Crap. So sorry to hear this.
2011-10-31 14:07:47
13
Rear wheel stolen in Friendship
The day has come where I'll be replacing my quick releases with locking skewers. My back wheel was stolen off of my commuter Sunday morning sometime between midnight and 9am from my front porch where I've been locking it every day for 2 years without issue. They tried to get the front wheel off, but weren't able to wrestle it off the bike.
I'm bummed, not just because of the wheel, but it doesn't feel good at all to think that someone was on my porch messing with my property. In the end it's a learning experience. Just wanted to warn all you out there that wheels are on thieves' radar.
Just in case any of you see someone trying to sell it, the wheel was comprised of a silver Salsa rim, 9 speed cassette, LX hub and Michelin City Protek Plus tire (sliver reflective stripe all the way around the sidewall)
I called the police and filed a report, and already ordered a new wheel. Onwards and upwards.
2011-10-31 13:58:22
!Sucks!
I bet it doesn’t even fit the thief’s ride.
2011-10-31 14:21:19
I wonder if he knew who he was stealing from, and hence that there was a certainty of a police report being filed.
2011-10-31 15:15:43
I'm very sorry to hear this, Scott.
Some people here may remember that I had my bike's front wheel stolen in Lawrenceville over the summer. I figured it was a crime of opportunity with some jagoffs walking down the street and seeing an easy target, but this seems much more premeditated.
Again, I'm sorry to hear about this and will try to be on the lookout.
2011-10-31 21:50:46
I feel like Friendship, Bloomfield, Lawrenceville, and Garfield are the four-cornered bike theft capital of Pittsburgh. I bet more bikes are being stolen from around there then from Oakland.
2011-10-31 22:19:35
Hey now, before we start saying this was some pre-meditated theft in the bike-theft capital of Pittsburgh let's remember that it was locked up outside overnight.
I believe that the two most often given recommendations for properly locking up around here are to use a u-lock and not leave it out overnight.
This sounds like as much a crime of opportunity to me than the countless other thefts of unlocked or improperly locked bikes that pop up. Being that the thief couldn't figure out how to remove the front wheel further leads me to believe that it wasn't a pro bike theif.
Still a bummer. Still sucks. Still shouldn't have happened and deserves reporting.
2011-10-31 22:32:51
This is awful. Is no one safe!?
Although, if you used a cable lock...
2011-11-01 00:31:37
no rubbing salt in wounds about U-locks and cable locks. Loosing your wheel or bike stings bad enough. We are all guilty of being a little careless once or twice with our bikes. I really hate bike thieves.
2011-11-01 01:19:32
Sorry scott, that sucks. Hope they didn't Jack up the derailer or hanger getting it off.
I've been using a bigger u lately and trying to lock through both the frame and the wheel. Of course my front wheel is ripe for the taking but at least it's cheaper than the back.
Fwiw, I think sloaps was saying it could have been worse - at least the u lock saved the bike itself.
2011-11-01 02:04:02
No salt in wounds. Just calling off the mob.
2011-11-01 02:23:57
It's more or less impossible for me to not keep my bike outside. Well, not impossible, just a royal pain. I'm going to get some locking skewers and keep doing what I've been doing. Unless Lena lets me build a shelter in our postage stamp back patio the front porch is where the bike's going to have to stay.
The reason they were unsuccessful getting the front wheel off is because of my Wald basket which was lodged under the handrail the bike was locked to, preventing the bike from being lifted up enough to get the wheel out of the dropouts.
Here's what I think. Brad's right, it was a crime of opportunity. I was taking a bet by keeping it on the front porch and I lost the bet.
2011-11-01 12:24:28
Doesn't Erok have that porch setup?
Onguard has a nice set. It comes with an awful bottle opener on the key - so get a suture kit with it too.
2011-11-01 22:12:10