Important Omission on Folding Bikes

[David Martin]

On 17/12/04 10:53 am, in article [email protected], "Elisa Francesca
Roselli" <[email protected]> wrote:
> This does mean walking around with a set of
> muddy pedals in my handbag, and of course it still doesn't prevent someone
> carting off my bike in the back of a car. But it could be a short term
> deterrent to thiefs who would want to ride off with it.

A pair of handcuffs would be useful for locking the bike and would also
raise interesting eyebrows amongst you co-workers.

As regards pedals, would a small bag not be an appropriate anti-mud thing to
keep the inside of the handbag clean?

...d

 

[Ian Jelf]

In message <[email protected]>, Tony Raven
<[email protected]> writes
>congokid wrote:
>> One alternative was to ask the staff to keep it behind their desk,
>>though I don't think they'd oblige.
>>
>
>I ask people to do that all the time and never once had an objection
>but plenty of curious questions

I never *used* to have a problem with that and like you had plenty of
questions (I ride a Brompton).

In the last year or two, though, people have been much more reluctant,
with the words "security" and "health & safety being quoted to me more
than once.

(I had a nice chat with my optician about it yesterday, though. He and
the receptionist were fascinated!)
--
Ian Jelf, MITG

Birmingham, UK

Registered Blue Badge Tourist Guide for London and the Heart of England
http://www.bluebadge.demon.co.uk

 

[Ian Jelf]

In message
<[email protected]>, Leo
Lichtman <[email protected]> writes
>NOTHING will make a bike completely theftproof. A locking system that makes
>theft "inconvenient" may deter a casual thief, or cause him to pick a
>different bike, but if it provides the owner a false sense of security, it
>may be worse than nothing. For a Dahon folder, I think a lock that holds
>the bike half folded (frame forms a 90 degree angle) would make the bike
>impossible to roll, and difficult to put in a trunk or back seat of a car.
>Once you start to consider what a thief with a truck can do, you might as
>well give up. I once heard of a theft where a flatbed truck was used to
>haul away a rack with all the bikes locked to it. (Could be an urban
>legent, but it's possible.)

Was that in Saint Giles' in Oxford by any chance? I've been told that
it happened there in the late 1980s.
--
Ian Jelf, MITG

Birmingham, UK

Registered Blue Badge Tourist Guide for London and the Heart of England
http://www.bluebadge.demon.co.uk

 

[Steven M. Scharf]

Elisa Francesca Roselli wrote:

> I agree that nothing would make my Dahon theft-proof, but I still think that
> research into really lightweight, ingenious anti-theft devices that break
> with the ball-and-chain model is far from finished and would benefit all
> bikers.
>
> One upgrade that I have found available for Dahon and may consider is a set
> of pedals which, instead of folding inwards towards the bike, are simply
> removed when the bike is at station. They are said to be easy to snap back
> in again when back in motion. This does mean walking around with a set of
> muddy pedals in my handbag, and of course it still doesn't prevent someone
> carting off my bike in the back of a car. But it could be a short term
> deterrent to thiefs who would want to ride off with it.

I have a thin cable lock for times when I need to be away from the bike
for only a minute, or for when I'm inside a cafe but the bike is parked
outside, and visible. It's very light, and not very secure, but it at
least lets me lock the bike to something stationary.

I'm probably going to get the removeable pedals for my Dahon Speed TR,
but mainly because I want pedals that can use toe clips & straps.

 

[Richard]

Ian Jelf wrote:

>> Once you start to consider what a thief with a truck can do, you might as
>> well give up. I once heard of a theft where a flatbed truck was used to
>> haul away a rack with all the bikes locked to it. (Could be an urban
>> legent, but it's possible.)
>
>
> Was that in Saint Giles' in Oxford by any chance? I've been told that
> it happened there in the late 1980s.

A similar incident happened allegedly at Birmingham around 1990. The
thieves drove up in a box van. At the main gate they claimed to be
delivering to the Guild of Students, and were let in (you could say
anything to the guards there and they'd let you in). They drove round
the corner, and in full view of the gate guards and umpteen hundred
students passing in and out of the Guild (ie, the Union), used bolt
cutters to empty the railings and bike racks, loaded them all inside,
and drove out again unchallenged.

R.

 

[Peter Amey]

Steven M. Scharf wrote:
[snip]
>
> I'm probably going to get the removeable pedals for my Dahon Speed TR,
> but mainly because I want pedals that can use toe clips & straps.
>

Or, indeed, SPD fittings if you are brave enough to take a hacksaw to
the removable pedals - see
www.amey.org.uk/bicycles/RemovableSPDPedalProject/

Peter
--

www.amey.org.uk

 

[Veloise]

Sometime last year I acquired the Master (?) "handcuff" lock. Would
drive towards downtown Detroit, park on the street for free, unload my
Hon (purchased in 1985 before the office supply mfgr filed suit and
made them change the name; "you're confusing the marketplace for our
file cabinets with your little folding bikes!"), ride to work, lock it
to a parking meter with the cuffs.

That all ended when I went to a medical appointment right across the
street from a much-heralded new performance center. Left bike in my
van, returned to find the window smashed, bike and handcuff lock
stolen. (They found the spare keys, but didn;t take them, What good is
a lock without keys? Thieves are stupid, as others have noted.)

No complaints about the handcuff lock. No one ever messed with my bike
and it was there every day. The one day I brought my Montague folding
bike, it got stripped before lunchtime.
--Karen M.
now a resident of Grand Rapids

 

[Steven M. Scharf]

Peter Amey wrote:

> Or, indeed, SPD fittings if you are brave enough to take a hacksaw to
> the removable pedals - see
> www.amey.org.uk/bicycles/RemovableSPDPedalProject/

I'm a retrogrouch, so this won't be necessary.

 

[congokid]

In message <[email protected]>, Ian Jelf
<[email protected]> writes

>(I had a nice chat with my optician about it yesterday, though. He
>and the receptionist were fascinated!)

My dentist's receptionists don't mind when I bring my Brompton in with
me and leave it in the waiting room, where there is lots of space for
it. The swimming pool reception desk has room only for a couple of
chairs behind it and there's not much space elsewhere, though I have
occasionally seen ordinary bikes parked in corners there.

--
congokid
Good restaurants in London? Number one on Google
http://congokid.com

 

[Larry Farrell]

congokid wrote:
> In message <[email protected]>, Ian Jelf
> <[email protected]> writes
>
>> (I had a nice chat with my optician about it yesterday, though. He
>> and the receptionist were fascinated!)
>
>
> My dentist's receptionists don't mind when I bring my Brompton in with
> me and leave it in the waiting room, where there is lots of space for
> it. The swimming pool reception desk has room only for a couple of
> chairs behind it and there's not much space elsewhere, though I have
> occasionally seen ordinary bikes parked in corners there.
>
Wow!! You have folks riding ordinaries around there??!!

 

[C.J.Patten]

I have *absolutely no connection them whatsoever.*

Other than they're on the west coast of Canada and I'm in the east.
If you call that a connection.

Also looking at the Giant "Halfway" if anyone has experience with that.

C.


"Tony Raven" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> C.J.Patten wrote:
>> Hey!
>>
> <snip>
>
> Sounds like you are doing the age old deceit of promoting a company you
> have links to. If not my apologies and it does not seem a very good buy.
> If you want a proper folder look at the Dahons, Treks, Bromptons and
> Birdys all of which are excellent take with you folders.
>
> --
> Tony
>
> "A facility for quotation covers the absence of original thought" Lord
> Peter Wimsey (Dorothy L. Sayers)

 

[Tony Raven]

C.J.Patten wrote:
> I have *absolutely no connection them whatsoever.*
>
> Other than they're on the west coast of Canada and I'm in the east.
> If you call that a connection.
>
> Also looking at the Giant "Halfway" if anyone has experience with that.
>

Much better choice than a Bazooka. Also have a look at
http://www.foldsoc.co.uk and http://www.atob.org.uk for information on
different folders. What is your budget and what do you want to use if
for in the main and perhaps we can give you some advice on which ones to
consider.

--
Tony

"A facility for quotation covers the absence of original thought" Lord
Peter Wimsey (Dorothy L. Sayers)

 

[Pat]

: Any comments on 20" wheeled folders? (the Giant Halfway is the specific
one
: I'm looking at).
: Are they ridiculously twitchy or badly geared? I don't want to get up to
: 20km/h and find I'm in top gear pedalling at 200rpm!
:
: I mean, these things only have 7 speeds...?
:
: Thanks for the links - look forward to more feedback.
:
: Chris in Ottawa

Look into Bike Friday's offerings. I am thinking of getting one of their
bikes.

Pat in TX
:
: _________
:
: "The difference between reality and theory is, In theory, there's no
: difference between the two."
:
:
: "Tony Raven" <[email protected]> wrote in message
: news:[email protected]...
: > C.J.Patten wrote:
: >> I have *absolutely no connection them whatsoever.*
: >>
: >> Other than they're on the west coast of Canada and I'm in the east.
: >> If you call that a connection.
: >>
: >> Also looking at the Giant "Halfway" if anyone has experience with that.
: >>
: >
: > Much better choice than a Bazooka. Also have a look at
: > http://www.foldsoc.co.uk and http://www.atob.org.uk for information on
: > different folders. What is your budget and what do you want to use if
for
: > in the main and perhaps we can give you some advice on which ones to
: > consider.
: >
: > --
: > Tony
: >
: > "A facility for quotation covers the absence of original thought" Lord
: > Peter Wimsey (Dorothy L. Sayers)
:
:

 

[Just zis Guy, you know?]

On Sun, 22 May 2005 19:44:34 -0400, "C.J.Patten"
<[email protected]> wrote in message
<[email protected]>:

>The Giant Halfway just "looks" better than the Bazooka but it's more than
>double the price.

Worth it, I reckon. It's a good bike, rides well, folds tolerably.
Me, I'm a Mr Smug Brompton owner ;-)

Guy
--
May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after posting.
http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk

85% of helmet statistics are made up, 69% of them at CHS, Puget Sound

 

[C.J.Patten]

Thanks Simon. I'll keep looking online for the gobike - unfortunately, their
"coming soon" site is just a tease if it isn't up before I buy a bike!

C.




"Simon Brooke" <[email protected]> wrote >
> If you're in Canada there's a very good looking - and well reviewed -
> new folder designed and made in Canada, which is compact, fairly light,
> and supposed to ride very well.
>
> <URL:http://www.gobikeonline.com/>

 

[Collin]

Chris Malcolm wrote:
> Bob Downie <Bob_news@downie-geo.#n0spam#co.uk> writes:
>
>
>>>Why would it be less of a target? Even if the person doing the stealing
>>>isn't aware that it can't be ridden, it may still get stolen. A lot of the
>>>time theft is the result of opportunity. Having a heavy U-lock on it may
>>>deter a lot of would be bike thieves from bothering. Having a non-obvious
>>>theft deferent would be ineffective, IME.
>
>
>>In the real world you want to get off your bike for 2 minutes to buy a
>>paper. Locking it can be one pain in the **** (assuming there is
>>anything to lock it to and you are carrying your 2kg U-lock).
>
>
>>All else being equal, if there is an unattended bike which you cannot
>>ride next to one you can, odds are that the one you can ride will be
>>stolen.
>
>
>>It should be simple to implement an integral locking system in a folding
>>bike so why not. Its far from a perfect security measure but why not
>>add it anyway?
>
>
> It would have to be bloody obvious to the clouded vision of the usual
> deranged thief. I once fitted one of those wheel locks that fit beside
> the brakes and thrust a bar through the spokes to stop the wheel going
> round, with the idea that it would be handy for just popping into a
> shop kind of stops. Withing a few weeks of occassional use My bike was
> once carried away about 50 yards by a thief who then gave up and
> abandoned it, and another time suffered a damaged spoke.
>
> I decided to give up the lock before my bike suffered the "thief's
> revenge" of having my wheels stomped out of shape.
Interesting, I had the same experience. I'm in the habit of locking my
rear wheel to a post. No one can steal the bike that way even though the
frame isn't actually locked to anything. However, I came to my bike one
morning to find someone had tried to grab it and run, apparently
thinking it wasn't locked. The rim was bent so badly I had to replace
it and rebuild the wheel.

Moral of the story: make the lock really effing obvious! YES YOU DUMBASS
THIEF IT IS LOCKED SECURELY SO GO AWAY
>
> I had similar difficulties on a motorcycle whn using a non-obvious
> lock. In that case I put a notice on the petrol tank explaining
> things. Fortunately these days most thieves can read.
> --
> Chris Malcolm [email protected] +44 (0)131 651 3445 DoD #205
> IPAB, Informatics, JCMB, King's Buildings, Edinburgh, EH9 3JZ, UK
> [http://www.dai.ed.ac.uk/homes/cam/]
>

 

[dabac]

All else being equal, if there is an unattended bike which you cannot
ride next to one you can, odds are that the one you can ride will be
stolen.

I can't remember if I ever seen a case where the theft made sense, i.e. where the potential benefits actually were proportional or outweighed by the risk and/or hassle of going through with the crime. Some people will try to steal ANYTHING possible. Any gadget that will trouble the thief "later" but still lets him bring the desirable item with him is:
A) overestimating the intellectual capacity of the thief
B) little comfort when your stuff goes missing anyhow

 

[Elisa Francesca Roselli]

C.J.Patten a écrit :

> I never locked my full size bike up. I just slung it over my shoulder and
> carried it around the mall/store whatever.


Can't see myself carrying around a 13 kg bike in addition to my 20 kg of
groceries and my 10 kg of handbag. I just don't have anything like
that level of physical endurance. Hats off to people who do.

EFR (the OP)
Ile de France

 

[Elisa Francesca Roselli]

C.J.Patten a écrit :

> Any comments on 20" wheeled folders? (the Giant Halfway is the specific one
> I'm looking at).
> Are they ridiculously twitchy or badly geared? I don't want to get up to
> 20km/h and find I'm in top gear pedalling at 200rpm!

I adore my Dahon. It's much the most comfortable and rideable of my 3
bikes - the others having 26" and 700mm wheels. It is not at all twitchy
and the gearing is great for me, although I tend not to want to go much
faster than 20 km anyway, as there is a shimmy in the higher speeds.

My suggestion would be to get to a place where you can try the Halfway.
I tried one and found it OK, just a little bouncy for me but I am very
heavy.

EFR
Ile de France

 

[LSMike]

"Elisa Francesca Roselli" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> C.J.Patten a écrit :
>
>> I never locked my full size bike up. I just slung it over my shoulder and
>> carried it around the mall/store whatever.
>
>
> Can't see myself carrying around a 13 kg bike in addition to my 20 kg of
> groceries and my 10 kg of handbag. I just don't have anything like that
> level of physical endurance. Hats off to people who do.
>
> EFR (the OP)
> Ile de France

10kg handbag? My shattered nerves!