of course this is only to be done once your parts are adjusted to the right spot and the bolts are tight. it's a pain to remove the bolts, but how often do you adjust your stem or seatpost height?

here's a picture:

http://thirdrate.com/misc/stem_ball_bearing.jpg

lately i've also been stuffing the bolt head with cotton from a q-tip, then filling it in with superglue. the solid bolt head leaves thieves at a loss, but pops right out with a power drill and small bit.

No risk of theft or vandalism, and less awkwardness on the subway. My folder came with a little bag that makes it look like a piece of luggage in case of uptight doormen or boneheaded building policies.

In any event, I have an old bike purchased seven or so years ago.

At work I the frame and front wheel with a U lock, also lock the frame with a massive chain, and lock the rear wheel with a second U-lock. I take the seat and all accessories with me.

The theft threat discourages me from getting a new bike. It also discourages me from using the bike for errands. Who wants to go through all that to stop into a store? Perhaps it's overkill.

Back in the 1970s and 1980s, it was not uncommon to see parked cars throughout Manhattan with little signs saying "no valuables" and "nothing to steal--door not locked. Nowadays you'll routinely see 50K vehicles parked overnight on the street. I think it's because the police began investigating and punishing auto theft seriously.

Given the upsurge in bicycle communting, any chance of launching the kind of "sting" operations to catch bike thieves described at the bottom of this thirteen year old TA bulletin?

(that's what I should have asked; for some reason I felt the need to include fascinating personal information about my own bike situation.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ooa3NVfFlEU&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fneistatbrothers.com%2F&feature=player_embedded

If you upgrade, I'd keep the old bike - use that for any trips that you deem less secure or places you might have to lock up for an extended period of time...

A Sirrus is a nice priced bike, no matter how well locked, I wouldn't leave that locked outside for very long.

My entry-level ($200 something) Gary Fisher mountain bike has survived for the ~six years I've locked it up with a Kryptonite chain and U lock.

If I upgrade to a Specialized Sirrus and use the same locking technique, will that more expensive bike be at greater risk of being stolen than my old beat-up Fisher? What do you all think?

It never ceases to amaze that people who are willing to spend several hundreds on their bikes get cheap with the lock.

I have a uninteresting (to those that dont know) bike with which I secure with 12 pounds/$100 worth of lock.