Cycle Security-Todays London Paper

Just a heads up, tonight's edition of thelondonpaper has 2 pages on bike security and some interesting diagrams showing how thieves beat certain types of locks.
Also a good bit about going to Brick Lane to get your bike back when its been nicked.
They got some bloke from Cycling plus magazine to rate the top locks...very similar to those in our own lock thread.
All pretty common sense stuff but good that they are covering it.
I don't work for them just in the same office so we see the paper before it hits the streets.

Could it make it worse that a mass distributed free paper shows people how to steal bikes and what locks are weaker?

Knowledge is power. Security through obscurity is fail.

Bikes are already going missing at a rate of 1 every 90seconds. So it's not like the people nicking bikes don't know what they are doing.
It's the people that don't understand the potential weaknesses of their locks or locking methods that are suffering. Educate them and you make the criminal's lives slightly less profitable.

Knowledge is power. Security through obscurity is fail.

Bikes are already going missing at a rate of 1 every 90seconds. So it's not like the people nicking bikes don't know what they are doing.
It's the people that don't understand the potential weaknesses of their locks or locking methods that are suffering. Educate them and you make the criminal's lives slightly less profitable.

Or they work out how to crack the harder locks.

It might be wrong, but I always lock my bike next to someone with a shit lock.

Still, it is a good thing...

Knowledge is power. Security through obscurity is fail.

absolutely

Bikes are already going missing at a rate of 1 every 90seconds.

what place does that number refer to?

@ hippy, thats completely true. I just remeber a television show in nz getting heavily criticized for showing people how to easily break into houses. Not everyone can afford the best locks.

Or they work out how to crack the harder locks.

the more people with bike well locked up - reduced the number of opportunistic theft.

however the professional bike theft will still be at large, even the strongest lock is no match for their industrial-standard tools they nick from fire station and the like.

Or they work out how to crack the harder locks.
It might be wrong, but I always lock my bike next to someone with a shit lock.
Still, it is a good thing...

They can already crack the harder locks, it just takes longer.

Taking longer = less chance of bike going + more chance of the toerag being nicked

/The Bill

Duna duna na naaa na na naa naa

absolutely
what place does that number refer to?

Which cycling forum are you currently reading?

@ hippy, thats completely true. I just remeber a television show in nz getting heavily criticized for showing people how to easily break into houses. Not everyone can afford the best locks.

Perhaps but what's more expensive a good lock or replacing your bike every month?

Perhaps but what's more expensive a good lock or replacing your bike every month?

Good point. I cant win

/gives up.

Which cycling forum are you currently reading?

Weston-super-Mare Recumbents?

if people can afford to buy, drive, insurance and tax their car, what bloody excuse they have to not afford a lock??

granted we shouldn't have to put up with the sheer number of bicycle theft in London compared to other cities, but still.

if people can afford to buy, drive, insurance and tax their car, what bloody excuse they have to not afford a lock??

I think the people we are talking about here aren't going to be owning cars..

althought I'm willing to bet that quite a handful of the tubenger do own cars.

I had my ex's apollo locked up outside the library broad daylight with my Kryptonite New York lock (used for securing my poncy expensive flash git mtb). the lock was worth more than the bike. I took the books in when I came back out it was gone! it was incredible like some supernatural act. I'd love to see how they do it.

can someone please scan and post the article?

I had my ex's apollo locked up outside the library broad daylight with my Kryptonite New York lock (used for securing my poncy expensive flash git mtb). the lock was worth more than the bike. I took the books in when I came back out it was gone! it was incredible like some supernatural act. I'd love to see how they do it.

if it a mountain bike, even if it an apollo, they're worth an arm and legs to the opportunistic theft than an old road bike.

can someone please scan and post the article?

I will do it tomorrow when I am allowed to by work

After just having my ride stolen whilst locked to a tree....which i was leaning against at the time????!!!! (work that one out!) my new policy is to just not own a lock!!!
That way, i can't leave it anywhere = no theft....hmmmm we'll see!
Of course that won't work for all :(

After just having my ride stolen whilst locked to a tree....which i was leaning against at the time????!!!! (work that one out!) my new policy is to just not own a lock!!!
That way, i can't leave it anywhere = no theft....hmmmm we'll see!
Of course that won't work for all :(

WTF!!! I cant even begin to imagine how that was accomplished

sniffy, what lock did you use? a £35 chain one (for example) is only going to take a quick snip to get the bike.

After just having my ride stolen whilst locked to a tree....which i was leaning against at the time????!!!! (work that one out!) my new policy is to just not own a lock!!!
That way, i can't leave it anywhere = no theft....hmmmm we'll see!
Of course that won't work for all :(

I pretty much never lock my bike on the street unless I really need to, and even then only for a few minutes and with my eye on it. I have my bike inside my house when im home (naturally) and when im at work I lock it in one of the locals back garden (which my work has access to). People are pretty generous about sharing there space if you ask/offer them a small something in return. Since I live and work in the east end I find I can't take the risk of locking it on the street.

sniffy, what lock did you use? a £35 chain one (for example) is only going to take a quick snip to get the bike.

Was an Abus big chain!!! can't believe i didn't even hear it clank!! It was outside a pub opposite Islington Green on the pavement at 6in the evening........:(
A mate of mine caught some bastards trying it on with his bike...said he saw one guy come up and cut the chain and walk off with it in one direction whilst another bloke approaches from the other direction and makes off with the bike.... fortunately for him the fucker was too small to fit on the bike hahah so when he chased the we k*nt just dropped it and ran!!!

All in all, a strong argument for having a folding bike that you NEVER lock in the street (except for the fact that they are so much less fun to ride).