3 ms·

> My anecdote appears to confirm that bikes stolen in Oxford don't stay in Oxford. I've never been to Oxford but I'm guessing it has a lower density of bicycle

> My anecdote appears to confirm that bikes stolen in Oxford don't stay in Oxford. I've never been to Oxford but I'm guessing it has a lower density of bicycles per square meter than Amsterdam. Presumably it's easier for stolen bikes to 'blend in' in Amsterdam?

jimnotgym 4y ago
I have been to Oxford and I would not be so sure! Bikes are everywhere in Oxford, probably due to the Uni
denton-scratch 4y ago
Oxford is a cycle city. Unlike Amsterdam, it has very poor cycle infrastructure; roads are narrow, and can't be widened because of preserved ancient buildings. There are more and more restrictions on ICE traffic, including ZEZs and LTNs. I don't drive, but it is definitely hard to get around in a car. There are two universities, and countless EFL schools and other schools; and students visiting Oxford are strongly discouraged from bringing cars. The universities have about 60,000 students between them (in a town whose permanent population is 140,000). So Oxford has a LOT of bikes.
- blamazon 4y ago
  Interesting! I'll have to visit sometime, sounds like a fascinating place.
magnuspaaske 4y ago
Yes. I read the article and thought, no shit. Given that most people ride cheap bikes it doesn't really make sense to transport them to somewhere else and it might just incur additional operational risk. Much easier to just resell them back into the same city. Which also explains why the 2K electric bike is taken somewhere else – if you tried to sell it in the same town there's higher chances the owners find out about it (like from a Facebook posting) and involve the police. Understanding that the police don't work super well across district lines seems to have solved this problem for the thieves here (and created problems for everyone else instead).

3 ms·

> My anecdote appears to confirm that bikes stolen in Oxford don't stay in Oxford. I've never been to Oxford but I'm guessing it has a lower density of bicycle

by blamazon 4y ago

jimnotgym 4y ago
I have been to Oxford and I would not be so sure! Bikes are everywhere in Oxford, probably due to the Uni
denton-scratch 4y ago
Oxford is a cycle city. Unlike Amsterdam, it has very poor cycle infrastructure; roads are narrow, and can't be widened because of preserved ancient buildings. There are more and more restrictions on ICE traffic, including ZEZs and LTNs. I don't drive, but it is definitely hard to get around in a car. There are two universities, and countless EFL schools and other schools; and students visiting Oxford are strongly discouraged from bringing cars. The universities have about 60,000 students between them (in a town whose permanent population is 140,000). So Oxford has a LOT of bikes.
- blamazon 4y ago
  Interesting! I'll have to visit sometime, sounds like a fascinating place.
magnuspaaske 4y ago
Yes. I read the article and thought, no shit. Given that most people ride cheap bikes it doesn't really make sense to transport them to somewhere else and it might just incur additional operational risk. Much easier to just resell them back into the same city. Which also explains why the 2K electric bike is taken somewhere else – if you tried to sell it in the same town there's higher chances the owners find out about it (like from a Facebook posting) and involve the police. Understanding that the police don't work super well across district lines seems to have solved this problem for the thieves here (and created problems for everyone else instead).