Bicycle Facts & Figures: Stolen Bikes

This morning, I was browsing the facts & figures page of the League of American Bicyclists website (a great organization, I might add) and I saw a disturbing statistic. According to the National Bike Registry, about 870,000 bikes were stolen in the USA in 2001 (the latest figure available). The number is an estimate because no one really knows the total but educated guesses are based on tripling the number of stolen bikes reported by the FBI.

Whether thieves are stealing bikes, cars or anything else, theft is a crime of opportunity. The easier the opportunity, the greater the likelihood of theft. Remove the opportunity and the the number of thefts will fall.

Folding bikes are more secure because they do not have to left in harm's way. Rather than locking your bike up outside to a streetpost, fence, railing, etc., simply fold the bike and store it in a secure place out of sight (like beneath the desk in your office or in a closet).

If you live in a high crime area, why worry unnecessarily whether your bike will still be outside when you go to use it again? Get yourself a bike that folds and leave the worries behind!

Respectfully,
Larry Lagarde
RideTHISbike.com
Urging bicycling for recreation, commuting, health and a better future.