Making your bike theft-resistant

Who's up for doing a bit of bike thief bashing? Lock the bike up and sit in a cafe watching it. Soon as someone starts trying to nick it, go over there and give them a good seeing to. We might make a bit of a name for ourselves, a vigilante anti-bike theft death squad. Use a crappy bike in case there's several of them or they point a gun at you.

Aren't the police already doing that, albeit without the beating?

I'd theoretically be up for giving a thief a kicking, but don't have time to be sitting around in a cafe... How about you tie one up somewhere and then give me a call?

I think by the time you arrive he wouldn't need any more beatings :) I believe the police are stepping up their activity on bike theft, but I can't see it making much difference; maybe it'll stop a couple hundred thefts a year. I'm gonna carry a spare D lock with me which I may just use to bash said thief to oblivion

Has anyone seen the met posters on how to lock your bike?

no, link?

anyone seen this one

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAdxNdR3P5k&feature=related

Apart from the sensible suggestions there are other options.

Wire it up so that anyone who touches it is electrocuted. - Might leave you open to lawsuits.
Use those exploding paint things that banks use. - Not great on a bike with a nice paintjob
Build a GPS/3G communication device which is welded inside the frame. - GPS doesn't work inside though
Weld it to street furniture. - Time consuming.

hmn, am I the only person who actually been thinking seriously about converting my bike to a rolling stungun?

yes. two good locks, insurance, no need for fucking around with esoterical schemes.

18mm kryptonite dlock all the way! Evans cycles will price match a printout from parkers where they're 30 cheaper than the 90 Evans have them for! I also have my business card laminated and "if found I am stolen from" in the tires, frame and any other orifice I can stick them in! Use your imagination (but not too much!)

lock it up upside down, makes it harder for thieves to steal bars and seat

..and much easier to steal wheels, cranks and pedals.

I'd like to get a decent bike, but given my living arrangements it will have to spend a lot of time locked up outside. I'm tired of spending the odd £100 on a beater that I can't even pay someone to have once I'm done with it. I'd like to invest in something that's a pleasure to ride and that can be passed down once it's been preloved.

My question is; does anyone know of a way to 'cosmetically mask' components (especially the frame) in such a way that when the time for resale comes I could restore the bike to its former glory?

The idea came to me of wrapping it in tape (electric tape or something) and cleaning it off with an alcohol that wouldn't strip the paint (not white spirit then right?) when it's time to resell. Is this nuts or has anyone done something similar?

lots of people do this, but it always begs the question "what is underneath that tape that needs to be covered up?"

instead, buy a decent but scratched up frame and rattle can it

Rattle can it?

Spray it with aerosol paint cans.

Buy a foffa sticker

Treat it like my bike. It'll soon not be worth stealing.

This: www.wiggle.co.uk/kryptonite-new-york-fahgettaboudit-mini-lock/ + this: http://www.wiggle.co.uk/kryptonite-evolution-mini-5-flexframe-u-bracket-lock/ + adding ball bearings to all the bolts has worked for me...So far.

Spray it with aerosol paint cans.

Yea, but what about the resale bit? I don't want to ruin the value of the bike, just make it temporarily hideous

http://www.ak-interactive.com/ecomm/index.php?acc=Catalog&sacc=view&IDCat=684&p=1&idp=7682&idc=3

Model acrylics - should be possible to remove from powder coating without damage?

I'd like to get a decent bike, but given my living arrangements it will have to spend a lot of time locked up outside. I'm tired of spending the odd £100 on a beater that I can't even pay someone to have once I'm done with it. I'd like to invest in something that's a pleasure to ride and that can be passed down once it's been preloved.

My question is; does anyone know of a way to 'cosmetically mask' components (especially the frame) in such a way that when the time for resale comes I could restore the bike to its former glory?

The idea came to me of wrapping it in tape (electric tape or something) and cleaning it off with an alcohol that wouldn't strip the paint (not white spirit then right?) when it's time to resell. Is this nuts or has anyone done something similar?

Why has this been moved to "Making your bike theft-resistant"? This OP was about how to maintain the resale value of a nice bike by protecting it (and specifically its looks). To avoid the problem of having to repeatedly buy beaters.

Because of he just wanted a nice bike he could just have a nice bike... He wants to make a nice bike theft resistant...

Old inner tubes wrapped around the frame, that way you only have tape marks to remove in a couple of places... You can also get rust damage stickers (i think earlier in this thread)...

But mostly you don't need a good looking bike to ride well, get a shit bike and replace all the moving bits (bb, headset, hubs and drivetrain) with nice parts.

I've wrapped frames in electrical tape. Never had problems with marks after the tape has been removed.

This does beg the question, why buy a bike you plan to sell? Seems odd.