<p>I heard that the school has some sort of bicycle registration. How important is this?</p>
<p>turtlecloud, it’s mandatory and free at the beginning of the semester! free. =]</p>
<p>Are there people who actively seek out bikes to steal? Or do thieves just steal when they come upon a good opportunity (ie: random bike at school at night)?</p>
<p>I’m sure there are both everywhere, but I’m just trying to get some assurance :(</p>
<p>There are PROFESSIONAL bike thieves in Berkeley. i.e. people who do that for a living…</p>
<p>Lets not steal credit from the very active and enthusiastic amateur thieves that do it out of low morals and greed.</p>
<p>I just bought a cheapish used bike off of craigslist. I figured that I would be able to find a cheaper bike where I live than in a college town that may be full off overpriced castoffs.</p>
<p>Also, once your bike’s value exceeds $1000 (as thieves can reliably tell), no lock can possibly spare it from theft.</p>
<p>I heard that someone wanted to own the best bike in Berkeley, bought one for over $1000, got several uber secure locks for both wheels and the frame, but still got it stolen in less than a month. Police told him that the thief was probably equipped with liquid nitrogen…</p>
<p>Just out of curiosity, what do the bike thieves do with they stolen goods? Sell them on ebay, ride them around town, craigslist?</p>
<p>Orochi, you must be missing a 0 in your story there. A bike a bit over $1000 is definitely not going to be the best in Berkeley.</p>
<p>I definitely agree with the basic premise that you shouldn’t lock a bike that costs >= $1000–at that point, you better keep it indoors. I have two bikes for this reason: a nice road bike that I have never locked up (ie, it’s in my room or under my butt) and a hybrid for commuting. </p>
<p>There do seem to be organized crews of bike thieves that go by with trucks and power tools, so U-locks are not guaranteed to be enough. Again, the rule seems to be to not lock a nice bike outside.</p>
<p>Uh, I plan on bring my 200 dollar bike with me to Unit 1. Where can I park it there? Should I worry about taking the accessories off too? (light, rack, reflectors lol)?</p>
<p>If not outside where would one put one’s bike?</p>
<p>MCB: I have a similar priced bike and I’ll be living in Unit 1 too! I have no idea what to do as well.</p>
<p>@webhappy: Sounds like you have a pretty decent bike. =) I really wanted a good bike, too, but I have no idea how you can get by not having to lock it outside at all. Maybe you use that good bike only when you go on a pure biking trip, so you never leave it?</p>
<p>how much do bikes cost?
I’m thinking about getting a longboard.</p>
<p>bikes can cost from $100 to >$1000.</p>
<p>I’m wondering where people got their bikes.</p>
<p>Craigslist? Friend of a friend? Did YOU steal a bike? 
Local bike shop?</p>
<p>I’d like to get one shortly as it’s almost easier to ride my bike to work than take the bus, but I am not sure how to get started in finding one.</p>
<p>I think most people just steal bikes. that’s why you see people with a different bike each day.</p>
<p>^ where is the best place to steal a bike then, 88888888?</p>
<p>I bought mine off of Craigslist. Had to drive a little way but the guy I bought it from was really nice. He gave me a spare tube and a frame pump with the bike. I wasn’t expecting that.</p>
<p>I also bought mine off craigslist. Had to bart all the day to Concord, but it was a steal ($50 for a hardly used $400 bike).</p>
<p>You can search the listings up or list one yourself as a buyer.</p>
<p>I had a bike my first 1 1/2 semesters, and it was great to have. I wouldn’t suggest riding to class every day, because talking and meeting with people on the way to campus makes meeting people early on really easy. Being able to go from Unit 2 to Pimental in 6 minutes sure is convenient though 
A bike makes it really easy to explore the city and places around you. Plus, the Bay Area is undisputably one of the best biking areas in the US.</p>
<p>Then I joined the My Bike Got Stolen Club. I’m not so grumpy about it, because I did break the golden U-Lock rule. One day with just a fatty Masterlock and solid cable in the Unit bike shed, and it got swiped. Not saying those are unsafe, but the general rule of thumb is you don’t want your bike to be the easiest or most valuable target. Use a good U-Lock plus a cable to protect both wheels, keep it somewhere not in direct sight at night, and you should be ok.</p>
<p>tl;dr: A bike is nice to have. Lock it if you bring it here, wait a while if you’re thinking of getting one up here. And still lock it. Check of Karim’s on Telegraph if you want to see what theives can do.</p>