on edge and I tell her plainly that I am not fond of cops. Turns out this bike my co-worker was riding was not stolen. The cops however found us all posible theifs. While I have committed crimes and done time, I have not done time for theft. Everyone in my shop thinks that bike theives should have their hands and feet cut off. The cop found it odd that we all knew about the Specialized Big Hit, and that it did not seem odd to us that a bike would cost so much money, and that we all know that Alex had borrowed the bike from a friend. Along with the storm-trooper Dective she had two other Gestapo buddies. One of them took to following me around the store asking questions. I took the time to explain to him how we feel about bike theives, and showed him that we have several bikes in our store costing more then twice as much as a Specialized Big Hit. This detective became a person when he realized I spend each month reading every trade, magazine, and website that I can about bikes. Then his eyes opened to the fact that we love what we do, and are not enclined to soil our passion with theft. There are other laws we might break, and we might have funny hair, tattoos, and some people I know would never pass a piss test, but we are not bad people. The woman who had to prove she was tough in a room full of men, however never seemed to take us as humans, just scum. Oh well, maybe that other guy will be a bit more mellow.
Reed.

[LoneBiker]

well thought out post, i enjoyed reading it. It is funny though, how cops can be, read my post in the commuting forum about the liquor store robbery, i experienced the same thing just because i bike.

[thanita]

I guess the chain of thought goes something like this: S/he a rides bike SO s/he must not have car. S/he must not have car because s/he has a crappy/no job. S/he has crappy job because an s/he's an untrustworthy, dope-smoking puppy kicker. S/he could kick MY puppy! S/he's going down!
heh heh.
T

[quazar76]

My first mtb was a schwinn high plaines, I got it when I was like 13. I had it for a month and parked it in front of the local super market one sunny afternoon, and went in to get a pop out of the machine.

Of course my dumb ass did not lock it, and it was long gone when I exited the store. I could'nt believe that it was stolen, I was only in the store for like 60 seconds.

This prompted me to revert back to skateboarding and prolonged my mt biking career for about the next 5 years. As soon as I started learning the trails at a one Hartwood acres I was hooked and have been ever since.

However, I only have one bike now and I have invested quite alot of $ into it, I never ever would leave it locked up, unless it was under my direct surveillence. It sucks to be cynical, but not as bad as it sucks when your bike gets stolen. So I guess the middle ground is in being realistic.

[i8urbrain]

You should see the crap I get trying to bring my bike into my wifes office. They even threaten to call the cops. I will never leave my bike locked outside in downtown D.C. overnight. I love my bike almost as much as I love my wife. I would not leave her locked up outside, or my dog, or you, so why can't anyone understand the value of your bike?

[Pedro]

I definitely echo that!

My bike is family, I have a picture of the women in my life; mainly my girlfriend and my bikes. It sits by my desk. I love them. They love me.

I would not leave my girlfriend tied to a post in the cold, at night, alone, whatever. Its irresponsible, and your girlfriend, or bike will know it. I am convinced they treat you better if you treat them better. So why can't people see the connection? Do you leave the keys in your car while it is running in downtown Metropolis at night? Heck no. Only difference between stealing a car and a bike is the car needs keys, needs to be unlocked, and is far too freakin huge to stick in the back of another car or truck. You just have to get on a bike and pedal, once you are rolling, no one will ask questions.

Pete

[thanita]

The comparison between wives/girlfriends and bikes kind of sucks. Strike the kind of. I know what you're saying, it's (hopefully) tongue in cheek, but it could be said in a different way. A person isn't a thing (and as much as you may love your bikes, you know what I mean, right?)
T

[Pedro]

You are right.

[thanita]

Cool.

That said, I just got a 42cm Surly Cross Check yesterday (it's awesome) and I stopped at the state store (for those of you unfamiliar with crazy PA, that's a liquor store!) and I leaned my Peabike outside . . . it was rainy, not many people around, in a mall area. I then thought of this thread and panicked, and dragged my bike in mud, dirt and all. They were pretty cool about it . . .
It just takes a minute, eh?
T

[Pedro]

If its the green one then its even cooler! Hows it ride for being pretty small? I would imagine the guys at surly would change the butting so it rode nicely in a smaller size, but you never know.

And way to apply DirtRag to your everyday life.

[thanita]

Yes, it's the pea bike! I like it better than the new blood red (which is still nice). It was closeout, only the smallest two sizes left, lucky me. Since this is my first road bike, I'm not qualified to say whether it rides better than any other, but it was fun - light and quick compared with my mtn. bikes, although I need to raise the handlebars. It's really quite proportional, though, they did adjust some angles for size. I really didn't want 650cc wheels (I'm kind of on the cusp as far as that consideration) so I'm happy.

Thanks for the way to apply DR, but I don't really know what you mean??
T

[INTENSEe]

Car thieves are practically saints compared to bike thieves. The car thieves are at least getting rid of what we all dislike. Wait a second car thieves don't get rid of cars they just sell them to someone else! I hate Thieving Bastards!!

[Pedro]

I was just saying way to go! You thought about the forum while you were purchasing some essential beverages. Just complementing you on applying the topic at hand to your life. Not that it is really a huge life-changing topic or anything, blah blah. I am just going off now, but cool beans on the surly deal. If it was on sale I would ride the 42 as well:D

[thanita]

:p
T

[Scott G.]

What's up with the Master Lock bike handcuffs?

Do these things work or is it some kind of joke?

[INTENSEe]

I was wondering the same thing? I use a Kryptnite Newyork U-Lock and It works great and has 2500$ insurence, the handcuffs say a 3500$?

[thanita]

I've not used them, but I've looked them over - they are kind of amusing in design, but really seem SOLID. I'd like to try them out . . .
T

[Scott G.]

I think that would be a great trial to run in Dirtrag, I can see a picture of Maurice or intern handcuffed already.:D