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Thieves

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dwb

Proven Member
813
560
Sep 9, 2021
Broomfield, Colorado
I just need to vent for a moment. TL;DR at the bottom. This has nothing to do with cars, but rather mountain bikes. For the record, I live in a fairly low crime area.

My son has an excellent opportunity to attend a technical school to fulfil his last two years of high school and graduate with multiple IT certifications. The program was supposed to provide transportation but the bus route got nixed due to driver shortages. Mine and my wife's schedules do not allow us to take him so he has to take public transportation. So he rides his bike to the bus and locks it up.

We bought him a new mountain bike summer of 2021 (27.5" Giant). It wasn't a super nice bike, but it was brand new and fit his needs perfectly. Shortly before Christmas it gets stolen from the bus stop. Everything was stolen - bike, helmet, lock, lights. I scour around but never any sign of it. I forgot to record the serial number so no police report but it did have some identifying parts installed. I question a guy (bum) at the bus stop a day later who was very suspicious, with two bikes in his possession all by himself. He couldn't get a coherent word out and quickly gets on the bus and leaves. I'm a non-confrontational person, so I get in my DSM and leave too. We're PO'd at this point and not about to go buy another used (aka stolen) bike (but it did cross my mind) so my son rides my bike for a while and knows not to leave it anywhere locked or not.

In January I bought him another brand new bike (29er Trek). This time I bought him good U-lock and told him to never leave it at that bus stop again. We agree that the local high school is a better place to lock it up since there are cameras and police presence. Unfortunately he had to leave it there overnight once a week due to scheduling conflicts. Last week, you guessed it, it gets stolen! This time the thief cut the U-lock with a metal cutoff wheel, left the cut lock and helmet on scene and rode the bike away. They were caught on camera but police couldn't identify them since it was dark. We filed a police report, I posted a stolen craigslist ad, and put it up on a couple bike registry sites. I don't have any hope that it's going to surface, but at least it might make it difficult for them to resell.

It really ticks me off that there is literally no possible way to do anything about it short of leaving it at home. Better lock? Nope, they will use a better cutter. Cameras? Nope, cover of darkness, masks and hoodies. Bike cage? Nope, the ones we have use glass(!) walls. High traffic areas? Nope, most people don't even pay attention. Thieves are scum and need to rot in hell. They don't have an ounce of decency and will take anything from anyone if they can get away with it. Even a bike from a kid!

He is now relegated to the 26" frankenstein bike I built in the 90's that nobody would take even if you left it unlocked on the corner with a 'free' sign on it. It's only about 4 sizes too small for him. I seriously feel bad about his situation, but hey, it *might not* get stolen this time.

TL;DR: We've now had two brand new bikes stolen from different locations in a matter of 4 or 5 months, both had the lock busted and the thieves got away scot free. It makes my wife and I ill to even think about buying a 3rd bike. We could have bought him a beater car for what we already spent in bikes.
 
I just need to vent for a moment. TL;DR at the bottom. This has nothing to do with cars, but rather mountain bikes. For the record, I live in a fairly low crime area.

My son has an excellent opportunity to attend a technical school to fulfil his last two years of high school and graduate with multiple IT certifications. The program was supposed to provide transportation but the bus route got nixed due to driver shortages. Mine and my wife's schedules do not allow us to take him so he has to take public transportation. So he rides his bike to the bus and locks it up.

We bought him a new mountain bike summer of 2021 (27.5" Giant). It wasn't a super nice bike, but it was brand new and fit his needs perfectly. Shortly before Christmas it gets stolen from the bus stop. Everything was stolen - bike, helmet, lock, lights. I scour around but never any sign of it. I forgot to record the serial number so no police report but it did have some identifying parts installed. I question a guy (bum) at the bus stop a day later who was very suspicious, with two bikes in his possession all by himself. He couldn't get a coherent word out and quickly gets on the bus and leaves. I'm a non-confrontational person, so I get in my DSM and leave too. We're PO'd at this point and not about to go buy another used (aka stolen) bike (but it did cross my mind) so my son rides my bike for a while and knows not to leave it anywhere locked or not.

In January I bought him another brand new bike (29er Trek). This time I bought him good U-lock and told him to never leave it at that bus stop again. We agree that the local high school is a better place to lock it up since there are cameras and police presence. Unfortunately he had to leave it there overnight once a week due to scheduling conflicts. Last week, you guessed it, it gets stolen! This time the thief cut the U-lock with a metal cutoff wheel, left the cut lock and helmet on scene and rode the bike away. They were caught on camera but police couldn't identify them since it was dark. We filed a police report, I posted a stolen craigslist ad, and put it up on a couple bike registry sites. I don't have any hope that it's going to surface, but at least it might make it difficult for them to resell.

It really ticks me off that there is literally no possible way to do anything about it short of leaving it at home. Better lock? Nope, they will use a better cutter. Cameras? Nope, cover of darkness, masks and hoodies. Bike cage? Nope, the ones we have use glass(!) walls. High traffic areas? Nope, most people don't even pay attention. Thieves are scum and need to rot in hell. They don't have an ounce of decency and will take anything from anyone if they can get away with it. Even a bike from a kid!

He is now relegated to the 26" frankenstein bike I built in the 90's that nobody would take even if you left it unlocked on the corner with a 'free' sign on it. It's only about 4 sizes too small for him. I seriously feel bad about his situation, but hey, it *might not* get stolen this time.

TL;DR: We've now had two brand new bikes stolen from different locations in a matter of 4 or 5 months, both had the lock busted and the thieves got away scot free. It makes my wife and I ill to even think about buying a 3rd bike. We could have bought him a beater car for what we already spent in bikes.
Something I've seen people do are hide Apple Airtags or Tiles on bikes to locate them once they go missing. Probably not a bad idea now that 2 have gotten stolen.
Anyways, sorry for your losses, having anything stolen sucks :/
 
I just need to vent for a moment. TL;DR at the bottom. This has nothing to do with cars, but rather mountain bikes. For the record, I live in a fairly low crime area.

My son has an excellent opportunity to attend a technical school to fulfil his last two years of high school and graduate with multiple IT certifications. The program was supposed to provide transportation but the bus route got nixed due to driver shortages. Mine and my wife's schedules do not allow us to take him so he has to take public transportation. So he rides his bike to the bus and locks it up.

We bought him a new mountain bike summer of 2021 (27.5" Giant). It wasn't a super nice bike, but it was brand new and fit his needs perfectly. Shortly before Christmas it gets stolen from the bus stop. Everything was stolen - bike, helmet, lock, lights. I scour around but never any sign of it. I forgot to record the serial number so no police report but it did have some identifying parts installed. I question a guy (bum) at the bus stop a day later who was very suspicious, with two bikes in his possession all by himself. He couldn't get a coherent word out and quickly gets on the bus and leaves. I'm a non-confrontational person, so I get in my DSM and leave too. We're PO'd at this point and not about to go buy another used (aka stolen) bike (but it did cross my mind) so my son rides my bike for a while and knows not to leave it anywhere locked or not.

In January I bought him another brand new bike (29er Trek). This time I bought him good U-lock and told him to never leave it at that bus stop again. We agree that the local high school is a better place to lock it up since there are cameras and police presence. Unfortunately he had to leave it there overnight once a week due to scheduling conflicts. Last week, you guessed it, it gets stolen! This time the thief cut the U-lock with a metal cutoff wheel, left the cut lock and helmet on scene and rode the bike away. They were caught on camera but police couldn't identify them since it was dark. We filed a police report, I posted a stolen craigslist ad, and put it up on a couple bike registry sites. I don't have any hope that it's going to surface, but at least it might make it difficult for them to resell.

It really ticks me off that there is literally no possible way to do anything about it short of leaving it at home. Better lock? Nope, they will use a better cutter. Cameras? Nope, cover of darkness, masks and hoodies. Bike cage? Nope, the ones we have use glass(!) walls. High traffic areas? Nope, most people don't even pay attention. Thieves are scum and need to rot in hell. They don't have an ounce of decency and will take anything from anyone if they can get away with it. Even a bike from a kid!

He is now relegated to the 26" frankenstein bike I built in the 90's that nobody would take even if you left it unlocked on the corner with a 'free' sign on it. It's only about 4 sizes too small for him. I seriously feel bad about his situation, but hey, it *might not* get stolen this time.

TL;DR: We've now had two brand new bikes stolen from different locations in a matter of 4 or 5 months, both had the lock busted and the thieves got away scot free. It makes my wife and I ill to even think about buying a 3rd bike. We could have bought him a beater car for what we already spent in bikes.
That's frustrating as hell. Of course part of me would want to strap one of those Apple Airtags under the seat of the next bike. Just so I can go track them down, as bad of an idea is that is.

I remember having a bike and skateboard stolen when I was a kid. It would be nice to see justice served, and even if it isn't, let's hope those thieves get their lives figured out somehow so that the tax payers won't have to foot the bill for their room and board behind bars.

On a side note, congrats on your son's success. Hope he pushes through and finds a way to get to all his classes, and moves on to a great future. I imagine he'll forever remember the mountain bikes you bought him to try and help him along the way :)
 
I’m an avid mountain biker with more investment in that hobby than dsm’s. Unfortunately this has been an issue for years. In 2018 thieves stole two $6k bikes off of a friends car, on Main Street, while they grabbed a bite to eat. The rise in cycling and the lack of bikes the past 2.5 years has only accelerated these thefts.

In my experience, most police have more important things to attend to, which only emboldens the criminals. It’s only when it reaches the level of armed robbery for the bike when the police start to care.
 
I’m an avid mountain biker with more investment in that hobby than dsm’s. Unfortunately this has been an issue for years. In 2018 thieves stole two $6k bikes off of a friends car, on Main Street, while they grabbed a bite to eat. The rise in cycling and the lack of bikes the past 2.5 years has only accelerated these thefts.

In my experience, most police have more important things to attend to, which only emboldens the criminals. It’s only when it reaches the level of armed robbery for the bike when the police start to care.


Can’t speak for the country but in my area of NC the DA nine times out of ten would refuse to even entertain the idea of prosecution if it was anything less than aggravated armed robbery. Cops would arrest, week later crims would be out, they’d get into another spat with the original victim in retaliation, we’d be called to treat the wounds and cops would lament that the perp should’ve been in jail already.


The justice system in this country is an absolute JOKE. I think all parties and all political ideologies can agree with that. It’s bigger than just police on the street for sure.
 
Can’t speak for the country but in my area of NC the DA nine times out of ten would refuse to even entertain the idea of prosecution if it was anything less than aggravated armed robbery. Cops would arrest, week later crims would be out, they’d get into another spat with the original victim in retaliation, we’d be called to treat the wounds and cops would lament that the perp should’ve been in jail already.


The justice system in this country is an absolute JOKE. I think all parties and all political ideologies can agree with that. It’s bigger than just police on the street for sure.
It's been like that for a long time anywhere I've lived. It is sad.
 
I had my bike stolen from me while I was riding it when I was 16, in a very popular park in the middle of the day (by the famous Unisphere in Queens, NYC, near the US Open tennis center, but this was before it was there). Punk just pushed me off my bike and took it, and I had to walk several miles home with a bleeding knee (no cell phones back then and I had no change to call my parents). It sucks. I went bike-less for the next couple of years as I couldn't afford a new one at the time.

I would never lock up my bike unattended. It's going to get stolen. I have a nice bike so even more reason not to. There's really nothing you can do other than buy your son a really crappy beater that no one would want to steal, but then he'll be riding a crappy bike all day and who wants that. Are there no bike racks on buses where you are? Maybe you can try to have them install some? Of course if they're short on drivers due to budget issues then they're not likely to do this.

Is there any indoor facility he could lock up or store his bike, maybe a nearby parking garage or business that would be willing to do this, for a fee?
 
When you live in a state that has legalized drugs, these things are to be expected, you cant afford drugs when you dont work, and you cant work when your on drugs. I am not nearly as passive as some when it comes to stuff like this, someone would be bleeding or in a wheelchair or both, and I would make it my full time job to hunt them down like a dog, if I had to pay some thugs or narcs to find out who did it, then thats just what I would do, and then the swhtf.
 
When you live in a state that has legalized drugs, these things are to be expected, you cant afford drugs when you dont work, and you cant work when your on drugs. I am not nearly as passive as some when it comes to stuff like this, someone would be bleeding or in a wheelchair or both, and I would make it my full time job to hunt them down like a dog, if I had to pay some thugs or narcs to find out who did it, then thats just what I would do, and then the swhtf.

I lived and went to elementary and high school in CO and left in the mid ‘00s and all my family that still live there has said CO has really gone downhill since that law passed. Sad really.
 
When you live in a state that has legalized drugs, these things are to be expected, you cant afford drugs when you dont work, and you cant work when your on drugs. I am not nearly as passive as some when it comes to stuff like this, someone would be bleeding or in a wheelchair or both, and I would make it my full time job to hunt them down like a dog, if I had to pay some thugs or narcs to find out who did it, then thats just what I would do, and then the swhtf.
I grew up in Pennsylvania where they had and still have an opioid crisis. The crime correlates with that. I’m unsure if they have legalized anything since I left, but everything except alcohol was illegal. For these reasons I’ve come to learn than the problem is more complicated than some simple actions lawmakers could make.
 
When you live in a state that has legalized drugs, these things are to be expected, you cant afford drugs when you dont work, and you cant work when your on drugs.
You mean pot? Pfffft...not really any different than before legalization except it's much safer and regulated now and the money isn't being funneled back to the crooks. Some people are phobs about it and that will never change. I do agree that hardcore drugs are a problem that heavily contributes to the issue at hand.

I lived and went to elementary and high school in CO and left in the mid ‘00s and all my family that still live there has said CO has really gone downhill since that law passed. Sad really.
Been in CO my whole life. Both rural and city. The two are like different states and depending on who you talk to you'll get mixed responses. Butcha know what? My house has more than doubled in value since "that law" (or lack thereof) was passed.

I can't stop thinking about this. ROFL
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You mean pot? Pfffft...not really any different than before legalization except it's much safer and regulated now and the money isn't being funneled back to the crooks. Some people are phobs about it and that will never change. I do agree that hardcore drugs are a problem that heavily contributes to the issue at hand.


Been in CO my whole life. Both rural and city. The two are like different states and depending on who you talk to you'll get mixed responses. Butcha know what? My house has more than doubled in value since "that law" (or lack thereof) was passed.

I can't stop thinking about this. ROFL
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Pot is a joke drug wise, pot heads are the problem here. Most of them are not exactly shining examples and beacons of the community. Exceptions exist.


Also, how’s that property value now? How do you think it’ll be in a year? Don’t know if you noticed or not but the price or “value” of everything has doubled or more recently.
 
Kind of getting off-track from the original question of how to secure a bike, as opposed to why this has become an issue. Politics seeping into non-political sites rarely if ever goes well and this site has rules regarding that.
 
I had my bike stolen from me while I was riding it when I was 16, in a very popular park in the middle of the day (by the famous Unisphere in Queens, NYC, near the US Open tennis center, but this was before it was there). Punk just pushed me off my bike and took it, and I had to walk several miles home with a bleeding knee (no cell phones back then and I had no change to call my parents). It sucks. I went bike-less for the next couple of years as I couldn't afford a new one at the time.

I would never lock up my bike unattended. It's going to get stolen. I have a nice bike so even more reason not to. There's really nothing you can do other than buy your son a really crappy beater that no one would want to steal, but then he'll be riding a crappy bike all day and who wants that. Are there no bike racks on buses where you are? Maybe you can try to have them install some? Of course if they're short on drivers due to budget issues then they're not likely to do this.

Is there any indoor facility he could lock up or store his bike, maybe a nearby parking garage or business that would be willing to do this, for a fee?
Oof. That's horrible. I couldn't imagine how scary that would be.

My son is now using a 90's (maybe even 80's) beater. He needs an XL size, and this one is either XS or S. Queue the Benny Hill theme song. There are bike racks on the bus but he splits between public bus, light rail, and a school bus. I don't think the school bus has one and that's where it got stolen last time. He would still have to lock up while in class.

There are bike cages. Two different types. A plastic box type that you put a padlock on (that are ALWAYS occupied) that would probably suffice if he could snag one. Then a true cage style with normal racks inside that requires a badge to open the door. Unfortunately they thought some glass panels would look nice and didn't think about them getting smashed.

It's summer now so he is on break. We'll give it some thought about what we can do next year. Maybe something will change transportation-wise. Starting to look into Air Tags or Smart Tags. Maybe even insurance. Gotta keep my options open.

A lot of this could be avoided if he'd just get his drivers license. He's 17 and refuses to get his permit and take drivers ed. Seems like a trend among a lot of teens today.
 
Homeowners insurance wouldn't cover the theft? Or deductible too high?
 
Homeowners insurance wouldn't cover the theft? Or deductible too high?
If it were a more valuable bike, yes I believe it would. I want to say the deductible is $500 and the bike is only $700. Fortunately we're not talking about a pair of $6k bikes like @danl lost.
 
Thieves and liars are both in my "black book" of the lowest forms of human life on the planet.
 
Oof. That's horrible. I couldn't imagine how scary that would be.

My son is now using a 90's (maybe even 80's) beater. He needs an XL size, and this one is either XS or S. Queue the Benny Hill theme song. There are bike racks on the bus but he splits between public bus, light rail, and a school bus. I don't think the school bus has one and that's where it got stolen last time. He would still have to lock up while in class.

There are bike cages. Two different types. A plastic box type that you put a padlock on (that are ALWAYS occupied) that would probably suffice if he could snag one. Then a true cage style with normal racks inside that requires a badge to open the door. Unfortunately they thought some glass panels would look nice and didn't think about them getting smashed.

It's summer now so he is on break. We'll give it some thought about what we can do next year. Maybe something will change transportation-wise. Starting to look into Air Tags or Smart Tags. Maybe even insurance. Gotta keep my options open.

A lot of this could be avoided if he'd just get his drivers license. He's 17 and refuses to get his permit and take drivers ed. Seems like a trend among a lot of teens today.
Yeah, it wasn't fun, for sure. Only real crime I've ever been the victim of, and I grew up and went to school in NYC, took the subway daily and everything. I guess I didn't look like a good mark, at least since that incident, so maybe it toughened me up.

And, what's up with kids basically extending childhood indefinitely these days? The 20-somethings downstairs smoke pot, watch TV and play video games all day, don't work or go to school, and live with their mom. My nephew recently got his license so his idiot dad bought him a used Camaro, which he totaled within weeks by misjudging an oncoming car's approach. Thankfully both are ok.

I got my license at 17 or 18 and haven't had a real accident ever, just a couple of fender benders due to someone stopping short. You really should encourage your son to get a license. Tell him it's in case you or the wife are out driving with him and get sick, and he needs to drive you to the hospital or something. It almost should be required to vote or whatever. You don't have to actually use it, but a license is essential IMO.

Anyway, too bad your area doesn't have one of those rent a bike, e-bike, scooter, Segway programs. That would solve so many problems. Meantime, riding the crappiest-looking bike that still works seems like the only solution. Can he remove the seat and/or wheel and take it with him, making it less appealing?
 
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