NPR "The Economics of Stealing Bikes"

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Permalink Reply by h' Zerocats on September 7, 2012 at 6:47pm

Thanks for posting. Simplistic article. I personally don't believe there's a "middleman" much of the time.

Also, a little jumbling evident here... folks who cut cable locks may make an effort to look like they're the owner unlocking their bike to avoid attracting attention, but what's the point of doing so with an angle grinder?

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Permalink Reply by chixieonfixie on September 7, 2012 at 8:14pm

I would encourage everyone to take the survey at Bike Trak

This company will hopefully be coming out with a GPS tracking device for bikes that will SMS to your cell phone if it is stolen.  They are trying to collect data on what bikers would be willing to pay for such a device and what kind of cell phone they carry.

The surveys take 1-2 min to fill out tops.

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Permalink Reply by Far'arned Retrogrumpalunkus #63 on September 7, 2012 at 9:05pm

+1   Going to take the survey now.

ETA:

LOL @ the second to last question:  Would you be willing to go with a multi-year subscription with a lower up-front cost? -NO

And the last question:  If no to the above, why?  -Um, because I know math?

chixieonfixie said:

I would encourage everyone to take the survey at Bike Trak

This company will hopefully be coming out with a GPS tracking device for bikes that will SMS to your cell phone if it is stolen.  They are trying to collect data on what bikers would be willing to pay for such a device and what kind of cell phone they carry.

The surveys take 1-2 min to fill out tops.

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Permalink Reply by Paul on September 7, 2012 at 9:48pm

Thanks.  Just took this as well.

chixieonfixie said:

I would encourage everyone to take the survey at Bike Trak

This company will hopefully be coming out with a GPS tracking device for bikes that will SMS to your cell phone if it is stolen.  They are trying to collect data on what bikers would be willing to pay for such a device and what kind of cell phone they carry.

The surveys take 1-2 min to fill out tops.

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Permalink Reply by h' Zerocats on September 7, 2012 at 9:54pm

Looking at the info there, I'd be very surprised if this company did more than set up a somewhat slick (w/ typos) website based on untested ideas just to gauge whether this is something they should pursue.

chixieonfixie said:

I would encourage everyone to take the survey at Bike Trak

This company will hopefully be coming out with a GPS tracking device for bikes that will SMS to your cell phone if it is stolen.  They are trying to collect data on what bikers would be willing to pay for such a device and what kind of cell phone they carry.

The surveys take 1-2 min to fill out tops.

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Permalink Reply by Lena Burkut on September 8, 2012 at 12:07am

Well explained

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Permalink Reply by chixieonfixie on September 8, 2012 at 3:14pm

yay - thanks guys for taking the survey.

I read a bit about the product and while it was developed in 2010 and has been tested and is sound, they are having trouble getting their price point down.  I am guessing they're looking for funding and / or are trying to collect more data.

There is another European company that is similar, but this one is out of Portland and I really hope it gets off the ground. 

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Permalink Reply by Matty Ice on September 8, 2012 at 9:13pm

Great article!

"In the Tenderloin district in San Francisco, stolen bike salesmen walk around with spare bike parts tied to shopping carts and ride around on bikes they're trying to sell."

I see this a lot in the actual Wicker Park; just last Thursday saw a guy with at least a $90 flip/flop rear wheel in his shopping cart.

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Permalink Reply by Julie Aberman (Hochstadter) on September 14, 2012 at 9:29am

another piece on Priceonomics Blog - http://blog.priceonomics.com/post/30393216796/what-happens-to-stole...

"As one mom wrote in an open letter to the thief who pinched her twelve year old son’s bike:

It took CJ three weeks to finally decide on his bike. We looked at a brown bike at Costco, even brought it home to return it the next day, and a blue one at Target. But his heart was set on the green and black Trek he saw at Libertyville Cyclery. CJ knew it was more than we wanted to spend but the boy had never asked for anything before. You see, CJ had to live through his dad being unemployed for 18 months and knew money was tight. Besides, he’s just an all around thoughtful kid.

CJ didn’t ride his bike to school if there was rain in the forecast and he always locked it up. You probably noticed that it doesn’t have a scratch on it. CJ treated his bike really well and always used the kick-stand.

You should know that CJ has cried about the bike and is still very sad. He had to learn a life lesson a little earlier than I had liked - that there are some people in the world who are just plain mean. Now you know a little about my really awesome son and the story behind his green and black Trek 3500, 16-inch mountain bike."

"Bike thievery is essentially a risk-free crime. If you were a criminal, that might just strike your fancy. If Goldman Sachs didn’t have more profitable market inefficencies to exploit, they might be out there arbitraging stolen bikes."

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Permalink Reply by Far'arned Retrogrumpalunkus #63 on September 14, 2012 at 9:48am

+1

The last piece of the puzzle are the folks who are willing to look the other way.  It's just "stuff" -and not worth ruining someone's life over.  Stuff can be "replaced" -right???  It's not a big deal...

And then there are folks who look the other way when they find "bike bargains" on the street and on CL for bikes and bike parts they KNOW are too good to be true.   But even if nobody bought hot bikes or bike parts the recycle places would still give them a few pennies.   Anyone ever ride down Cortland past the wrecking yard just East of te river and see the parade of bums wheeling shopping carts of scrap in?  I've seen more than one bike wheel, rack, and frame in those carts. 

Julie Hochstadter said:

another piece on Priceonomics Blog - http://blog.priceonomics.com/post/30393216796/what-happens-to-stole...

"As one mom wrote in an open letter to the thief who pinched her twelve year old son’s bike:

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Permalink Reply by Far'arned Retrogrumpalunkus #63 on September 14, 2012 at 10:28am

Another issue is that bike theft is only a problem in certain areas.   In much of the country you can get away with just a pathetic cable lock.  So that's what people buy and what people buy is what bike lock companies sell.     In the bigger cities folks STILL by garbage cable locks and silly little chains and 4-digit combination locks that wouldn't keep a strong dog from breaking out of them.  I've seen MUCH stronger chains on dog collars.    

Most of these folks have YET to have a bike stolen from them.  Either they are from somewhere else originally where bike theft is rare, or they just got into biking and don't know any better -just buying what is at the bike shop or at the department store.   Maybe both.

But no lock is going to stop a concerted thief.   Even a big thick U-lock can be cut in under a minute with an angle grinder and someone who knows how to use it.   But that is rare when there are so many easier targets out there to take with lesser "tools."  

Lock your bike up with 2 good U-locks and don't leave it in places where thieves can work it over stealing accessories or even defeating the U-locks with power tools out of view of passers-by.

The last element of bike theft is clueless bike owners who don't get good locks -or even know the difference between good and junk locks.   Clueless bike owners that don't record their serial numbers, register them at free registration websites, take pictures, or write down the names and types of accessories they have.  Many bike owners can't even tell you what size tires they have -much less the brand.  

If you don't even know what you have is it ever really yours?  If you wrap it up with a bike-cable bow and set it under the virtual  Christmas tree with a note saying, TO: BIKE THIEF / FROM: SANTA, is it any wonder they take the free gift?

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