Is City of Lake Worth, a little 6-square-mile municipality, the “bike theft capital of world”?

No. Of course not. This is an example of what’s called hyperbole. Below is the headline that appeared in The Palm Beach Post from a beat reporter about bike thefts here in the City of Lake Worth:

Is Lake Worth really ‘bike theft capital of world?’ Some think so.

First off, asking a question in a newspaper headline is a big no-no and something headline editors should never do. Here are two more excerpts from that article back in 2015:

     City Manager Michael Bornstein said it’s an issue the city needs to address.*

     “Do I think it’s a problem?” Bornstein asked. “Yes. It skews our crime statistics and it’s downright aggravating.”

and. . .

     “People won’t buy the bike they want to buy,” he [Mike Ogonowski, owner of Relentless Bicycles at 702 Lucerne Ave.] said. “They’ll buy a cheaper one because they just feel it’s going to get stolen.”

     But Ogonowski said riders need to invest more money in better locks to deter thieves. Too many bicyclists, he said, are opting to buy an $18 braided steel lock that can be easily clipped as opposed to a $36 chain lock that is harder to break.

For new residents of Lake Worth and others concerned about having their bike stolen below is information that is very useful to protecting your ride. 

If you just read the silly headline in the Post and scanned the text by their beat reporter you might come away thinking we’re indeed leading the world in bike thefts. We’re not. Not even close. Here’s a link to a short blog post I penned that day when this ‘news’ first came out.

The issue of bike theft is an easy one to understand but you had to get far into the article to learn about that. One of the clues why people are having their bikes stolen can be found in this video that accompanied the Post article. A bicyclist tells his story about his bike being stolen and in a dramatic scene the cyclist gets on his new bike and rides down the road. Guess what’s missing?

THERE’S NO BIKE LOCK! 

Really folks, doesn’t that explain it all? To secure a bike you need a quality lock. Get a lock affixed to your bike or in a pouch so it’s always there. Bike riders in South Florida have known for many years there is a problem with bike theft so take the necessary precautions.

If you’re a Lake Worth resident go to one of our local expert bike shops and learn where to lock your bike and just as importantly, how to lock your bike properly:

Meet Mike Ogonowski of Relentless Bicycles.
Stop by his shop and learn ways to keep
your bike from being stolen.

There are two local bike shops in the little City of Lake Worth where you can purchase a lock that will better deter thieves from stealing your ride:

Relentless Bicycles
702 Lucerne Ave
561-547-1396

and. . .

Family Bicycle
127 South Dixie Hwy
561-533-6040

Best of luck or you can do what a server at Brogues DownUnder did as quoted in the Post article after his bike was stolen from the back lot of the restaurant:

“I take Uber now,” he said.

*FYI: The City of Lake Worth has an ordinance which states that, “any bicycle left over 48 hours is considered abandoned.
     Report any abandoned bicycles on City of Lake Worth public property, e.g., sidewalks, street signs, bike racks. If you know of a bicycle that has been left on a public right-of-way for more than 48 hours please call 561-533-7383.