Steal ability factor

it doesn't really matter if you dress a bike down, a few polo bikes have been stolen, it's either opportunists or proper thieves, they will nick anything

they will steal any bike all they see is 50-150 quid.

a muddy but slightly unique cyclocross bike is probably the least stealable

cxp 33 or open pro are both a good choice for rims.

they will steal any bike . . . .

Unless it is coated in human faeces.

mavic open sport is a good tough rim for a first build, and cheap at (i think) 20 quid a pop. Don't have the trendy factor of the deep V, which is why people buy them, not aerodynamics.

put the difference in price towards a decent lock.

I found that better than stickers is loads of randomly stuck pieces of gaffer tape, leave bits hanging off all over the place and have it more heavily built up in places than others to make the frame condition less obvious. I've had brand new frames that have been made to look like absolute shitters using this method, as stated there will always be someone interested in a free bike but if this deters just one person from having a go then it could be considered worth it.

not only a better lock, but how you lock it up, where and how long for is the key.

lock it for too long/frequency in the same location increase the risk of it getting stolen, and locking it in an E postcode area have a higher risk of it getting stolen easily too, locking it poorly will make it easier to steal it, regardless of the lock, and even going in/out of your house might give a passing theft some idea that you have a bike in your flat.

best bet is two decent lock: Kryponite Fahgettaboutit Mini and Evolution Mini.

best bet is two decent lock: Kryponite Fahgettaboutit Mini and Evolution Mini.

Yep and make sure you fill the "D" with rim/frame/post/etc so that criminal cannot fit a jack in there to lever the lock open.
I use a d-lock and a cable lock for a little more versatility and also ride a piece of crap that no one would want to nick and if they did nick it would be spotted swiftly and is insured anyway.

CXP33s are a little bit deeper than Open Pros - both are great.
Open Pro less bling and a bit lighter.
Buy boring cranks, scuff off any labels.
Leave stuff dirty
Cover bike with zip-tied inner tubes or elec tape (stickers stand out a bit too much)
Don't lock it anywhere in east london ;)

Yes, they do ss cyclocross. There's quite a few options out there.

Inner tubes are the go... My frame used to look nice - It now looks like arse. Also protects the shitty shitty enamel. Cant believe how easily it chips. HTFU schwinn enamel!

Also, dont get too attached. Its gonna disappear at some stage.

Also, over-insure ;)

No need to lock bikes in West London.

At 14 stone, I'd definitely suggest 36 hole rims on the back, you can possibly get away with 32 front. The CXP33 would work very well as it's plenty stiff (the deeper profile of the CXP33 also contributes to its strength, it's not just about aero), stiffer than open pros for example - you're less likely to send a wheel out of true. Don't know about the other two rims, they sound quite tough though, which is what you want. Basically, CXP33 36hole is a guaranteed winner for you, with your weight; A719/319 36 hole, quite possibly spot on too; anything 32 hole, not so good.

I don't think anything less than a 28mm tyre will work very well on A719/319.

Open Pros are probably the strongest lightest rims ever. They are bomb proof. My mate KAINS his at trix, landing 180s half way round and they don't shift.

To make it look shit, buy a lot of different colours of spray paint and ghetto spray it, ie don't take it apart to spray it, get the tyres etc.

Open Pros are probably the strongest lightest rims ever. They are bomb proof. My mate KAINS his at trix, landing 180s half way round and they don't shift..

a good wheelbuilt would make them pretty indestructable.

People usually run 23cs.

I'd say he's about 12 stone, lots of muscle and fairly tall.

cxp 33 or open pro are both a good choice for rims.

Both a bda choice in my opinion, for the intended use that is.

They are both obviously flashy modern looking rims that will go toward the thieves analysis of it being wirth pinching.

Go for something that looks completely ordinary, (normal square rim) then glue some brown/red sand to it to make it look rusty. On the spokes too.

On my mountain bike I have killed a few back wheels...

...while you were going off roading?

and stair? that's alone would damaged a rear wheel!

Stairs don't do shit :P

Open pros in black, de stickered, half sand them/scuff them before building if you're building them...

One of my customers is a 40 y.o. Latvian guy whos been riding fixed all his life. He weighs about 15-16 stone at a guess and runs 32h open pros without a problem.

Most road wheels on the market have around a 18 stone limit.

So get a nice lightweight rim cxp/open pro or DT swiss an get in built by a good wheel builder. Check that they are staying true n tentioned and all will be peachy.

Go for 36h on the rear for peace of mind if you like.

Just finished building up some cxp33s over the weekend (32 hole 3x).
Went for them over the open pros as I wanted the extra stiffness and the semi-aero look (stiff rims + spoke prep = less truing).
They look really nice (silver hubs, spokes, rims), and therefore very stealable.

IMO Open pros are stealth rims, they look ordinary but perform extra-ordinary. I'd go for them for your needs

ill tell you just get a 64cm bright gold frame, so even if they wanted to seal it they couldn't fir on it, and if it was stolen how many gold bikes are there in london?

My commute bike I built to be left outside work, pubs etc. It's bright red but shit-awful looking because I spent no money on it other than the £12.50 frame. So it's got whatever I had in the garage: miche cranks but a crap seatpost, nice wheels but a quill stem I was given. At every decision point I have turned down the opportunity to spend any money on the bike. So I don't care if it's nicked. Nice wheels/drivetrain are important and harder to spot. Everything else - who gives?

The Open Pros are a little too light for my liking so will be going for A317 disc in black or A319 in silver, will depend on stock of 36 hole.
Sugino cheap.....but they aren't really that boring.....what cranks did you have in mind?

I weight 15st/95kg and have no issues with Open Pro rims. Unless you don't know how to unweight a bike over potholes or you tend to smash into curbs and stuff a lot they are fine. Same goes for CXP33s.

Sugino RD cranks (the ones off the Langster I think) are quite plain.

with your weight; A719/319 36 hole, quite possibly spot on too; anything 32 hole, not so good.

Bollocks. 32H is fine unless you ride a road bike like it's an mtb.