Ways not to lock your bike

Am I missing something? The only issue I can see with the method of locking illustrated in the picture is that the lock on the right is through the front wheel but not the frame (but the frame is secured by the lock on the left anyway).

The picture doesn’t match the instruction.

Since 2017 almost £10,000 worth of cycles have been stolen from
#Lancaster Station via the side gate.

Interestingly, when we went through the figures, all of the cycles
stolen had been secured with a cable lock (or left insecure). None had
been stolen when secured with a D-lock.

https://twitter.com/BTPLancs/status/1134851468287205378

In what way, specifically? The pictures shows two locks securing both wheels and frame. The picture is not sufficiently detailed to indicate the quality of the locks.

.

Says "good quality locks" and then shows an image of liquorice locks. D-locks are the only way, and even then they aren't that great!

Didn't we have that exact discussion about those signs like two years ago already?

Also, the front lock does not go through the frame (and it could have been routed to do so pretty trivially).

Sure the rear lock goes through the frame but, if possible, why not put BOTH locks through the frame.

Yes, that illustration is rubbish, but I also think that whole 'lock both wheels and the frame to the stand' thing is fundamentally mistaken. More locking doesn't necessarily mean more security and causes/forces riders to carry around two heavy locks, often complemented by one or more of those cable loops. I think if well locked, one lock is more than sufficient, but several conditions must be in place.

Firstly, there must be a good bike stand with appropriate tubing strength. Again in order to reduce the weight that has to be carried, I think everybody should only have to carry a short-loop lock, or at least a lock with a sufficiently long loop to lock the front wheel and frame to the stand.

Secondly, the bike obviously shouldn't have quick release levers, etc. If the rear wheel isn't locked, it's usually not that easy to remove, or at least it's pretty obvious if someone wants to steal it. Rear wheels are less popular with thieves than front wheels, anyway, as there are so many different types of dishing, etc.

Thirdly, if thieves arrive equipped to override locks (and any lock can be overridden), there's no point in installing so much hardware, anyway. The best protection against angle grinders that thieves carry in vans is if the lock fits so tightly around the frame that it's difficult to grind through it without damaging the frame.

Obviously, if you know that where you're going, you won't have a good bike stand but only a relatively large-diameter lamppost or suchlike, a longer lock, and possibly several, are important. The above assumes the progressive creation of good locking opportunities. London has really been transformed in that respect in the last fifteen years or so. Obviously, in some places the footways are much too narrow to install stands and in other areas nothing has happened yet (and a lot of guard rail has been removed (good) that hasn't been partially replaced with bike stands yet).

As ever, the best protection against theft is if your bike is very scratched or otherwise cosmetically unattractive.

Ways to lock your bike thread >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Rear wheels are less popular with thieves than front wheels, anyway, as there are so many different types of dishing, etc.

are bike thieves really that clued up / bothered about what they're stealing that they'll take the dishing of a wheel into account?

my philosophy if i've only got one lock is to go through the frame and rear wheel rather than the front, as the front wheel is cheaper to replace if it gets stolen...

If you got quick release..stick it through too.
I tend to feed the crank arms through too. That's the seat tube, rear wheel, crank and front wheel It fills my d lock kryptonite nicely hopefully preventing any unwanted attention.
Worst case is the handle bars or/both seatpost saddle disappear

I had my rear derailleur stolen. The buggers will take anything that's not locked up.

Yup. Some cunt nicked my bell a while ago. Who nicks a bell?

A kleptocloche.

Hahaha! Safety-minded scrote.

I had some of those spoke reflectors on my bike stolen years ago. Cost me £1 and must have taken at least 10 minutes to remove them all. You're paying yourself at less than minimum wage you stupid fucking thief bastard!

A grasp of rudimentary logic/economics may evade the tea-leaf.

I had some of those spoke reflectors on my bike stolen years ago. Cost me £1 and must have taken at least 10 minutes to remove them all.

Come to think of it it would be a much funnier / safety-minded prank to just spend a few £ on reflectors and attach them to people's bikes

This happened to my bike when I was a young child. It was locked inside the grounds at the bike rack in view of the teachers.

At primary school.

Probably just a teacher that hated you.

oi

At the public underground car park yesterday.
He/she regularly locks it up like this.
To be fair, the bike racks here are in the the underground car park, right in front of the reception, and under permanent camera surveillance. But still...

1 Attachment

Leave a note with a link to this thread.

That type of rack is so shit in many ways. Also I don't think CCTV/being in a public area etc. is necessarily a deterrent, sadly. Fingers crossed for the owner!