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Making a College bike Inconspicuous?



 
 
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  #11  
Old September 8th 05, 01:12 AM
Werehatrack
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Default Making a College bike Inconspicuous?

On Wed, 7 Sep 2005 12:58:27 -0700, "Tom Nakashima"
wrote:

My son enters college this fall, so I put together a bike for him by
salvaging spare components and a frame that I wasn't using. Suggestions on
making the bike inconspicuous?
Maybe disguising the bike isn't worth the effort for today's thieves?
Suggestions from college students.


Ugly it up. Put some duct tape on the frame, remove any decals that
might indicate that it's a good brand, and apply black spray paint
inexpertly to a few places. Also, convert the skewers to solid axles
if feasible, or install locking skewers if not. Remove the QR for the
seat and replace it with a bolt or a locking assembly. Get a good
lock and a coil cable; use the lock to secure the bike to a fixed
object, and run the coil cable (or, better yet, a good stout chain, if
that's feasible) through both wheels and the rear triangle with the
ends secured by the main lock.

That's just my two cents' worth of highly opinionated advice. Others
may have additional (or contrary) suggestions.
--
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  #12  
Old September 8th 05, 02:04 AM
Threeducks
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Default Making a College bike Inconspicuous?

Tom Nakashima wrote:
My son enters college this fall, so I put together a bike for him by
salvaging spare components and a frame that I wasn't using. Suggestions on
making the bike inconspicuous?
Maybe disguising the bike isn't worth the effort for today's thieves?
Suggestions from college students.
-tom


I've seen people try it, however, a "good" thief will see through that
pretty quick. If you want to keep a bike safe at college you need to
lock it with a top-notch U-lock between classes and NEVER leave it
outside overnight.
  #13  
Old September 8th 05, 02:37 AM
Jim Flom
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Default Making a College bike Inconspicuous?

"Phil, Squid-in-Training" wrote in
message news:80JTe.11408$Cc5.545@lakeread06...
Tom Nakashima wrote:
My son enters college this fall, so I put together a bike for him by
salvaging spare components and a frame that I wasn't using.
Suggestions on making the bike inconspicuous?
Maybe disguising the bike isn't worth the effort for today's thieves?
Suggestions from college students.
-tom


Yay! I'm an expert on this. Okay so here are my ten steps to a
theft-proof bike:


I have to say I AM impressed Phil, Squid in Training. I hope this makes it
into the FAQs.

--
I don't know what your destiny will be, but one thing I know: the only ones
among you who will be really happy are those who will have sought and found
how to serve.
-- Albert Schweitzer

http://spaces.msn.com/members/flomblog/


  #14  
Old September 8th 05, 03:15 AM
Colin Campbell
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Default Making a College bike Inconspicuous?

John Henderson wrote:

Tom Nakashima wrote:



My son enters college this fall, so I put together a bike for
him by salvaging spare components and a frame that I wasn't
using. Suggestions on making the bike inconspicuous?
Maybe disguising the bike isn't worth the effort for today's
thieves? Suggestions from college students.



I once painted my best bike canary yellow to avoid theft. It
certainly gets no admiring looks.

John


Cripes! I had a Medici that was the brightest yellow Simonetti could
put on it, with red decals. I loved it, and at least one other person
(the buyer) liked it, too.

I still have seller's regret, because for some reason, that was the
fastest bike I've owned.
  #15  
Old September 8th 05, 03:23 AM
Someone
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Default Making a College bike Inconspicuous?


G. Daniels wrote:

try rusto auto paint in primer brown or grey then wear bright colors or
use dayglo poster paper
take the seat with you-bikes without seats are useless


I used to see a bike commuter on a regular basis (over a period of
several years) that rode an ATB without a seat.

--
Tom Sherman - Fox River Valley

  #16  
Old September 8th 05, 03:33 AM
Someone
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Default Making a College bike Inconspicuous?


T. Nakashima wrote:
My son enters college this fall, so I put together a bike for him by
salvaging spare components and a frame that I wasn't using. Suggestions on
making the bike inconspicuous?
Maybe disguising the bike isn't worth the effort for today's thieves?
Suggestions from college students.


You should have built him a bike like this:
http://www.outsideconnection.com/gallant/hpv/joe/MVC-003S.JPG.

--
Tom Sherman - Fox River Valley

  #17  
Old September 8th 05, 04:34 AM
maxo
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Default Making a College bike Inconspicuous?

I'm a big fan of covering my urban bikes in electrical tape. You can
then do a nasty paint job on top of it, and peel it off later to get a
new looking ride.

Most bike theives will indeed see through this if you've got nice
cranks, brakes, saddle, etc--so if you can get fugly components that
work great and look crap--that would be perfect.

  #18  
Old September 8th 05, 05:36 AM
meb
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Default Making a College bike Inconspicuous?


BobT Wrote:
"Phil, Squid-in-Training" wrote
in
message news:80JTe.11408$Cc5.545@lakeread06...
Yay! I'm an expert on this.


Your ingenuity definitely qualifies you as an expert! I particulary
liked
the Barbie horn suggestion.

BobT


I bought one of those for my daughter when she was two. She still
loves it at 3 and I'm not sure that is the cornerstone to making the
bike theft proof.


--
meb

  #19  
Old September 8th 05, 05:39 AM
meb
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Default Making a College bike Inconspicuous?


Phil, Squid-in-Training Wrote:
Tom Nakashima wrote:
My son enters college this fall, so I put together a bike for him by
salvaging spare components and a frame that I wasn't using.
Suggestions on making the bike inconspicuous?
Maybe disguising the bike isn't worth the effort for today's

thieves?
Suggestions from college students.
-tom


Yay! I'm an expert on this. Okay so here are my ten steps to a
theft-proof
bike:

1. Spraypaint... the cheaper the better. Spray the whole bike frame
and
make sure to spraypaint the tires and grips, too. It makes it look
like the
owner is really dumb. Put some scratches in the paint so it doesn't
look so
cherry. This should be easy to do since the spraypaint will probably
just
flake off just by you looking at it funny.

2. Stickers! Get so many stickers that you're almost inhaling them.
Get
them from your local radio station. The flashier the better. Apply
stickers to everything on the bike, especially the frame. Make sure to
do
the saddle, too.

3. Duct tape! Put random duct tape bits so that they look like
they're
actually trying to hold something together. Tape the saddle, too...
this
makes the bike really cry out "I am a ****bomb!"

4. Cover up any and all brand names and models.

5. Put a crappy, broken, bent rack on the back for ultra-nerd factor.
Add
rusty fenders and baskets to taste. Nobody wants a dorky bike.

6. Attach as many broken reflectors and light mounts as you can on the
handlebars, seatpost and seatstays. These will make it seem like the
owner
keeps breaking lights, buying new ones, and never getting rid of the
old
mounts.

7. Place tennis balls and cards in the spokes, and of course bar plugs
with
streamers coming out. That might scare off even the seasoned thieves.

8. Apply the biggest, most gaudy bell... no wait, horn... on the
bike...
something like this Barbie Deluxe Bicycle Horn:
http://tinyurl.com/9s4m7
Tell your son to honk it within 100 feet of any human or animal.

9. If you want to go overboard, find a cosmetically rusty chain and
cassette
and put those on.

10. Lock up the bike with both a non-pickable u-lock and a cable
lock!

If his bike gets stolen, I'll be impressed.

--
Phil, Squid-in-Training


This would look mighty conspicuous to me.


--
meb

  #20  
Old September 8th 05, 06:11 AM
Gary Smiley
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Default Making a College bike Inconspicuous?

Actually, you don't have to go overboard- all you have to do is make it just
a bit less attractive to a thief than some other bike on the rack. Park it
next to a shiny new bike.

"Tom Nakashima" wrote in message
...
My son enters college this fall, so I put together a bike for him by
salvaging spare components and a frame that I wasn't using. Suggestions on
making the bike inconspicuous?
Maybe disguising the bike isn't worth the effort for today's thieves?
Suggestions from college students.
-tom



 




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