Bike advocates are urging cyclists to remain vigilant and buy high-quality, hardened bicycle locks as the city’s bike-theft season gets underway.
About 600 bikes are reported stolen in Boston each year — a potentially crushing and costly loss for bicyclists who rely on their bike to get to work every day, advocates tell the Herald.
“It can be devastating on so many levels,” MassBike’s executive director Galen Mook said Monday. “If it’s your primary mode for transportation, you can be stuck and stranded. And it can be really expensive to replace a bike.”
He advises cyclists to invest in a dependable U-lock, even though it might cost more than many people want to spend on a lock.
“But it’s better than your bike getting stolen,” Mook added.
If you’re parking in a high-traffic area like Boston Common, you might want to have a secondary cable lock for the wheels, he said.
“My biggest tip for high-traffic areas is to be better locked than the bike next to you,” Mook said. “Don’t let the thief think your bike is easier to steal.”
So far this year in Boston, 261 bikes have been reported stolen, according to Boston Police Department’s crime incident reports.
Last year, 672 bikes were reported stolen in Boston, up from 599 reported bike thefts in 2017. There were 664 thefts reported in 2016.
“Many bikes have this sentimental value,” Mook said. “It can be a real heartbreak.”
Stolen bicycles are hard to recover, but Mook urges bike-theft victims to file a police report. Boston police keep recovered bikes in a warehouse where theft victims can look for theirs.
Boston police also advise riders to buy U-locks.
“The overwhelming majorities of stolen bikes are locked with a cable or chain, or weren’t locked at all,” reads the Boston police tip. “The least expensive U-lock is better than the best chain.”
Most bikes that are stolen have been left unlocked “just for a minute,” according to Boston Police.
“Lock the front wheel to the frame, if you can lock it to something,” the tip section states. “Don’t use parking meters or sign poles because the bikes can easily be lifted over and taken away in seconds. Avoid parking bike overnight in public if you can avoid it.”
Losing a bike can be devastating, said LivableStreets Alliance executive director Stacy Thompson, but she added, “You’re more likely to have a great experience with biking and not have your bike stolen. If people are concerned about having a place to lock their bike safely, bike shares are a great system.”
She said the city needs more safe places for people to lock their bikes, however.
“More businesses and restaurants should offer a place for people to store their bikes in the first place,” Thompson said.
