<p>Get a used bike that isn’t a target for thieves. A new or expensive bike will be much more likely to get stolen. My son’s was actually taken from an apartment carport where it was locked securely with a U-lock. (It was an older bike of mine that I had given him because I no longer ride it, although it was originally expensive. Big mistake.)
He replaced it with a $40 beater from Craigslist, and it’s just fine.</p>