Great thread
we all know of plenty of thieving incidents, some involving personal loss.
but 30 years talking to a couple of bristol bike theft victims a week tells me this:
Different kinds of thief look for different things...
Most ultimately want cash,
so will make an effort to steal a tidy "Specialized"
condition and branding are crucial even to the
"I dont want much for it mate" vendor.
Usually looking for things to steal where it's most abundant - city centres, sports centres, cinemas supermarket, college or hospital bike racks.
Sometimes a thief might identify valuable components or rarities, but a whole working tidy bike is an easier sale.
A few want parts for their own use, or to sell to mates. Often MTB, shiny, status brands. From a complete wheel to fix a puncture, up to fancy Sus forks to upgrade.
Some just want to ride home and dump the bike.
Some have psychiatric issues.
(My wife's bike once had its brake arms stolen when locked at the station)
Sometimes they just vandalise.
These guys love remoteness and night time.
These last 2 rarely have the tools to cut a decent lock, luckily, but sometimes target any rideable bike.
We all know most of this already, but it's handy to break it down.
When customers tell me "oh they can steal anything if they want to" i have to agree that you can't reduce the risk to Zero, but if you get closer, it ought to be Good As.
