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Thread started by trickmilla at 12.24.08 - 2:50 pm
shopping for Polaroid
A week hasn't gone by that in several months that I have heard of or seen first hand a bike related theft.
I used to always just lock the frame of my bike and leave my wheels with quick releases unguarded. Those days are gone.
I don't mind taking more security precautions.
I always knew it would be in the horizon as LA bike scene started growing up and being on par with NY, SF or London ... all great cities to get your bike jacked.
I was at the camera store and I happened to see a kid on a janky fixy with a concerned look on his face looking back in the direction of my bike parked 1/2 a block away.
It gave me a funny feeling, and I started to sketch out a little cause I didn't lock my front wheel and this kid "matched the profile" of some of the kids who have been documented jacking shit.
I stopped what I was doing, walked out and gave my bike a quick glance.
Then I realized why the kid was looking sketchy, his buddy was having chain problems.
It was a janky single speed conversion and I did my best to help him get it on track and directed them to safety cycle as the cheapest and closest place to get a link taken out and get his bike working properly.
I really think humans are hard wired to prejudice ... less than 1000 years ago it was a basic survival tactic for our species.
On the other hand, I really want to treat all the ridazz I meet with total respect. I've heard a few stories of kids on rides being looked at askance and treated with suspicion because they fit "the profile". I think that's fucked up. I'm not saying don't protect your shit when riding with people you don't know. Or that it isn't natural to be cautious when you get a certain vibe of somebody. I'm just sayin' we are all individuals and should be treated based on our own actions not on the fact that we may look like somebody else.
If you were a kid figuring shit out trying to choose sides and the ridazz treated you like shit and the hoodlums treated me like a homie who would you side with?
I've been more and more paranoid lately about my shit getting stolen. I am doing my best to balance my suspicion of any ridaa I don't know with a desire to foster as much unity as possible, because, bike thieves aside, I think anybody on a bike is part of the solution. Most especially, I love to see young people on bikes. At the very least if they grow up and start driving they will know how it feels and be much less likey to be an asshole driver.
'Tis true. Until recently, I was unaware of my own deeply ingrained prejudice against people who copy and paste.
Luckily, Roadblock, eddieboy and Tren Way offered to chase that wild goose for me but got to the bottom of it all before things got totally absurd. Thanks, gais. I owe you all a beer.
I'm assuming that means it wasn't your bike.
That sucks.
Its definitely worthwhile keeping tabs on suspicious CL postings.
.........
Thanks for the kind words y'all.
Its been somthin' on my mind, and I've thought about it on some of these other posts. But today when I came face to face with my own prejudice I figured it was a better time to adress it than to make judgments about somebody else's.
Nathan, if you bike does ever appear on craigslist you can count me in on the ridazz security detail that goes to retrieve it.
Perhaps there should be some sort of "Fixed-Gear Theft Task-Force" created and armed for the sheer purpose of reclaiming pilfered equipment.
As much as I don't really care for fixed-gears in general, those that ride them as a form of transportation are being victimized by the profiteers out to please the trendy, little girls that must have everything hip under the sun.
You want some skin-tight Wranglers?
How about we tighten a straight-jacket onto you instead, Sweetie???
They're definitely getting coal in their fake-ass, Environmentalist stocking tonight!!!
there's nothing wrong with being hip and sexy and having a dope looking fixed gear bike only because it's fashion-able. any reason for owning a bicycle is a good reason!
Nobody needs to be armed to protect or reclaim our bikes.
Put down the gun Benstrider, and nobody will get hurt.
This isn't the fucking favalas of Saõ Palo or even LA circa 1992.
Let start by double u-locking our bikes and see how that works before we start taking up arms.
Hold up, I never even said anything about shooting anyone on this thread until now.
I was just making fun of the fact that thieves seem to be going after bikes that are obviously too hard to ride and are mere, "trend-toys" by my standards.
Again, not dogging anyone for riding them if they're able to do so effectively, but I'll never find myself using one.
But, I guess dual-locking the bike will serve its full purpose.
haha jus messin' with you
cause there always seems to be a reason to go for the gun.
Plus any excuse to post that amazing picture of an armed bear.
On the fixie tip.
I have to say I was skeptical for a couple of years but man after I got mine my other bike has just sat untouched for like 5 months.
weather or not something is in fashion it totally irrelevant
being against something soley because it's trendy is just as silly as going for something because it is.
don't get me wrong, the simplicity and clean lines of a fixie, along with all the possibilites for customization, make it the perfect fashion accessory.
But what peaked my interest was the practicality of it.
Its clear that its a really functional urban bike. Or it would never be popular with pro street riders like messengers. If you do that shit for a living getting your job done right is a few clicks ahead of looking cool.
The late great Sheldon Brown was anything but a slave to fashion he knew and loved and all kinds of bikes, but from reading his writing you can tell he had a special deep and abiding love for the fixed gear bicycle.
Try riding a decent fixie for a couple of weeks benstrider and i bet you lunch, that you too will fall in love.
there's nothing wrong with being hip and sexy and having a dope looking fixed gear bike only because it's fashion-able. any reason for owning a bicycle is a good reason!
Roadblock
12.25.08 - 3:44 am
yea, sounds like something a hipster would say..hipster!
I do
you can call me a hipster if you like
but I think i am way too nerdy to qualify.
but yeah,
if people think that riding a bike makes them cool and a nice bike makes the looks cool and that motivates them to ride a bike i think thats great.
What motives do people have for riding a harley, a horse or a hummer.
Harleys are bad-ass, Horses you could scare people with easier, and Hummers are made for bitches that were too chickenshit to join the military and drive a real tank.
Well yes.
But My point is people rock those styles because they are fun and they think they are "cool" nobody drives a hummer around thinking "gee i sure do like like a douche bag in this thing".
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Ridazz Roulette!
YO!
haha jus messin' with you
I say make the hummer into a fixie