Inventive ways of preventing theft?

On Sat, 17 Jan 2015 10:13:58 +0700, John B. Slocomb
wrote:

Probably easier to just buy a folding bicycle and carry it with you
:-)

One nice thing about folders is that some of them are so strange
looking that no sane thief would ride one, much less steal one. Ride
one of these and you don't have to worry about theft:
http://www.tuvie.com/mori-folding-bike-concept-by-janus-yuan/
http://www.yankodesign.com/2007/03/05/one-folding-bicycle-by-thomas-owen/
http://www.yankodesign.com/2011/09/06/a-better-folding-cycle/
http://www.yankodesign.com/2010/09/24/15-amazing-bicycles-for-the-future-of-seoul/
etc.

I've been thinking about an inflatable bicycle for exactly that
purpose. You can take it with you. A bias ply wire mesh reinforced
tube can be made fairly strong in most of the modes, such as tension,
compression, and torsion, but has problems with bending strength and
buckling resistance. (I've been working on an inflatable ham radio
tower). The bicycle is much more difficult due because in the tower,
everything is in compression, while in the bicycle frame, there's a
mix of compress, tension, and torque.

Hint: The math is quite simple for a static vertical load. Install a
150 lb basic human load on top of a inflatable tube pumped up to 100
psi, the cross sectional area needed to carry the loaded is:
150 lb / 100 lbs/in^2 = 1.5 square inches
or a tube diameter of about 0.5 inches. Of course, that's a minimum
under ideal circumstances, does not include any gas law effects, and
will buckle badly if the load is even slightly off vertical. Obviously
the tube will need to be larger and the pressure increased. Still, it
gives a hint of the possibilities.
--
Jeff Liebermann
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

Jeff Liebermann wrote:
On Sat, 17 Jan 2015 10:13:58 +0700, John B. Slocomb
wrote:

Probably easier to just buy a folding bicycle and carry it with you
:-)

One nice thing about folders is that some of them are so strange
looking that no sane thief would ride one, much less steal one. Ride
one of these and you don't have to worry about theft:
http://www.tuvie.com/mori-folding-bike-concept-by-janus-yuan/
http://www.yankodesign.com/2007/03/05/one-folding-bicycle-by-thomas-owen/
http://www.yankodesign.com/2011/09/06/a-better-folding-cycle/
http://www.yankodesign.com/2010/09/24/15-amazing-bicycles-for-the-future-of-seoul/
etc.

I've been thinking about an inflatable bicycle for exactly that
purpose. You can take it with you. A bias ply wire mesh reinforced
tube can be made fairly strong in most of the modes, such as tension,
compression, and torsion, but has problems with bending strength and
buckling resistance. (I've been working on an inflatable ham radio
tower). The bicycle is much more difficult due because in the tower,
everything is in compression, while in the bicycle frame, there's a
mix of compress, tension, and torque.

Hint: The math is quite simple for a static vertical load. Install a
150 lb basic human load on top of a inflatable tube pumped up to 100
psi, the cross sectional area needed to carry the loaded is:
150 lb / 100 lbs/in^2 = 1.5 square inches
or a tube diameter of about 0.5 inches. Of course, that's a minimum
under ideal circumstances, does not include any gas law effects, and
will buckle badly if the load is even slightly off vertical. Obviously
the tube will need to be larger and the pressure increased. Still, it
gives a hint of the possibilities.

Why not just buy/build a folding bike where the QR for the hinge mechanism
can be removed? Instant useless bicycle.

Nobody wants to steal a broken bike. No cyclist wants to be inconvenienced by having to disassemble piece of his bike every time he ducks into the library or his attorney.

The ideal solution is the n'lock, which uses a key on the stem to unlock the handlebar from the steer tube, so that the front wheel flops uselessly. This is the opposite of the way a car steering wheel lock works, but more effective.

There are refinements, like cables that plug in and unlock with the same key, used to secure wheels or the saddle or luggage, or tie the broken bike to lamppost or a rail. Pic at http://www.thorncycles.co.uk/forums/...26347#msg26347 and you can find the start of the thread from there -- lots more pics on previous page -- if you want to read about how convenient it is and the tricks of installation (no instructions as it is OEM equipment, not meant to be fitted by amateurs).

Andre Jute

On Friday, January 16, 2015 at 8:04:40 PM UTC, John Doe wrote:
I just did some reading, but found nothing interesting. To prevent
saddle theft, some apply a ball bearing and superglue to the hex socket
of a bolt. That would take too much time when removing the seat for
maintenance/modification purposes. Might be okay if and after the bike
is unlikely to be worked on.

My seat has a momentary clamp. I will drill a small diameter hole
through the stem and insert an unusual headed bolt. The bolt will be
removed during maintenance periods.

For my Kryptonite U-Lock, I added a difficult to remove cover that
allows the insertion of a shortened key but prevents easily using a lock
picker.

Any other inventive ways of dealing with bicycle theft?

Ralph Barone wrote:

Why not just buy/build a folding bike where the QR for the hinge
mechanism can be removed? Instant useless bicycle.

Depends on how much it's worth. The only way someone can steal your bike
is by riding it? Surely some bicycle thieves use motor vehicles.

Another that just assumes a bicycle cannot be chucked into the back of a
truck. For some strange reason, one imagines that it must be ridden by
the thief.


Andre Jute wrote in :

Nobody wants to steal a broken bike. No cyclist wants to be inconvenienced by having to disassemble piece of his bike every time he ducks into the library or his attorney.

The ideal solution is the n'lock, which uses a key on the stem to unlock the handlebar from the steer tube, so that the front wheel flops uselessly. This is the opposite of the way a car steering wheel lock works, but more effective.

There are refinements, like cables that plug in and unlock with the same key, used to secure wheels or the saddle or luggage, or tie the broken bike to lamppost or a rail. Pic at http://www.thorncycles.co.uk/forums/...26347#msg26347 and you can find the start of the thread from there -- lots more pics on previous page -- if you want to read about how convenient it is and the tricks of installation (no instructions as it is OEM equipment, not meant to be fitted by amateurs).

Andre Jute

On Friday, January 16, 2015 at 8:04:40 PM UTC, John Doe wrote:
I just did some reading, but found nothing interesting. To prevent
saddle theft, some apply a ball bearing and superglue to the hex socket

of a bolt. That would take too much time when removing the seat for
maintenance/modification purposes. Might be okay if and after the bike
is unlikely to be worked on.

My seat has a momentary clamp. I will drill a small diameter hole
through the stem and insert an unusual headed bolt. The bolt will be
removed during maintenance periods.

For my Kryptonite U-Lock, I added a difficult to remove cover that
allows the insertion of a shortened key but prevents easily using a lock
picker.

Any other inventive ways of dealing with bicycle theft?

On Fri, 16 Jan 2015 17:51:47 -0800 (PST), Sir Ridesalot
wrote:

On Friday, January 16, 2015 at 7:09:44 PM UTC-5, Jeff Liebermann wrote:
On Fri, 16 Jan 2015 20:04:07 +0000 (UTC), John Doe
wrote:

Any other inventive ways of dealing with bicycle theft?

Exploding bicycle lock:
http://www.yankodesign.com/2008/10/10/leave-thee-a-stain-on-thy-bike-thief/

Haul the bike up a flagpole and see who salutes:
http://www.treehugger.com/bikes/bike-tree-keeps-bikes-off-ground-away-from-sticky-fingers.html

Many years ago in Toronto, Ontario, Canada the police used to set up bicycle sting operations wherein the bicycle was rigged so that the chain would fall off after a couple of revolutions.


My father bought me a bike like that when I was about 12 years old. He
got it cheap too. It was my first lesson in wrench twisting :-)



Cheers
GPS activated exploding handlebars:
http://vengecycle.com

You could also make various bicycle parts self-destruct when it is
moved or stolen. Or, just blow up the entire bicycle:
https://www.google.com/search?tbm=isch&q=bicycle+bomb

Personally, I use folding pedals. The design is sufficiently
disgusting that only a determined and experienced bicycle thief could
deploy the pedals quickly for the get away. It's possible to ride the
bicycle with the pedals in the "up" position, but it's not easy. I
have the shin scrapes to prove it. Removable pedals might be better,
but folding is a tolerable 2nd best.

Another trick is that I leave the bicycle in the highest gear ratio
when parking. If the thief tries to ride off, he won't be going very
fast until he decodes my gear shifting derrangement. What bicycles
really need is a neutral gear. Locked into neutral, it's not going
anywhere. I was thinking of grinding off the smallest rear sprocket
to allow it to spin, but haven't had time to tinker.



--
Jeff Liebermann
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558
--
Cheers,

John B.

On Fri, 16 Jan 2015 20:20:58 -0800, Jeff Liebermann
wrote:

On Sat, 17 Jan 2015 10:13:58 +0700, John B. Slocomb
wrote:

Probably easier to just buy a folding bicycle and carry it with you
:-)

One nice thing about folders is that some of them are so strange
looking that no sane thief would ride one, much less steal one. Ride
one of these and you don't have to worry about theft:
http://www.tuvie.com/mori-folding-bike-concept-by-janus-yuan/
http://www.yankodesign.com/2007/03/05/one-folding-bicycle-by-thomas-owen/
http://www.yankodesign.com/2011/09/06/a-better-folding-cycle/
http://www.yankodesign.com/2010/09/24/15-amazing-bicycles-for-the-future-of-seoul/
etc.

I've been thinking about an inflatable bicycle for exactly that
purpose. You can take it with you. A bias ply wire mesh reinforced
tube can be made fairly strong in most of the modes, such as tension,
compression, and torsion, but has problems with bending strength and
buckling resistance. (I've been working on an inflatable ham radio
tower). The bicycle is much more difficult due because in the tower,
everything is in compression, while in the bicycle frame, there's a
mix of compress, tension, and torque.

Hint: The math is quite simple for a static vertical load. Install a
150 lb basic human load on top of a inflatable tube pumped up to 100
psi, the cross sectional area needed to carry the loaded is:
150 lb / 100 lbs/in^2 = 1.5 square inches
or a tube diameter of about 0.5 inches. Of course, that's a minimum
under ideal circumstances, does not include any gas law effects, and
will buckle badly if the load is even slightly off vertical. Obviously
the tube will need to be larger and the pressure increased. Still, it
gives a hint of the possibilities.

Probably put bladders in the tubes and attach an air-bag inflator
system. Bang the bundle of tubes on the ground and BAM! Instant
bicycle :-)
--
Cheers,

John B.

On 1/16/2015 7:05 PM, John Doe wrote:
Jeff Liebermann wrote:

John Doe wrote:

Any other inventive ways of dealing with bicycle theft?

GPS activated

If you want to get fancy, you can connect an alarm to the Internet and
have it instantly message you. Also possible is using a wireless
transmitter with a range limited by obstructions.


Or one might address recidivism more directly:

http://www.kaieteurnewsonline.com/20...thers-wounded/

--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org/
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

On 1/16/2015 7:51 PM, Jeff Liebermann wrote:
On Sat, 17 Jan 2015 01:05:03 +0000 (UTC), John Doe
wrote:

Jeff Liebermann wrote:

John Doe wrote:

Any other inventive ways of dealing with bicycle theft?

GPS activated

If you want to get fancy, you can connect an alarm to the Internet and
have it instantly message you. Also possible is using a wireless
transmitter with a range limited by obstructions.

That would do a great job of informing you that your bicycle and radio
alarm, are now gone forever. Tracking the bicycle would be more
informative:
http://www.gpstrackthis.com/GPSTrack/

Could you be a bit more specific as to what you're trying to
accomplish? Are you trying to secure the bicycle in place, prevent
the theft, prevent someone from stripping the bicycle, make the
bicycle more difficult to steal, alert you after it's gone, or
vaporize the thief? The applicable technologies are quite different.

My biggest bicycle theft headache is some thief walking away with the
bolt on accessories. I've had everything from the water bottle to a
bolt on headlight stolen. Removing all that junk every time I park
the bicycle and dragging it with me is not my idea of fun.


Well, every approach has random results. Locks can be
defeated, gunshots can be nonfatal:

http://forums.mtbr.com/general-discu...ce-925964.html

--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org/
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

On Sat, 17 Jan 2015 18:48:10 +0700, John B. Slocomb
wrote:

Probably put bladders in the tubes and attach an air-bag inflator
system. Bang the bundle of tubes on the ground and BAM! Instant
bicycle :-)

That's roughly what I was thinking. Initially, just replacing the
frame with some kind of inflatable structure. I'm not sure it can be
built or even ridden, but it's an interesting exercise[1].

However, an explosive air bag inflator may not be a good idea for a
sealed system. Air bags are not sealed and deflate immediately after
deployment. I once read a story in an outdoor magazine where someone
tried explosives to inflate air mattresses used in mountain climbing
expeditions. The plan was to use a controlled amount of explosive,
which produced a known volume of gases. It worked when tested at sea
level, but blew out the air mattress when tested at altitude. Oops.
I'll probably use a blower to obtain high volume followed a floor pump
for higher pressures.

Perhaps the world is ready for my inflatable disk wheels. Think tire
tube, with a strip of hard rubber on the road surface, wrapped in
basket weave wire frame, and supported by two inflatable disks, which
provide the necessary cushioned suspension. There are multiple holes
in the disks to allow installation of a lateral support structure
needed to keep the wheel from turning into a spherical balloon when
inflated. These can be removed, causing the wheel to collapse and
allow folding. It probably won't work as described, but again, it
would be interesting to see what can be done with the idea.


[1] "Once the impossible has been achieved, whatever remains, however
bizarre, is the ridiculous."

--
Jeff Liebermann
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558