There was a NoStupidQuestions post about properly locking bikes to avoid theft and it got me thinking. I’m in a rural area so I never leave it anywhere. Any advice or rookie mistakes to avoid if I do plan to ride around a city?
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Sheldon Brown is the man. Don’t let the awful web design deter you: you can learn a ton of stuff about bikes on his site.
D-lock through the rear wheel and triangle, cable lock through the front wheel and locked to d-lock.
Nothing is totally theft proof
Get a strong chain or a beefy cable. Fuhgeddaboutit locks are very reliable (they also make a fine weapon in a pinch). Make sure to wrap the chain/cable so that there is as little free space to get a set of chompers around it as possible. Make sure to include at least front wheel, if not both wheels, in the wrap. Lock should ideally wrap around the post, front tire, and frame. Try to make sure yours is either better secured or less valuable, or both, than your neighbor’s. Install a discreet gps locator. Don’t leave valuables attached to the frame while it is not directly in your custody.
Be careful not to include another’s lock/frame/chain in your wrap. Not only is it extremely inconsiderate and inconvenient, it is a common tactic for thieves to lock someone’s bike and come back to it later on the expectation that someone who doesn’t know better will assume good faith and come back tomorrow, by which point the thief has had all night to work.
Back wheel is costlier to replace (due to gearing, assuming it’s not a fixie/single speed), so I prioritize locking the back wheel if I can only do one.
If you have quick-release axles and don’t want to worry about having your wheels stolen, most bike shops have security axles, which have a special key to loosen the axle. I’ve used them in the past for some extra peace of mind. Just dont lose the key(s)!
EDIT: if you get a LONG, beefy chain lock, you can carry it around your torso like one of those ammo belts. Convenient to not need a backpack or pannier for short trips. Be prepared to spend some $$ on a good lock. It’s a great investment.
I guess I’ve outed myself. I had a fixie.
- Stay away from locks with barrel keys.
- Choose a locking device that isn’t easily cut/broken/defeated.
- Have a way to pass your lock through your front wheel AND frame as well as what you are locking it to.
- Don’t lock up to signs.
- Make sure what you are locking to can’t be easily moved (preferably bolted or sunk into concrete slabs)
- Don’t block pathways
Get yourself a chain lock. Put it around your wheel/frame and the bike parking frame thingy or a lamppost. Should keep your bike safe in most cases.
No cable locks. Bad, and you get what you deserve.
Something that’s a pain in the ass to cut. Nothing is impossible to cut, but a decent u-lock, good chain, good folder, is the way to go. if you are regularly locking up in a specific place, you might be able to leave a heavier lock (chain) there and not have to haul it around.
Something noisy. A brake disc alarm, or two of them, that go off with movement. Getting attention is good.
If it’s an e-bike, take the battery with you.
My goal is to make stealing my bike more of a pain than moving on to the next bike, probably secured with a cable lock from Walmart. It might take five minutes to steal my bike and 20 seconds to steal the next guy’s, about all you can really do.
Finally, have insurance. This world is full of fucking assholes.
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College campuses are like buffets for bike thieves. Outside of that, most bike theft is a crime of opportunity, and just being locked better than the bikes next to it is enough. But on campus (and other places with heavy use, like outside museums), lock both wheels to the frame and the frame to a rack, and lock the seat, too.
Never lock your bike to street signs if you can help it. They’re easy to disassemble. Use a proper rack.
Swap out any “quick release” mechanisms for the kind that use tools.
