Regardless of the method of getting through the u-locks, however, it usually takes more time and effort, making thieves think twice about going after them. Even the best lock won't help if you don't know how to use it. Many beginning cyclists fail to lock the frame and only lock a wheel. If the bike has a quick release bar on the front tire, a thief can be off in no time, leaving you to find a lonely wheel secured to a pole. Another common scenario is locking bikes to poles with signs on top.
Thieves can easily undo the bolts, take off the sign, then slide the bike and lock up over the pole.
Of course, there are the aforementioned apartment balcony thefts, and finally, there's the break-in. Vo lost a second bike when someone smashed the windows of his truck and pulled it out. He tells of an instance when he left a junky old bike outside his house unlocked for a year without anyone messing with it. After deciding to put it in his shed behind his house on Cedar Street, it was gone in two weeks. William Van Horn, a UTPD officer who routinely catches bike thieves in the act.