Miser wrote:Is there a fullproof way to stop this from happening? I'm thinking about moving to the Netherlands and a bike seems like a really low cost solution to getting around, I don't want to have to buy a new bike every month though.
Not really. Unfortunately bike theft is one of the few downsides to living in the Netherlands.
If a thief wants your bike then they will probably have the equipment to take it, regardless of what you lock it to. I've also heard reports of people coming around with trucks and bolt cutters in the middle of the night and clearing out an entire biking rack. There is a huge market for bikes and it's easy money for very little effort.
The best advice I can give is to buy the least desirable bike possible. I used a dark purple ladies bike for a while until i got a replacement and nobody ever attempted to take it. Many times I didn't even bother locking it with the chain, just the rear wheel axa lock.
I seen two little small wheels from a folding bike, locked around another bike at the top of my street early this morning as I was coming back from the airport. I couldn't help pity the person who owned it, it sucks.
Where I'm originally from car thief is a major problem, so I can deal with it...
Those big chains on the rentals take some cutting. I'm afraid riding such a shitty bike that even thieves cannot be bothered to steal could be the only solution.
