Accessories for Claud Butler Classic

[Paulo Matos]

Hello all,

First of all, thank you for all your help on getting a bike (thread
http://groups.google.com/group/uk.rec.cycling/browse_frm/thread/115d235e8314c2fa).
I've decided for a Claud Butler Classic from Cycle World. Now, I need
locks and a good set of bags/panniers for shopping.

About locks there's an issue which is worrying me. It is said there
are a lot of stolen bikes here in Southampton. Even if I get a D-lock,
they can stole my wheels or my saddle. I wonder what's the best way of
securing a bike? I thought about a D-lock for the frame and a chain
for securing both wheels to the frame. What do you think?

On bags/panniers, I need to go shopping and I wonder what's the best
thing I can buy. I don't know how people usually do this but if I
secure my bike when I go shopping, I'll need to take the bags with me
so that they don't get stolen. Are there any set of bags which can
morph into a backpack? When I get back to the bike I need to mount the
bags and put in the stuff so isince I don't want to go shopping every
day a nice, big pack would be great. Usually I buy 4/5 asda bags a
week. I don't know if this is to much to carry on a bike but I would
like comments and suggestions on this matter.

Thank you very much once again,

Paulo Matos

 

[Pete Biggs]

Paulo Matos wrote:
> Hello all,
>
> First of all, thank you for all your help on getting a bike (thread
> http://groups.google.com/group/uk.rec.cycling/browse_frm/thread/115d235e8314c2fa).
> I've decided for a Claud Butler Classic from Cycle World. Now, I need
> locks and a good set of bags/panniers for shopping.
>
> About locks there's an issue which is worrying me. It is said there
> are a lot of stolen bikes here in Southampton. Even if I get a D-lock,
> they can stole my wheels or my saddle. I wonder what's the best way of
> securing a bike? I thought about a D-lock for the frame and a chain
> for securing both wheels to the frame. What do you think?

Not a bad idea to use an extra lock for the wheel(s), though these products
save hassle:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=160113450529

They only offer a medium degree of security - but you're unlikely to need
better than that when shopping.

Remember that front wheels are much easier to steal. It's rarer for anyone
to bother to nick a rear wheel on an impulse - though leave your bike long
enough, and /everything/ will be nicked off it!

> On bags/panniers, I need to go shopping and I wonder what's the best
> thing I can buy. I don't know how people usually do this but if I
> secure my bike when I go shopping, I'll need to take the bags with me
> so that they don't get stolen. Are there any set of bags which can
> morph into a backpack? When I get back to the bike I need to mount the
> bags and put in the stuff so isince I don't want to go shopping every
> day a nice, big pack would be great. Usually I buy 4/5 asda bags a
> week. I don't know if this is to much to carry on a bike but I would
> like comments and suggestions on this matter.

Just bung the empty panniers in the trolley while shopping. The child seat
is ideal. If the supermaket doesn't allow you to wheel the trolley to the
bike, find another supermarket.

~PB

 

[John Hearns]

Paulo Matos wrote:
> Hello all,
>
> First of all, thank you for all your help on getting a bike (thread
> http://groups.google.com/group/uk.rec.cycling/browse_frm/thread/115d235e8314c2fa).
> I've decided for a Claud Butler Classic from Cycle World. Now, I need
> locks and a good set of bags/panniers for shopping.
>
> About locks there's an issue which is worrying me. It is said there
> are a lot of stolen bikes here in Southampton. Even if I get a D-lock,
> they can stole my wheels or my saddle.
Not really.
The technique is to lock the D-lock through the bike frame and the rear
wheel. That leaves the front wheel. It it has a quick-release fastening,
take this off and lock it beside the rear wheel through the D-lock.
OR, use a tough cable such as an Abus or a Kryptonite. These are cables
with a simple loop in the end - just lock the loop with the D-lock.

Regarding saddles and wheels being stolen - get yourself some security
bolts which are known as Pitlocks. You can only unfasten these using a
unique key.

You mention a chain for the wheels.
ON NO ACCOUNT USE A CHAIN BOUGHT FROM A DIY SHOP OR AN IRONMONGERS.
Thieves will cut through this in seconds using bolt croppers.
Don't do it - a lenght of chain plus a padlock is useless.
What you DO want is a toughened chain, from a bicycle shop or a
motorcycle shop. These chains tend to be covered in a nylon fabric, and
have a heavy duty padlock.

One good tip that comes up on this group regularly - get a proper, heavy
chain from the bike shop. Abus, Magnum, Kryptonite, JCB brand.
Leave this at the hall of residence, permanently attached where you
store the bike overnight.
For visits to the shops, attach a heavy D-lock to the bike, and take an
extension cable or a second cable lock for the wheels.


Sorry to play up bike security - but if you get a shiny new bike, the
thieves will like it also.
Enjoy your bike. Take it out at the weekends into the New Forest and
over to the Isle of Wight. Please come back and tell us about your trips.
And come up to London next month for the Critical Mass? Last Friday of
the month.
And please do not let me talking about heavy locks put you off cycling!

 

[Andreas =?iso-8859-1?Q?Schulze-B=E4ing?=]

Am 6 May 2007 10:35:27 -0700 schrieb Paulo Matos:

> Hello all,
>
> First of all, thank you for all your help on getting a bike (thread
> http://groups.google.com/group/uk.rec.cycling/browse_frm/thread/115d235e8314c2fa).
> I've decided for a Claud Butler Classic from Cycle World. Now, I need
> locks and a good set of bags/panniers for shopping.
>
> About locks there's an issue which is worrying me. It is said there
> are a lot of stolen bikes here in Southampton.

It helps a bit to park the bike in location that are to a certain extent
public, with pedestrians passing by or in the view of a shop window etc.

> Even if I get a D-lock,
> they can stole my wheels or my saddle. I wonder what's the best way of
> securing a bike? I thought about a D-lock for the frame and a chain
> for securing both wheels to the frame. What do you think?

On my bike I changed the quick release skewers for saddle and wheels
against these ones from Tranz X (the blue ones - JD-QR03-3):
http://www.jdtranzx.com/products/quickrelease/1.htm
You need a special allen key to opening screw, that should prevent theft. A
more professional solution would be to use the Pitlock system:
http://www.pitlock.com/
But considering the overall value of the Claud Butler Classic that might
not be necessary.

> On bags/panniers, I need to go shopping and I wonder what's the best
> thing I can buy.

A bag specifically designed for shopping is the Ortlieb bike shopper:
http://www.ortlieb.com/_prod.php?lang=en&produkt=bikeshopper

A slightly bigger alternative would be this one:
http://www.carradice.co.uk/commuter-bike-bags/shopper-pannier.shtml

If you are on a budget - I recently read about panniers offered by Lidl,
yet it might be a while until they are on offer again.

> I don't know how people usually do this but if I
> secure my bike when I go shopping, I'll need to take the bags with me
> so that they don't get stolen. Are there any set of bags which can
> morph into a backpack?

The Ortlieb bike shopper mentioned above can morph into a backpack:
http://www.ortlieb.com/_prod.php?lang=en&produkt=tragesyst-rad

Instead of a pannier, I use a Deuter Trans Alpine 30L Backpack, which is
worth every penny.

> When I get back to the bike I need to mount the
> bags and put in the stuff so isince I don't want to go shopping every
> day a nice, big pack would be great. Usually I buy 4/5 asda bags a
> week. I don't know if this is to much to carry on a bike but I would
> like comments and suggestions on this matter.

I tend to ignore the bags at the likes of Asda and put everything directly
into the backpack. I would say that the equivalent of 2 to 3 Asda plastic
bags content fits into the 30l backpack.

Andreas

 

[Mark Thompson]

> About locks there's an issue which is worrying me. It is said there
> are a lot of stolen bikes here in Southampton. Even if I get a D-lock,
> they can stole my wheels or my saddle. I wonder what's the best way of
> securing a bike? I thought about a D-lock for the frame and a chain
> for securing both wheels to the frame. What do you think?

This is a great deal - I was recommending them at thirty pounds last week,
now they're less than half that (until 28th May)

<http://www.edinburghbicycle.com/ebwPNLqrymode.a4p?f%5FProductID=5951&f>

Mark.

Disclaimer: I work for these peeps.

 

[Tony Raven]

Paulo Matos wrote on 06/05/2007 18:35 +0100:
> Hello all,
>
> First of all, thank you for all your help on getting a bike (thread
> http://groups.google.com/group/uk.rec.cycling/browse_frm/thread/115d235e8314c2fa).
> I've decided for a Claud Butler Classic from Cycle World. Now, I
> need locks and a good set of bags/panniers for shopping.
>

Negotiate them from Cycle World while you are buying the bike. They
will often give you a good price to buy them at the same time.

> About locks there's an issue which is worrying me. It is said there
> are a lot of stolen bikes here in Southampton. Even if I get a
> D-lock, they can stole my wheels or my saddle. I wonder what's the
> best way of securing a bike? I thought about a D-lock for the frame
> and a chain for securing both wheels to the frame. What do you think?
>

You can lock the rear wheel and frame with your D-lock by putting the
lock round the rim inside the rear triangle. Replace your seat post
clamp with a bolted one - it will avoid the opportunist thief. For the
front wheel you can either use a cable lock or locking quick releases or
take the front wheel off (quick release in your pocket so its not
stolen, and include its rim in your D-lock. Alternatively bolt the
front wheels on - it will need a new front axle fitting although they
are cheap and track nuts. Again it will put off the opportunist thief.
Finally get a pass for one of the locked bicycle cages on campus it
costs £10 but you get £500 of cycle insurance thrown in IIRC. They are
not completely secure but better than leaving it out in the open.

>
> On bags/panniers, I need to go shopping and I wonder what's the best
> thing I can buy. I don't know how people usually do this but if I
> secure my bike when I go shopping, I'll need to take the bags with me
> so that they don't get stolen. Are there any set of bags which can
> morph into a backpack? When I get back to the bike I need to mount
> the bags and put in the stuff so isince I don't want to go shopping
> every day a nice, big pack would be great. Usually I buy 4/5 asda
> bags a week. I don't know if this is to much to carry on a bike but I
> would like comments and suggestions on this matter.
>

The best value are to look out for the regular Lidl or Aldi cycle sales.

--
Tony

"The most savage controversies are those about matters as to which there
is no good evidence either way."
- Bertrand Russell

 

[Helen Deborah Vecht]

"Pete Biggs" <[email protected]>typed


> Just bung the empty panniers in the trolley while shopping. The child seat
> is ideal. If the supermaket doesn't allow you to wheel the trolley to the
> bike, find another supermarket.

Alternatively, hook the panniers to the outside of the trolley...

--
Helen D. Vecht: [email protected]
Edgware.

 

[Patter]

On Sun, 6 May 2007 19:29:08 +0100, Andreas Schulze-Bäing wrote:
> A slightly bigger alternative would be this one:
> http://www.carradice.co.uk/commuter-bike-bags/shopper-pannier.shtml

Seconded. They unclip quickly for taking round as a shoulder bag &
shopping bag, take it into the store & you don't need to bother with
carriers.


--
Stephen Patterson :: [email protected] :: http://patter.mine.nu/
GPG: B416F0DE :: Jabber: [email protected]
"Don't be silly, Minnie. Who'd be walking round these cliffs with a gas oven?"

 

[Sniper8052(L96A1)]

Tony Raven wrote:
> Paulo Matos wrote on 06/05/2007 18:35 +0100:

> You can lock the rear wheel and frame with your D-lock by putting the
> lock round the rim inside the rear triangle. Replace your seat post
> clamp with a bolted one - it will avoid the opportunist thief. For the
> front wheel you can either use a cable lock or locking quick releases or
> take the front wheel off (quick release in your pocket so its not
> stolen, and include its rim in your D-lock. Alternatively bolt the
> front wheels on - it will need a new front axle fitting although they
> are cheap and track nuts.
>

Saw a neat trick I hadn't seen before, the owner of the bike had secured
the Quick release levers of the front and rear wheels with a metal hose
clip around the forks and rear triangle. They were metal forks I would
point out.

Sniper8052