That fat bastard just swiped your bike.
Well, now you're screwed! A new bike? ugh. Well, there are a few things you can do to prevent bike theft, and help you if it DOES get stolen.
The first preventative measure is to lock up your bike! LOCK IT UP! Not that hard to do. In most places, the only thing that deters a theif is a lock. Not how strong and tough it is. So, get something that does just that. I personally had a lock that was 1 foot long, and coiled around my seatpost. When I needed it, it came right off! When I didn't need it, it stayed tucked away, didn't clang around or ANYTHING. Where did I get it? Dollar store. Seriously, you could have probably cut it with scissors, but I came back to my bike plenty of times and it had been pulled out, like someone tried to snag it. Guess what? They didn't. :)
I mean, a lock really is the simplest measure you could take. Another thing about locks though, is make sure they're locked to something secure....a big ol' tree is pretty safe. Locking 2 bikes together as a deterrent? Usually doesn't do the job, the swiper will just snag both.
Don't leave your bike in an unlocked car! Or even a locked car, depending on the circumstances. I live in southern NH, in a town where I CAN leave my bike in my car (locked up) outside of a store to run in. Some people don't live in an area like that. Lock your car up. If your bike doesn't need to be in your car, don't put it there!
Leaving a bike on TOP of a car, such as using a bike rack, makes it even easier. Even on a bike rack, lock it up. Lock the bike to the car somehow.
Now, sometimes the worst can still happen. Bolt cutters can cut through a lock, your bike can still get stolen. Say that happens. Well, what are your steps in recovering it?
The FIRST step, always, is report it to the police. You may not be a fan of them, but report it. If you go out and get it back on your own, you might get in more trouble, and the swiper might get off. I've seen it happen. Quick story (if you don't feel like reading it, skip the red text)
Skatepark one day. 2 kids come around, both on Fits. They weren't impressive, but they were pretty cool. A few days later we're riding a local street spot that a lot of the riders know about, and they come around on mountain bikes, saying someone snagged their bikes. Well, skip ahead a few MORE days, and 2 (different) kids on the 2 (original) kids bikes show up at the skatepark. (That was a really bold move on their part). I gave the 2 (original) kids a call and said "Hey, your bikes are at the park". I did my best and kept the 2 new kids at the park, talking to them, etc. The 2 original kids come and start asking about the bikes, etc. Turns into a physical match. me and a few skaters go down to break it up. Myself in fear that a stolen bike unleashes a wrath of unseen magnitude from a kid. Cops show up. So, the stories are told, etc. The outcome?
The 2 original kids didn't get their bikes. They got arrested for assault. (or whatever the equivalent is because they were underage, they got taken away by the cops).
The 2 new kids? Well, went to the ER. Nothing bad, neither had a concussion or anything. Charges? None. Who paid the hospital bills? The 2 original kids.
The bikes? Evidence. Still in lockup. Most likely will remain there until they're auctioned off
So, the moral of the story? When you find your bike, find a way to keep the people there. I've seen someone who isn't qualified, certified, etc hold someone down at a skatepark for bike theft until the cops got there. No charges at all for that one. Keep them there, get the cops there. DON'T be a vigilante.
If you see your bike locked up somewhere, call the cops. Even in a different town, call the cops. Maybe 911 isn't the best idea, but get connected to the local PD.
When reporting it, know a few things. Serial number! The serial number is probably THE most important identifying characteristic to a bike. If you have a serial number for the forks as well as the frame, report both!
Colors are important. Stock bikes are harder to report by description, but still do it.
Okay, so, you've reported it...Well, cops aren't going to really spend time doing an Amber alert for a bicycle, no matter how much it's worth. Often times, an officer on patrol doesn't even know that a bike that just passed him was stolen. So what can you do?
Know the locals. Talk to some local kids, see if they know anyone that steals bikes. give them a description of the bike.
Go online. Craigslist. Here's a news article about a bike theft locally in my area:
http://www.eagletribune.com/newhampshire/x500715171/Salem-mom-finds-sons-stolen-bike-online
You can do a lot with Craigslist. You put up the stolen bike ad there. You can also, like the woman in the article, find your own on craigslist! Hey, look at something in the article...She called the cops and had them involved! Such a smart woman....
Alright, so you basically have "Lost bike" posters up around the town. Well, what good does that do if the bike is 2 towns away?
This is where the drastic measures go up. Get a GPS tracker, put it on your bike! Those things work wonders. Most work on batteries and have 1 week to 1 month battery life. You can tuck it up in your seatpost or something, and be done with it until the batteries need replacing. They're kinda expensive, but cheaper than a new bike.
Another, cheaper, hi-tech idea is an RFID chip. You might have seen them used in pets, embedded under their skin. If the pet is found, chances are that pet will be scanned for an RFID tag at least twice. Well, you can put one on your bike. Most of the time they cost a little under 20 bucks. Police stations will use an RFID scanner to find the chip. Now, they will NOT look for a chip, so, it basically comes down to when someone's bike is stolen, and the thief claims the bike is their own. An RFID chip with your name and address neatly tucked away and taped inside the BB shell? Should do the trick :)
I don't know if the BB shell would cause an interference in the signal of the scanner, so you could try embedding it into your seat as well.
One thing I've seen done is a card/tag with the owners name and address tucked up into the seatpost too. Not trackable, but easy to show proof of ownership. Why would someone put your name and address in their bike?
Another thing I've seen done is a picture of the bike with the owner standing with it. Print it, mail it to yourself. The post office will stamp the envelope with a date, so, if the bike is stolen, you can hand the police the UN-OPENED envelope with the picture. Settled a dispute. (That was with a mountain bike or road bike I think).
Well, that's all I have for you right now. Hope you'll never need this guide, but hope it helps if you do.
The first preventative measure is to lock up your bike! LOCK IT UP! Not that hard to do. In most places, the only thing that deters a theif is a lock. Not how strong and tough it is. So, get something that does just that. I personally had a lock that was 1 foot long, and coiled around my seatpost. When I needed it, it came right off! When I didn't need it, it stayed tucked away, didn't clang around or ANYTHING. Where did I get it? Dollar store. Seriously, you could have probably cut it with scissors, but I came back to my bike plenty of times and it had been pulled out, like someone tried to snag it. Guess what? They didn't. :)
I mean, a lock really is the simplest measure you could take. Another thing about locks though, is make sure they're locked to something secure....a big ol' tree is pretty safe. Locking 2 bikes together as a deterrent? Usually doesn't do the job, the swiper will just snag both.
Don't leave your bike in an unlocked car! Or even a locked car, depending on the circumstances. I live in southern NH, in a town where I CAN leave my bike in my car (locked up) outside of a store to run in. Some people don't live in an area like that. Lock your car up. If your bike doesn't need to be in your car, don't put it there!
Leaving a bike on TOP of a car, such as using a bike rack, makes it even easier. Even on a bike rack, lock it up. Lock the bike to the car somehow.
Now, sometimes the worst can still happen. Bolt cutters can cut through a lock, your bike can still get stolen. Say that happens. Well, what are your steps in recovering it?
The FIRST step, always, is report it to the police. You may not be a fan of them, but report it. If you go out and get it back on your own, you might get in more trouble, and the swiper might get off. I've seen it happen. Quick story (if you don't feel like reading it, skip the red text)
Skatepark one day. 2 kids come around, both on Fits. They weren't impressive, but they were pretty cool. A few days later we're riding a local street spot that a lot of the riders know about, and they come around on mountain bikes, saying someone snagged their bikes. Well, skip ahead a few MORE days, and 2 (different) kids on the 2 (original) kids bikes show up at the skatepark. (That was a really bold move on their part). I gave the 2 (original) kids a call and said "Hey, your bikes are at the park". I did my best and kept the 2 new kids at the park, talking to them, etc. The 2 original kids come and start asking about the bikes, etc. Turns into a physical match. me and a few skaters go down to break it up. Myself in fear that a stolen bike unleashes a wrath of unseen magnitude from a kid. Cops show up. So, the stories are told, etc. The outcome?
The 2 original kids didn't get their bikes. They got arrested for assault. (or whatever the equivalent is because they were underage, they got taken away by the cops).
The 2 new kids? Well, went to the ER. Nothing bad, neither had a concussion or anything. Charges? None. Who paid the hospital bills? The 2 original kids.
The bikes? Evidence. Still in lockup. Most likely will remain there until they're auctioned off
So, the moral of the story? When you find your bike, find a way to keep the people there. I've seen someone who isn't qualified, certified, etc hold someone down at a skatepark for bike theft until the cops got there. No charges at all for that one. Keep them there, get the cops there. DON'T be a vigilante.
If you see your bike locked up somewhere, call the cops. Even in a different town, call the cops. Maybe 911 isn't the best idea, but get connected to the local PD.
When reporting it, know a few things. Serial number! The serial number is probably THE most important identifying characteristic to a bike. If you have a serial number for the forks as well as the frame, report both!
Colors are important. Stock bikes are harder to report by description, but still do it.
Okay, so, you've reported it...Well, cops aren't going to really spend time doing an Amber alert for a bicycle, no matter how much it's worth. Often times, an officer on patrol doesn't even know that a bike that just passed him was stolen. So what can you do?
Know the locals. Talk to some local kids, see if they know anyone that steals bikes. give them a description of the bike.
Go online. Craigslist. Here's a news article about a bike theft locally in my area:
http://www.eagletribune.com/newhampshire/x500715171/Salem-mom-finds-sons-stolen-bike-online
You can do a lot with Craigslist. You put up the stolen bike ad there. You can also, like the woman in the article, find your own on craigslist! Hey, look at something in the article...She called the cops and had them involved! Such a smart woman....
Alright, so you basically have "Lost bike" posters up around the town. Well, what good does that do if the bike is 2 towns away?
This is where the drastic measures go up. Get a GPS tracker, put it on your bike! Those things work wonders. Most work on batteries and have 1 week to 1 month battery life. You can tuck it up in your seatpost or something, and be done with it until the batteries need replacing. They're kinda expensive, but cheaper than a new bike.
Another, cheaper, hi-tech idea is an RFID chip. You might have seen them used in pets, embedded under their skin. If the pet is found, chances are that pet will be scanned for an RFID tag at least twice. Well, you can put one on your bike. Most of the time they cost a little under 20 bucks. Police stations will use an RFID scanner to find the chip. Now, they will NOT look for a chip, so, it basically comes down to when someone's bike is stolen, and the thief claims the bike is their own. An RFID chip with your name and address neatly tucked away and taped inside the BB shell? Should do the trick :)
I don't know if the BB shell would cause an interference in the signal of the scanner, so you could try embedding it into your seat as well.
One thing I've seen done is a card/tag with the owners name and address tucked up into the seatpost too. Not trackable, but easy to show proof of ownership. Why would someone put your name and address in their bike?
Another thing I've seen done is a picture of the bike with the owner standing with it. Print it, mail it to yourself. The post office will stamp the envelope with a date, so, if the bike is stolen, you can hand the police the UN-OPENED envelope with the picture. Settled a dispute. (That was with a mountain bike or road bike I think).
Well, that's all I have for you right now. Hope you'll never need this guide, but hope it helps if you do.