If some of you have been postponing your investment in a good bike lock, this report we received from a reader, Christina, might persuade you to hurry up. Christina says that she and her boyfriend are lucky to still have their bikes, but it’s because they “practice good bike security.” Here’s what Christina wrote in an email:

“I just wanted to alert you to an attempted bike robbery at 45th and Osage last night. My boyfriend and I had locked up our bikes to a stop sign before going to a friend’s Chanukah party at around 8:30. When we left her house at 2, our bikes were all tangled up, pulled around the stop sign and out in the road a little bit. My front wheel and spokes were bent by my u-lock, my hand brakes were bent backwards, and my seat slashed. My boyfriend’s derailer was bent, but he claims it actually works better now than it did before. We’re lucky because we had locked up our bikes securely and we had good locks– for the damage and frustration, at least I still have a bike. I just wanted to alert my neighbors, because even though bike theft is pretty common, I think it’s always good to have a reminder to practice good bike security, especially when we live in what appears to be such a generally safe neighborhood.”

A new bike corral was installed this week in front of Mariposa Food Co-op, near the intersection of 49th St. and Baltimore Ave, accommodating a dozen or more bikes. (Photo courtesy Bicycle Coalition).

Reader Mike B. emails that while he was away between Oct. 5 and Oct. 9 his bicycle was gone from his front porch when he returned. Here’s the bike description, which Mike also put on the wall of the “Philadelphia Stolen Bikes” group on Facebook.

“Specialized Rockhopper mountain bike stolen from my front porch, 4400 block of Larchwood in University City, sometime between 10/5-10/9. The frame is gray/silver with chipped paint, with I think some old sticker residue. The tires are Schwalbe Marathons, and are pretty worn. There are two different styles of brake levers (one black, one silver), and shifters (right is a grip shifter and left is a trigger shifter), and the rubber grips are old and gummy. The saddle is black leather and foam, and is very worn (you might be able to read “Mikado” on it somewhere). It has a rigid fork and hardtail. It was locked with a cable lock (d’oh).”

Just last week we published a story about a community activist being attacked by two robbers on bikes in the Cedar Park area and now we want to alert neighbors about a similar incident on Monday. A reader who asked not to be identified reported an attempted robbery that took place Monday night, at 9:10 p.m., at 50^th and Warrington:

“I was walking home alone from the trolley when a young man, who had ridden past me twice already on his bike, rode past again when I turned a corner that was more isolated, and accelerated on his bike, and grabbed my purse as he went by my left side. He did not get it and eventually let go, and kept riding.”

The reader, a female, filed a police report immediately after the incident. She believes that the suspect was scoping the 34 trolley for victims like herself.

Longtime resident Fran Byers (center) during the re-opening of Clark Park last year.

A piece of advice for would-be purse snatchers: Don’t mess with the lady who organizes the meet-and-greets with the police.

Plain-clothes officers nabbed two teenage purse snatchers on bikes after they grabbed a shoulder bag from longtime resident Fran Byers near 48th and Baltimore at about 2 p.m. on Monday. That’s the same Fran Byers who organizes the monthly community meeting with officers from the University City Division of the 18th Police District. In fact, she was passing out flyers for the meeting when it happened. The teenagers rammed Fran from behind then grabbed her bag, pulling it so violently that her shoulder was dislocated, according to friends.

Fran won’t be at tonight’s meeting, which begins at 6 p.m. at the usual spot in the basement of the Calvary Center for Culture and Community (801 S. 48th St.) The meetings provide an opportunity for residents to share information and concerns with police about crime and neighborhood issues.

 
After nine years near the Penn campus on 40th Street, The Marvelous, a music and musician supply store, is moving into the location formerly occupied by Wake Up Yoga (4916 Baltimore Ave.).

Milan Marvelous, the owner, said that they’re planning to open the doors on Baltimore Avenue on July 12. “We’re totally stoked, because the new space is simply luscious … We’re looking forward to our new neighbors – Dock St, Firehouse Bikes, Elena’s, Satellite Cafe, Vix, Mariposa, etc.,” said Milan.

This week, the store is throwing a big “moving away” sale (July 2 – July 7), with everything marked down up to 50% off. The store’s last day at 208 S. 40th St. will be Saturday July 7.

Visit The Marvelous Facebook page for more information.