I am always sorry to hear about bike thefts in our neighborhood. If your bike has been stolen, do not lose hope: there are many stories of stolen bikes that are found by the police or by alert neighbors. Of course your should report the bike thefts to the Ithaca police, and to the FCNA list. You might also search Craigslist to see if anyone is trying to sell your bike.
My grandfather always told me “Trust in God, but tie your camel.” Here below are some tips about preventing and dealing with bike theft … Some of these are collected from past FCNA posts; and this morning I have added the links to information on the Internet.
MP
To summarize our collective wisdom (from FCNA list members) about preventing bike thefts;
1. Lock your bike properly, so that a thief cannot simply take the bike and leave you with a locked back wheel.
2. If your bike is especially valuable, keep your bike indoors at night.
3. Record your bike serial # so that you could report it to the police, or once the bike is found, you can use the serial # to positively identify the bike. The serial # is found underneath the crank where the 2 pedals meet. (You have to turn the bike upside down.) Sometimes you have to wipe away grease to be able to read it.
Or if you have a new bike, it should be on the paperwork or manual you get when you buy the new bike….(tip from Richie)
4. Take a photo of your bike
5. If your bike is stolen, call the police (and post a message to appropriate discussion lists)
*Hi Tech Hope for the near Future *
There is a cool product in development — a small square tile — that lets you find any object (that you attach it too) by using an app on your smartphone or tablet. I don’t suggest for or against investing in this at this time, but it might be on the market soon.
http://www.thetileapp.com/?utm_source=AdWords&utm_medium=CPC
* Ride Safe: Wear A Helmet *
Always wear a helmet when you ride, to protect yourself and to set a good example for Fall Creek children. Report potholes in the streets to the City of Ithaca.
* More Bicycle Information from the Internet *
–Bicyle Theft: Keeping and Recovering your Bike
http://bicycleuniverse.info/eqp/theft.html
–Save Your Bike: The Ten Commandments of Bike Theft Prevention
http://www.transalt.org/files/newsroom/magazine/886NovDeccc/1saveyourbike.html
–Locking Your Bike
http://www.bikenewyork.org/advice/nyc-info/locking-your-bike/
–Locking Your Bicycle (A Bike Is Stolen Every Minute)
http://bicyclehabitat.com/how-to/locking-your-bicycle-pg327.htm
–National Bike Registry (Is the city of Ithaca enrolled ? )
http://www.nationalbikeregistry.com/