Bikes are kind of like dogs. You play with them, you take them places, you feed them and get them new accessories. Sometimes you take them to the vet. If they’re not working out, you put them up on craigslist so a new family can enjoy them, or drop them off on a farm out in the country where they’ll have lots of open space and chickens to chase. And sometimes they get old, their frames crack, and they die. Losing a special friend to old age is often sad and emotionally difficult. But what about when that friend is taken from you by force?
A man in Peterborough, Canada was bikejacked while riding home the other night. According to the report in the newspaper, the rider was approached by some dude who pushed him off his bike. Then the bikejacker rode off with his Trek 4300. A terrible way to lose your ride.If my car were stolen today, I probably wouldn’t give a crap. I’d file a police report and have the insurance company write me a big fat check. But if my bike were stolen, I’d probably quit my job and curl up in the fetal position and cry for weeks.
As cycling becomes more popular and cars become more expensive, bike culture will become increasingly less civilized. How long until there are chop shops dedicated to stealing bikes and parting them out on eBay?How long until someone pulls a gun on you and demands that you surrender your S-Works Stumpjumper FSR Carbon? Hopefully it will never get to that point. But in light of chronic bike theft, reports of bikejackings, and urban trail systems popping up, it might make you think twice about riding through the rough part of the town forest.
Does anyone have any stories about bike robbery?
