Ways not to lock your bike

Yesterday afternoon at Dalston Sainsburys^

That's one ugly bike! Think it's safe!

This might be in contention to actually win the world championship of failed bike locking.

1. U-lock sitting idly on frame.
   
2. Chain locked around seatpost.
   
3. Chain lock not locked to anything, just sitting on top of rail.
   
   

:(

Rejoice in the knowledge that this belongs to a university student, and that there was a lamp-post about 2 feet to the right, by the rear wheel, never mind the many actual bike stands around... le sigh

U lock just on the floor beside freestanding bike @ OKR Tesco. Bike and lock gone when I came out again.

He also forgot to turn his light off.

You're out of luck if you're using a mini fag though.

In other words if you want to keep your bike actually secure or usable you're out of luck. Either carry around two 6kg full-size D locks, or a couple of strings of liquorice so you can use the ridiculous things. I wonder if their London office is aware that "this is London, my friends"?

Also, these Airstream jokers may have come up with the silly design, but it was bloody Sainsbury's who bought it off them so the full force of contempt should be aimed at the latter. The fuckers. Look at that bike with the basket on front! Just look at it! How can they possibly think having bikes sprawled all over the pavement like that is better than a row of nice tidy stands?!

If you follow the video they show how to lock a bike, a cable lock and D lock. Two locks are better than one. Thieves carry around diamond tip power saws and they will get what they want. Locks only prevent the joy rider. And as for racks, well all racks look like crap when someone knocks over the bike in it. At least Sainsbury are trying to do better.

So you can lock your bike to bits of metal, which is nice and all.

But what are those bits of metal attached to? As far as I can see, it's the plastic shell
.

Just remembered seeing a doozy of a locking attempt just round the corner from farringdon station earlier this week.

fairly nice bike with a kryptoflex cable looped around a pole then through both wheels and the frame, with both loops of the cable attached to a full-sized krypto evo 4 d-lock that was not attached to anything else at all, essentially they were using it as a large/expensive padlock for the cable. they could have easily put it around any part of the frame they wanted but instead it was just hanging there doing nothing of any worth whatsoever.

the mind boggles

Spotted this at the train station in Cambridge... is a folding bike as well, so a potential thief could just fold it up, hail a taxi and be off without raising suspicion!

(Also, first post — whey!)

Just got back from a weekend in Cambridge.
Started off being aghast at the amount of bad locks/locking/free locking, and ended the weekend being a little sheepish about getting out my 8kg Krypto chain and Fahg.

This might be in contention to actually win the world championship of failed bike locking.

1. U-lock sitting idly on frame.
   
2. Chain locked around seatpost.
   
3. Chain lock not locked to anything, just sitting on top of rail.
   
   

:(

the chain is locked to the U-lock FWIW*

*fuck all

Rejoice in the knowledge that this belongs to a university student, and that there was a lamp-post about 2 feet to the right, by the rear wheel, never mind the many actual bike stands around... le sigh

this is exactly what D Cameron did and got his bike nicked couple years ago

Just got back from a weekend in Cambridge.
Started off being aghast at the amount of bad locks/locking/free locking, and ended the weekend being a little sheepish about getting out my 8kg Krypto chain and Fahg.

I grew up near Cambridge and spent my formative years drinking there, it beggars belief how many nights out you'd see people turn up at the Junction having come from town or the Station and just dump the obviously nicked bikes down and go in. That's probably why despite the thousands of bikes around you rarely ever see any really nice ones.

Rejoice in the knowledge that this belongs to a university student, and that there was a lamp-post about 2 feet to the right, by the rear wheel, never mind the many actual bike stands around... le sigh

yes but look at the nasty choice of front mud guard..... THat is all.

actually it isn't, why do people buy mtb's for using around town, and then add mud guards? the whole point in riding off road is to get filthy, then sit down in a pub afterwards next to a family in their best out for their £5.99 sunday roast, in that situation it is impossible to wipe the smile off my face :D

It's the equative of buying an SUV thinking it does everything for you, but in reality the only advantage of such vehicles is that it move you from A to B with a bit more room than a normal family car, the rest is simply a complete waste.

People buy MTB because they think it give them the choice of off-road/on-road, while in reality they spend 90% of time on the road, and the 10% of time is simply bouncing about in Richmond Park.

Despite my recommendation of getting a hybrid that got everything they need or even a hybrid MTB that come with semi-slick 700c cyclocross tyre, suspension fork with a lock option, etc. they still went and buy a proper MTB and lots of accessories that cost more to convert the bike for riding on the road than an hybrid.

Just got an email from the CEO in Canada! Unfortunately all it said was "please get in touch with our London Office".

EDIT: and they sent me this: Cyclepods/Spacepods User Guide on Vimeo
- to be fair to them, it looks like it is actually possible to d-lock your rear triangle to it. You're out of luck if you're using a mini fag though.

the cycle pod should be in you me and everyone we know

People buy MTB because they think it give them the choice of off-road/on-road, while in reality they spend 90% of time on the road, and the 10% of time is simply bouncing about in Richmond Park.

Despite my recommendation of getting a hybrid that got everything they need or even a hybrid MTB that come with semi-slick 700c cyclocross tyre, suspension fork with a lock option, etc. they still went and buy a proper MTB and lots of accessories that cost more to convert the bike for riding on the road than an hybrid.

In Berlin, the second most common type of bike on the road, after the standard European sit-up-and-beg commuter, is the MTB. Really fugly MTBs at that. People of Berlin, what are you thinking? You live in one of the flattest and most cycle-friendly cities in the world!

In Berlin, the second most common type of bike on the road, after the standard European sit-up-and-beg commuter, is the MTB. Really fugly MTBs at that. People of Berlin, what are you thinking? You live in one of the flattest and most cycle-friendly cities in the world!

I rode a mtb 10 miles to work every day for nearly a year!
I just didnt know any better, moving onto my SS knocked 10 minutes of my journey time each way.

^ Same. It was a shit Halfords MTB which got nicked from a hallway. The thief did me a massive favour.

In Berlin, the second most common type of bike on the road, after the standard European sit-up-and-beg commuter, is the MTB. Really fugly MTBs at that. People of Berlin, what are you thinking? You live in one of the flattest and most cycle-friendly cities in the world!

To be fair, the classic rigid MTB were a great choice for riding around the city once you changed the tyre, the part are easy to acquired, easy to maintenance (unlike those dutch bike when it come to puncture), and fun to ride, they were lighter than dutch bike too;

Incidentally my dutch bike were based off an old 80's rigid MTB geometry.

However, modern MTB are too much for riding on the road with it's suspensions, multiple gears, disc brakes, etc.

I used to love riding my mtb to work. Manualing speed humps and super late breaking.
My SS road bike is a much easier journey but its no fun.

Five out of ten for secure locking technique. . . . I wonder about the previous owner: