Keep Your Bike from
Getting Stolen in Eugene

The fine print on nearly every U-lock packaging reads: “Guarantee not valid in New York City or Eugene, Oregon.” Thankfully, this is one of those urban legends, falsely including Eugene, but we do have a bad reputation for bike theft. Getting your bike stolen here is almost a rite of passage. If you are willing to invest in a decent lock, and if you are knowledgeable and careful you can avoid this heart breaking experience. Here are ‘5 Rules to Live By’ when you want to keep your bike from getting stolen in Eugene.

1) The truth is that the majority of bikes that get stolen here are not locked, or at least not locked securely. Lots of so-called smart people get their bike stolen because they “just ran in and came out and their bike was gone.” So rule #1: lock your bike whenever you leave it anywhere. So that means in your yard, on your porch, in your apartment hallway, or on the roof of your car, there is no place where you shouldn’t lock your bike.

2) The second rule is to lock it with a decent lock. Generally if you pay less that $30 for a lock you are getting one that is relatively easy to cut or break. These locks might be fine for bikes under $200-300, but bike thieves can break these in one minute or less. Better quality U-Locks, ranging in cost from $30-60, are pretty good and for most bikes in most situations totally adequate security. If you have a especially expensive or attractive bike then I’d recommend going to the next level. The locks that are over $60 are made of stronger materials and are better designed so that they are too difficult for all but the elite thieves to crack. Many of the expensive locks come with an insurance policy (guarantee) that could pay if your lock is broken and left at the scene when your bike is stolen.

3) Placement and visibility are critical. Try to bring your bike inside wherever you can. And if you are not going to be with it, lock it when inside too. When inside is not available, try to find a secure immovable object like a good bike rack where there are lots of people. Having lots of people sitting close by or walking by very frequently helps a lot. Be careful to find something really solid to lock your bike to as well. Take your easily removed accessories like lights or computers with you. I’d rather park my bike across the street in a busy coffee shop bike rack where folks from the coffee shop can see it than in a quiet, off the beaten path bike rack that happens to be next to my meeting place if it is out of my sight. Someone’s eyes on it, or a video security camera is a great way to beat the serious thieves.

4) Don’t be too predictable. If you are at school or work, don’t use the same bike rack spot every time you are there. And do not leave your bike in a quiet out of the way spot over night or for an extended period. Any lock can be broken given time and opportunity. Most folks are not always carrying around huge bolt cutters or power saws, but if you leave your bike in the same spot all the time you are making it easy for them to strike.

5) Now that you’ve locked it safely, what else can you do? Anything that discourages a thief will help. You could do something to make it unable to be ridden, where a thief would have to carry it. The seat and post or the front wheel are relatively easy things to remove and take with you, making it harder for someone to ride away with your bike. You can get non-quick release or locking skewers for your wheels, and a cable to secure your seat and post. I’ve also seen folks use two locks, doubling the work of breaking locks. Taking the time to lock both your wheels and your frame will keep someone from steeling your front or rear wheel. And some folks go so far and purposely make their bike ugly, spray painting it with black paint, and stripping brand name stickers or frame badges.

Following these five rules and coming up with a few of your own will keep your bike in your family for a long time. Now for answers to two more things to be aware of.

What can I do now to boost my chances of recovering my bike in case it is ever stolen? Having a good picture of it and documenting the serial number, frame size, color, components, and any other unique identifying marks will certainly help, but you also need to get your bike registered with Eugene Police. That way if they recover your bike they will be able to re-connect you with it. There are also websites where you can register your bike for a more regional or national scope. Sadly, our Eugene Police do not check other registrars when trying to find a recovered bike’s owner. www.findmybicycle.com is a local/regional registry that is free and could help.

My bike just got stolen, what should I do? Reporting the crime to Eugene Police is especially important if you have not already registered your bike with them. Posting “Stolen Bike” posters all over your neighborhood or near the scene has helped many folks. Alerting local organizations like GEARs or other newslists, facebook, all the local bike shops could help. In Eugene, the media has even picked up a few of these stories, so you might consider calling them. The speed in which you respond is important too. Lots of bikes are actually recovered, so don’t give up hope.

Paul Adkins, is a local bike activist, works at Paul’s Bicycle Way of Life, and lives car-free with four kids in Eugene. He owns a lot of bikes and has been able to hang on to them for years. He has worked in and around bike shops where he has heard many stolen bike stories and he has always wanted to do some kind of bike thief sting operation.