Stolen bike blues

[Kimmyt]

So, my brother moved to DC awhile ago, and since he has no need for a car in the city and couldn't afford to keep it, he sold it and got a cheap Peugot road bike that was rather oldschool after his own crappy wally-world bike died on him. Several weeks after he got the Peugot the chain crapped out, and the bike mechanic told him they didn't make that chain anymore. He'd have to buy a new bike. So, really liking the light feel of his crappy road bike, he bought a TREK (TCR or OCR maybe? Their comfort/road/commuter style) and loooved it. I had a bad feeling when he bought it, thought the bike shop guy should not have sold him a new bike for commuter, since it's a city and it would get stolen.

Sure enough, the bike gets stolen, barely a week after he got it. So now by brother has gone through 3 bikes and is out several hundred dollars on this new one. I don't know what to do, how to help him. My heart is breaking because I know he doesn't have much money and I can't really help him pick out a good beater bike since I'm not in the area. I am so bummed for him.

Any city gals have any suggestions on bikes that won't get stolen? I think he'll have to deal with a p.o.s. bike since it's the dead of the city and it will probably just get stolen again if it is of any value. Unfortunately, with cheap/old bikes, labor and repair/maintenance is expensive or parts can't be found, so I don't know what to suggest to him at this point. Maybe get another new bike and spray paint it some ungodly ugly color so no one will steal it?

So sad right now for him....