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I can't imagine it being worthwhile to take a bike very far unless it is a very expensive bike. If they are normal bikes, you would have to transport them in n
by forinti 4y ago
I can't imagine it being worthwhile to take a bike very far unless it is a very expensive bike.
If they are normal bikes, you would have to transport them in numbers, and it would be hard to explain it if you got caught. And you would need a van.
Best solution: steal local, sell local for fast turnover of minimal stocks.
I lost my bike twice in Cambridge: once found it around the corner and another in the police depo. So someone had just taken it to get somewhere.
- seanmcdirmid 4y agoIn Seattle, high end bikes are targeted to be disassembled for components. The components can then easily be fenced for drug money.
- at-fates-hands 4y agoI remember my co-worker at the bike shop talking about this and how people in the area will sand their frames down and remove labels and anything else that would give their bike a look and feel of being expensive. Even adding duct and black electrical tape to ward off thieves from going after their bikes.
- denton-scratch 4y agoI saw a decent bike a while back that had had newspaper glued all over the frame.
- londons_explore 4y agoWrite your phone number all over every part in permanent marker. Nobody will buy something covered in phone numbers without at least calling the number. The thief can't be bothered to repaint the whole bike to cover it. Hence, the bike is now worthless to a thief, so it won't get stolen.
- _Wintermute 4y agoI doubt that would deter them, they'll either spray-paint the frame it it's a cheap bike, or just strip it for parts if it's high-end.
- londons_explore 4y agoI've tried it... It seems to have reduced by ~75% the number of thefts I've had. (I used to have a bike stolen every 3-4 weeks, and now I only lose one every 3-4 months)
- asdff 4y agoJeez man why aren't you insuring them?
- londons_explore 4y agoThese are $25 bikes that I buy in bulk and just use around the city for me and my friends. They're locked with $2 combination locks, sometimes just to a plant. It really isn't surprising they go missing, but they're cheaper than a rental bike.
- felipemnoa 4y agoCare to post a link to a picture of these $25 dollars bikes. They almost sound mythical.
- Scoundreller 4y agoYeah, anything minimally operational would sell for $150+ in Toronto
- uoaei 4y agoIsopropyl alcohol cleans that right up, no paint necessary.
- seanmcdirmid 4y agoSounds like a good strategy. I've seen people throw trash in their car parked on the street to dissuade having their window bashed in. Add some tape to the exterior, make your car look as junkie as possible. These are the days we are living in.
- Arrath 4y agoFinally a case where purposefully distressing something has a use!
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- asdff 4y agoPeople will do anything to try and counter bike theft instead of just getting insurance. It did take me one bike theft myself to learn that lesson though.
- seanmcdirmid 4y agoIn high theft areas, insurance is jacked up because the risk is so high. If you are getting your bike stolen every 3 or 4 months, the insurance company has already adjusted your premium so that they aren't losing money. Insurance is great for rare unpredictable events. It is not cost-effective at all for common predictable events.
- asdff 4y agoI live in a county with almost 100k homeless people, and I pay another $1 a month on my renters insurance policy (itself around $12) to insure the bike with no deductable. It really is cheap if you use renters or homeowners insurance. I'm sure many of those "bike specific" insurance policies nickel and dime since the pool is probably a lot smaller.
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- Scoundreller 4y agoYour insurance keeps renewing at the same rate after 1 or more claims??? Can you identify the insurer so I can short their stock?
- seanmcdirmid 4y agoReading the comment, it seems like they are getting a bunch of other stuff covered, so the insurance company is still making a profit even if they are constantly getting reimbursed for stolen bikes?
- dmoy 4y agoCan confirm, there's an RV outside my house right now that has a a giant trailer full of half-chopped up bike frames and parts. They get stuff in and fire up some kind of machinery to grind them apart in the middle of the night. Two RVs down from that is the drug dealer. It's not just high end bikes. It's everything. Motorcycles and scooters too.
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