The Chainlink

Does anyone have a bigass oven? I want to stop theft.

I just had my second bike stolen.  Last time it happened in September.

I'm done with this shit.

Obviously the solution is to use a welding torch to write my information onto the next bike frame I get.  Thankfully, a friend has a work shed attached to his grandmother's house, and has agreed to help me.

I'm afraid that the process will hurt the strength of the frame; he suggested heat treating it.  This can be done in two ways: with his assistance, and a shit load of sand (??? I don't actually know how this works) or by sticking the frame in a bigass oven at 450-500 degrees.  I don't know what this means for the paint.  Maybe I need to take ALL the paint off?  I'll find out.

Does anybody have a bigass oven at their disposal?  Who wouldn't mind a bikeframe put inside of it?

And has anybody ever tried this novel form of bike theft deterrent?   I'm hoping it is effective.  I'm thinking my name, and my phone number.  If I just painted on the infoz, it could be painted over.  But good luck painting over 3D information, asshole thieves.

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Permalink Reply by WillG on July 17, 2013 at 4:07pm

Bring your bike inside. Period. No bike, left outside over night, in an area with, apparently active and creative, bike thieves is going to be there in the morning.

Bring. It. Inside. Then lock it there.

If someone hassles you about it, tell them it's modern art. There is no reason that you shouldn't be able to bring your property up into the space you legally lease (unless it is written in your lease specifically).

Permalink Reply by Kevin C Dormant on July 17, 2013 at 4:07pm

Better still.

Will G - 10mi said:

Bring your bike inside. Period. No bike, left outside over night, in an area with, apparently active and creative, bike thieves is going to be there in the morning.

Bring. It. Inside. Then lock it there.

Permalink Reply by Duppie on July 17, 2013 at 4:12pm

The Netherlands has experience with that. In the 80's (?) there was a national campaign to get the owners zipcode + house number (it is a unique code) etched into each of their bikes in a conspicuous place (I think the seat tube), so that every bike had a unique identifier. Government even funded the cost.  

The program was ended after a few years because it did not reduce theft.

Kevin C said:

 I have yet to see any evidence that the uniqueness of the bike in any way prevents it from being stolen in the first place.

Permalink Reply by h' Zerocats on July 17, 2013 at 4:34pm

Scrappers make their living off of knowing exactly what things are worth. They're not going to scrap a quality bike for the value of the metal.



Michael A said:

A lot of bikes are sold for scrap, the scrap yard does not care who's name is welded on it

Permalink Reply by David P. on July 17, 2013 at 4:37pm

Setting aside the question of whether it would be any kind of theft deterrent, if you want to put personal information on your frame, etch it on there somewhere. There are even electric pens for the purpose. Or else etch a brass plate or something and then braze it. What you ask about will ruin your frame.

Permalink Reply by Tricolor on July 17, 2013 at 4:42pm

Tell that to the guy that shredded eight perfectly working stolen school buses.  I still think that was a mafia thing, though...

h' 1.0 said:

Scrappers make their living off of knowing exactly what things are worth. They're not going to scrap a quality bike for the value of the metal.

Permalink Reply by h' Zerocats on July 17, 2013 at 4:43pm

And, per my unscientific perception,  it seems like the bikes that are so unusual that they "have to" turn up never, ever resurface (with one noteworthy exception of a dutch bike that was spotted by a Chainlinker.)  If anything, the uniquenes/personalization may drive them underground and make them less likely to turn up.

 

Kevin C said:

Making your bike "unique" in some way can very certainly assist in the recovery of a bike once it's stolen. I have yet to see any evidence that the uniqueness of the bike in any way prevents it from being stolen in the first place. Locking your bike properly, with a high quality u-lock or security chain (or two) is how you prevent your bike from being stolen. The CSBR receives frequent reports of stolen bikes which are ugly, unique, or which otherwise seem like a less attractive target for thieves.

Permalink Reply by h' Zerocats on July 17, 2013 at 4:43pm

Yeah, that's exactly the same thing.

Tricolor said:

Tell that to the guy that shredded eight perfectly working stolen school buses.  I still think that was a mafia thing, though...

h' 1.0 said:

Scrappers make their living off of knowing exactly what things are worth. They're not going to scrap a quality bike for the value of the metal.

Permalink Reply by h' Zerocats on July 17, 2013 at 4:51pm

We get regular reports like this to the Chicago Stolen Bike Registry.

Most of those welds tend to be not so great, and easy to break. But the thin bar can also be cut through with a hand tool in not much time.

I asked my tenants to only lock to the large support beam of the wrought iron fence in front of the building about a month ago, and got a bunch of eye rolling, but so far they've complied...


Christine (5.0) said:

First bike: Cable lock. Learned my lesson.

Thieves cut the top part of the gate (where the cross piece meets the thick pole) and lifted it off, I assume they left the lock on.  

Permalink Reply by Will on July 17, 2013 at 5:04pm

Bring it inside, it's really the only way you stand a chance of hanging on to a halfway decent bike.

Permalink Reply by Barry Niel Stuart on July 17, 2013 at 6:05pm

Too much heat could weaken steel or aluminum or destroy carbon fiber.  If you want to strip paint without destroying a frame's structural integrity, either sand it all of or use chemicals.  You might try a clear coating on the frame after it's been stripped.  Paint serves the purpose on a steel frame in preserving it from corrosion.

Permalink Reply by h' Zerocats on July 17, 2013 at 6:44pm

Sounds like she would if it were an option.

Will said:

Bring it inside, it's really the only way you stand a chance of hanging on to a halfway decent bike.

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