Set your TIVO Bay Area Gals

[Trek420]

Borrowed from the Velo Girls board. Please forward to whomever would like to see this:

"Hello Fellow Cyclists!
Wednesday at 6:00pm ABC 7 will air a story on how thieves are stealing thousand dollar bikes in the Bay Area. This may not be news to us cyclists-but wait until you hear where the bikes end up.
You’ll see how thieves get into homes … where they sell the stolen goods and what you can do to protect your bike.
After talking with a bike shop employee at Mikes Bikes ( Bijan!) I learned thieves are getting more brazen—sometimes following us cyclists home!
It should be a good story.
So set your TIVO for 6pm on Wednesday ABC 7.
Best,
Debra Preitkis
Topical News Producer
ABC 7 News
415-954-7991"

[cindysue]

I don't have TV. Can someone please record this for me. Maybe bring it saturday???

[spazzdog]

My bikes are on a floor to ceiling rack in my, er... library.

If they want to break into my house, I say good luck... my Quid will use them thar' burglars as chew toys :D He has this interesting issue with men, especially when they have big sticks, crowbars, etc in their hands. He gets downright cranky!

spazz

[Trekhawk]

I dont have TV either but if you girls could give a bit of a report (the part about what you can do to protect your bike) here on TE after the show that would be great.

Yikes I cant believe they are even following cyclists home. Scary stuff.

Thanks

[Trek420]

50 cent tour: Nothing most here don't know already. SFPD has made inroads breaking up a bike theft ring. These are well organised; one person follows you home and jots down the address, another breaks in, the third sells.

The target is the high end major brands: Trek, Speciallized Connondale. SFPD has targeted a particular corner in the city where hot bikes are being sold for pennies on the dollar and what else...ebay, Craigs.

Lock your bikes gals, even in the home, crooks have figured out these things are worth a hit or two of crack.

Trek-whose-Trek420-was-lost-to-a-crook-420

[melissam]

I TiVo'd the show and watched the newscast.

Here's a link where you can get the "backstory" -- http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=local&id=4203300

The high points:

The high end bikes are targets for thieves. One poor guy had his Trek Madone stolen, bought a replacement, and had it stolen.

Police recover some of the stolen bikes, but you need to know the serial number to claim it.

Bikes are stolen from homes (people case the bike paths for high end bikes and follow the people home), but they're also stolen from public places. As in, COFFEE STOPS!

Stolen bikes are sold for pennies on the dollar. They said something about $40 for a high end bike.

Get a lock and use it! It might not save your bike, but it will give the thief a bit of trouble, so they might go after another bike instead.

Be safe out there!

-- Melissa