Bike got stolen at work, now what...

[StashthatCash]

So some A hole decided to steal my bike last night from work.  (Somewhat my fault that I left it over night but still come on...)  They checked the security cameras this morning and can't tell who did it so I don't think I have any way of getting it back.  So I have 2 questions; 1.)  Do I still ride my bike to work and assume it is fine to do so?  2.)  Any bike recommendations would be appreciated.  The one that was stolen was a Fuji Sunfire 2.0.   Thank you   

[Miss Piggy]

How hard did the thief have to work to steal it? Was it locked?

[Le Poisson]

1. I'm surprised that there are thieves in Wisconsin. I thought there were only cows and cheese there.
2. Yes get another, and get a good lock, and make sure its an unappealing bike to a thief. ie. $20 off Craigslist.
3. Take the seat and wheel(s) inside. Its hard for a thief to ride off on only the frame.
4. In the distant future (6 mos? 1 year?) consider upgrading your bike.

[Orvell]

1. I'm surprised that there are thieves in Wisconsin. I thought there were only cows and cheese there.
2. Yes get another, and get a good lock, and make sure its an unappealing bike to a thief. ie. $20 off Craigslist.
3. Take the seat and wheel(s) inside. Its hard for a thief to ride off on only the frame.
4. In the distant future (6 mos? 1 year?) consider upgrading your bike.

Oh Prospector. :P
I went to school in Beloit. There are cows and by god there is cheese, but there is also everything else one might expect in a city that once had a thriving manufacturing industry and now... doesn't and is trying to deal with that.

Sorry about your bike, OP! :( That super sucks.
A beater bike might be your "peace of mind" safe bet. Still lock it up, but if it gets nabbed, it won't be such a gut punch.
Do you have a long bike commute? Would a beater bike make it suck huge balls?

[GuitarStv]

That really sucks.  People who steal bikes are assholes.  Some areas are particularly bad to leave bikes overnight, it sounds like you found one unfortunately.  Report your bike serial number to the police and keep an eye on craigslist for postings that look like your bike, but you've probably lost it.

Most light weight cable locks are total shit.  Never use them on their own.  At a minimum you always want to lock up your bike like this with a u-lock and cable:


This protects the frame and rear wheel (the two most expensive parts) with the actual U-lock and the front front wheel with the cable.  You can do a similar technique with two u-locks that's even more secure.

You want a beefy lock for commuting, because the bike will be locked day after day in the same spot.  Don't worry about weight of the bike lock, just leave it locked up at work so you don't have to lug it back and forth all the time.

Personally, I'd get an expensive lock (a good lock is going to be in the 60-100$ range), then buy a bike of similar quality to what was being used before, and make sure I'm locking it up properly.

[HipGnosis]

Bikes get stolen
From everywhere
Even during the day on fairly busy streets with video cameras fairly close;  http://www.jsonline.com/news/milwaukee/thief-swipes-reporters-bike-0c6bhju-164831426.html

Does your homeowners insurance cover your bike?

Obviously not 'just fine'
But there are to many variables that only you know and can weight to determine what you do from now on.

If you drive to work, someone could back into your car... or so many other things could happen.

[2buttons]

I had two bikes stolen. Its so crushing. I hate people sometimes.

Looks like you got good recommendations on locks. Would register with the county too. Also, it might be worth getting a tile https://www.thetileapp.com for your next one it if you use a smartphone. 

[FrugalShrew]

Don't worry about weight of the bike lock, just leave it locked up at work so you don't have to lug it back and forth all the time.

Brilliant suggestion.

[Northwestie]

Cables are as about as useful for theft protection as dental floss.  It's not impossible to work a U-lock but the vast majority of bike robbers are not going to bother with it.

[GuitarStv]

Most light weight cable locks are total shit.  Never use them on their own.  At a minimum you always want to lock up your bike like this with a u-lock and cable:

Bit of a hijack, but what is your opinion of heavy weight cable locks?  still better to go with a U-lock?  I think my cable lock is 0.5" diameter steel cable with a plastic sheathing and just long enough to get the frame, front wheel, back wheel and a bike rack (weaving the cable through the frame).

Nobody gives a crap about the bike rack.  You want to lock (order of priority):
- Rear wheel/Frame
- Front wheel
- Saddle (more of a problem if you have a QR clamp)

My experience has been that a well built u-lock is generally tougher to break than any kind of cable lock.  There are also very heavy duty chain locks that you can buy which work as well or better than a u-lock.

I use cable locks when running errands, because they're light, quick, and the longer ones make it pretty flexible as to where you can lock up.  They're really just to prevent someone from walking away with your bike on a whim though.  If leaving a bike alone for a long period of time/overnight though, I'd certainly want a U-lock.  If you can only afford one, get a U-lock . . . and lock up like this:

[mskyle]

Bit of a hijack, but what is your opinion of heavy weight cable locks?  still better to go with a U-lock?  I think my cable lock is 0.5" diameter steel cable with a plastic sheathing and just long enough to get the frame, front wheel, back wheel and a bike rack (weaving the cable through the frame).

I think you need to balance your lock with your situation. If you're parking outside a store for 10 minutes next to a bunch of other un-locked-up bikes, even the shittiest cable lock will be fine (unless you're actively being stalked by bike thieves). But that doesn't mean you can leave your bike locked up like that every day/overnight.

I don't like the heavy cable locks because they're just as heavy as a U-lock but much less secure. ANY cable lock can be broken with much less serious tools than decent U-lock (it might take forever, but you just have to cut through every individual fiber of the cable). I guess the use case for a heavy-duty cable lock is if you need to park somewhere for a longish while and you need to lock up to something that's too big for a U-lock.

The lock I actually use most often is my wheel lock (aka an O-lock, cafe lock, or Dutch lock) that just stops someone from riding/rolling my bike away - it doesn't actually lock the bike *to* anything, so anyone who wants to carry it away or put it in/on their car could steal my bike no problem. But in the bike room at work or if I'm running a quick errand on the way home, it's good enough. I use it in conjunction with the U-lock for longer-term lockups - the wheel lock locks the rear wheel to the frame and then I put the u-lock through the front wheel and frame and don't bother with a cable through the wheels.

[Guses]

If I had to go through this much trouble locking my bike every morning, I would probably not bike to work.

I don't even lock my bike at work. It is in a parkade that we access with our building pass.

If my bike was stolen, I would probably downgrade to an even shittier beater.

You could also camouflage a good bike by painting it real ugly and making it look like crap. A sleeper bike.

 

[GuitarStv]

If I had to go through this much trouble locking my bike every morning, I would probably not bike to work.

I don't even lock my bike at work. It is in a parkade that we access with our building pass.

If my bike was stolen, I would probably downgrade to an even shittier beater.

You could also camouflage a good bike by painting it real ugly and making it look like crap. A sleeper bike.

If you have to pull your front wheel off the bike to lock it with a U-lock, it might take you a minute.  For cable/u-lock type securing it shouldn't be more than a couple seconds.

There are a lot of addicts who steal ANY bike to sell for 10 - 20$ for another hit.  They don't give a crap what your bike looks like.  They just want ease of theft.  Don't depend on the crappiness of your bike being a deterrent.

[JoRocka]

If I had to go through this much trouble locking my bike every morning, I would probably not bike to work.

I don't even lock my bike at work. It is in a parkade that we access with our building pass.

If my bike was stolen, I would probably downgrade to an even shittier beater.

You could also camouflage a good bike by painting it real ugly and making it look like crap. A sleeper bike.

If you have to pull your front wheel off the bike to lock it with a U-lock, it might take you a minute.  For cable/u-lock type securing it shouldn't be more than a couple seconds.

There are a lot of addicts who steal ANY bike to sell for 10 - 20$ for another hit.  They don't give a crap what your bike looks like.  They just want ease of theft.  Don't depend on the crappiness of your bike being a deterrent.

LOL_ it's worked pretty well for my motorcycle- but I definitely wouldn't 100% depend on it.

[Guses]

If I had to go through this much trouble locking my bike every morning, I would probably not bike to work.

I don't even lock my bike at work. It is in a parkade that we access with our building pass.

If my bike was stolen, I would probably downgrade to an even shittier beater.

You could also camouflage a good bike by painting it real ugly and making it look like crap. A sleeper bike.

If you have to pull your front wheel off the bike to lock it with a U-lock, it might take you a minute.  For cable/u-lock type securing it shouldn't be more than a couple seconds.

There are a lot of addicts who steal ANY bike to sell for 10 - 20$ for another hit.  They don't give a crap what your bike looks like.  They just want ease of theft.  Don't depend on the crappiness of your bike being a deterrent.

I was mostly referring to removing the seat and tire and bringing them with you. But point well that taken that it depends on the area. Leaving my bike unlocked on the street in the city is probably a bad idea.
 
I do also leave it unlocked in the middle of suburbia when I need to stop by the grocery store real quick.

[mm1970]

We have several people who bike to work here.  I used to...don't anymore.

Anyway, there are some  nice bikes, and one of them is probably worth over $5000.

Not sure if this would work for you but...the nice bikes live indoors.  Along the side of the reception desk, in the hallway, in a spare cubicle, in your own cubicle.  We've downsized quite a bit here, so you'll find 2-3 bikes leaning up against unused desks all over the place.

[dougules]

Are you sure you didn't just get drunk and leave it at a friend's house?

[Reynolds531]

I'd concentrate on the quality of the lock. When worked at the bike shop years ago, there was a scandal that some could be opened with the shaft of a pen. Others could be pried with a two foot piece of pipe.

To say u locks are always better isn't true.

[RosieTR]

Sorry this happened, OP! That sucks!

What bike you get depends on what kind of commuting you intend to do. I have a foldable bike, which is great for locking up (leave it folded and the thieves may walk by because it looks weird). It doesn't have quick-release wheels though so I'm always worried about flats if it's the part of my ride that is kind of in the countryside. I use the roadbike for that stuff generally, but it doesn't fit into all vehicles the way the folder will, if I need that.

I also leave the heavy, Kryptonite New York Lock U-lock at work, and use a cable lock for short-term/errands. I once had the shittiest bike ever stolen when I didn't lock it and was inside for seriously 5 min, in an upscale small town. I think someone took it for a joy ride, then ditched it, just to be an asshole. It was a rusted Kmart special (Huffy or some such). Sucked for me because it was my only form of transportation other than walking, and I was due to move in a couple months so it didn't make sense to replace right then. Ever after that, no matter how crappy the bike, how short a time I plan to be indoors, or how pricey the surrounding area, I have locked my bike. But yeah, I usually just have a cable lock with a combo for stuff like riding to the breweries or meetups after work.

[UKMustache]

Buy one of these and a decent padlock.

http://www.almax-security-chains.co.uk/t-wallofshame.aspx

A friend of mine had 3 motorbikes stolen from his house before he got one of those; they tried several times once he got this chain and never managed to break it.

[big_slacker]

That sucks man. FWIW I think the best thing to do is just chalk it up to experience, get a new bike and keep at it.

Leaving a bike outside overnight in a city is asking for it. Doesn't make it right but it is what it is. If people are planning on going out, someone offers you a ride, etc..... Just put it inside if at all possible. Put it in your cube, put it in the locker room, whatever.

[Northwestie]

I'd concentrate on the quality of the lock. When worked at the bike shop years ago, there was a scandal that some could be opened with the shaft of a pen. Others could be pried with a two foot piece of pipe.

To say u locks are always better isn't true.

Those issues spawned a redesign, the current Kryptonite locks are just fine.  If it's outside in a theft prone area I would take the front wheel of and lock it with the frame and back wheel - diagram has been shown before.   For most places just locking the frame if fine during the day.   And as mentioned above - a locked bike at night just invites cannibalism. 

[Bateaux]

Heavy Ulocks suck to carry around but, they offer the best protection.  Make sure you lock to a very solid object as well.

[Can't Wait]

is it possible to just bring the bike into the office? Just set it vertically in a corner of your cube or office and tell anyone who gives you shit about it to eat a bowl of dicks.

[lbmustache]

Most light weight cable locks are total shit.  Never use them on their own.  At a minimum you always want to lock up your bike like this with a u-lock and cable:

Bit of a hijack, but what is your opinion of heavy weight cable locks?  still better to go with a U-lock?  I think my cable lock is 0.5" diameter steel cable with a plastic sheathing and just long enough to get the frame, front wheel, back wheel and a bike rack (weaving the cable through the frame).

I used to have a Kryptonite bike lock. Thing weighed A TON but my bike was never stolen and it wasn't a cheap bike. I used that PLUS a U-lock when I had my bike locked up for long-term storage.

[Bruinguy]

Are you sure you didn't just get drunk and leave it at a friend's house?

Oh, I get it!  http://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2015/12/08/lessons-learned-from-having-my-bike-stolen/

[Cyaphas]

If you're mostly going to go back and forth to work, go get a big ass chain, fairly cheap from your local hardware store and a lock, leave it chained to where you park your bike at work.

[Brokenreign]

I think bike theft is a function of how desirable your bike is/how well it's locked up, how desirable and well locked the surrounding bikes are and how long/how often your bike will be left in the same spot. I used to think that locking it in a busy area would make it safer, but thieves are remarkably talented at stealing bikes without looking conspicuous. +1 for Kryptonite U-Locks. They're the most expensive but also the most secure and they have a reimbursement program if a thief overcomes the lock and steals your bike. That being said, pretty much any ol' u-lock will do if you ride a cheap bike and park it around nicer bikes with worse locks. I ride a $300 bike, cleverly disguised as a $100 bike and use a $20 u-lock to park outside my building. We have secure cage parking but it seems unreasonable to pay $75 a year to offer slightly more protection for a $300 bike. Haven't had a problem in years of commuting.

My office building has been having a spat of thefts recently. I spoke to one of the security guards and he told me that the thieves have been stealing old beaters, dressing up as cyclists (garish rain gear and tight shorts I presume?) and tailing people into the bike cage in the building (it's customary to hold the cage door open when someone's following you). They wait for all of the occupants to leave and then steal a much more valuable bike. Pretty ingenious!

[robartsd]

I saw a piece on bike theft where the writer interviewed two NYC bike thiefs. One was an opportunist - he picked apart cable locks with wire cutters and sold the bikes quickly on the cheap - and would never touch expensive bikes - no felony. The other was a professional who cases jobs (the author was fairly sure this guy stole his $5k bike), arives with tools to destroy the lock in seconds. For the opportunist, any U lock was to much trouble - he knew how to break them, but they aren't worth the effort (plenty of low hanging fruit); for the professional, there is no way to secure the bike outside that will not be defeated.

I've also seen a story where a New Yorker stole his own bike to see if anything would do anything about it. Even right across the street from a police station with huge bolt cutters to cut the cable, no one seemed to care or notice.

I ride a beater and use a U-lock. I've never had my bike stolen, but have had accessories taken from my parked bike (lights, cyclocomputer mounts, etc.) - I can't imagine that the thieves got much for what they stole.

[Brokenreign]

I saw a piece on bike theft where the writer interviewed two NYC bike thiefs. One was an opportunist - he picked apart cable locks with wire cutters and sold the bikes quickly on the cheap - and would never touch expensive bikes - no felony. The other was a professional who cases jobs (the author was fairly sure this guy stole his $5k bike), arives with tools to destroy the lock in seconds. For the opportunist, any U lock was to much trouble - he knew how to break them, but they aren't worth the effort (plenty of low hanging fruit); for the professional, there is no way to secure the bike outside that will not be defeated.

I've also seen a story where a New Yorker stole his own bike to see if anything would do anything about it. Even right across the street from a police station with huge bolt cutters to cut the cable, no one seemed to care or notice.

I ride a beater and use a U-lock. I've never had my bike stolen, but have had accessories taken from my parked bike (lights, cyclocomputer mounts, etc.) - I can't imagine that the thieves got much for what they stole.

I think you meant this one:

http://thesweethome.com/reviews/best-bike-lock/

Great article. And the video was from the always entertaining Casey Neistat on Youtube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGttmR2DTY8

[GuitarStv]

If you're mostly going to go back and forth to work, go get a big ass chain, fairly cheap from your local hardware store and a lock, leave it chained to where you park your bike at work.

The big heavy chain sure feels safe, but the issue with doing this is usually the lock.  Most of the non-bike specific locks that are for sale cheap at your local hardware store take two seconds with a pair of bolt cutters to snip.  The other problem is that the heavy chain will bang against your bike, scratching the paint.  Bike specific chains are wrapped in cloth to protect your frame.

[FausseBourgeoise]

I'm thankful for this post, because someone recently stole my seat, and then my rear tire. I've had a road bike for 10 years that I've always kept locked up indoors. I've just moved to a new neighbourhood and we are not allowed to bring bikes into the building.

So, I've been scratching my head as to how to replace the missing parts, somewhat indignant at the idea that I should have to have a "crappy" bike to deter thieves. I will try a better locking system and see if it helps.

[fa]

Very sorry to hear.  This is supposed to be the best lock:
http://www.amazon.com/Abus-Bordo-Combo-Folding-Color/dp/B0046RZFK8/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1463953975&sr=8-5&keywords=abus+bike+lock

Best of luck

[robartsd]

I'm thankful for this post, because someone recently stole my seat, and then my rear tire. I've had a road bike for 10 years that I've always kept locked up indoors. I've just moved to a new neighbourhood and we are not allowed to bring bikes into the building.

So, I've been scratching my head as to how to replace the missing parts, somewhat indignant at the idea that I should have to have a "crappy" bike to deter thieves. I will try a better locking system and see if it helps.

Easiest solution is u-lock frame and wheels to something sturdy and take seat and easily removed accessories inside with you.

[zombiehunter]

Same thing happened to me last week!  I was in a hurry that morning and left the house with just the cable lock, without the additional U-lock that I normally bring.  I will not make that mistake again.

Fortunately, it looks like the loss will be covered by Amex -- I purchased the bike from Nashbar approx. 2 months ago using an SPG card, and in combination with an Amex offer ($35 off at Nashbar).  Combined with Topcashback, this brought the cost of the bike down to about $225.

Unfortunately Amex won't cover the shipping cost (~$15), and I have to go through the hassle of going to the police precinct to get a police report, but it was certainly consoling to not be out the $200 bucks.