Is bicycle theft really worse in the Netherlands than any other place on earth?

[Sri_Theo]

Copenhagen is similar. Any unlocked bike will get stolen, people still have nice bikes though, its just if you’re using them every day they soon stop looking shiny.

I bet we have less car theft though!

[polar_bear]

@amanset

I worked for a month in Amersfoort and I remember discussing bikes with my coworkers. I was told that many Dutch people have two bikes; one crappy one that they use around town, are happy to leave locked somewhere, would not be devastated if was stolen and would probably replace with a stolen bike when it is stolen and one really nice one that they keep safe in their home and use for special longer bike rides and would not be left around town.

Any Dutch people around to confirm?

Yeah, I’ve got two as well:D. Exactly as you say, a ‘good’ one for trips and one for daily use. Quite a number people I know have this, but definately not everyone. I know households with 7/8 bikes. In addition to ‘good’ bikes and ‘daily use’ bikes; they also have a bike that can transport the children (bakfiets).

[MostlyClueless]

@amanset

I worked for a month in Amersfoort and I remember discussing bikes with my coworkers. I was told that many Dutch people have two bikes; one crappy one that they use around town, are happy to leave locked somewhere, would not be devastated if was stolen and would probably replace with a stolen bike when it is stolen and one really nice one that they keep safe in their home and use for special longer bike rides and would not be left around town.

Any Dutch people around to confirm?

Nah, I just have a single, reasonably good bike, bought new. I don’t leave it outside overnight, it’s got a decent lock, and if parked outside, it’s in a relatively busy place. Key is to have a bike with a better lock and a worse look than the one next to yours.

[Baal_Houtham]

Personal anecdote: when I visited Amsterdam in the early '80s, a distinctive feature of the city was the huge number of rusting bike parts chained to bike racks and sign posts. You’d see rusting frames stripped of all parts, you’d see bike racks with three or four rusting old wheels locked onto them. Iron fences were festooned with abandoned frames and wheels.

It was amazing enough that I took half a dozen pictures, and it was everywhere I went. It was like nothing I’d seen in the States or elsewhere in Europe. I was on a bike tour myself at the time, but don’t remember what precautions I took to avoid becoming a victim.