How to Organize This

Boston has a new program to combat bike theft. A simple online form allows a bike owner to register their bike giving a full description and even allows photo uploads.

The hard part is GPD buy in. Despite the fact that the "take" from bike theft is four times higher than bank robbery (DOJ stats put bank robbery at 72.7M and bike theft at approx 225K units--it is estimated only 1 in 5 bike thefts gets reported so at an average value of $250 bike you have a take of over $281M) my guess GPD would cry "understaffed" to any request for a new/revamped program given they say as much in their FAQ about why they don't respond to certain crimes. Also, the bicycle registration form looks like it was designed back in the '70s and hasn't been revisited since (Banana seat? Give me a break!).

On Yer Bike!

Yehuda Moon Returns!

From the Yehuda Moon blog:

Yehuda Moon returns June 17, 2009. Dailies will run Monday through Saturday featuring Yehuda and the whole gang at the Kickstand. A fuller Sunday strip will run as well, featuring Joe King. More details shortly. 

I will likely fill in the blank dates if I find time along the way (and maybe even a few before the restart date).

On Yer Bike!

Lock It Up

How come US papers don't do useful how-tos like the UK's Guardian does?  Today we have this nice list of items to check off when locking up your bike.

• Use a lock the is commensurate with the value of your bike.  They suggest a lock that is worth 10-20% of the bikes worth.  That would mean $200-300 on the low end for either of my bikes and I can't imagine the weight of such an expensive lock.  The locks I use are valued around $60 and I've purchased one each for home and work so I don't have to carry it with me.
• They also suggest using two locks at once--One U-Lock and one chain.  Each requires a different tool set to defeat which reduces the chance the thief will be equipped for the challenge.  London must be a tough city to ride a bike in.
• Use the lock properly.  Leave as little slack as possible to take away leverage for the thief.  Also, don't leave padlocks in a position where they are resting on the ground.  This makes them vulnerable to a sledge hammer.  Also, lock to an object a thief can't just lift the bike and lock off of like a bollard.  Tory leader David Cameron just had the second bike this year stolen because of a miscue like that.
• High value bikes are a target.  Don't park in the same place every day and park near someone with a better bike if possible.
• Uglify your bike.  Even if the thief sees through the camouflage it lowers the resale on the ride making it a less tempting target in the first place.
• Invest in a folding bike that you can take with you into the office.

On Yer Bike!