How To Lock Your Bike

Unless thieves can't tell if it's a good bike.

cover it in shit ?

but seriously i don't buy a good bike to intentionally shitify it's appearance.

Ah, it doesn't need to be a road bike specifically, or something obvious.

Like a decent town bike that look like it's from the 19th century but actually got modern component/design.

Or an brown OTP on-one pompino after pouring muds on it.

http://brushlesspowertools.com/images/WebBaner.gif

i have no worries about leverage. :o

That's my kind of frying pan.

don't lock a good bike outside. this really is the proper solution.

Nothing is safe, 1 lock, 2 locks whatever. Doesn't matter.

Quite recently a bike with 3 locks was nicked within 20 minutes in the stolen thread.

Proper locking or poor locking, the best locks or not, if it's a good bike, and a pro thief wants it, he'll get it.

I agree with you on some things, but disagree in the main.

Bikes can, and have been stolen from indoors also. So not leaving them outside isn't as perfect a solution as one might hope.

It is true that nothing is safe. Anything can be stolen, and that's why the security is as it is at Fort Knox....to so completely reduce the possibility of theft, that the gold therein is considered "safe". The same principal is true for locking bikes. Reduce the risk of theft as much as possible, so that the bike is as safe as one can possibly make it.

As for a bike being stolen with three locks is concerned, my own Klein was stolen with three u-locks on it. They were cheap locks though and I've learned my lesson since. Another thing is that not everyone reporting a theft on the Stolen Bikes thread is being honest. Some are embarrassed and lie to make the theft seem less their fault. One guy I remember lied completely about locking his bike with two Fagh Minis. I proved he lied, and he never posted in that thread again. I'm sure he's not the only one that's lied about their lock security.

The huge difference between having good locks or not, and having a good locking strategy or not, is all about the reduction of the RISK of having a bike stolen. So yes. It does help. It's like saying that leaving the door of your home open or leaving it locked, provide the same possibilities for theft. It doesn't.

Some toerag pilfered my speedo sensor by cutting the spokes either side ......

I've had stuff nicked before but that was a new low.

^ Shit that really sucks. Esp as it's combined with vandaism.

I feel a bit silly quoting myself, but...

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Yes, we all know you can steal anything. But the point is limiting your risk. 2 different locks, where the dlock has little space for sticking some sort of jack/wedge (which we all know is the most common way) is clearly a good way to lock that bike up.

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You can't do anything about pros, but you can encorage an opportunist to chose the next bike over yours.

This is how I lock my bike if I have to leave it alone for a while, I think it's about as good as I can do with the 2 locks I've got. I've put the front lock through the fork legs to try to minimise the empty space in the lock that could be used for leverage.

As a rule I think it's really important to secure both ends of the bike so that it doesn't / can't fall over. I really hate it when I see a bike hanging off a rack. It's so easy for them to get damaged like that.

I also always take a photo of my bike every time I leave it anywhere. Not sure if this is at all useful for insurance purposes (probably not), but it makes me feel a little better.

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This is how I lock my bike if I have to leave it alone for a while, I think it's about as good as I can do with the 2 locks I've got.

http://static.lfgss.com/attachments/31829d1286789232-img00047-20100419-1804.jpg

I like that.

^ pretty much what I aim for, apart from the front would be a Fagh so I'd spend about ten minutes trying to fight the stupid tiny thing shut.
Also I'd have my bag between my feet so no-one ran off with it while I took the photo :)

^^^

Also locking the bike with the cranks facing inwards is always a good plan. I know yours is the only bike locked up, but if someone else puts their bike there then its harder to get to the driveside crank and chain, which makes it that bit more effort to nick them.

Balki has a photo of my Fuji pre-Penguination, rocking a tri-spoke locked up.

It was, frankly, over-protected as I recall.

Ha!

Sorry mate... missed this.

http://www.lfgss.com/picture.php?albumid=739&pictureid=4574

is that actually locked to anything?

Useful thread! Like the surly posted above, very tidy looking and would guess thats about the best way to lock on two locks.
For me if I worked in london and had to lock up in the same place you could have something for the rear, something for the front and an auxiliary cable (though seems lots of people have given up on those seen as they appear to be made of cheese).

that image two posts ago is ridiculous... if nothing else, you'd think they would have had the sense to lock it to the bar that the pedal is sitting on, and not the mesh

This is how I lock my bike if I have to leave it alone for a while, I think it's about as good as I can do with the 2 locks I've got. I've put the front lock through the fork legs to try to minimise the empty space in the lock that could be used for leverage.

As a rule I think it's really important to secure both ends of the bike so that it doesn't / can't fall over. I really hate it when I see a bike hanging off a rack. It's so easy for them to get damaged like that.

I also always take a photo of my bike every time I leave it anywhere. Not sure if this is at all useful for insurance purposes (probably not), but it makes me feel a little better.

really hate when people take up the entire rack.

That's an odd pet hate, surely you'd rather have your bike perfectly secure?

look like there's plenty of room on that bike rack.

I think I have the solution to bike locking issues right here: YouTube - Das sicherste Fahrradschloss der Welt (TV-Spot)

That's pretty awesome.

had it not been for the sheer size of that device you need to carry.

Would work for regular work parking spot when you could just run it up the post when you're not there. Other than that, stupid nonsense. What if they catch on? Only one bike per post or you're screwed if you're not the bottom one.

I really hate it when I see a bike hanging off a rack. It's so easy for them to get damaged like that.

I stop and pick them up... everytime... because i believe that if someone stomps on it some owners may decide they dont want the bike anymore.
so i stop, and straighten it out, even if it has been trashed/triedtobestolen a little

First example, a beater that's excellently locked up;

It got the forum's favourite lock, the Kryptonite Fahgettaboudit locking both frame and wheel to the stand not leaving enough leverage rooms.

The rear wheel is securely locked with a pitlock-style nuts, and the saddle have a chain looped round it to the frame;

This reminded me of this post (probably not the same bike, though, as different saddle):

My Brooks saddle and seatpost were stolen from Vestry Street, N1 between 2pm and 8pm yesterday:

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=east+road+london&sll=51.529943,0.008181&sspn=0.195641,0.617294&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=E+Rd,+London,+United+Kingdom&ll=51.528938,-0.088078&spn=0.001528,0.004823&z=18&layer=c&cbll=51.528859,-0.088193&panoid=DqNpgK5CRf0mSvvbhuuZig&cbp=12,223.67,,0,5

The saddle was "secured" to my bike frame in the standard way: a length of chain wrapped in an inner tube. But they just undid that, leaving it on the floor. So I guess they had a chain link tool as it looked quite neatly taken apart.

The saddle was covered in the waterproof nylon it comes with, so you couldn't immediate tell it was a Brooks saddle, but perhaps it was the chain which gave it away.

The weird thing it, they actually left a different seatpost and saddle on the floor by my bike. So rather guiltily I tried it on my bike, found it fitted (though I didn't have an allen key to tighten it), and rode rather uncomfortably home. I did check the other bikes locked around mine and none were missing a saddle. Still I can take a photo and return the saddle if anyone can show a pic to prove it's theirs.

I can't work out whether the thief just nicked my saddle and replaced it for his own which he left on the ground. Or if he had stolen lots of saddles that day and for some reason - I refuse to accept considerateness - decided to leave one behind.

It was the first and of course last time I had ever locked my bike there. I have to be in the area once a week for work, and usually lock my bike to the white railings on the side of the building on Silbury Street. But unfortunately this time just as I was locking up there, a lady from the office banged on the window, told me not to lock there, and motioned me towards the bike racks from where my saddle was stolen.

I'd had the saddle a couple of months, but hadn't ridden it enough to get past the uncomfortable stage. I'm annoyed mostly because I don't know where I can leave my bike around there in future.

dog looks embarrassed

I'd be... sittin guarding an aerospoke..

a 'spok and 1930s racing bars

I think I have the solution to bike locking issues right here: YouTube - Das sicherste Fahrradschloss der Welt (TV-Spot)

What happens when the battery in the remote dies one evening?