<p>Is this a common occurance at SB? Should my D take her old beater from middle school or should I get her one for her b-day to take in the fall? Thanks!!!</p>
<p>it happens a lot; u-locks are best</p>
<p>I think i’ve heard of two bikes being stolen this year. and that’s because they weren’t locked whatsoever. If you’re living on-campus(she will be) and you properly use ANY bike lock at all, there is a substantially reduced chance of her ever having her bike stolen. </p>
<p>if you do buy her a new bike, either A.) get her one without both wheels having quick releases. Because some bike racks at sb only support locking your wheel unless you’re really crafty/have a long bike lock.
or B.) replace the quick release vise with a bolt so she can just lock the wheel to the crappy bike racks.</p>
<p>Fairly common occurrence at UCSB. A u-lock & cable lock combo seems to work best.</p>
<p>If you lock your bike correctly with a Ulock, it really can’t get stolen. If you are careless and don’t lock your bike, it may get stolen. Simple as that really.</p>
<p>The campus and adjoining area are as flat as you can get, so there’s no need for a bike with 21 speeds. Anything that rolls is fine. I recommend putting on fenders so she doesn’t get splattered if she rides thru puddles or in the rain. Quick release anything (tires, seat) is generally bad. Also get a cheap (eg removeable) bike light because the cops love to sit on the bike path and write tickets for biking at nite without one. A good lock is important.</p>