After receiving just $112 in insurance reimbursement for stolen bicycles, a Brooklyn family of six weighed whether replacing them would be a worthwhile investment in emergency preparedness.
The decision comes with even more investment, as they considered costly storage.
Here's what to know
Potential oil supply problems prompted the family's question in Reddit's r/TwoXPreppers community: Should they buy bicycles again?
The poster said they have about $10,000 available for emergency preparedness, a budget that also needs to cover a nearby storage unit. Substantial generator-fuel reserves made a hospital seven miles away a possible emergency destination, according to the poster, a physician employed at another hospital.
Access to showers for the family at the hospital where they have credentials was another possibility they raised.
"Do you have a way of preventing them from getting stolen again?" one commenter asked of the bikes. "We decided to do the same but I wouldn't risk losing the investment."
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More background
The original poster revealed the family had already tried tracking devices, but those did little to help recover the stolen bikes.
How to reclaim the bicycles remained an open question, despite the location information. Tracking had stopped for some of them. Two others reached Harlem and the Bronx within 24 hours. The bicycles had initially appeared just five blocks away.
When a commenter suggested renters insurance should cover the theft, the poster replied, "Yes, we got $112 for them."
That baffled the commenter. Although they noted they had purchased their own used bicycle, their insurance payout was $500 toward a new replacement.
One commenter acknowledged that indoor bike storage can be difficult for people in older, smaller homes in densely populated cities. That commenter keeps their own bicycles locked inside their living space.
What can be done?
A storage unit within walking distance was part of the poster's plan for replacement bikes, along with extra locks and more care in choosing where to park.
Commenters also suggested ways to reduce replacement costs, including shopping at a nonprofit that sells donated bicycles to support children's programs.
The possibility that inexpensive bikes were stolen worried the poster, who had found listings for $50 to $75. A commenter, meanwhile, said they had bought used bicycles through such an organization for a fraction of their original retail prices.
Despite the risks, many commenters encouraged the original poster to get new bikes.
"I think it's a good idea and a fun way to get physical activity as a family!" one commenter wrote. "The best preps are ones you use regularly."
Where can I learn more?
While the original poster wasn't looking at e-bikes, they are a coveted item in cities.
• A Pennsylvania kennel worker said a masked thief stole their e-bike just 50 feet away.
• San Antonio riders said $1,000 e-bike vouchers changed daily life and reduced short car trips.
• A lifelong cyclist traded subway stress for an e-bike, saying the $1,300 purchase restored their freedom.
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