Lowest of the low...bike thieves

[northstar]

Oh, totally, Mimi! I plan my long road rides based on where I can safely stop to use the restroom without leaving my bike alone. If I feel like a place is cool with the college, bike-commuter crowd, I'll bring the bike right in. I even know where the "big" porta potties are around town, and poor Myrtle has to hold her breath when I wheel her right in there with me. Too much sensory stimulation...sorry ladies.

I am going to look at Sunrise Cyclery here in town. They recondition a lot of older, used bikes. I want something solid but not terribly enticing to look at...something I can put racks and panniers on and chug along. Something I can still love yet not feel like money is flying out the window if someone sets their mind to stealing it (and breaking through the wicked lock I am going to put on it the second I get it).

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

And Northstar....your bikes have both been stolen while your husband was borrowing them....I would quit lending them to him!

[mimitabby]

And Northstar....your bikes have both been stolen while your husband was borrowing them....I would quit lending them to him!

I noticed that too!

[F8th637]

Augh, that really sucks about your bikes being stolen. Did you register your bike with your local police department?

Does the National Bike Registry work? I guess I should put my NBR sticker on my bike ASAP. I always worry about my bike getting stolen. I had one stolen when I was a child. My dad was so pissed! It was a beautiful pink Sea Princess bike with a white banana seat. I was a child and didn't lock it. I know that if my current bike got stolen I'd be so depressed. I currently keep my bike inside rather than locking it up outside even though we don't have a ton of room for fear of it getting stolen.

[northstar]

I know, I know about my DH... He felt TERRIBLE about it the first time. And the second time, he had done everything right. Locked it in a place he thought would be safe, etc...

Neither time did I know he was using my bike. He feels awful, again...and I guess I am trying to go by the saying, "you can't unring a bell." It's hard for me not to just scream about it. So, what's done is done (unfortunately twice now). I have a wonderful DH with horrible bike luck, and I don't need to make him feel even worse than he feels right now.

MN doesn't register bikes. I guess the city of Mpls does offer a number you can get and put on all your "stuff." Of course I hadn't done that. But we do have photos of us with the bikes, and according to the police department, that's one way of proving ownership.

We are going to file a police report and file a claim with our insurance. Hopefully that will come through.

[mimitabby]

when my son's brand new Trek was stolen a few years ago, our homeowner's insurance paid for it. It was on a bike rack on our car. we got home and it was GONE. We don't know when it was lifted, but it wasn't on the road... so...

[pyxichick]

Dang, that's just sad.

The first bike I bought as an adult got stolen the second day I had it, when my roommate took it out for a ride, put it on the front lawn and ran inside to get his asthma inhaler, and came back out two minutes later to find it wasn't there. Hello and goodbye. I spent the next month gawking out my car window at every cyclist, hoping to see my bike.

I was just telling my BF that instead of driving the three miles to the Twins games, and paying 15 bucks to park we should ride our bikes. Well, maybe not...

I am always paranoid about locking my bike up somewhere, even my klunky old sears cruiser. I try to keep in in sight if I'm, say, at the bookstore or a cafe or something, I'll keep going to the window to check if it's still there.

I don't have a lock for my road bike because I never leave it outside when I'm not right next to it.

I have heard many stories first hand of people who have recovered their bikes, but you have to be ballsy enough to approach the person who has it.

Go to the Mpls. Bike Love website, they have a section on stolen bikes.

Good luck!
Kate

[northstar]

Hey Kate,

We love riding to Twins games, and have done it lots of times. When we've gone in the past, though, we've locked the bikes right in front of a Caribou, right in front of the windows and we never had any trouble. And we got to kind of snicker as we zipped by all the people sitting in their cars, waiting to get out of town.

Once we replace our bikes, I am pretty sure we will do it again. (That's why we're buying used bikes. In case the theft happens again...)

Molly