A sad end to bike to work month

"Bike to work" month has been a great success this year, with the fine weather driving many of us to dust off our bike helmets and do our bit for the environment.

Cycling is the perfect transport, eco-friendly, cheap, and good for your health and fitness.

However, there is one disadvantage of being a cyclist rather than a motorist: your bike is more likely to be damaged or stolen than your car.

My beloved silver bike, not flashy, not expensive, but my bike nevertheless, was subjected to mindless vandalism and theft this weekend while chained up outside the Zoology Building on great King Street.

The saddle was taken, as were the lights. The front wheel was mangled and snapped, all for no apparent reason.

This happened sometime between Friday evening and Sunday morning.

Coincidentally, our family car was parked just across the road during the same period and is untouched. It is a sad fact that bikes are "easy" targets for mindless crimes like these which cause the victim to be left with a large bill and no means of transport.

I'll be driving to work on March 1st, sadly not just because "Bike to work" month is over, but thanks to these unknown, fun-lovin' criminals.

I know that one well

As a cyclist myself, the unevolved types you have encountered have interfered with my bike now and then, and of course sadly there's the low lifes who smash bottles on the road, often by the time the shards are spotted- too late, another puncture. If only we had Singapore level laws, it would come down hard and these morons and look after the rest of us. If I have to go up town, I usually leave my bike at work and walk there. Aside lessening the risk of damage, it seems to be almost as quick, with lights that have you stopped for longer periods than moving, often with no approaching traffic.