kryptonite locks so far bad

In article ,
landotter writes:
On Dec 23, 5:17 am, (Tom Keats) wrote:
In article ,
(Dennis P. Harris) writes:

On Sat, 22 Dec 2007 23:23:57 GMT in rec.bicycles.misc, "nash"
wrote:

I have had 2. the new Yorker and the evolution both worth upwards of $70
and they are perfect if this is any kind of survey.

I watched a thief break a Kryptonite on someone's Cannondale in a
few seconds. Guy jumped out of a pickup, jammed an 8 foot 2x4
between the lock & the signpost to which it was locked, twisted
it, snapped the lock, grabbed the bike & jumped into the back of
the waiting pickup, which zipped away.

It all happened in front of several hundred people at Westlake
Plaza in downtown Seattle on a sunny summer Saturday afternoon.

That's why it's a good idea to supplement/encumber
a U-lock with a cable lock (around the U-lock.)
IOW, lock the lock.

Of course, thieves may have something with which to
cut the cable, as well as to crack the U-lock.

That's why I'd never lock a bike that's "sexy" to thieves outside. I
locked a $800 Nexus bike in sketchy areas of Chicago overnight all the
time--with hand painted fenders, electrical tape, and a plastic bag on
the seat. Never a problem.

If they want your bike, it's easy enough to pop any lock short of the
most heavy and hardened NYC models. Trick is to remove the "want".
When I had a Brodie Energy city bike last year, strangers would ask me
"dude, how much was that" as it had an air of exoticness (this *is*
Tennessee) and they'd drool. Sold it and bought a Redline 925 last
fall and a Kona Dew with fenders/racks/stand this fall. The dudes at
the liquor store keep asking me where my "cool" bike is, meaning the
Brodie. The only person who's commented on the Kona is a Korean native
that said, "well, that looks practical" and she's not a thief. :-P

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2201/...da203cd5_b.jpg

Around these parts, Brodies have a rep as Police bikes.
Never seen an "Energy" city bike (that I recognized as such,)
though.

I note that the orig MTB guys (Fisher & Breeze, particularly)
want to crack the "city bike" market. Heh.

If it's loose enough, some crackhead despot will take it,
no matter how ugly it is. China sorely needs the metal,
and the crackheads sorely need the crack.

And if they can't free it from its mooring, they'll
just wreck it in a fit of tweeky rage.

There was an attempt to catch bike-thieves in the act
with "bait bikes":
http://tinyurl.com/2o97ns

in long form:
http://www.canada.com/victoriatimesc...1f-a12c-6f89bb

but as we know, crooks just laugh at cops and carry on
in their merry way. The cops keep trying, but the courts
keep the the revolving door ... revolving.

I think you're right on the money in terms of rendering bikes
looking less desirable.


Maybe I should restore those foundling '70s Peugots, after all.


cheers,
Tom

--
Nothing is safe from me.
I'm really at:
tkeats curlicue vcn dot bc dot ca

I watched a thief break a Kryptonite on someone's Cannondale in a
few seconds. Guy jumped out of a pickup, jammed an 8 foot 2x4
between the lock & the signpost to which it was locked, twisted
it, snapped the lock, grabbed the bike & jumped into the back of
the waiting pickup, which zipped away.

It all happened in front of several hundred people at Westlake
Plaza in downtown Seattle on a sunny summer Saturday afternoon.


What did you DO? anything?

In article ,
Tom Sherman wrote:

landotter wrote:
...
If they want your bike, it's easy enough to pop any lock short of the
most heavy and hardened NYC models. Trick is to remove the "want".
When I had a Brodie Energy city bike last year, strangers would ask me
"dude, how much was that" as it had an air of exoticness (this *is*
Tennessee) and they'd drool. Sold it and bought a Redline 925 last
fall and a Kona Dew with fenders/racks/stand this fall. The dudes at
the liquor store keep asking me where my "cool" bike is, meaning the
Brodie. The only person who's commented on the Kona is a Korean native
that said, "well, that looks practical" and she's not a thief. :-P

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2201/...da203cd5_b.jpg

Try some bikes like these to remove the "want" factor:
http://www.outsideconnection.com/gallant/hpv/joe/MVC-003S.JPG,
http://www.outsideconnection.com/gallant/hpv/joe/MVC-007S.JPG.

Taking things too far!

I'm surprised the Kona Dew is less of a theft magnet than a Brodie
Energy:

http://www.brodiebikes.com/2006/2006_bikes/energy.php

My own choice for theft resistance is 25-year-old touring bikes, which
are terribly practical city vehicles and are unattractive to all but the
most ridiculously clueless junkies.

--
Ryan Cousineau http://www.wiredcola.com/
"My scenarios may give the impression I could be an excellent crook.
Not true - I am a talented lawyer." - Sandy in rec.bicycles.racing

On Dec 24, 3:59 pm, Ryan Cousineau wrote:
In article ,
Tom Sherman wrote:



landotter wrote:
...
If they want your bike, it's easy enough to pop any lock short of the
most heavy and hardened NYC models. Trick is to remove the "want".
When I had a Brodie Energy city bike last year, strangers would ask me
"dude, how much was that" as it had an air of exoticness (this *is*
Tennessee) and they'd drool. Sold it and bought a Redline 925 last
fall and a Kona Dew with fenders/racks/stand this fall. The dudes at
the liquor store keep asking me where my "cool" bike is, meaning the
Brodie. The only person who's commented on the Kona is a Korean native
that said, "well, that looks practical" and she's not a thief. :-P

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2201/...da203cd5_b.jpg

Try some bikes like these to remove the "want" factor:
http://www.outsideconnection.com/gallant/hpv/joe/MVC-003S.JPG,
http://www.outsideconnection.com/gallant/hpv/joe/MVC-007S.JPG.

Taking things too far!

I'm surprised the Kona Dew is less of a theft magnet than a Brodie
Energy:

http://www.brodiebikes.com/2006/2006_bikes/energy.php

It's the LP vs. disk brake thing. Amusingly, the le-cheap LP Tektros
on the Kona are far nicer feeling than the ****ty Deore cable discs on
the Brodie. The Brodie also had pretty radically ovalized tubes, which
looked quite fancy in person.


My own choice for theft resistance is 25-year-old touring bikes, which
are terribly practical city vehicles and are unattractive to all but the
most ridiculously clueless junkies.


The supply of such, especially in a 60cm version, is impossible to
find in these parts. I'd have been perfectly happy with a barn fresh
87 Miyata with full accessories. As it was, the Kona was the cheapest
bike at the LBS that didn't make me cringe. After a couple nights of
tweaking, repacking, and tensioning, it's probably a more reliable
ride than the "Dr. Dew" at over twice the price. Assembly is far more
important than component silkscreening these days--well, for a utility
bike.

On Mon, 24 Dec 2007 15:35:32 -0600 in rec.bicycles.misc, "Pat"
wrote:

I watched a thief break a Kryptonite on someone's Cannondale in a
few seconds. Guy jumped out of a pickup, jammed an 8 foot 2x4
between the lock & the signpost to which it was locked, twisted
it, snapped the lock, grabbed the bike & jumped into the back of
the waiting pickup, which zipped away.

It all happened in front of several hundred people at Westlake
Plaza in downtown Seattle on a sunny summer Saturday afternoon.


What did you DO? anything?

the owner was in front of me in the latte line at the SBC coffee
stand on the corner. i said "is that your cannondale they're
stealing?" and he went screaming after the thieves. we were
about 50 feet away. he ran half a block after them but never
caught the truck. he did get the license number, dunno if they
ever caught them.

In article
,
landotter wrote:

On Dec 24, 3:59 pm, Ryan Cousineau wrote:
In article ,
Tom Sherman wrote:



landotter wrote:
...
If they want your bike, it's easy enough to pop any lock short of the
most heavy and hardened NYC models. Trick is to remove the "want".
When I had a Brodie Energy city bike last year, strangers would ask me
"dude, how much was that" as it had an air of exoticness (this *is*
Tennessee) and they'd drool. Sold it and bought a Redline 925 last
fall and a Kona Dew with fenders/racks/stand this fall. The dudes at
the liquor store keep asking me where my "cool" bike is, meaning the
Brodie. The only person who's commented on the Kona is a Korean native
that said, "well, that looks practical" and she's not a thief. :-P

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2201/...da203cd5_b.jpg

Try some bikes like these to remove the "want" factor:
http://www.outsideconnection.com/gallant/hpv/joe/MVC-003S.JPG,
http://www.outsideconnection.com/gallant/hpv/joe/MVC-007S.JPG.

Taking things too far!

I'm surprised the Kona Dew is less of a theft magnet than a Brodie
Energy:

http://www.brodiebikes.com/2006/2006_bikes/energy.php

It's the LP vs. disk brake thing. Amusingly, the le-cheap LP Tektros
on the Kona are far nicer feeling than the ****ty Deore cable discs on
the Brodie. The Brodie also had pretty radically ovalized tubes, which
looked quite fancy in person.


My own choice for theft resistance is 25-year-old touring bikes, which
are terribly practical city vehicles and are unattractive to all but the
most ridiculously clueless junkies.


The supply of such, especially in a 60cm version, is impossible to
find in these parts. I'd have been perfectly happy with a barn fresh
87 Miyata with full accessories. As it was, the Kona was the cheapest
bike at the LBS that didn't make me cringe. After a couple nights of
tweaking, repacking, and tensioning, it's probably a more reliable
ride than the "Dr. Dew" at over twice the price. Assembly is far more
important than component silkscreening these days--well, for a utility
bike.

Fair enough! Mine is a Miyata 210, the unloved 27"-wheel version,
triple-butting and all. It's probably early 80s by the components
(pre-index Shimano).

I benefit by taking about a 52 cm frame, which is not only a lot more
common than 60 cm in general, but is also a fairly common size for "wife
bikes," the oft-purchased bicycle for the spouse of the serious cyclist.
The get used twice and then retire to the shed until the garage sale 2
decades later.

--
Ryan Cousineau http://www.wiredcola.com/
"My scenarios may give the impression I could be an excellent crook.
Not true - I am a talented lawyer." - Sandy in rec.bicycles.racing

In article ],
Ryan Cousineau writes:

My own choice for theft resistance is 25-year-old touring bikes, which
are terribly practical city vehicles and are unattractive to all but the
most ridiculously clueless junkies.

Especially at this colder time of year, riding
generally gives me a runny nose. When I get to
wherever I'm going, I blow my nose and discard
the used Kleenex or t.p. into the milk crate.

When I leave a bunch of wads in there while
riding through the elements, they discolour and
crisp up nicely. I can leave bags of shopping
stuff in the milk crate for a short while, stick
a handful of those wads atop them, and nobody'll
touch 'em.

The main drawback is: sometimes passers-by treat
my parked milk crate as a garbage can, into which
they'll toss their candy bar wrappers, spent T.H.
coffee cups, &c.

I've had a bunch of empty plastic grocery bags in
there, lately, too. It's a real pigpen.


cheers,
Tom

--
Nothing is safe from me.
I'm really at:
tkeats curlicue vcn dot bc dot ca

On Dec 29, 5:19 pm, (Tom Keats) wrote:

The main drawback is: sometimes passers-by treat
my parked milk crate as a garbage can, into which
they'll toss their candy bar wrappers, spent T.H.
coffee cups, &c.


I don't go to the extremes you do, Tom, but man, I hate it when people
think a bike is a good place to stash a used coffee cup or empty
cigarette package. I find both jammed in my brake levers or slipped in
my cables from time to time.

Mind you, my building seems to promote the use of the bike parking
area as a smoking zone (despite being too close to the doors for local
bylaws to allow it.) This past spring, they actually removed the bike
racks from one side of the complex because some repair work cut into
the smoker's area.

On Dec 25, 2:30*pm, Ryan Cousineau wrote:
In article
,





*landotter wrote:
On Dec 24, 3:59 pm, Ryan Cousineau wrote:
In article ,
*Tom Sherman wrote:

landotter wrote:
...
If they want your bike, it's easy enough to pop any lock short of the
most heavy and hardened NYC models. Trick is to remove the "want".
When I had a Brodie Energy city bike last year, strangers would ask me
"dude, how much was that" as it had an air of exoticness (this *is*
Tennessee) and they'd drool. Sold it and bought a Redline 925 last
fall and a Kona Dew with fenders/racks/stand this fall. The dudes at
the liquor store keep asking me where my "cool" bike is, meaning the
Brodie. The only person who's commented on the Kona is a Korean native
that said, "well, that looks practical" and she's not a thief. :-P

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2201/...da203cd5_b.jpg

Try some bikes like these to remove the "want" factor:
http://www.outsideconnection.com/gallant/hpv/joe/MVC-003S.JPG,
http://www.outsideconnection.com/gallant/hpv/joe/MVC-007S.JPG.

Taking things too far!

I'm surprised the Kona Dew is less of a theft magnet than a Brodie
Energy:

http://www.brodiebikes.com/2006/2006_bikes/energy.php

It's the LP vs. disk brake thing. Amusingly, the le-cheap LP Tektros
on the Kona are far nicer feeling than the ****ty Deore cable discs on
the Brodie. The Brodie also had pretty radically ovalized tubes, which
looked quite fancy in person.

My own choice for theft resistance is 25-year-old touring bikes, which
are terribly practical city vehicles and are unattractive to all but the
most ridiculously clueless junkies.

The supply of such, especially in a 60cm version, is impossible to
find in these parts. I'd have been perfectly happy with a barn fresh
87 Miyata with full accessories. As it was, the Kona was the cheapest
bike at the LBS that didn't make me cringe. After a couple nights of
tweaking, repacking, and tensioning, it's probably a more reliable
ride than the *"Dr. Dew" at over twice the price. Assembly is far more
important than component silkscreening these days--well, for a utility
bike.

Fair enough! Mine is a Miyata 210, the unloved 27"-wheel version,
triple-butting and all. It's probably early 80s by the components
(pre-index Shimano).

For Christmas, I rebuilt my mom's '85 Miyata 912 with Ergos and a
Triple, since she said she had only ridden it on the trainer for the
last 5-7 years. Her gripe was that the gearing was too high and she
didn't like downtube shifters.

When I was reassembling it the night of the 23rd, I was marvelling at
the quality of that frame's construction. It could easily sit next to
any modern lugged steel frame not made by Waterford.

FWIW, the parts I pulled off were 600EX-6207, the first group with
Shimano's current cable pull ratio. Nice stuff. She still has the
headset, front hub and brakes.

Mom really liked the refit and is looking forward to the ice melting.

"Pat" wrote in message
...

I watched a thief break a Kryptonite on someone's Cannondale in a
few seconds. Guy jumped out of a pickup, jammed an 8 foot 2x4
between the lock & the signpost to which it was locked, twisted
it, snapped the lock, grabbed the bike & jumped into the back of
the waiting pickup, which zipped away.

Well, I have not seen it here yet but Kryptonite does insure the lock and
bike for $2500(depending on which lock) So who loses, they do.

Thus you get the better lock and better insurance and who cares? except
Kryptonite. how do you shoot holes in that? If it is so dear to you maybe
you should carry it with you. I know some people would.
I have an Evolution and New Yorker because I have 2 bikes I do not want to
part with.
the lock the lock does not work like that anyway Tom K. once you brake the
main then the cable means nothing. I use the cable to U lock for the quick
release front wheel.