People steal wheels, handlebars, bells, lights, bike racks and seats.

And break seatposts when they are angry they couldn’t steal anything.

I had a not too fancy bike that uses Pinhead locks to secure every removable component. And a sturdy U lock. There were multiple attempts to steal various components including an angry thief breaking the seat post for no good reason - the saddle is worthless. Only finally to be stolen from a secure parking garage using an electric saw in full view of the CCTV camera. Police did nothing - not that I expected them to - enough other crimes for them to deal with. Insurance paid for it. I used it to buy a nicer bike that I only ride on weekends. I’m back to taking public transit and supplanting that with bike share and walking.

One of the attempts included a bike next to me that was stolen from a really popular tourist area with a cafe seating opposite the rack.

When I see the way bikes are parked in Amsterdam it makes me jealous. I want to move there just for that freedom. I enjoy biking.

I have heard London is worse. Solutions are emerging. There’s a crowdfunded tracker that claims to solve the radio communication problem from inside a metal body. If true, it can track the bike with a tracker located inside the frame.

I'm not jealous about Amsterdam at all. People use beat-up bikes to avoid theft but still they get stolen. And finding a parking spot for your bike is horrible. Of course the city is very nice to ride in, with all the bike lanes and bike-respecting traffic culture and the flatness of the city.

But I personally prefer Helsinki (where I live) after seeing Amsterdam a couple of months ago. Never had a problem with theft on an average bike properly locked; parking a bike is easy; bike lanes and paths exist but aren't usually too crowded; motorists only rarely kill cyclists; and riding in the snow makes you feel like you're greater than you are. :)

What I don't get is why the same thieves do not steal the wheels, head lights and other parts of parked cars. Seems like it would be more profitable.

Cars tend to require tools by default, but a lot of bike parts can be removed just with your hands. They’re also a lot lighter and smaller, so they’re easier to carry and hide. To take the wheels off a car, for instance, you need to jack the whole car off the ground - with a bike you can just hold it in place.

The ratio between profit and police attention would be terrible for the "innovator". But it happens nonetheless, just like roof tile theft, wire theft and so on.

That seems expected but somehow it doesn't happen here in Helsinki.

A set of stem, handlebar and brifters should come off with an allen key and a snip of the brake and gear cables, and would cost over $300 new even for a modest road bike. OTOH the scene for used parts is tiny around here, so a high risk of getting caught unless selling abroad.

I've even heard of cases where a carbon bike frame (itself worth thousands) was cut so the parts could be stolen. But you're right, the solution is a beater bike with a big lock, and if you have a nice bike, keep it indoors and never leave it unattended for more than an hour.

Even a beater bike is no solution, I parked my old beater (a rusty old department store bike) at the train station, and still had the seat stolen. It was bolted on (no quick release), so whoever took it apparently had tools.

So I stopped riding to the station until I got a bike locker.

Bike lockers are pricy in cost and space (compared to nothing, not compares to parking garages) but the only meaningful solution. Perhaps bike rooms with human attendants could work, and solve the job loss of creeping automation too!

>Is the problem with open parking stealing bikes, stealing parts or breaking bikes?

I'd like to add an often overlooked problem with open parking: bikes that are left there forever to rust and rot.

In Denmark, every year or two someone will put a tag around all the bicycles parked somewhere overnight. After a month or so, the still-tagged bicycles will be removed.

The local council do this in public areas, and the owners of buildings etc for private areas.

Really? Bikes are expensive in the US.

Only expensive bikes are expensive, you can pick up a cheap bike from Walmart for ~$100, or a used bike for less than that.

When a tank of gas costs $50 or more, $100 for a bike is cheap even if you have to replace it every couple months.