Spring Break
Bikers beware: Lock it or lose it
Cody Francis
Issue date: 4/22/09 Section: News
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| Why this matters to you: According to Kent State police, students should lock their bikes to prevent them from being stolen. |
Last year, she wasn't as cautious, and her bike was stolen.
This is a warning going out to all Kent State bicycle riders: "Be responsible with your property."
"This is the time of year when students need to be more cautious about locking up their bicycles," said Alice Ickes, crime prevention specialist for the Kent State University Police Department. "If you're not going to ride your bike, make sure it's safe."
Like many students who are victims of bike theft, Trennel learned her lesson the hard way. She was in a rush last fall, and there was no bicycle rack nearby when she parked her bike at Small Group. She decided to wrap the lock around the tire and leave the bike. She returned a short time later to find the bike missing.
"I called the police, but told them to just forget about it because it wasn't worth the hassle," Trennel said.
Ickes said many students who have their bikes stolen do not report the incident.
Ickes, Trennel and junior economics major and bicycle rider, Aaron Ring gave the following four tips to keep your bicycle safe:
n Make sure to lock your bicycle to a rack, if possible. If not, lock it to a tree or sturdy object nearby.
n Make sure you know where your bicycle is at all times. Don't lock it up to a random tree and lose track of where you put it.
n If possible, keep your bike in a storage room or your dorm when absent from campus for an extended period of time.
n In the winter, take your bike home instead of leaving it on campus. The longer your bike is unattended, the more likely it is to be stolen.
Ring, proud owner of "Brittany," an old Schwinn bicycle ready to be taken out with the trash he found two summers ago, said by following these tips he has avoided problems with keeping his "prized possession" safe.
"It doesn't take much to keep your bike safe on campus," he said. "Just be smart and don't leave it sitting around."
Contact safety reporter Cody Francis at cfranci1@kent.edu.
Viewing Comments 1 - 5 of 5
No more wheels
posted 4/22/09 @ 10:50 AM EST
How about watching for folks with bolt cutters while everyone's moving out in the spring? Returning to find just your lock left on the rack is disheartening, so if you have a nice bike, you might want to own an equally sturdy lock. (Continued…)
Don't Foget...
posted 4/22/09 @ 3:06 PM EST
If you have quick release wrap the lock through the front wheel too.
John Proppe
posted 4/22/09 @ 6:19 PM EST
A really good point of reference for those who are a bit more curious: http://www.sheldonbrown.com/lock-strategy.html
Keep in mind everyone that no lock is theft proof, they are merely theft deterrents. (Continued…)
Andrew P
posted 4/22/09 @ 10:48 PM EST
Wow...locking up your bike may prevent it from being stolen? This is news? This should be common sense.
Next week, I bet we'll see an article on keeping your car locked and valuables out of sight so that your car isn't broken into. (Continued…)
pizzle
posted 5/03/09 @ 2:28 PM EST
i heard that kent state will take your bike and auction them off if you leave it somewhere. I locked my bike up outside of the hub last semester for about 2 weeks. (Continued…)
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