How do you lock up your bike?

(Steven Chan) wrote:

I just bought a resettable combination cable. However, I was told
that it is not a secure way to lock up a bike. Should I use a u-lock
in addition to the cable? How about Kryptonite's NY chain? How
secure is it to use it alone?

Background: I plan to lock up my bike at a place where I could commute
by vanpool everyday. As a result, the bike will be left at the same
plaza for the most part of the day, week, and year. Any good security
strategy for my plan?

Most decent bikes would be underprotected with only an unarmored cable
lock. Such a lock will only prevent an opportunistic theft (though
that is the nature of most bike thefts IMO). A relatively cheap,
relatively small cutting tool can snip through a small-diameter cable
in one try.

One essential piece of background you left out is, what sort of bike
are you locking up? If it's a '70s ten-speed that looks like you
dredged it out of the river, or a 73cm frame with a twin-cable Sturmey
Archer hub and upside-down drop bars, or a recumbent, then any lock
that's visible will probably do fine. (Though I've noticed that
somebody _will_ steal a bike of zero to negative worth if it's not
locked at all.) Many city riders crust up their bikes with stickers
or "personalized" paint in the interest of making them less
marketable, and this is a valid approach-- after all, it's likely to
work even if somebody breaks into your house.

I have a bike called "the X-plane", which is a Schwinn Varsity frame
with a 24" coaster brake wheel in the rear, and a long rod extending
out where the fork used to be. This rod pivots on a couple of tapered
roller bearings affixed to a 3-foot-wide axle with a plastic BMX wheel
on each end. So you can turn the front wheels, see, and the bike
leans freely side to side, but the front axle remains level. Did I
mention it's difficult to ride? 'Cause it's difficult to ride. I
never lock this bike-- I reckon that the thief isn't up to tackle the
learning curve, that watching someone attempt a getaway would be
pretty good entertainment, and that I could probably receive running
updates as to its whereabouts if it went missing.

If you succumbed to conspicuous trendiness when you bought your bike,
well... you've got the kind of bike preferred by bike-thieving scum!
So adorn that carbon-clad plaything with a couple of five-pound locks
and laugh-- the joke's on you. Leave it sitting long enough, and
someone will probably relieve you of your overpriced but oh-so-chic
componentry.

I got my first armored cable lock in 1989 or so, when the Cobralinks
Jr. hit the shelves, and I've never had occasion to worry about my
bike when thus locked. One major benefit of a relatively long armored
cable (that first one was 42") is that you can lock to a tree, or a
light pole, or any number of other things a U-lock will not help you
with. That opens up the number of available spots as well as the
likelihood that you can keep an eye on your bike.

The several times that I or one of my loved ones has lost a bike, it
was either unlocked (inside or outside the house or on the car) or
poorly locked (front wheel only).

Chalo Colina

(Steven Chan) wrote in
:

Hi there!

I just bought a resettable combination cable. However, I was told
that it is not a secure way to lock up a bike. Should I use a u-lock
in addition to the cable? How about Kryptonite's NY chain? How
secure is it to use it alone?

Background: I plan to lock up my bike at a place where I could commute
by vanpool everyday. As a result, the bike will be left at the same
plaza for the most part of the day, week, and year. Any good security
strategy for my plan?

Sorry for bringing up so many questions!


Remove the front wheel. Loop the 'U' part of a U lock through both
wheels, the seat tube, and a sturdy metal upright like a parking meter.
If clearances are tight you can also loop through both wheels and the
sturdy metal upright as long as everything is within the rear triangle.
I prefer to get at least some part of the frame within the loop even if
it's just the seat stay.

You can leave the lock at your commute point but pay attention to how
smooth it's action is if you leave it exposed to weather. There's
nothing worse than having your lock freeze while you bike is still locked
up.

Well travelled and well lit is better than not, but out of sight and out
of mind is best of all. I mean that off the street and indoors is the
absolute safest storage and locking up outside is a necessary evil. Ugly
and dirty is better than pretty and shiny. If there's a manned security
station try to lock up near it.

Don't leave frame pumps, tool bags, computers or lights. This stuff will
be liberated by people who have absolutely no what it is or why they want
it. They will take it regardless.

-Mike

Badger_South wrote in
:

On Wed, 9 Jun 2004 15:18:46 -0700, (Tom Keats)
wrote:

In article ,
(Steven Chan) writes:
Hi there!

I just bought a resettable combination cable. However, I was told
that it is not a secure way to lock up a bike. Should I use a
u-lock in addition to the cable? How about Kryptonite's NY chain?
How secure is it to use it alone?

Background: I plan to lock up my bike at a place where I could
commute by vanpool everyday. As a result, the bike will be left at
the same plaza for the most part of the day, week, and year. Any
good security strategy for my plan?

Sorry for bringing up so many questions!

I think this URL provides a good starting point regarding
bike security:
http://www.biketracks.com/english/biketheftframe.html

Good link! I'm wondering how many people follow the advice to 'bring
your bike with you'?

Mine is now easily luggable, and I've been thinking, would the 7-11
really mind if you rolled it in the store to get coffee, or the dept
store care if you carried it with you to buy those sunglasses, as long
as you weren't too clumsy, and the bike wasn't mud-caked or anything?

Anybody in the ng who brings it along into stores? Experiences?

-Badger




Yeah. Just ask nicely. Most will say yes.

On Thu, 10 Jun 2004 00:32:33 -0700, Chalo wrote:

One essential piece of background you left out is, what sort of bike
are you locking up?

Important consideration. Rule is, in the city, that every bike weighs 40
pounds. A 20-pound bike needs a 20-pound lock, a 30-pound bike needs a
10-pound lock, and a 40-pound bike just needs a sign saying "Trash" so no
one will take it.

But to reply to the OP, if you are going to be locking it at the same
place every day, you need the biggest lock you can find. If that place is
visible and there are a lot of people, that may help, but then more
potential thieves see it, too. Get a NY lock, and leave it locked there
so you don't have to lug it around.

You might also consider ways to vary your parking location or schedule.

--

David L. Johnson

__o | I don't believe you, you've got the whole damn thing all wrong.
_`\(,_ | He's not the kind you have to wind-up on Sundays. --Ian Anderson
(_)/ (_) |

In article ,
says...

....

Good link! I'm wondering how many people follow the advice to 'bring your
bike with you'?

Mine is now easily luggable, and I've been thinking, would the 7-11 really
mind if you rolled it in the store to get coffee, or the dept store care if
you carried it with you to buy those sunglasses, as long as you weren't too
clumsy, and the bike wasn't mud-caked or anything?

Anybody in the ng who brings it along into stores? Experiences?

I've done it on occasion, but not routinely. The store personnel never
said anything, probably because I was careful to put the bike out of the
way of their customers.


--
Remove the ns_ from if replying by e-mail (but keep posts in the
newsgroups if possible).

"Badger_South" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 9 Jun 2004 15:18:46 -0700, (Tom Keats) wrote:

Good link! I'm wondering how many people follow the advice to 'bring your
bike with you'?

Mine is now easily luggable, and I've been thinking, would the 7-11 really
mind if you rolled it in the store to get coffee, or the dept store care
if
you carried it with you to buy those sunglasses, as long as you weren't
too
clumsy, and the bike wasn't mud-caked or anything?

Anybody in the ng who brings it along into stores? Experiences?

For short stops and relatively small (not crowded) places, I bring it in
fairly routinely. It doesn't make sense to bring in and lean against the
wall in a big store, because you can't keep an eye on it -- might as well
have it outside.And in crowded places -- like the little hole-in-the-wall
neighborhood ethnic grocery -- it's rude. But let's say I'm riding along,
and it's time for lunch or a snack -- I've brought it in to a teriyaki joint
or coffee shop without any comment. You can sit there and munch and keep an
eye on it. If you're nervous, you can always ask -- "is that an ok place for
the bike, or do you have a more out-of-the-way spot you'd rather I put it?"
I also routinely bring it in at the dentist's office -- they let me leave it
in the waiting room, which is nice of them.

I don't know about the walking around Nordstroms with it, though. Maybe I'm
"too clumsy" as you put it.


--
Warm Regards,

Claire Petersky
Please replace earthlink for mouse-potato and .net for .com
Home of the meditative cyclist:
http://home.earthlink.net/~cpetersky/Welcome.htm
See the books I've set free at: http://bookcrossing.com/referral/Cpetersky

Thank you all for all the useful suggestions.

I think this is the real challenge: there are no parking meters in the
plaza. So, I could not apply the lock/chain as one OP suggested.
There are only light posts there, but they are just too bulky for the
lock. BTW, I once saw a guy locking up his rusty bike around a tree
in the plaza, but that would be the last thing that I want to do. Too
bad, it's a high-traffic area and there's even a Bally Fitness.
Unfortunately, there are no bike racks over there. Just wonder how
much success I would have if I lobby for bike racks with the city?

PS: To respond to one of the OP's, my bike is a FUJI Absolute. The
frame has a romantic touch of matte burgundy. By its color alone I
would think it's quite marketable! It's not ultra expensive (~$300 as
a clearance item) but it's my first "real" bike.



garmonboezia wrote in message news:EKVxc.75822$Ly.69119@attbi_s01...
(Steven Chan) wrote in
:

Hi there!

I just bought a resettable combination cable. However, I was told
that it is not a secure way to lock up a bike. Should I use a u-lock
in addition to the cable? How about Kryptonite's NY chain? How
secure is it to use it alone?

Background: I plan to lock up my bike at a place where I could commute
by vanpool everyday. As a result, the bike will be left at the same
plaza for the most part of the day, week, and year. Any good security
strategy for my plan?

Sorry for bringing up so many questions!


Remove the front wheel. Loop the 'U' part of a U lock through both
wheels, the seat tube, and a sturdy metal upright like a parking meter.
If clearances are tight you can also loop through both wheels and the
sturdy metal upright as long as everything is within the rear triangle.
I prefer to get at least some part of the frame within the loop even if
it's just the seat stay.

You can leave the lock at your commute point but pay attention to how
smooth it's action is if you leave it exposed to weather. There's
nothing worse than having your lock freeze while you bike is still locked
up.

Well travelled and well lit is better than not, but out of sight and out
of mind is best of all. I mean that off the street and indoors is the
absolute safest storage and locking up outside is a necessary evil. Ugly
and dirty is better than pretty and shiny. If there's a manned security
station try to lock up near it.

Don't leave frame pumps, tool bags, computers or lights. This stuff will
be liberated by people who have absolutely no what it is or why they want
it. They will take it regardless.

-Mike

In article ,
says...
Thank you all for all the useful suggestions.

I think this is the real challenge: there are no parking meters in the
plaza. So, I could not apply the lock/chain as one OP suggested.
There are only light posts there, but they are just too bulky for the
lock. BTW, I once saw a guy locking up his rusty bike around a tree
in the plaza, but that would be the last thing that I want to do. Too
bad, it's a high-traffic area and there's even a Bally Fitness.
Unfortunately, there are no bike racks over there. Just wonder how
much success I would have if I lobby for bike racks with the city?

PS: To respond to one of the OP's, my bike is a FUJI Absolute. The
frame has a romantic touch of matte burgundy. By its color alone I
would think it's quite marketable! It's not ultra expensive (~$300 as
a clearance item) but it's my first "real" bike.

Interesting coincidence: I saw that bike for the first time yesterday
at my LBS. It's not an expensive bike, but they are very nice
*looking*, which is the important point for a thief. I don't think I'd
leave that one out day after day.

.....

--
Remove the ns_ from if replying by e-mail (but keep posts in the
newsgroups if possible).

In article ,
(Steven Chan) writes:
Thank you all for all the useful suggestions.

I think this is the real challenge: there are no parking meters in the
plaza. So, I could not apply the lock/chain as one OP suggested.
There are only light posts there, but they are just too bulky for the
lock. BTW, I once saw a guy locking up his rusty bike around a tree
in the plaza, but that would be the last thing that I want to do. Too
bad, it's a high-traffic area and there's even a Bally Fitness.
Unfortunately, there are no bike racks over there. Just wonder how
much success I would have if I lobby for bike racks with the city?

One possibility might be to see if you could make arrangements
with a proprietor of a nearby business, to park your bike in
their premises for a reasonable weekly or monthly fee.

Then your bike would not only be somewhat more secure from theft,
but also protected from the elements.


cheers,
Tom

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Bill wrote:

I take the bike into the store with me. If they object I just tell
them "See ya, the store down the street doesn't mind."

I used to bring my bike in all the time in southern CA -- to a few stores I went
to all the time, plus the bank. No one seemed to mind. They must have realized
that I had a good reason. I was careful not to wear out my welcome, though.

Matt O.