The JustStolen Journal
A Free Asset Tracking and Property Recovery Service June 2007

How to Avoid Bike Theft
Whenever possible, lock your bike to a permanent fixture. If you must leave it outdoors, park it in an open, well-lit area, ideally near bikes that look more expensive than your own.
Using a steel U-shaped lock and cable, lock your bike to a fixed object, such as a bike rack or street sign, and wind a cable through both tires. Make sure that the bike cannot be lifted over the object, such as over a parking meter.
Leave as little space as possible within the "U" of the lock to make it harder for thieves to pry it open.
Keep the lock off the ground to avoid giving the thief leverage to hammer or smash it.
Position the keyhole of the lock so that it faces the ground. This will inhibit the thief's ability to manipulate the lock.
Remove the front wheel and lock both the wheel and the frame together with the U-lock if it's a quick-release wheel.
Take your bike seat with you if it's easily removable and/or expensive.
Tips & Warnings

Register your bike through the local police department or through the National Bike Registry and engrave your driver's license number and state's initials on the bicycle frame as identification for police.
Consider buying an old, cheap bike if you live in an area where bike theft is common.
Consider popping off the bike chain to slow down or confuse potential bike thieves.
Wooden banisters and chain-linked fences, as well as lightweight or cable locks, can be broken or cut and thus are not reliable for locking bikes.
Common targets for bike thefts during the day include school yards and playgrounds; lawns, porches and unlocked garages are popular targets at night.

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Greetings!

Welcome to the JustStolen.net June newsletter! Our goal is to educate you and provide valuable information on ways to make your life safer and more secure.

With summer already here this month's Journal focuses on bicycle security. It's a fact that warm weather brings bikes out of storage, and unfortunately the bike thieves as well. But innovative companies like Cannondale are taking a new approach to security. Read how below!

JustStolen.net Teams up With Cannondale

There's great news to report for consumers who own bicycles. JustStolen.net and Cannondale Bicycle Corporation (www.cannondale.com) have joined forces to provide world-class recovery service to those who have had their bikes lost or stolen.

Cannondale, whose mission "is to create innovative, quality products that inspire cyclists around the world", has placed a JustStolen.net link and web page on their site (http://www.cannondale.com/juststolen/). As a result, Cannondale bike owners across the globe will have a place to register their valuables including bikes, jewelry, electronics, computers, video equipment and anything else of value.

The partnership is a win/win for consumers; not only do they learn how to safeguard their precious possessions, but they also learn about one of the world's best bicycle companies, a company whose products have captured 11 World Championships, 17 World Cup Series overall titles, 16 National Championships and two Olympic medals. The company's road racing bikes have won eleven stages at the Tour de France, 27 stages at the Giro d'Italia, two Giro d'Italia overall victories, a Professional World Championship title, and two Italian National Championships.

Cannondale has come a long way since its birth in a crowded loft above a pickle factory in 1971, when it introduced the cycling industry's first bicycle trailer. The company grew quickly during its early years, adding cycling apparel and accessory lines along the way while also earning a strong reputation for innovation and quality. That reputation proved invaluable when Cannondale introduced its first bicycle, a touring model, in 1983, followed by a road racing model and a mountain bike model in 1984.

Cannondale raised the cycling world's eyebrows by equipping their bicycles with handcrafted aluminum frames that were both lighter and more flex-resistant than the steel models that dominated the industry at the time. Cannondale's reputation encouraged both bike dealers and customers to give the bicycles a try, and widespread industry skepticism quickly gave way to a host of imitators.

Today Cannondale is the leading manufacturer of high-end bicycles, selling more than 80 models in over 70 countries worldwide. Widely regarded as the bike industry's leading innovator, Cannondale and its handcrafted bicycles have won numerous design awards including the "Publisher's Award for Innovation" from Bicycling magazine, "Technological Development of the Year Award" from VeloNews magazine, ""Best Of What's New" award from Popular Science, "Best New Products of the Year Award" from Business Week, "Design Recognition Award" from ID magazine, "Computer-Aided Design Award" from Design News magazine and a "Design and Engineering Award" from Popular Mechanics.

Attention all Manufacturers

As you can see from the article above, Cannondale Bicycle Corporation made a bold move and took action to reduce the amount of stolen property ending up in police evidence rooms. They are actively protecting their customers by teaming up with JustStolen.net, and as a result are garnering praise from those customers.

The JustStolen.net team applauds Cannondale for showing their customers how much they care. We can think of no better way to make customers happy than to provide them with a service that is free, easy to use and beneficial.

If you are a manufacturer, we'd like to hear from you. The JustStolen.net service is available to make your product more desirable to current and potential customers. Give us a call at 781-828-4332 or email us at info@juststolen.net .

Show your customers how much you care about them.

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We work with Law Enforcement agencies across the country to get you back your lost or stolen valuables!

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