Consider this video your monthly reminder to stay vigilant when it comes to protecting your bike from thieves.
On March 6th Portlander Dave Jasa rode his bike to the American Red Cross on North Vancouver Avenue and locked his Cannondale road bike up right outside the front door. While he was inside giving blood, a man casually walked up to his bike, took out a pair of bolt-cutters from his backpack, snipped the lock and then walked away with Dave’s bike. If you love to ride, and especially if you’ve ever experienced the heartache of a stolen bike, the video is hard to watch.
It is with great sadness,” Dave posted on Facebook that day, “that I announce my faithful bicycle, George, was stolen. He and I shared over 18 years and nearly 43,000 miles of adventures together.”
It is indeed sad. But hopefully Dave’s loss will inspire others to take measures to protect their bikes and/or increase the chances of recovering them.
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Please remember to use as strong of a lock as you can. And no cable locks! Thieves cannot cut a strong u-lock quickly and easily. You’ll notice from the video how nervous the thief was during the cutting motions. He knew he’d only get a few tries at it before drawing too much attention and being forced to give up. That’s your goal when locking your bike. Make it so hard to defeat your lock(s) that a thief will either give or not even try to take it in the first place. Yes, it’s a sad state of affairs, but I’ve started using two locks (a Kryptonite u-lock and an Abus Bordo) when I park downtown.
Portland has some excellent resources to help educate you about bike theft prevention and recovery. Check out EndBikeTheft.org for starters. And stay tuned! The Portland Bike Theft Task Force just met yesterday and we’re planning our annual Bike Theft Summit for mid-May along with some other fun stuff planned for 2016.
UPDATE: Just got an email from Dave. “For my replacement bike I have purchased a U-lock,” he said. “Wish I would have used one with George.”
— Jonathan Maus, (503) 706-8804 – jonathan@bikeportland.org
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Looks like he already stole one bike but found a better one. Also, some pretty clear facial shots that can be enhanced.
Here’s the BikeIndex listing on the bike for those of you that want to keep an eye out: https://bikeindex.org/bikes/70049
Cannondale T700, serial: IH B10302 00196
“Outfitted for commuting and touring. Has Cateye Strada bicycle computer, Niterider 250 headlight, two tail lights, rear rack, Topeak road morph pump with gauge, seat pack with spare tube and Topeak alien multitool, Brooks B17 saddle, resin platform pedals with toe clips, and three water bottle cages. ”
^^^ of course most of this is likely stripped now, but if you see an online seller with these items – and a Cannondale T700 – give us a shout.
Sorry about your bike. Thank you for knowing your serial number.
Frank and Joe knew the bike had a squeaky drivetrain, and was stolen by a young bearded man, but this was Portland. Case remains unsolved.
Can we get a law established that allows the owner to use bolt cutters to cut off a finger of the thief if he or she is caught? Such as law would allow us to easily recognize bike thieves, especially if they’ve been caught a few times.
No thanks.
Don’t be stupid.
If you think I was serious then you need to look up the definition of “Joke.”
I hope George finds his way home.
Joking about inciting violence upon others is never funny.
People so quick to get offended by comments around here
I’m offended and outraged by your reply. This the comments section of a bike advocacy page. On the internet. Outrage is our most important product. C’mon! Get with it!
I am outraged by your outrage. Even my cat, Simon, is outraged. Have a great day folks and be safe out there!
This has to be one of the most abhorrent comments I’ve ever read on this site.
I suppose if I motion to report a ‘shoot on sight’ resolution out of committee, I won’t be getting a second from you then.
Sorry…you will have to move to ISIL land or other parts where such justice is more common.
I use no less than three different locks every time I lock up: a U-lock, a folding lock, and a frame lock; in addition to pinhead bolts securing my wheels, headset, seatpost, and saddle. No, I don’t think I’m paranoid. 😉
If you have a nice bike, it’s not overkill.
What, no ankle cuff?
That’s called the “defense in depth” approach. 🙂
What is a frame lock? I use a thick cable lock and a bulldog mini, independently locked so the thief would have to get through both locks to steal the bike.
It looks like that there was some sort of lock still on the bike since the wheel seem like it’s not turning. Was the wheel secured with a substantial lock and the lock to the rack with a cable?
I am the sad owner of George the bike. Thank you Jonathan for posting the video. I have learned my lesson and now have a good U-lock for my replacement bike. Wish I would have learned the lesson before George had been stolen.
In answer to the question about a lock on the wheel … There was just one cable lock through the frame and wheel and then secured to the bike rack. The front wheel is not turning because the bike thief did not pull the cable out of the front wheel after he cut it.
Dave,
Are you the Dave I shared a bike shed at ESI for six years with? And I didn’t tell you to throw that cable lock away in all that time?
So sorry for your loss, and I hope you get out there and keep riding.
Yes, that’s me. I had the big blue Cannondale.
Yes I will keep riding. Got a replacement bike last Sun. and this time I got a good U-lock.
Make sure it doesn’t have a key code etched on it…
Small world. I see on LinkedIn we have a few friends in common (Frank, Leo, likely others). I’d done business with ESI years ago while at Electroglas. Good luck with your recovery. My neighbor saw my bike being ridden the other day, couldn’t do anything about it.
Dave,
Sorry for your loss. I understand how important and sentimental a bicycle or many other items can become to its owner.
May I suggest you use a combination of an Abus or Kryptonite padded New York chain and u lock or an Abus Bordo 6400 such as the one I use and like very much that has a nice rubber holder that mounts to the two bolts that hold a water bottle cage.
I hate to see this happen to good people, or anyone for that matter.
Have a better day Dave.
Another cable lock victim?
I’ve gone to a number of community meetings at this Red Cross where the bike parking is overflowing. I’m not sure it would have prevented this theft but more bike parking, especially replacing those wheel-based locks under the awning is a necessary improvement for folks arriving by bike here.
At this point, shouldn’t it be a crime to sell cable locks?
Shouldn’t it be a crime to steal bikes? Even if you simply tie a nice bow in a shoelace to secure your bike, it’s still your bike. Please don’t blame the shoelace or the victim.
I’m not looking forward to a time when sub-5lb u-locks are blamed for bike theft.
I certainly wouldn’t disagree that stealing bikes is a crime. But I also appreciate the pragmatics of using a U-lock to lock my bike. I have for thirty years, and although attempts have been made to steal my bike, the only time they were successful was when I forgot to lock it (with the U-lock). As we’ve had ample opportunity to learn right here, a U-lock is no panacea, but since this is an actuarial exercise I’ll go with the U-lock, thank you.
“At this point, shouldn’t it be a crime to sell cable locks?”
No. Cable locks are still useful for secondary security: locking a wheel, saddle, etc., assuming you’ve at least locked the frame and likely a wheel with a U-lock.
Should it be a crime to deliberately sell someone a cable lock, knowing they’ll use it as their primary lock? Maybe.
“Please remember to use as strong of a lock as you can. And no cable locks! Thieves cannot cut a strong u-lock quickly and easily. ”
Thanks for that, Jonathan.
poor George looked like he put up a struggle. So sad!!
If you have a U-lock, check to see if it has a key code etched on it. If it does, grind it off. We just lost my wife’s commuter bike this way, a trusty old Gary Fisher Tassajara that I bought in Corvallis years ago. I’d just built it as a an 8×1 with 44T ring with guard, Shimano Zee clutched rear derailleur, and SRAM x4 shifter (same actuation as the Zee). Thief walked right up to the bike in front of a very busy hospital entrance in broad daylight, but when you have the matching key nobody knows it’s not yours (even though he’s a short guy and she’s 6’2″). I hope he cut himself trying to grind the wheel locks off…
Also, hope your Cannondale finds its way back!
This ad brought to you by U-LOCK!
(Disclaimer: Still just a real-life actual lock, which can be cut in seconds, as I’ve been victim of, and even done myself when my lock failed)
I think I’m missing something. You know how many seconds (as opposed to minutes) it took the thieves to steal your bike?
Like I said above, this is an actuarial game. Most bikes (it would seem) that are stolen in this town are (still) not locked at all, or not locked properly (frame and wheel to stationary object) with a U-lock. Unless you have some above average expensive-looking bike, my hunch would be that your bike has a *very* good chance of being there when you return if you follow standard U-lock procedures.
The ironic part is, the selling point of Ulocks is that a thief will just continue on down the line looking for a bike that is cable locked when they see you have a ulock on yours. So on one hand, ulocks depend on cable locks to exist as a superior option, and then on the other hand, they sell you on that advantage.
In reality, as anybody who knows how to operate an angle grinder, bottlejack, etc knows, it’s incredibly easy to get through a ulock if you’re motivated.
“ulocks depend on cable locks to exist as a superior option”
I’ve been referring to this as an actuarial game. You are right, to a point. But if you take this one step further and imagine that everyone’s gotten with the program and now not only appreciates that a decent U-lock is just part of the standard equipment but also buys and uses one, I am quite certain that the incidence of bike theft will drop dramatically.
“In reality, as anybody who knows how to operate an angle grinder, bottlejack, etc knows, it’s incredibly easy to get through a ulock if you’re motivated.”
I’m not sure about ‘incredibly easy.’ I know it can be done, but the requirements (bulk of equipment, noise in the case of cordless grinders, chutzpah in deploying either) are not nothing, so I don’t think at this stage of the game, when 90%(?) of bikes stolen are not properly locked with a U-lock. it is that useful to be all defeatist about this. Let’s give it a decent shot and then see where things stand, eh?
I know it’s not always that *difficult* to defeat a U-lock, but it’s quite a few times harder to defeat than a cable lock. Even if cable locks disappeared overnight, thieves would have a harder job. And not all U-locking is created equal: it’s pretty hard to defeat a mini-U with a bottle jack, for example.
I watched almost the whole video before I realized I was watching the thief and not the owner of the bike that was about the be stolen. That is some pretty good cover to show up with a bike, helmet on and pretending you are about to lock your bike up. Thieves are getting pretty tricky. That said, hard to believe he did not clear the front wheel before trying to walk away. I was waiting for him to completely fall over.
Sorry for your loss, Dave.
This video made me think of a couple of things:
One, I remember one of Jonathan’s posts a few months back about stopping a bike thief. It is suspicious for someone to be constantly looking around when they approach a bike rack.
Another, as the thief was struggling to get away, I wondered if there is a more covert lock that could lock your tires in a non-obvious manner. Something that locks your hub? That way, even if the thief manages to remove your bike from the rack, he will not be able to ride away. This would not work on performance bikes as it would add weight to the bike but, for a nice commuter, I would gladly take a few extra ounces to increase the likelihood of my bike still being there.
A frame lock is what you’re describing.
How about a hitch pin thru a chain link?
What became of the thief’s bike? Evidence?
I don’t know what happened to the thiefs bike. It was there when I left the Red Cross, though at the time I didn’t know the thief had left it.
Did you go right back in to report the theft? Is that how you got the video?
Yes, I reported it immediately to the security guard at the Red Cross. A couple of days later they sent me the video.
If it’s a well equipped bike that is high quality, as this bike appeared to be, a thief will work at it as long as they can. They can sell it for 1/2 of new on clist.
that’s the key, though, isn’t it? As long as they can. More locks means more time, means they’ll pass over a bike which looks like a pain to steal. I’m all for removing the front wheel, actually, that alone significantly lessens the likelihood of theft. If they get through all the locks they wouldn’t be able to ride the bike away.
That guy needs to take some lessons in being less suspicious. I mean, come on, can it be any more obvious that you’re up to no good?
I looked it up:
“a thing that someone says to cause amusement or laughter, especially a story with a funny punchline.”
You statement fails that definition.
how to break into a folding lock
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UtCY3GC5VYY
a cable lock and a U lock
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QYUf4h0Lv_8
I think a frame lock would actually be harder to cut, given how close to the rim it is… they’d have to drill out the keyhole, which would only take a few seconds, but they’d need a drill and a bit to do it, plus time and noise.
At the end of the day, there isn’t a lock in the world which can’t be broken.
You just have to have enough lockage to make the thief pass over your bike, they’ll look at it and figure it would just take too long to take.
then again…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0VUiTwKcPU