My bosses bike

As seen on craigslist, read the last two lines.

This guys boss needs a lock.

This quote from a recent New York Times blog post titled “Beater Bikes, the Cheap Workhorses of Cycling”. It underscores what may be the single best theft deterrent for the commuting cyclist. Put another way, the closer to 40 pounds your bike and lock weigh together, the less likely you are to be victimized.

This beater was 1 of 2 being sold as a pair for $50.00 on Craigslist

As cyclists we play a roll with the choices we make in a thieves decision making process when it comes to stealing our bikes. To understand this better consider who you are dealing with.

It’s generally accepted (stereotype alert) that bike thieves come in three general varieties, “the joy rider” and or “the opportunist”, and the “professional”.

The first two are not as likely to wake up one morning and say, “I’m going to go steal a bike today.” These thieves are far more likely to operate in the moment, taking advantage of low hanging fruit, bikes that were left unattended. Famous last words, “this is a safe neighborhood” or “I’ll just be a moment”. In cases like these, even a basic deterrent like a small cable lock can be the difference between your bike still being there when you come out with your cup of coffee, and an empty space where it once sat.

The “pro” on the other hand is just that. This person plans to steal bikes. They have tools, and they have an idea of what they are willing to take risks for. They can calculate of how easy a given bike will be to turn around, and what they can expect to get for it in return. For this person, this is a part of their income. This is what they do. The pro is further bolstered by the knowledge that bike theft is a very low priority for most metro law enforcement agencies, therefore there is little consequence for their actions.

If we as cyclists choose to ride bikes that are our pride and joy, leaving them locked up and unattended for extended periods of time, we should also be prepared for the likelihood that someone else will find our bike attractive as well. Someone with tools…

Two choices you can make that will ensure that your ride home will be waiting for you at the end of the day:
1) Purchase a good heavy lock
2) Find yourself a beater bike and love it for what it is

With these two simple steps, you can choose to take away thieves incentive.

OnGuard featured in the May issue Maxim Magazine.

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After a long day of technical training in the Cycle Gear classroom, I had long heard about the pot smoking, roaring mufflers and yes, half naked women roaming the streets. I had to find out for myself. So I seized the opportunity to walk around Daytona to learn about the infamous street scene.

My friends were in fact were telling the truth, as I learned first hand that the street scene was the place to be. There were so many bikes, as cars were the minority in this town. My rental PT cruiser didn’t get a second look one afternoon as I drove into town. It was a classic American scene as the road hogs took over the road.

Pretty women riding on the back of bikes and some even gave the crowd a roar as they rode solo down the crowded streets. The red carpet has nothing on these scantily clad women parading their wears or lack thereof. I wondered if their mothers knew where they were on this warm Daytona afternoon?

My sniffer told me in fact that what I smelled was probably not legal but who cared, I as more interested in my visual learning capabilities. Of course I was really investigating how many 5049’s or 5100’s, I would find along the way. There were several bikes that were locked and loaded with OnGuard product parked along the streets, which would have made Stewart proud.

Who knew there were so many custom rigs out there in the world? A terrific visual sub-cultural learning experience. Everyone should experience firsthand this scene, as 500,000+ fun loving motorcycle-driving fans descended on the streets of Daytona.