Right around spring, there is a time where people want to bring out their bikes for the first ride of the year. Exercise, saving money on transportation, or even just the fun of riding a bike might be the reason, but usually there is a problem. The tires are flat because someone had pulled the valve that keeps the air in the inner tube. Around that time each weekend here is a person that just happens to be selling very tire valves you need outside the gate of the apartment. They operate out of the back of their truck as a fix it shop for bikes. That always struck me as a very odd coincidence.
My valves have been lost or stolen twice this spring already. Every valve in the entire apartment complex had their back valve stolen or removed at least once. The security guard’s building faces away from the bicycles, and he doesn’t do anything but sleep anyway. This is going to be a recurring problem as long as there is profit to be had. I can’t prove anything yet, but I’ve stumbled upon another possible scenario.
We walked to the nearest bike shop and bought a few extra valves just in case it happens again. These simple little items cost 1000 won apiece (~$1UDS). They are overcharging quite a bit. It seems if you bring valves to the bike store, you can sell them back to the shop. Perhaps it isn’t the bike store that is stealing the valves at all, but someone trying to cash in on the used part sale. Someone steal bike valves and get paid for it. Then the bike store has an increase in the number of people that need valves. They overcharge enough to cover their profit, as well as pay all the people that caused the demand for bike valves to increase. Seems like it’s a bit of a cycle (pardon the pun.)
The only solution to the problem would be storing our two bikes in our apartment. If you knew the size of the apartment, and the logistics involved, it’s basically not possible. I’m on my own. All I can do is to catch someone actually stealing the valves, and I don’t have a direct line of sight on the bicycles from my apartment anyway. Looks like my only solution is to stock up on bike valves and hope no one steals mine to get their own bike fixed.
