Bike Theft In Playa Del Carmen

Bike theft is off the chain in Playa Del Carmen! The thieves have gotten very bold this year and we have had a lot of bikes stolen till we upgraded to Ulocks. I stopped this guy on the orange bike because it was clearly my bike that had been stolen from a customer several weeks before from a porch in the night. I could tell because it had special handlebars, grips and a seat that I had picked out and the guy was so cocky he didnt change anything on the bike. He told me he bought it at the bike store and he had a receipt at home for it. Unfortunately, I didnt have the serial number written on the receipt for this particular bike so had no way to prove it was mine and he seemed to know that.

Make sure you save your serial number if you buy a bike and that you use a Ulock if you are renting. The thieves are now targetting people that look like tourists in the downtown area by waiting and watching for people locking bikes up with cable locks. As soon as they walk away they cut the cables and ride away on the bikes. I now have Ulocks and cable locks for all my rental bikes and have not lost any more bikes since. The trick is to put the Ulock between the wheel and frame and then use your cable lock normally. You can also Ulock two bikes together. Ethier way the thieves will move on for an easier score.

Updated February 21st, 2016- Of course, it is always better to Ulock the frame to something because the thieves could still carry the bikes away. I have had a few thefts this year from customers who did not think they needed the Ulocks or who left the bikes locked overnight in a gated courtyard or patio area. Always take bikes inside your building overnight even with Ulocks, the thieves are very bold and will climb over fences in the night and steal bikes. If you take reasonable precautions there is no need to worry you can still enjoy cruising around Playa Del Carmen on your Vintage Beach Cruiser, Mountain Bike or any bicycle. Just remember your Ulock!