i live in a suburb (givat shmuel) and i have had 3 bikes stolen in the past 6 months (from right next to my building). two of them were ugly and one was not. the ugliest one was actually stolen after the least amount of time. people just steal for regardless of where and what and the only solution is to bring it into your apartment. either that or install video cameras.

The word “nice shiny bike” comes from the latin word “steelus meuus” which is quite self explanitory, now throw in the setting of Yaffo and do the math, if you owned a basta in the shuk, you could leave your bike where you want without a lock, a thief wont steal from his own,so here is my take on this dilema,, insite a small riot,nothing to grand,60 70 close friends and storm Tel-Aviv in the name of Alla, once caught and put through your quite just deserves you should spend a good few years in jail, where over time you will befriend a number of undesirables ( some from Yaffo you must hope)then INFILLTRATE. Take the next few years bonding with em, till one day they let you meet the boss, give him your sad bike problem and beg he put the word on steet that your bike is sacred,then you can leave the bike like a normal person without the fear of the yaffo bike mafia,”doin another job on ya” OR

MOVE TO SAVION

good luck and smile

Mark

Rat Bikes, Rat Cars, etc

It is the new cool

Here is some feedback I got by email:

#1
“I had a worthless piece of ____ bike that someone gave me for free and one even worse that someone sold me for 10 sheckels.
Both were locked up and stolen anyway.
The only way to keep it from being stolen on the street is to keep it in your apartment, which is a waste of space.”

#2

“1. If your front wheel and seat are quick-release, you should consider locking them when you lock your bike outside. I bought a 1.5 meter length of laundry-hanging cord (it’s white on the outside, has a metal core, and is very strong) and two metal clasps. The clasps look like small “u”s with a small bar that are tightened with screws. I used the clasps to make two small loops at either end of the cord. I got the cord and the clasps at the hardware store on Shenkin St.
When I lock my bike I pass the cord through a seat rail (under the seat) and the front tire, and then lock one of the loops with the big bike lock. I carry the cord, wound up, in my pocket while riding. It’s a lightweight solution to protecting your seat & wheel.
2. If you can, try to not leave your bike outside. Get as light a bike as you can, and don’t put anything on it that’s not necessary. To carry a bike up stairs, stand next to the bike, facing the rear. With your strongest arm, put your hand up near your shoulder (your thumb touching your shoulder). Bend your knees until you can get your hand under the seat, and stand up. You should now be able to climb a few flights of stairs and put your bike inside, which is always better than leaving it outside.
Happy riding!
Yonatan”

#3

“1. Learn how to take the front wheel off —- only takes seconds to do —- and then continue your market research to see if a wheel less bike is less attractive to the bike bad boys

2. If the above doesn’t work, learn how to repair punctures, but lots of puncture repair kits, and try slashing you tires every time you park your bike, to see if that helps.

3. If that doesn’t work, try attached an “already give” sign to the bike, in case the bad guys have a heart and want to be sympathetic to you.

4. If that doesn’t work, look for a bicycle that folds up into a size you can put in your handbag, so the bad guys can’t get access to it, and if you don’t find such a bicycle, try inventing one 😉

…

Stuart”

Karin, besides the ugly bike factor, getting a basket or a crate is an amazing treat for you and your wheels. Highly recommended.

Because folding bikes are only good for short distances, they tend to have small wheels, and parts that get rusty, and you can’t jump curbs while feeling safe on them. Folding bikes are good for office geeks who live in flat spaces and need to get on buses and trains. For the city, and in Tel Aviv, I recommend a hybrid mountain-road bike, with narrow handlebars for responding quick to the speed and obstacles the city throws at you.

You can take the bike with you any where:
bus, taxi, train, work, home etc.
no tools, no fuss!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hYAvB7jkyA

or

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yBTQWGIIpc

great post Karin – let us know how long this one lasts….