Kryptonite, makers of fine locking apparatus,  have once again released their list of the worst cities for Bike Theft.  While it’s still a drag that some adults choose to spend their time and energy stealing from the rest of us, this is one bicycle ranking for which I’m proud we are behind Portland.  Here’s the breakdown according to Kryptonite:

1. Philadelphia, PA
2. Chicago, IL
3. New York City, NY
4. San Francisco, CA
5. Tucson, AZ (tie)
Portland, OR (tie)
7. Denver, CO
8. New Haven, CT
9. Cambridge, MA
10. Austin, TX

The big mystery this year… Where’s Seattle?

I think this also indicates that our bike culture is big enough and awesome enough to have thieves preying on our equipment, so you see, there’s a silver lining after all.  So why don’t I just get to it and tell you how to best avoid getting your bike lifted:

-NEVER LEAVE YOUR BIKE UNLOCKED IN A PUBLIC PLACE - seriously, don’t do it if you want to keep it.

-Lock Your Bike With A U-Lock or Heavy Duty Chain or Cable - descending degrees of protection in that order

-Get the lock around the frame of your bike - no, the seatpost doesn’t count.  Get the lock through the frame so only cutting the lock or cutting the frame can free it.

-If you want to keep your wheels and seat post, get rid of the quick releases - sure they are convenient, for thieves too.  Upgrade to locking skewers if it’s going to be left outside for any duration of time.  You can also try locking your front wheel with the lock if there is room, but lots of posts are too wide to get your frame and wheel within the lock.

-Don’t abandon your bike for more than a day - I see a lot of bikes still chained to a post, but missing any component that can be stripped (what thieves would carry bottom-bracket tools?).  Don’t leave anything you treasure outside, or it could be picked clean by vultures.

-Lock your bike inside your garage or apartment bike room - If a thief gains access, your bike is as good as gone if it’s unlocked.  This happened to my roommate when she left the garage open and unattended for an hour, her bike was gone… but, guess whose bikes were safely locked with a long cable through all the frames and were still there when she got back… that’s right, lock your bikes in any detached structure… if it’s in your bedroom under your covers, it’s probably OK unlocked.

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