There has been an increase in bicycle thefts on the Lake Shore Campus in the past few weeks. All of the thefts were of bicycles that were secured to a bicycle rack with easily defeated locks or chains. A few of these thefts were inside locked courtyards in front of Residence Halls. Security camera footage shows that the offender waited outside of the gates and then followed a resident in.
We want to remind everyone of the following important safety tips:
- Never allow a stranger to follow you into a secured area to which you have access to. If this occurs, contact campus safety immediately to report it.
- If you see a suspicious person loitering near an entrance or near a bicycle rack, contact campus safety immediately.
- Don't allow bicycle thieves to succeed! If you see someone using a tool of any kind on a lock or security chain or trying a number of different keys on a lock, call campus safety immediately. Thieves depend on apathy. You don't have to directly confront the individual. Campus Safety officers will. Please call us.
- There is a free locked and secured bicycle corral on both the LSC and WTC available to all students, faculty, and staff that sign up. That can be done by filling out this form.
- If your bike is stolen please contact Campus Safety immediately at 4-4911 from any campus phone or 773.508.6039 from a non campus phone.
Please take the time to read the advice below provided by Bicycle Universe.
1. Get a U-lock. The overwhelming majority of stolen bikes were locked with a cable or chain, or weren't locked at all. The cheapest U-lock is better than the best chain. Locally, the Clark and Devon Hardware and Home Depot carry entry-level U-locks for around $14. Higher quality locks are available at bike shops and sell for $25-80. Remember, a bike being unlocked is a bigger factor in whether it gets stolen than how expensive the bike is.
2. USE your U-lock. Of course this sounds like a no-brainer, but I can't count how many people who have lost bikes that they left unlocked "just for a minute." I once had a bike stolen from my front porch that was only out there for 20 minutes after I got home. Lock your bike religiously. If you're at a store and there's nothing to lock your bike to, at the very least lock your bike to itself. (That is, lock the frame to a wheel.) That way, someone can't ride off ON your bike (although they could still throw it in the back of a truck and drive off with it). Additionally, do not place the locks close to the ground (or other hard
object) where a thief could use a hammer to defeat the lock.
3. Put the U-lock through the frame, not just through a wheel. If you lock just a wheel, a thief will simply remove the wheel and walk away with your bike frame. For best protection, put the lock through BOTH the frame and the front wheel when locking your bike.
4. Be careful about the ends of bike racks. Some bike parking racks are constructed with simple nuts and bolts on the ends. If you park your bike on the end of one of these racks, a thief could disassemble the end of the bike rack with a wrench, and slide your bike off it. By the same token, also check to make sure that the part of the rack you're locking to is solid and not broken at the top or bottom.
5. If your bike is expensive and you have to leave your bike parked in public overnight or for a long duration, consider getting a second, less expensive "beater bike" for those occasions. That way it'll be less likely to be stolen, and if it is, you won't be quite so heartbroken. Note, though, that a poorly-locked cheap bike is often a bigger target than a well-locked expensive bike. (The smallest target is a well-locked cheap bike, of course.)
6. If your bike is expensive enough to have a serial number, write it down now.
7. Whether your bike has its own serial number, add your own numbers to it as well. Engrave your state ID number into two places on the frame, such as under the bottom bracket and on the down tube. You can get a cheap engraver at a hardware store. The reason you're engraving into two places is because if a thief is smart enough to try to file your numbers off, he might NOT be smart enough to think that there could be a second set of numbers after he's found the first.
8. Get the "insurance" and register with a national registry. Most U-locks that cost $30 or more come with a guarantee that works like insurance. If your bike is locked properly and gets stolen anyway, the lock company will pay you for the loss of your bike. There's also a fee-based national bike registry which is advertised in the materials that come with many U-locks.
9. Take a good picture of your bike for your files.
20 comments:
I always remove the front tire from my bike and lock it to the frame and a secure object. If Im going to leave it locked a long time, I add another lock. I have a security cable that secures my bike seat to the frame.
I've been locking my bike this way for more than 20 years, and have never been ripped off the entire time.
The key is a good lock. If you use a shit cheap cable or chainmail you bought at the hardward store, and secure both using a hardware store-bought combination "Master" lock, assume your bike will be stolen in short time.
Good for you, Billy Joe. Now go out, get some exercise, and ride that tricycle of yours.
We had our bikes stolen from inside our building. Our bikes were locked to a bike rack, behind one locked steel door and another locked gate. I guess we'll have to use kryptonite locks, an electric fence, and probably we'll also have to install a sniper to hang out in the alley -- waiting for the culprits.
I have been considering getting a beater bike to ride around...so I was thinking about going to craigslist. The only thing that keeps me from getting one from there is that I'm afraid that many of the bikes on there that are for sale are stolen and being resold.
There is a bike shop about Lunt and Clark...do they sell used bikes and are they reasonably priced there?
There is a bike shop about Lunt and Clark...do they sell used bikes and are they reasonably priced there?
Go to Working Bikes They take old bikes, get them in working condition and sell them for around 50 bucks. I bought onea few years ago, a cool Schwinn with a headlight and generator on the back wheel! And I got it for $25 because it was missing a pedal but i bought one at Uptown Bikes for $5. I gave it to a friend but it was a good deal. It's on South Western ave., a little bit of a drive but worth it for the price. They used to have an occasional sale day at the Heartland Cafe (yes, I know, a bad word) where they would bring a bunch of bikes the fixed up to the restaurant and sell them there to people who couldn't make it out south.
Lindsay:
Try the Recyclery in Evanston.
http://www.therecyclery.org/
bic pen vs kryptonite lock.
Takes 5 seconds.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6774857075491663669
Of course if a sharpie could do this I would really be woried in our neighborhood.
who rides bikes these days. poor people
who rides bikes these days. poor people
sad! I don't think Latin king knows how to ride a bike!
My guess is lack of a good father figure.
Latin King, I invite you anytime to spend a weekend on the farm with my nephews. We'll take you out on the motorcycles and show you how to really ride. We'll teach you how to prepare to ride and yourself before you ride. We'll teach you to fix the bike. If you're good enough, I'll personally sponsor you in some regional and national competitions. Heck, if you like it, I could score you a killer job in the motorcycle industry.
Actually, I fancy giving a city kid a shot at what Patrick and Phillip have achieved.
Besides their talents on the motorcycles, both kids have found a niche in filmmaking. Patrick has two DVD's on the market and Phillip's having his World Premiere on his second sports/action DVD next weekend. Here's his first.
Two positive things about high gas prices.
(1) Less dirt bikers fouling the air and (2) tearing up natural habitats.
Latin king, You should take Craig up on that... it sounds like a lot of fun!
Craig doesnt mean it . . .he's just looking for an excuse to talk about dirt biking.
Just like those relatives in California who invite you to "feel free to pay us a visit anytime." Why? Because they're almost certain that you'll never take them up on their offer.
Craig
I'll take you up on your offer to Latin King if he doesn't bite. I sold my YZ before moving out here from Colorado a couple of years ago. Didn't think there would be much riding out here (not to mention the lack of places to store my bike).
And I'm glad to see billyjoe has chimed in as usual. Responsible riders aren't tearing up natural habitats any more than responsible bloggers aren't being annoying (ahem). And putting a kid on a bike to capture some of his talents and enthusiasms is a hell of a lot better than being a gangbanger.
MS21, I keep all my bikes on the farm. It's 80 miles north of here. We have 1600 acres of private land to ride on. We've built a motocross, endurocross and pit-bike track on the land. Not to mention all the imported rocks we've got for trials.
You're always welcome. Email me if interested. I go up nearly every weekend to ride when we're not competing somewhere. Next weekend is one of those weekends. Lot's of moto riders will be on the farm for the world premiere. We're doing hay-rides, bon-fire, pit-bike races, etc. A big party! And lot's of spaces to sleeping over. After all, it is a farm.
Party flier here.
MS21: "Responsible dirt bike riders," if not an oxymoron, are likely a minority.
Anyone else notice that Craig is completely at a loss regarding the correct use of an apostrophe? He's obviously confused about its (and not "it's") application when connoting plural and possessive terms. Spending too much time on a dirt bike will do that to a person.
I wish I hadn't sold my bikes!
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