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None of that is bad advice, but thieves have also moved on from whole bikes due to the value of higher end parts - they are even less trackable than whole bikes

None of that is bad advice, but thieves have also moved on from whole bikes due to the value of higher end parts - they are even less trackable than whole bikes, they are commodity parts with only a few manufacturers, they are not worth tracking in their own right and they are much easier to ship. It's not unusual to hear of forks being cut to get fancy wheels or chainstays being cut to get drivetrain components. I imagine cutting frames to get expensive batteries may be next. My anecdata is that I've only had one bike stolen and it was the cheapest, worst one I've ever owned (parents bought on 2for1 offer). It was protected with a good lock which was cut through and surrounded by dozens of nicer ones in a secluded bike garage, some of which had incredibly basic and weak combination locks. These days I just insure my bike and use two big locks (leaving them in situ at places like work). I've also seen a drunk courier (after work) fall off their bike and while they were getting up someone picked up their bike, hopped on and cycled off very slowly in front of dozens of people. 2 police on foot were also there and stalled, pretended to listen to lots of accounts, to kill time and avoid a chase or indeed any action at all. But that's another story.

atoav 4y ago
I mean it is ultimately a stochastic thing we are fighting against. There is no guarantuee to not getting your bicycle stolen, but we can change the odds of that happening into our favour by how we do it. > It was protected with a good lock which was cut through and surrounded by dozens of nicer ones in a secluded bike garage, some of which had incredibly basic and weak combination locks. This is an odd one. Maybe the bike had specific parts the thieves were after? Shitty bikes are often targeted by drunkards who just try to get home (they steal it for transportation, not for money). But they would get stopped by a good lock (provided it is actually locked).

atoav 4y ago

I mean it is ultimately a stochastic thing we are fighting against. There is no guarantuee to not getting your bicycle stolen, but we can change the odds of that happening into our favour by how we do it. > It was protected with a good lock which was cut through and surrounded by dozens of nicer ones in a secluded bike garage, some of which had incredibly basic and weak combination locks. This is an odd one. Maybe the bike had specific parts the thieves were after? Shitty bikes are often targeted by drunkards who just try to get home (they steal it for transportation, not for money). But they would get stopped by a good lock (provided it is actually locked).