someone stole my bike ;(((((

[hiker chick]

Sympathies for the theft of your bike. It is beyond infuriating to have something -- anything -- stolen or vandalized. I hope there is a particularly hot little spot in hell for those people. They are predators. They do not care the least bit who they steal from and the hardship they cause their victims.

Makes me long a little bit for a Saudia Arabian-style remedy in the criminal code. Perhaps if bicycle thieves had to fear having their feet cut off...

I'm from Hood River, Oregon, and appalled by what I've become accustomed to living with in DC for nearly 20 years. When I first moved out here, to northern Virginia, three juveniles tried to steal my scooter. A gallant neighbor chased them down, called the police and I gladly filed charges and cashed the checks (for damages) drawn on their parents' accounts that the court forced the kids to fill out.

My roommate's puppy was stolen out of the backyard. Two weeks, several search posses and hundreds of dollars later, we paid ransom to get her back (she lived 14 undramatic years after that, with me) and I never left her unattended, anywhere, ever again (except inside the house, guarded by a security system).

After moving into the city, I learned to never lock convertibles, removed the stereos every night, left the empty glovebox open and still three tops were slashed. One night walking home from work at 7:00p, one block from my house, I was attacked in an attempted smash-and-grab. Turns out I was attached enough to my purse to hang on until some good samaritans chased that creep off.

After a multi-year personal respite from crime, last month on a beautiful Saturday morning, I walked out to my car to head out and do errands, only to be greeted by a missing side window -- smashed to smithereens (nothing inside taken and nothing visible to take). The silver lining in that instance was that in cleaning out the car before taking it in for repair, I found the CDs I thought I'd lost months before. Since those were beloved roadtrip mixes, that was some compensation for the $300 window and half-a-day spent getting it replaced.

This year I've gotten into biking. Three new mountain bikes sit in my house (one for me, one for friends and one rigged for my dog to pull). I am mindful of their vulnerability to theft when transporting them or out in public. But I have not been careful enough. I'm more than a little concerned that I will be mugged for a bike one of these dark nights, which is why I carry pepper spray in a bento box on the top bar. If they don't stick a gun in my face, I plan on fighting them for the bike.

For me, the only salve for the pain of being robbed has been time elapsed and confidence that the criminals are miserable SOBs who likely will be caught someday, for some crime. And at some point their loser lives will catch up with them, if it hasn't already. I don't know how those people live with themselves. I am beyond sick and tired of living with them.

Thank you for sharing your story, which may spur others to take further steps to protect their bikes. And I hope you can get a new, even better bike, very soon. You've earned your anger and deserve a great new bike.

[suzieqtwa]

Good morning.................I woke up round 3 am ,and couldn't go back to sleep. I think its more RAGE and ANGER ,of someone taking something that wasn't theirs ,and selling it dirt cheap for a hit of crack ,I'm sure. I do feel violated. That hybrid was me...I had it all fixed up for me. Yes, its like loosing part of yourself. I had planned on buying a road bike ,but I didn't want it to have to be this way. MIMI...the cops called me ,but didn't have time to come over and take a police report. HE asked me to do it online ,and send it in. I guess they are overwhelmed by other stuff. I will be more careful with my new bike ,and I hope I prevent someone else from getting their bike stolen.
I have no idea how to ride a road bike,its going out of my comfort zone ,but I hope to learn quickly, In the mean time I have my husbands TREK hybrid which I think it too big. The bar just about hits my crotch when I'm standing flat...maybe 1 inch room?
I really cant afford a road bike now ,but they have a 90 day same as cash. I think with all the stuff I need it should cost around 2,000. I'm going clip less..ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh A trek 2.1 WSD

[kaybee]

Susie, so sorry your bike was stolen. It just makes you feel so powerless, doesn't it? Any chance Santa can make it up to you?

KB

[liberty]

Suzie - what kind of car do you drive? Did you say a Jeep? I tend to put my bike in the back seat of my car (Ford Contour), as I don't have a secure car rack yet. But now I am wondering if that is even safe enough. Haven't had any problems yet. But it has crossed my mind a time or two... I try to cover it up with the front windshield sun-blocker thingy. I guess if someone tries hard enough they can get at anything... Glad you weren't hurt. You are irreplaceable!

[mimitabby]

I have no idea how to ride a road bike,its going out of my comfort zone ,but I hope to learn quickly, In the mean time I have my husbands TREK hybrid which I think it too big. The bar just about hits my crotch when I'm standing flat...maybe 1 inch room?
I really cant afford a road bike now ,but they have a 90 day same as cash. I think with all the stuff I need it should cost around 2,000. I'm going clip less..ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh A trek 2.1 WSD

Suzie
that's a great bike! It has taken me months to get used to riding a road bike.
I understand completely. it's a learning experience.
if i can do it, you can too. as to going clipless, i will try it this winter on a wind trainer... good luck to you and i am sorry about your loss.

[Dianyla]

once bikeportland.org is up, there's a place to report stolen bikes. Keep a close eye on Craigslist in the meantime.

Seconding the recommendation to add your bike to Jonathan Maus' Stolen Bike List. There's also a new feature that he's started called Finetoothcog which is actually up even though bikeportland.org's website is down at the moment. It's still in development but the basic idea is that Finetoothcog will comb through http://portland.craigslist.org/bik and look for your bike being sold.

All of mechanics at the various excellent LBS's here in town (Bike Gallery, River City, etc) keep an eye on the Stolen Bike List. So if someone brings in your bike to get it serviced it might be recognized and recovered.

Best of luck to you!

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

I have no idea how to ride a road bike,its going out of my comfort zone ,but I hope to learn quickly, In the mean time I have my husbands TREK hybrid which I think it too big. The bar just about hits my crotch when I'm standing flat...maybe 1 inch room? .....I'm going clip less..ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Suzie, Sure it will take a few adjustments to get used to a road bike....but it's just a BIKE, remember. Think of the difference between sitting up straight in your chair and then leaning forward with your hands on your knees instead.

Keep in mind that you don't HAVE to go clipless if you don't want to. Or you can get 2 sided pedals so you can start "regular" and then try out the other clipless side anytime you want to practice. I don't use clipless, and I have a great time riding my road bike! I go 40 mile rides with no problems despite not having clipless. Clipless are pretty much essential for racing/competing though, that's for sure. If you "compete" with your husband they would help! I ride for fun and fitness, so I care more about having fun than increasing my speed, etc.

If you have an inch to spare in standover height on your DH's bike, that's plenty. Adjust the seat height and fore-aft position now, you should be just fine temporarily.

Think of this: your bike is just the TOOL that you use to fly over the face of the earth at high speeds on your own power, freeing your soul. YOU are the power, not the bike. Try to envision that you will use various TOOLS (bikes) during your lifetime as you fly across the earth surface on your own body power. I know it's hard to envision a bike as merely a tool, because we all DO get very attached to our beloved bikes. But it helps to keep in mind that it is WE who are the important element here, the driving force. They can't steal THAT off your car rack.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

I'm thinking my last post was stupid because if someone stole my bike I would trying to calm myself with the "it's just a tool" thoughts, but in reality I would be FURIOUS and so, so, upset.
I guess you need to just feel awful about it right now Suzie- you have every right to cry your eyes out. Crying helps us heal too, so might as well get it all out. I'm so SORRY that creep took your bike. Time will heal.

[Trek420]

Lisa S.H "I'm so SORRY that creep took your bike. Time will heal"

yes, time wounds all heels. I hope he gets two flats then bonks then.....

[DarcyInOregon]

I can understand Suzie's pain. When your bike is stolen, and especially when it is the first bike, it is like you are raped. It is a nasty feeling. When someone does harm to your loved ones, your pets or your bike, the anguish is unbearable.

Here is a good link that shows options for locking the bike based on the crime severity of your neighborhood. Keep in mind, though, that Suzie does not live in a high crime area, that her bike was most likely stolen by somebody passing by in a pickup truck, with bolt cutters. Perhaps the solution for locking the bike onto the car's carrier is to use a heavy cable, plus a U-Lock.

http://www.kryptonitelock.com/inetis...cleFind@Public

Darcy

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Darcy, that link is not working for me.

[pooks]

Suzie, I hope you're feeling better today, and even more, I hope you stumble across somebody with your bike!

What kind of bike rack did you have?

[Tali]

[QUOTE=When your bike is stolen, and especially when it is the first bike, it is like you are raped.[/QUOTE]

And I must say, that analogy is not working for me.

Suzie, I'm very sorry your bike was stolen. A violent, physically invasive crime against a person is just not the same. Not even close. Being robbed is bad enough, but not equatable to rape in my book. No offense, Darcy, nor Suzie.

[hiker chick]

I'm thinking my last post was stupid because if someone stole my bike I would trying to calm myself with the "it's just a tool" thoughts, but in reality I would be FURIOUS and so, so, upset.

LOL! I thought maybe my Saudia Arabian-style cut their feet off pitch was a little extreme and hesitated to post it, especially since I haven't posted much else. But the truth is, after Buck was stolen, discovering my convertibles had been slashed and the latest episode with the smashed side window -- cutting feet off pales in comparison to the fate I wished for the thieves.

If there were a security system that would electrocute puppy thieves, car thieves, bike thieves and home intruders... I'd consider it a public service. Not a lethal shock, necessarily, but at least make their hair sizzle.

Suzieqtwa -- perhaps revenge fantasies would be therapeautic.

And I need to train Gidget, my new pup, how to use a tazer.

[pooks]

LOL! I thought maybe my Saudia Arabian-style cut their feet off pitch was a little extreme and hesitated to post it, especially since I haven't posted much else. But the truth is, after Buck was stolen, discovering my convertibles had been slashed and the latest episode with the smashed side window -- cutting feet off pales in comparison to the fate I wished for the thieves.

When my dogs were stolen (or more likely, released from the yard) I had just gotten through reading THE GODFATHER and wanted so desperately to have a godfather to go to who would inviscerate the bastids who did it.

That's why they don't let us wreak our own vengeance, I guess. (wink)

The dogs were found and all was happy ever after.