http://earthfirst.com/from-children-in-buckets-to-old-men-in-suits-amsterdam-does-bikes-right/ A Sharp Eye -- With a Green Edge Tue, 17 Nov 2009 13:33:14 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 http://earthfirst.com/from-children-in-buckets-to-old-men-in-suits-amsterdam-does-bikes-right/comment-page-1/#comment-8877 M. Nieuwland Wed, 21 Oct 2009 09:31:11 +0000 http://earthfirst.com/?p=1086#comment-8877 As a Amsterdam citizen I can perhaps give an answer to your question about the locks: the reason for the cheap bikes is the same reason for the heavy double or triple locks: amsterdam has the highest bike theft rate in the world! You could say there's a very high bike-owner turnover: you buy the cheapest bike possible because DESPITE the two locks it will get stolen within 5 years (average). Then you buy another one. No surprise the cheapest ones are sold on the street by the same people who steal them, so these days there's a penalty for buying outside real 2nd hand bike shops (penalty for the thief ánd you if you get caught!!). People often spend more money on good locks than the bike itself. As a Amsterdam citizen I can perhaps give an answer to your question about the locks: the reason for the cheap bikes is the same reason for the heavy double or triple locks: amsterdam has the highest bike theft rate in the world! You could say there’s a very high bike-owner turnover: you buy the cheapest bike possible because DESPITE the two locks it will get stolen within 5 years (average). Then you buy another one. No surprise the cheapest ones are sold on the street by the same people who steal them, so these days there’s a penalty for buying outside real 2nd hand bike shops (penalty for the thief ánd you if you get caught!!). People often spend more money on good locks than the bike itself.

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