Editor's Statement
It happens so frequently to have become routine. The local messageboard and any number of blogs regularly blow up with siren calls of a stolen bicycle, and the masses stop to ask about what sort of lock was used and where the bike disappeared. All too often the bike was left unlocked for just a minute or tied up overnight where anything goes, but in far too many cases it ends up that someone was using a light duty cable lock and now finds themselves walking home. It’s a crime of opportunity that nearly anyone with a pair of pliers can accomplish, so why do riders insist on continuing to provide the opportunity in the first place? A bit of knowledge and common sense can go a long way in maintaining ownership of your bicycle. Before the criticism comes rolling in over the tech piece on page 92 showing just how easy it is to cut a cable lock consider this—the thieves already know how.
The photo on page 68 is also unfortunately something that happens all too often—we’re all familiar in one way or another with cyclists being struck down by automotive traffic. Publishing the photo was not done easily, as it’s a graphic reminder of both our own mortality and perhaps people we’ve each personally known. I had a high school mountain biking friend struck and killed back in ’96 and I can’t say that the nearly 15 years since have made the impact of the news any less real. Ride safe, drive safe.
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Riding in Chicago's underground. Photo by Brad Quartuccio