Safety for new road bike.



peakrider

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Jan 15, 2008
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I recently got a new road bike, and I was wondering what the best way to keep it safe was. I've heard of a lot of people stealing bikes and fron tires right out of the racks, and was wondering where the best places are to park your bike, and what types of locks to use.
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peakrider said:
I recently got a new road bike, and I was wondering what the best way to keep it safe was. I've heard of a lot of people stealing bikes and fron tires right out of the racks, and was wondering where the best places are to park your bike, and what types of locks to use.
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Where do you live? Where do you plan to park/lock it? For how long? Overnight!!!?? You may need to think about securing the bike, wheels, and seatpost if left in a "crime prone" area. How heavy a locking system are you willing to haul around? Is there any chance you can take the bike indoors with you (into your workplace)?

Also, even though you may be proud of your new ride, anything you can do to "cheapen" its looks (messengers may cover the logos on their bikes with electrical tape) can help. People won't work very hard to swipe a Huffy, or what they think is a Huffy.

For maximum security, most folks endorse a U lock -- many include an insurance policy if the bike is stolen, New York City often excluded.. Some prefer using two locks. Of course, an expensive lock usually means an expensive bike.

One issue is the fact that your bike need not be the most securely locked, just more secure than others nearby. Leaving your dog with your bike can be helpful, too ;).
 
A new road bike stays inside and when your riding is never out of your sight.
You need to get another cheap mountain bike for around town etc. and a
U lock. Pedal safe.
 
I have a newfound respect for U-locks........

Bought a Columbia Metro (minor classic) at the local Goodwill a couple of months ago, all of $ 15.00, Kryptonite U-lock around the frame.
They did not have the keys, so I dropped it off at a locksmith to have keys made.
Got a call from the locksmith that the lock was smaller than standard, and all he could do was remove the lock, but could not make keys.
Too bad, I would have liked to be able to use the lock, looked almost unused, but I decided to 'just' hacksaw the lock off myself.
Well......
Neither hacksaw nor files could make even a dent, I ended up buying a 36" (!!!) bolt cutter, took about an hour or so of chewing, chewing, chewing away with that thing - leaning all my weight into every chew - before I FINALLY had enough of a 'cut' for the hacksaw to bite.
Another hour or so of hacksawing.......

I'm sure the kids down in the warzone would have had that lock cracked in 3 seconds flat.......

However....there is a bike frame U-locked to the bus stop sign just a little ways from my place, has been there for at least 8 months.
Just the frame, everything else has been vandalized off the bike (looks like some sort of off-brand MTB), I guess no one has wanted to tackle the U-lock.....

The best lock is still to not leave your bike outside, in this town, they'll steal or vandalize anything, even a Huffy......
 
If you are commuting to and from work have a word with your management, its getting very pc to support workers who ride in at the moment, they maybe able to suggest a place for storage or help pay for locks and stuff.


Its worth trying anyhow...:)
 
Hi,
do you know the tracker WIMB? I read something about it and it is quite interesting. So, I try to find someone, who know more about it or have it in bike. It should protect bikes from stealing or something like this…
 
I had seen the ubiquitous bikes in Beijing, China. And amid the rarity of stealing bikes, bikers have their bike locks and they park in the proper parking area to attach their bike to the steel parking bar. In the Philippines, there is no way you can leave your bike without a lock since bikes are stolen even if they have locks. The best is to have a thick chain that you can use to attach your bike to anything permanent like a tree or a parking bar and the lock should be the expensive one that is not easy to pick.
 
Where I live lately bikes have never been stolen. But that does not mean that I don't keep mine in a safe place. Consider locking your bike with a chain lock if you don't have a safer place for storing or parking it. By locking your bike nobody will be able to ride it unless they carry it away. Consider having a unique label for your bike so that nobody will confuse it with theirs.
 
Where I live, a lot of bikes get stolen as well. One of my bikes was stolen a few months ago and since then, I have gotten a new bike and taken more precautions. I actually just read an article that I wanted to share with everyone on this website. Apparently roughly 1.5 billion bikes are stolen each year and 1 in 5 people get their bikes stolen. I hate bike thieves and wish they'd all get caught. The article talked about a device we could use to help track our missing bike once it has been stolen and I thought that technology like that is amazing. The device is called a TrackR Bravo. I have just gotten mine in the mail and have put it to great use. Crowd GPS works well to notify me where my bike is! You can read the article at: https://thetrackr.com/blog/lifestyle/everything-you-never-knew-about-bike-theft. It's a great and informative read and I wanted to share with everyone here.:)
 

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I think a lot does depend on where your planning to keep your bike, and without stating the obvious, ideally inside is the best option.

At home I keep mine in the house, and then at work we have a spot inside where we're allowed to put them. If it was me I'd definitely be asking if you could do the same, as I think most companies these days are trying to promote the cycle to work schemes so may be open to you doing that?

As they say, if you don't ask, you don't get.
 
  • Wear a Properly Fitted Bicycle Helmet. Protect your brain, save your life. For more information see the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration publication

  • Adjust Your Bicycle to Fit. Stand over your bicycle. There should be 1 to 2 inches between you and the top tube (bar) if using a road bike and 3 to 4 inches if a mountain bicycle. The seat should be level front to back. The seat height should be adjusted to allow a slight bend at the knee when the leg is fully extended. The handlebar height should be at the same level with the seat.

  • Check Your Equipment. Before riding, inflate tires properly and check that your brakes work.

  • See and Be Seen. Whether daytime, dawn, dusk, foul weather, or at night, you need to be seen by others. Wearing white has not been shown to make you more visible. Rather, always wear neon, fluorescent, or other bright colors when riding day or night. Also wear something that reflects light, such as reflective tape or markings, or flashing lights. Remember, just because you can see a driver doesn’t mean the driver can see you.
 
  • Wear a Properly Fitted Bicycle Helmet. Protect your brain, save your life. For more information see the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration publication

  • Adjust Your Bicycle to Fit. Stand over your bicycle. There should be 1 to 2 inches between you and the top tube (bar) if using a road bike and 3 to 4 inches if a mountain bicycle. The seat should be level front to back. The seat height should be adjusted to allow a slight bend at the knee when the leg is fully extended. The handlebar height should be at the same level with the seat.

  • Check Your Equipment. Before riding, inflate tires properly and check that your brakes work.

  • See and Be Seen. Whether daytime, dawn, dusk, foul weather, or at night, you need to be seen by others. Wearing white has not been shown to make you more visible. Rather, always wear neon, fluorescent, or other bright colors when riding day or night. Also wear something that reflects light, such as reflective tape or markings, or flashing lights. Remember, just because you can see a driver doesn’t mean the driver can see you.
 
Hello,
This really depends on where you live, the type of environment that surrounds you, and what you're doing at the time. Where I'm at, there are always thefts regardless of a lock or not. They always have a way to break out of them, so possibly finding a good lock will be your backup plan. Even then I'm not sure how secure that would be, so don't quote me on it. If you're going to somewhere like work, they should most definitely allow you to store it somewhere.
 
Make sure you get a big bike lock that can wraps around your bike. That way thieves won't be able to steal your tires.
 
In my opinion, you can:
  • Try to lock your bike in a well-lit area with pedestrians strolling frequently.
  • Use a small frame lock. A big one can suggest valuable stuff.
  • Or you cant try to hide your bicycle in a poorly lit area, covered with camouflage in order to be easily overlooked by everybody but you.
I can't think anything more not already post here. Good luck
 
Yep, lock it in a place where a lot of people go by and lock every single part of the bike, especially if it's easily detachable...
 

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