Agreed on the RISK statement. But it is a REWARD vs RISK equation. The reward or riding the P3C daily in commuting (high reward) vs the risk of it being stolen (may be low, may be high, you make the call) or not riding at all (low reward) vs keeping it parked in the basement (very low risk).

I guess I just don't get it. To me, just "owning a nice bike" is totally useless. Now using a nice bike....that is useful :-)

While the thief may not have known what he was getting, from reading a few articles about professional bike thieves, I have a suspicion he/she knew exactly what they were stealing and how much it was worth. If that is the case, unfortunately don't expect to see it again. Just like pro car thieves, a pro bike thief will strip it right to the frame, sell off all the components individually (how would you tell the difference between your dura-ace rear derailleur and the dozens of others on e-bay?), then sell off or dump the frame. Unfortunately, these guys aren't always as stupid as we'd hope.

I really hope you get your bike back. This truly sucks!

Chris

Sheesh, very tough crowd today. I know I speak for the vast majority of lurkers out there when I say I'm so sorry and I hope you find it.

First off, I am sorry for your loss.

Ten years ago I started riding my brand new bike to work and locked it up in a very similar situation. Underground lot, near the guard shack, with a cable and lock. I came out one day and the cable was hanging by its last couple of threads, the would be thief had cut through 95% of the cable and then must have been scared off. From then on, the bike came up in the elevator with the ten other poeple and sat leaning against the wall in my cube in the middle of the cube farm.

My bike was a Trek 930shk, about $700, my first new bike in my life, and to me it was the coolest thing in the world. Had I lost it I would have felt the same way your are now.

We both have learned our lessons, I hope you get some recourse whether insurance or find it somehow, but I just wanted you to know most of understand and feel for ya.

And ignorance is bliss ;-)

My sympathies. That really hurts bad as I know from experience. My bike, stolen from my apartment's parking garage, was a 70's Dawes with deteriorating paint but a kick ass set of wheels and Mickey Mouse TM bar tape. It too had a cable lock.

To sum up...cable locks of any kind are absolutely worthless for a bike you hope to keep. Period. They barely keep honest people honest, especially with a Pfreakin'3C!

Bike thieves are usually specialists and will work hard to get an expensive bike. Even a U-lock in broad daylight might not even be enough for a bike worth six big ones.

Garage "guards" are generally not highly motivated.

By all means, use your nice bikes, but never forget, someone wants it more than you. Gotta keep your wits about you if riding a Pfreakin'3C is more than just a trifle financially speaking.

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Mr. Uncaptured External Costs

Fossil carbon is planetary poison.

I feel deeply for the loss of your bike. I have had 2 bikes stolen; not high-zoot machines, but my daily commuter. It was my instrument of freedom, however, as I used it for all my commuting/errands. It lived with me during the months there was no snow on the ground.

When the first one was stolen, I could barely eat for a week, I was so distraught.

On the bright side, I did get it back- a month or so after, a friend of mine spied the malcontent riding around with it! So, get the word out- bike clubs, LBS, forums...it helps. Best of luck.

Which parking garage in SM?

Is he riding it like he stole it?

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fka: bassman

After the swim, I'm a fish outta water.

Corner of Arizona and Ocean.

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"I learned from the example of my father that the manner in which one endures what must be endured is more important than the thing that must be endured"

http://myfirstironman.blogspot.com

If I give it back will I get a reward?

Can I keep the water bottle?

I think that a garage with Bentleys is going to be a lot more popular with thieves than one with Dodges.

Sorry about your loss. I have your same set up and live in LA too, so don't jump me if you see it (hed bars, but no S-bend and compact). No ding on the bike yet. I am thinking about custom painting the bike, or pretty much remove the red paint and make it unique (through Hottubes). Should be pretty much impossible to sell or race anywhere after doing a custom paint job. On cervelo's homepage you can enter your serial number as well to register the bike.

Be careful regarding Home owners insurance, a friend had a bike stolen and was told that if you make a claim twice through your home owners insurance insurance companies will not continue to cover you. Might be different state to state but that sounds pretty scary. Sounds like you need to get robbed really good before it is worth it.

Seperate insurance is probably the only way to go.

I hope you will recover it, and hopefully the idot that stole it will figure out that it is really hard to sell since it is such a rear bike.

Maybe by posting a note in the garage saying that you'll pay 500-1000 grand to get the bike back with no questions asked could work?

Let me join the crowd and tell you I feel your pain. Regardless of your choice to use/not use, ride/not ride, lock/not lock, the fact remains that your favourite toy was taken from you. Happened to me, too. Even though I had a separate insurance rider on it (so was replaced with no cost except deductible), it was one of the worst feelings/experiences I've had. Of course, it was compounded by the fact that the thieves went into and through my house to take the bike (etc).

Now, with respect to the stupidity of thieves...mine was an S-works road bike. Not as foxy as a P3C (maybe, depending on your tastes), but a pretty penny nonetheless. Guy that took it rode into a LBS and asked for a lock. Problem was: he was 5'8", the bike was a 56cm and the seat post was aero, so it couldn't be lowered. On top of that, he was in gangsta-type clothes and had dreads. Not exactly a consistent picture, in the eyes of the LBS owner.

Lucky for me, my LBS (D'ornellas) put a decal on it, and my latest IM bike check sticker (the one with my number) was still on it. LBS owner then called my guy and asked if he knew if the bike was stolen. Since my finishers photo from that IM was up in D'ornellas' shop, it was a no-brainer. LBS owner kept the bike and told the thief that he was calling the cops - he ran like he stole it.

Net, got the bike back and a funny story to boot.

Hopefully your story ends up as well as mine did.

ccy

That sounds very sad, I hope you will get your bike back very soon.

I own a Carbon-momocoque frame, which costs somewhere about 3000,- $. There is a chip implanted with my name and my address. This has to effects: First i can always manifest, that this is my frame. Second, every buyer of such a frame knows, that if this frame is stolen, it is easy to prove. I think, every producer of expensive carbon frames should do so. The chip has a weight of one or two gramms!!



greetings from germany

Bernd

p.S. I will ride between 12. and 21. of december with that bike in the area around Gainesville/FL

That chip is a great idea. Was it done after the sale, or done by the mfg?



Dave

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Dave Campbell | Facebook | @DaveECampbell | h2ofun@h2ofun.net

Boom Nutrition code 19F4Y3 $5 off 24 pack box | Bionic Runner | PowerCranks | Velotron | Spruzzamist

Lions don't lose sleep worrying about the sheep

It`s done by the producer of the bike. It`s in the frame, so you can`t remove it. My frame is a Total Eclipse from carbon sports, who make also the Lightweight wheels (the wheels have also a ship inside)



Bernd

I think Bjorn has it. Slowman said his is selling Bjorn's 58 cm P3SL because Bjorn "picked up" a P3C 56cm.



HMMMM, check the classifieds.



:) Chris

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Chris
*********************
“Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming "Wow! What a Ride!”
― Hunter S. Thompson,

Dev, can you let me know the next time you leave that P3SL unattended?

Thx,

JA

:)

Sure John, the P3SL will be at Shirley's Bay boat ramp at 7:15 on Monday 12 Sep in the City of Ottawa, right by the Ottawa River. You will find it locked to a picnic table, so you don't even have to cut through my lock, just bring a saw and cut the picnic bench. I'll be in the water for 45 minutes, so lots of time to steal it. For some reason, if the P3SL is not there, the Kestrel 200 SC with powercranks will be there instead :-)

Of course, you might have to contend with a few fishermen, kayakers and hikers who start their morning routine at the same spot and kinda know me know might suspect something, but if you really want the machine, it would be easy to take off with it.

At work, I actually wanted to park it outside as I don't like walking in the building with a bike and making a scene, but the Director of HR insisted that all the bike commuters bring our bikes in as there is no bike rack outside. We park our bikes indoors in the manufacturing section of our facility :-)

I feel your pain dude. They stole my QR Tequilo out of the garage of my Santa Monica condo about a year ago. I was devastated. The SM Community Officer who took the report said it was probably the work of a ring which takes exotic bikes and sells them out of state.

For months everytime I'd see a Tequilo on the road I just knew it was mine. Drove me crazy. Not equating my bike with a P3 but the feeling of loss and outrage was the same I'm sure.

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Sure it's funny till somebody gets hurt...then it's hilarious.

[reply]To sum up...cable locks of any kind are absolutely worthless for a bike you hope to keep. Period. <snip> Even a U-lock in broad daylight might not even be enough for a bike worth six big ones. [/reply]

Sorry to hear about the bike theft, a friend had a $3000 Olympus stolen about a year ago. I've had my car broken into a couple of times, and a lot of stuff stolen...well except for once...the guy took all the change out of my change tray and left everything else!??!?!?!

Any lock is pretty much useless, they are all fairly easy to pick or remove. The U-locks only take a few seconds to jam open or cut with a big honkin bolt cutters. Or if it's an older variety a Bic pen will open it in 5 seconds. The rule should be....locks of any kind are worthless for an actual professional thief. They only stop the casual thief. I just never leave my bike anywhere for any reason.

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I had my P3 stolen two years ago - out of my locked garage. I hope your story ends similarly to mine. Here's my story....
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Day 1 (Email 1):
Hello,

Tuesday night someone broke into my garage and stole two bicycles. The good news is that my garage resembles a bike shop, but only two bicycles were stolen and nothing else (well, except about $15 in change from my car). The bad news is that one of the bicycles is my time trial bike which was still set up for racing (Zipp 909 disc wheelset) from the NYC Triathlon the previous weekend.

The bikes that were stolen were a 2001 Cervelo P3 yellow 58cm and a 2002 Trek XO-1 Cyclocross gold 60cm. The Cervelo has a disc wheel making it very noticable AND WAS SPOTTED BEING RIDDEN IN ADAMS MORGAN LAST NIGHT, presumably looking for a buyer. Perhaps the idiot is still parading the bike around, so if anyone sees some fool riding a time trial bike with a disc wheel, a race number still attached, and in sneakers on clipless pedals, note the location and call the police ASAP.

The Trek is not as obviously noticable, but it looks like a road bike but with fat mountain bike tires. It's currently sporting 700x35 knobby tires and was just rebuilt with new components in preparation for a 200 mile jaunt on the C&O towpath. It has road drop bars with bar-end shifters which is a bit unusual. It also has a rather unusual looking suspension seatpost (Tamer Tricky Dick). This bike was not spotted in Adams Morgan last night, but presumably it's new home is now in that area as well.

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Day 2 (Email 2):
In the immortal words of Cosmo Kramer, "I am happy to say that the little guy is back in place at the end of the line."

My stakeout of Adams Morgan last night proved successful. I spotted the bike and a small crowd of young men at the corner of Columbia and Euclid. I immediately parked the car in the middle of the street, sent my girlfriend down to 18th and Columbia to fetch some police and walked over and picked up the bike and started carrying it to the car. This definitely caught the crowd of loiterers around my bike off guard and when I informed them it was my bike and I was taking it, I heard only one timid, questioning "He can't do that" comment. They definitely hadn't expected this scenario, and I got only silence and confusion in response to my blatant 'theft' of 'their' bike. A few minutes later a police car pulled up and the crowd was gone like a puff of smoke in a breeze. In hindsight, it was a quite humorous spectacle.

So, the little guy is back in place at the end of the line in the garage, now tethered to the garage and his siblings with a new 20 foot cable. Unfortunately, one family member remains missing and I am not overly hopeful that it will be seen again. The Trek XO-1 cross bike is still MIA, but I'm sure it will survive just fine. It handled the deserts of Sudan and the mountains of Ethiopia, so I'm sure it can handle whatever it's new guardian will throw at it.

Lessons learned:
1. Know the serial numbers and exact specs of your bikes.
2. A locked garage is not secure. Lock bikes and cars within garage.
3. Never underestimate the stupidity of stupid people.

[reply]You kept your P3C on a bike rack? I don't intend to sound rude, but, what the.....?!?!?!?![/reply]


I agree.........I would not even put a P3C on a roof rack......no way....
Hope you get it back....

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I shall never misuse Rex Kwon Do
I shall be a champion of freedom and justice