<p>Hello, and thank you in advance for your replies.</p>
<p>Wondering about potential pros and cons of having a bicycle as a student at Harvard</p>
<p>this summer 2013</p>
<p>Thank you again for your opinions</p>
<p>yes</p>
<p>yes</p>
<p>yes</p>
<p>While you certainly can bring a bicycle, you really don’t need one, as your summer classes will be within a 5 to 10 minute walk from your dorm. If you do bring one, you should bring a used bike, and invest in a heavy-duty lock, as bicycle thefts occur frequently at Harvard. See:
[Harvard</a> University Police Department](<a href=“http://www.hupd.harvard.edu/bike.php]Harvard”>http://www.hupd.harvard.edu/bike.php)
[Bike</a> Theft Persists for Harvard Students | News | The Harvard Crimson](<a href=“http://www.thecrimson.com/article/2005/11/18/bike-theft-persists-for-harvard-students/]Bike”>Bike Theft Persists for Harvard Students | News | The Harvard Crimson)
[Bikenapped:</a> Harvard student creates website to track bicycle thefts | Metro.us Metro.us](<a href=“http://www.metro.us/boston/news/local/2012/12/09/bikenapped-harvard-student-creates-website-to-track-bicycle-thefts/]Bikenapped:”>http://www.metro.us/boston/news/local/2012/12/09/bikenapped-harvard-student-creates-website-to-track-bicycle-thefts/)</p>
<p>To view a map of Harvard’s current bike thefts, check out: [url=<a href=“http://bikenapped.com/map.html]Bikenapped![/url”>Bikenapped!]Bikenapped![/url</a>]</p>
<ul>
<li>66% of stolen bikes were secured with a cable lock. The majority of bikes stolen were locked with cable locks, which can be compromised by common tools.</li>
<li>8% of the bikes were unsecured. Those were mainly stolen from private porches and yards.</li>
<li>15% of the bikes stolen were secured with U-locks.</li>
<li>11% stolen were tied with a chain lock.</li>
<li>According to Harvard Police, the average property loss per bike theft is $497, however police logs show that the value of stolen bikes range between $50 and $3,000.</li>
<li>Six years of public police log data shows that bike thefts are more prevalent in the summer months than in winter. August shows the highest incident rate, with an average of 130 bikes reported to the Harvard Police Department that month.</li>
<li>Bike theft is the most common deterrent to cycling. Of cyclists who experience theft, about one in four never return to cycling, and 66 % cycle less often.</li>
</ul>
<p>thank you both, I was wondering about theft a bit.
might try to find a ‘disposable’ bike and then not have to worry if it gets stolen</p>
<p>thank you again</p>
<p>ps any place where Harvard students list sellable items such as bikes?</p>
<p>[boston/cambridge/brookline</a> bicycles - all classifieds - craigslist](<a href=“http://boston.craigslist.org/gbs/bia/]boston/cambridge/brookline”>http://boston.craigslist.org/gbs/bia/)
[Harvard</a> Sells](<a href=“http://www.harvardsells.com/browse.php?method=all]Harvard”>http://www.harvardsells.com/browse.php?method=all)</p>
<p>FWIW, I never had, or wanted, a bicycle in for years in Cambridge. I’m really not sure what you’d get out of having one–except for the opportunity to interact with HUPD when you report it stolen.</p>
<p>YMMV, of course.</p>
<p>New in the past two months: there is now a bicycle sharing program in Cambridge, Brookline, Somerville, and Boston called The Hubway. One station is near the Charles Hotel. Rates looked reasonable. Maybe you can eat your cake and have it too/leave your bike and ride one too… Be sure to bring and use your helmet!</p>
<p>^^ Good idea: [Hubway</a> | Your bike sharing system in Metro-Boston](<a href=“http://www.thehubway.com/]Hubway”>http://www.thehubway.com/)</p>
<p>thanks great idea</p>
<p>now that i think about I think i saw it in boston a few months ago, maybe starting up</p>
<p>Thanks for posting the link, gibby. I still haven’t figured out how to turn that feature on.</p>
<p>looks like there are stations all around harvard, designed for up to 30 minute rides being included in the monthly fee.</p>