Bike Thieves

[Miranda]

We just had an incident at our house, and later learned elsewhere in the neighborhood, of bike thieves.

I had just got home from a couple short rides testing my new night gear. The road bike spin I brought in shortly past sunset. Wasn't feeling confident enough yet. That bike gets parked in the formal dining room (she matches the Victorian drapes nicely).

Next, I thought, well I'm half geared up, I'll just ride my mtb around the subdivisions and closer rual roads. It reminded me of being a kid again. Very fun. Until this ...

I had just gotten home and parked that bike in the garage. We have one vehicle parked outside on the drive to specifically use a stall for an industrial bike rack to store the rest. It's a struggle to get the thick tires in and out of the slots. Then, I hear a loud "clang bang" sound. I think, oh no... my bike fell over, but how (thick in the new rack)???

I go out to the garage (fully lit up, front door open, house lit up etc.) to see the 6 bike rack flipped over with the bikes in it upside down. I hear voices saying "... NO! you should have (fades off)..." and swift running feet down the dark sub road. Another childhood memory returns... BIKE THIEVES!!!

The cops would not file an acutal report since nothing was missing (thanks to thick mtb tires and a heavy rack). They just put the sub on extra patrol.

If you have ever had someone uninvitied violate your home, it's an uneasy feeling. Now I wonder if we should leave the garage door up at all. First I just thought it was a prank to mess with the rack etc. Then, after another report was made, I know it was thieves.

Just makes me sick. What is wrong with people???

Rant concluded. Thx for letting me vent.

Miranda

[snapdragen]

Glad they didn't get your bike!

///I gotta go shut my garage....

[NbyNW]

I don't know what is wrong with people, but maybe you could bolt down your rack or chain it to something (I've heard of entire racks gone missing from city streets), and also individually lock each bike to it, just as you would outside a store.

I'm working on installing something in my garage that I can lock my bike to, since I lost one last winter out of my garage.

[ilima]

Last night on the local (Honolulu) news I saw a story about a family that had bikes stolen out of their (open) garage in the middle of the afternoon. They had stuff stolen before & had set up cameras at the neighbors. So, now they have very fuzzy pictures of the bike thieves.

Maybe said thieves need to read the news more often, as it's now okay to shoot and kill alleged thieves leaving your neighbors house:

http://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/06/30/....ap/index.html

[Chicken Little]

My bikes on on the wall in the garage, with a spider web of locks on them them would take a thief an hour to figure out, and a padlock on the garage door rails.
Everything walks that isn't bolted down in Albuquerque.

[Miranda]

Last night on the local (Honolulu) news I saw a story about a family that had bikes stolen out of their (open) garage in the middle of the afternoon. They had stuff stolen before & had set up cameras at the neighbors. So, now they have very fuzzy pictures of the bike thieves.

Maybe said thieves need to read the news more often, as it's now okay to shoot and kill alleged thieves leaving your neighbors house:

http://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/06/30/....ap/index.html

Thx for that link. I just asked my neighbor to watch over the house for the holiday travel. Bikes will be with us. My neighbor E-ed back and said they had some things stolen out of their garage in the winter. Our subs pretty quite normally. Maybe it makes for a better place to steal.

[Miranda]

Thx ladies for those thoughts. Lock purchase for the rack is on the list for today. DH mtb it pretty nice, but mine is by far the most $. One that was pulled out of the rack of course. The rack's heavy... if locked down, I don't think it would be worth it to proceed further for a thief.

My poor lab has been very ill. She's having back issues and can barely walk. She's a gentle breed, but that big dog bark sounds intimidating. If she had been well, I don't think the theives would have gotten that close to the house, much less inside the garage. People are crazy.

[Lifesgreat]

I lock my bikes to the rack in the garage. About the only material item of importance to me is my beloved Fatty Lumpkin. I would be really mad if he got stolen. I also lock my MTB, but it isn't as beloved-sorry MTBikers.

[beccaB]

We keep the good bikes downstairs. In the basement. It is a royal pain carrying them upstairs. That makes us do more miles because it's not worth it to drag the bikes up for a wimpy ride! My biggest reason is that I don't like spiders, and the only option is to store them in the barn with the spiders. If one got one on me when I'm riding I would crash!
We have some crappy bikes in the barn, and I would still be mad if someone got them. But they'd have to fight with the spiders, snakes, rodents and wasps, and my dog barking.

[tc1]

Hi Miranda. Sorry to hear about your big lab. We finally had to put our dog to sleep last year when her back troubles became overwhelming to her.

Re garage: you didn't say if it was part of the house or detached, but either way, it's not safe to leave the garage door open if you aren't watching it. People can hide in there then come get you at their leisure. To h@#$ with the bikes, you have to stay safe.

[cyclinnewbie]

I'm late jumping in here, but heck, I've been at work all day . Anyhoo, I just heard on the news this AM that bike theft, as well as theft in general, is up since the gas prices have been over 4 bucks a gallon. Those who can't afford gas also can't afford a bike, it seems.

[Trek420]

I'm late jumping in here, but heck, I've been at work all day . Anyhoo, I just heard on the news this AM that bike theft, as well as theft in general, is up since the gas prices have been over 4 bucks a gallon. Those who can't afford gas also can't afford a bike, it seems.

What I'm seeing 'round my part of the 'hood are lots of poorly maintained bikes. No brakes many seem to feel they don't need the front brakes so when it fails they just cut the cables, worn tires and so on.

I don't or rarely talk to invisible cyclists but get the idea some feel when a bike wears out or fails they can get another. I wonder if they knew just how easy a bike is to maintain, proper repair would they keep their bike and not want mine?

[sundial]

I don't or rarely talk to invisible cyclists but get the idea some feel when a bike wears out or fails they can get another. I wonder if they knew just how easy a bike is to maintain, proper repair would they keep their bike and not want mine?

Of those cyclists, I wonder how many bought the bike from a big box store and don't have access to a mechanic.