How seriously should I take theft/vandalism in Sydney?

[croisca]

I have been riding a 99 Bikes Pedal Pacer because I know no one would steal that and even if they did, a $300+accessories loss isn't going to keep me up at night.

That said, I enjoy cycle commuting and want to embrace that by buying a half decent commuter bike (say around $1.5k). My concern is, much like the rest of the world, I am likely to become a victim of bicycle theft.

Say I chained my bike up next to the supermarket, bunnings, a train station or somewhere in town - how likely is it that my bike will be stolen or vandalised?

[P!N20]

Everything in life is a trade off. Your bike might get vandalised or stolen at some point, but the joy of cycling far outweighs the risk - or at least it does in my world.

Get a good lock (10% of the cost of the bike, as a guide), lock it up properly (ideally where people are) and the risk is minimised somewhat. There's also the old adage of making your bike look worse than the one next to it, or at least, harder to steal than the one next to it.

Alternatively you could have a 'beater' or pub bike that you can lock up without worrying too much about, but it still sucks when they get stolen.

[find_bruce]

Basic rule is make it less attractive to steal than the bikes next to it & don’t leave it overnight - I’ve had no problems with my bike at shops Bunnings etc, but it’s a risk

[brumby33]

I reckon if you're going to lock it up out in the open at a railways station or somewhere for a decent amount of time on a regular basis, keep riding the 99 bikes jobbie, if it gets vandalised or stolen no major biggie but of a $1.5k bike gets the same treatment, then you might be crying in your soup for a while.

If you've got somewhere at work to store the bike safely, then the newer bike would be awesome......that's how I'd look at it.

If you buy a D-Lock with extra cable, then you might get to keep your wheels longer. How many times I've seen bikes locked around poles in the City stripped bare leaving only the frame connected to that very pole....everything else is gone.

[bychosis]

Theft is most likely if you park same place for long periods. It also depends on the level of casual observation.

Don’t leave an expensive bike parked in public all day at work. Minimise leaving an expensive bike outside shops etc. avoid parking it at the same spot every Thursday at 5pm. Regardless of where bike racks are, don’t park it in a dingy corner. I’ve seen some shocking locations. Preferably park in sight of a camera or 7. Consider removing any quick release items and replace with bolted skewers etc.

IMO it’s worth having a cheap bike for days when you can’t park securely.