Cyclists in New York City increase in numbers, and so does bicycle thefts. Someone who has experienced this many times over is filmmaker Casey Neistat, and he now tries to grow public awareness about the matter with an experiment since prior solutions seem unable to stop this negative trend.

I was 20 years old when I moved to New York City on a Friday in June 2001. I brought all the clothes I could fit in a big duffel bag, along with my bicycle. Monday morning I was to report to my new job as a bike messenger. Saturday, my first full day in Manhattan, my bike was stolen.

In the nearly 11 years since that day, I have had countless bikes and parts stolen. I've used the most secure locks, registered my bike with the N.Y.P.D., and parked in only the most conspicuous locations. But I've found only one sure way of keeping my bike secure: keeping it indoors. During business hours I keep my bike in my office and when I get home I carry it up four flights of stairs.

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Solutions to the bike theft problem are hard to find. More bike racks in better-lit areas, stronger locks and bike garages all help. But ultimately, greater public awareness may be the only way to substantially curb theft. If someone saw a car being stolen, they would surely call the police. Why should a bike be any different?