Top 10 SHOCKER!

Every year we put out our “Top 10 Worst Cities for Bike Theft List” at the beginning of the summer riding season. Each of the years that I’ve done it, New York City has been at the top of this US list. Every year. A couple of years before I was here, Chicago snuck into the top spot, but then New York returned to its spot and must have felt comfy there because it never flinched…in something like 9 years.

We love New York. We love the bike riding folks there – messengers, commuters and students. And, unfortunately, we have to respect the thieves there. They are resourceful and keep us on our toes. Heck, our premier line is the “New York” line because we know, in the US, that’s the bike theft capital….but, now I’m wondering if we need to change the name of our products….

You see, there is a new city on top of our list. I don’t know if that’s a good thing or a bad thing. I think it’s great for NYC, but maybe not so good for bike riders in this city a little to NYC’s south.

Without further ado……here’s our 2007 list…

Kryptonite’s Top 10 Worst Cities for Bike Theft

1. Philadelphia, PA
2. Chicago, IL
3. New York City, NY
4. San Francisco, CA
5. Tucson, AZ (tie)
Portland, OR (tie)
7. Denver, CO
8. New Haven, CT
9. Cambridge, MA
10. Austin, TX

Yup, I’m shocked, but that’s what the data tells us. This list is compiled by our proprietary data….input from our regional managers, hundreds of shop visits, input from colleges and universities we talk with, our customer service interactions (both over the phone/email and at events) and data from police in various cities. When we did the compilation, there wasn’t even a city close to Philly. Not even close.

There are a few other things here that are interesting….New Haven is a first timer on the list. Cambridge replaces the city across the river, Boston. No Washington, DC for the first time in a long time.

This tells me that more people are riding now in these “new” cities. Probably due to the rising, rising, rising gas prices. More bikes means more theft.

Why do this list? To make fun of cities? NO WAY! We know each and every one of these cities fights bike theft every day. No, it’s to kick off the summer biking season with a little awareness. Just because your city isn’t on this list, doesn’t mean theft doesn’t happen there – or even in your “sleepy little town”.

Theft won’t happen to you….until it does. Get a lock that is appropriate for your area….I’d suggest that it be a Kryptonite, but you know what? Get what you are comfortable with….get something your local bike dealer recommends (they know what you’ll need) and lock your bike properly each and every time. Even at home. And start teaching the kids early about locking their bikes, too.

Go to our main website, in the Tech Lab section and look at our “how to lock your stuff” info. This will give you good locking tips. We’ll also be posting photos and locking tips here in the next few weeks.

Top 10 Cities for Bike Theft According to Kryptonite

For more years than I’ve been at Kryptonite, we’ve done a press release to the media with the “Top 10 Worst Cities for Bicycle Theft”. We took a hiatus for a year or so, but we kept getting calls about a new list so we started it up again last year. What is it about Top 10 lists anyway? I think David Letterman started something years and years ago that has just caught on in our society. But, I digress…as I often do.

Because press releases are so old school, we are putting the information here for everyone to see. The list is from our proprietary data and it’s based on things we learned in 2006, after hundreds of shop visits, attending events, talking with community police and talking with customers on the phone, through email and at events. We’ve been out there longer than anyone and have some great relationships so we get some of the best intel around.

So….drum roll please…

Top 10 Cities for Bike Theft
1. New York City
2. Chicago
3. Boston
4. Philadelphia
5. San Jose
6. Los Angeles - tie
San Francisco - tie
8. Seattle
9. San Diego - tie
Washington, DC - tie
Portland, Oregon – tie

How does this compare with 2005? The order is different, but all the “regulars” are there. Eugene, Oregon has been replaced by Portland. Oakland, California seems to have been replaced by San Jose. Miami fell off, but LA returned after a couple of years off the list. San Diego hasn’t been on the list in a couple of years either.

The rest moved around a little bit, but were all still there. Oh, the non-mover? New York City. That city has great cyclists – messengers, commuters, around-towners…and, unfortunately, with all of those bikes comes theft. It’s why we named our premiere series “New York”; it’s the best protection to fight these thieves.

Why do we do this list? Um...sell locks, of course. But, mostly to bring cyclists attention to an unpleasant topic (theft) so they can protect themselves. Nobody wants to think it is going to happen to them, but it can. We want all cyclists to get a lock that is appropriate for where you ride & lock and that you are comfortable with for carrying and using. Talk to your neighborhood bike dealer for help with this decision - what do they recommend and why. Talk to them about how to properly lock your bike, too. Here are some tips to get you started:

- always lock your bike, especially when at home
- two types of locks used at the same time are better than one
- lock to a fixed, immovable object; one that can not easily be cut, broken or removed
- lock in a visible, well-lit area
- lock in a location where there are other bikes
- if you commute, change up your locking routine so there isn’t a pattern – lock one place one day and somewhere else the next

We want everyone to have a great summer full of fabulous riding adventures with your family and friends. Following these tips should help you to do that.