Hi, I don't normally frequent MacInsiders so I'm not exactly sure if this the right forum to ask this...

But yea, my bike was stolen on Monday, March 8th, 2010 @ around 5-7pm from the racks in front of between ABB and Thode. Before anybody asks this question, yes it was locked to the rack, steel cable key lock, from back tire-> frame -> front tire -> bike rack. I've attached a somewhat blurry picture that I took of it when I first got it after painstakingly tuning the thing.

It should be interesting to note that apparently (according to campus police) that some known bike thieves who are part of a bike stealing organization have recently been released from incarceration. The officer didn't mean to imply either correlation or causation, but c'mon... no thefts for months and three in one day? Just saying, if you ride your bike on campus, it doesn't even have to be a nice bike, every bike is subject to being potentially stolen. Be wary of the increased chance of theft.

If anybody sees it on campus, or alternatively while somewhere in Hamilton, if you could please contact Officer Ed Kennedy @ x23367 with reference to Incident Report #10-413, that would be greatly appreciated.

My condolences for your loss, but c'mon, kudos to the guy who can cop 3 bikes, most likely in broad daylight, that are chained to racks without arousing any suspicion. Guy's a genius.

Just sayin.

Originally Posted by knox

My condolences for your loss, but c'mon, kudos to the guy who can cop 3 bikes, most likely in broad daylight, that are chained to racks without arousing any suspicion. Guy's a genius.

Just sayin.

Pretty sure it probably wasn't one guy... and stealing bikes doesn't require cunning, just an overall knowledge of where students are during the day... and consequently, where they are not. Oh, and a hugeass cable cutter, thats how police confiscate bikes, wouldn't surprise me if thats how they are stolen as well. Although I must say, having the bike stolen from me from Thode while I was inside the library stings... just a bit...

So, whats the return rate around here for stolen bikes? E[P[Bike Returned]] ~= 0?

Should really start leaving your bike unchained and just have an interchangeable seat with upward facing thumbtacks. Or just ride one of those old heavy bikes; pretty sure some of those bad boys are made out of recycled tank armor.

The first idea takes too long in between classes... The latter idea I'm actually going to do come this weekend, drop by a CanTire... pick up a SuperCycle, mmm... Steel frames, no quickrelease, and have to be tuned twice a week... fun times ahead.

This is why someone's got to invent a type of cabling lined with an explosive material that explodes when someone applies too much pressure to it (i.e. tries to cut it with a pair of huge-ass wire cutters).

That would teach'em

A shaped charge around your entire bike frame that explodes when someone tries to cut it or force it open? BRILLIANT. The thief would have to be actually injured by the explosion for the solution to be effective. Which means the bike takes considerable damage, which is kind of a losing scenario...

Better solution:
Lock forms closed loop circuit, if circuit broken, sound an alarm (air raid siren, silent, or otherwise), medium range transmitter, hell by the time he gets the lock off he'll see a flying foot in his face. Someone help me make this

Originally Posted by wuZheng

A shaped charge around your entire bike frame that explodes when someone tries to cut it or force it open? BRILLIANT. The thief would have to be actually injured by the explosion for the solution to be effective. Which means the bike takes considerable damage, which is kind of a losing scenario...

Better solution:
Lock forms closed loop circuit, if circuit broken, sound an alarm (air raid siren, silent, or otherwise), medium range transmitter, hell by the time he gets the lock off he'll see a flying foot in his face. Someone help me make this

Well if you're gonna do that, you'll need multiple loops or some complicated setup, otherwise some thief could just bypass the circuit, if i'm not mistaken? Although making somebody sit down and do something complicated just increases their chance of getting caught. Wouldn't it be better to just get something like a thick Kryptonite lock?

Sounds like a good cheap product idea IMO though!

Originally Posted by wuZheng

...hell by the time he gets the lock off he'll see a flying foot in his face.

Hmm, I can see what you're thinking, but I don't think a hidden nearby automated turret that shoots feet at people's faces would be very practical.

bike stealing organization...?

and i thought i had no life.

Originally Posted by wuZheng

steel cable key lock,

should've gotten one of those U-locks (the ones that are shaped like a U). I hear they're the safest.

I wonder what they do to the bikes after.
is it like cars where they chop them up and sell the individual parts to different bike stores.
Or do they sell the bikes to other people in Hamilton, ship them to another city/country for them to be sold?

Maybe the mac constables should go on a stake out (posing as students) in front of the place where most bikes are stolen and try to find the perpetrators.

Originally Posted by FireDragoonX

should've gotten one of those U-locks (the ones that are shaped like a U). I hear they're the safest.

Unless I'm thinking of a different type of U-shaped locks, there are youtube vids of people breaking those with ballpoint pens.

Originally Posted by JEFF_CHAN

Unless I'm thinking of a different type of U-shaped locks, there are youtube vids of people breaking those with ballpoint pens.

those are the shitty ones. if you buy a good one the person will move on to another bike because it's not worth the effort(especially if its on campus where there are dozens of bikes.

Originally Posted by JEFF_CHAN

Unless I'm thinking of a different type of U-shaped locks, there are youtube vids of people breaking those with ballpoint pens.

and there are different quality locks too

here is what I found with a quick google search
http://www.cycling.bham.ac.u k/othe...LockBike.shtml

Two words: GPS tracking.