If you own a bicycle that cost you $200 or more, live in Cambridge or Boston, and you do little to protect it, it will be stolen within a couple years. Fortunately, registering with police, buying the proper lock, removing accessories and locking it in the right location will nearly eliminate the chance of theft.
Like electrons, thieves are generally lazy. They will take the path of minimum work. If you do virtually nothing to secure your bike, it is highly likely to be stolen, while others will be passed up. Typically, bikes are stolen because they are locked with inferior locks, locked improperly, or left out in the same spot at night for months. In addition, most bike owners never bother to register their bike.
The most important way to secure your bike, regardless of the type of lock you own, is to lock it properly. The front wheel can typically be removed in under 10 seconds without any tools, by using the quick release lever. The back wheel takes a little longer. Thus, you must remember to always lock both wheels of your bike to the frame of your bike. A new wheel can cost between $50 and $200 for the front, and up to $350 for the back. Most importantly, make sure you lock your bike to something secure. Don't lock your bike to a fence, which can be easily cut. Always make sure to lock the frame of the bike, not just the wheel, to the secure object.
Unfortunately, not all bike locks are created equal. Cable locks are very easily cut with commonly available tools. They should never be used. However, older U-locks (and modern, yet inexpensive U-locks) which have a barrel key, are easily picked by thieves with a ball point pen. Obviously, these should be avoided. The best lock to use is the new Kryptonite U-lock which a straight key (as opposed to a barrel key). The New York version is the most secure model. An insecure U-lock can be easily pried open with a crowbar.
No armor is impenetrable. Similarly, no lock can stop all thieves. The most effective way to keep your bike from being stolen is by only leaving it in a secure location. At night, you must get used to taking your bike into your dorm room or apartment. Not only will this help prevent that darned electron-liberating winter road salt from corroding your bike into a heap of Iron Oxide in a few short years, but it will also single handedly prevent nearly all thefts.
If you must leave your bike on campus overnight, lock it up only in the MIT Police Department's secure, enclosed, card-access screen bike rack area. You can obtain a card by visiting the MIT Police and paying a one-time $5 fee. Remember to lock your bike to the rack when you leave it in this area.
Vandals and thieves will steal or break any accessory you leave on your bike during the day or night. If you lock your bike up outside, remember to remove even the most insignificant accessory or it will be stolen. In particular, thieves love to grab accessories which can quickly be removed: front and rear lights, quick release seats, rear tire water spray protectors, bike computers and bags. These will be stolen within a matter of weeks if left outside.
The previous sections have been concerned exclusively with preventing theft. How can you both prevent theft and protect your investment if your bike is stolen? The solution is to register your bike with the police. By registering your bike's description, owner information and serial number with the police, your bike can be recovered if it is stolen. The Cambridge and Somerville police report that they have hundreds of bikes currently in their possession which they cannot return to the lawful owner because they are unregistered. In addition, almost half of all bikes stolen are later recovered.
But registering your bike will also prevent theft. When you register your bike, the police will send your a sticker, which is difficult to remove, which you can apply to the bike's frame. Thieves who see this sticker will be unlikely to steal your bike since they will not be able to sell it easily. Anyone buying a used bike will often check the serial number against police records of stolen bikes.
Don't just register your bike with the MIT Police. When a bike is stolen, cities around and including Boston will often check with major local city police departments, in the event the sticker is removed. You should register your bike with the Cambridge Police, as well as the MIT Police, to allow neighboring police departments to contact you if your bike is stolen.
Many lock manufactures, including Kryptonite, offer insurance against the failure of their locks. Often, bikes are stolen by defeating the lock with a crowbar. If you register your bike and lock with the manufacture, within two weeks of purchase (and by certified mail), you may be able to recover the purchase price of your bike. The conditions clearly state that the guarantee only protects against forcible defeat of the lock, and may require you to return a piece of the lock. I was not able to find anyone who benefited from this offer, so I cannot vouch for its effectiveness. However, since the program is typically offered at no cost, it can't hurt to enroll.
Cambridge and Boston are hostile environments for bicycles. However, if you follow the above advise religiously, the probability your bike will be stolen is very low. If it is stolen, the likelihood your bike will be returned or the purchase price recovered, is high. Don't learn the hard way. Protect your bike.
October 7, 2005