From: dchoi@physics.berkeley.edu (David Choi)
Newsgroups: rec.bicycles
Subject: How to prevent bar-end theft
Date: 7 Apr 1992 05:15:01 GMT
Organization: University of California, Berkeley
Distribution: usa
NNTP-Posting-Host: physics.berkeley.edu
Originator: dchoi@physics

In article number 52784, Seth Abrams writes: 
 
>How does one prevent the theft of bar ends???? 
> 
>Seth 
 
About four weeks ago I got the bar-ends stolen off of my bike at school. 
It was sort of my fault because I used to park my bike in the same area 
(which is somewhat secluded, and is not frequented very much between class 
hours) for a long time (especially when I'm in the lab during the afternoon). 
So I guess that's one thing you can avoid doing to prevent bicycle/bicycle 
accessory theft. 
        Out of sheer dumb luck, I happened to see them on another bike about 
a week later.  At first, I couldn't believe my luck so I stopped and examined 
them very closely.  And without a doubt, they WERE mine.  The idiot that 
stole them didn't even have enough sense to try to change their appearance 
(say, by cutting them down or retaping them, or something).  So I decided 
to wait for the thief to show up. 
        When he finally came to unlock his bike, I walked over and said 
very casually, "Nice bike" (it was a Specialized Stumpjumper).  Then I asked, 
"Cool, bar-ends...mind me asking where you got them?"  (This entire time, 
I was looking him straight in the eye, and I could see him getting nervous 
because he was getting very shifty-eyed)  He said, "Oh, at a bike shop in 
San Diego."  So I pried him with another question, "Oh really, what bike 
shop?"  He answered rather weakly, "Uh, Pacific Bicycles."  (By this time, 
I knew I had my man because he couldn't look me in the eye, but also, I'm 
pretty sure there are no branches of Pacific Bicycle in San Diego.)  Then 
he said, "Yea, I think you can get some up at that bike shop on University, 
The Square Wheel."  I said, "No, I've been there, and they don't have any 
like these, I know they carry the Onzas, and a few other brands, but not 
these."  After a while, I cut the bull, and said, "The reason I'm asking 
you this is because I got the bar-ends stolen off of my bike about a week 
ago.  And I recognize these as mine.  Now, I only know of two other people 
who have bar-ends that look remotely like these, and I know these kind of 
bar-ends are really rare.  I taped the bar-ends myself and I recognize the 
way they're taped."  So he said, "Are you accusing me of stealing them?" 
I answered, "I'm not accusing anyone of anything.  All I know is that these 
look EXACTLY like mine, and the odds of that are just too astronomical to 
be a coincidence."  After a few weak attempts at a rebuttal, he gave up and 
said, "Alright, you got me." 
 
        Actually, I think I was pretty lucky that he let me take them back. 
The guy was a lot bigger than me, so if it came down to a physical confrontation 
I think he would still have the bar-ends and I would've been left with a 
broken nose. 
        Unfortunately, I've become somewhat paranoid since then, and I am 
hesitant to even ride my bike to school.  I do, but I always take my 
bar-ends off before I do.  The paranoia isn't totally unfounded, since, someone 
DID steal my bar-ends before.  But more importantly, the guy sort of 
threatened me as he was about to leave, he said, "I hope nothing else happens 
to your bike."  I, of course, retorted, "I hope you didn't mean anything 
by that, because I know what your bike looks like too."  He lamely tried to 
cover up with what, I think, was supposed to be an apology. 
 
        By the way, the other guy's bike had slick tires on it, and was 
TOTALLY clean.  I bet his bike has never even touched the dirt.  So god 
knows why he thought he needed bar-ends.   
 
        Anyway, if you have a mountain bike with bar-ends that aren't 
welded on, you might want to consider taking them off when you lock your 
bike. 
	I was thinking about looking for torx bolts with the same threading 
and diameter and using them on the bar-ends instead of the allen bolts, but 
I haven't seen many of those bolts around.  (By "torx bolt" I mean the ones 
with the star shaped heads). 
 
        Something just occured to me, I hope the thief who stole my bar-ends 
doesn't read this newsgroup.  Now THAT would be DUMB luck!