theft prevention question

[RB]

Just got a bike for casual trips to the store and back. I'm a 65 yr old kid
who hasn't been around bikes since approx 1960.

Question being what techniques there are to discourage bike theft when I'm
in the store?

I have a chain lock, and of course will use that to fasten the bike to a
pole whenever the opportunity is there. And, I have spoke locks so the
wheels can't turn.

What I'm concerned about is someone tossing the bike in a pickup while I'm
in the store, and honking off with it.

Any neat tricks I can use to minimize that possibility when there's no poles
to chain it to?

 

[Cam]

RB wrote:
> Just got a bike for casual trips to the store and back. I'm a 65 yr old kid
> who hasn't been around bikes since approx 1960.
>
> Question being what techniques there are to discourage bike theft when I'm
> in the store?
>
> I have a chain lock, and of course will use that to fasten the bike to a
> pole whenever the opportunity is there. And, I have spoke locks so the
> wheels can't turn.
>
> What I'm concerned about is someone tossing the bike in a pickup while I'm
> in the store, and honking off with it.
>
> Any neat tricks I can use to minimize that possibility when there's no poles
> to chain it to?

Bolt cutters make quick work of chains. Get a decent U-lock and always
find something solid to lock your bike to.

Cam

 

[rsquared]

<<snip>>
>
> Bolt cutters make quick work of chains. Get a decent U-lock and always
> find something solid to lock your bike to.
>
> Cam

There are also small brackets that make it easy to fasten the u-bolt
lock to your bike for transportation.

rsquared

 

[Paul Hobson]

RB wrote:
> Just got a bike for casual trips to the store and back. I'm a 65 yr old kid
> who hasn't been around bikes since approx 1960.
>
> Question being what techniques there are to discourage bike theft when I'm
> in the store?
>
> I have a chain lock, and of course will use that to fasten the bike to a
> pole whenever the opportunity is there. And, I have spoke locks so the
> wheels can't turn.
>
> What I'm concerned about is someone tossing the bike in a pickup while I'm
> in the store, and honking off with it.
>
> Any neat tricks I can use to minimize that possibility when there's no poles
> to chain it to?
>
>

most businesses are required to have handicapped parking spaces, and
those typically have sign mounted on metal poles burying in the ground.
Those normally work fine.

--
Paul M. Hobson
Georgia Institute of Technology
..:change the words to numbers
if you want to reply to me:.

 

[Diablo Scott]

RB wrote:

> I have a chain lock, and of course will use that to fasten the bike to a
> pole whenever the opportunity is there. And, I have spoke locks so the
> wheels can't turn.
>

Spoke locks?

--
My bike blog:
http://diabloscott.blogspot.com/

 

[Phil, Squid-in-Training]

Diablo Scott wrote:
> RB wrote:
>
>> I have a chain lock, and of course will use that to fasten the bike
>> to a pole whenever the opportunity is there. And, I have spoke
>> locks so the wheels can't turn.
>>
>
> Spoke locks?

Sounds like disc brake locks for motorcycles. It's a u-shaped contraption
that inserts two bars that wrap around the wheel and meet where the spokes
are, preventing wheel rotation.

--
Phil, Squid-in-Training

 

[p.k.]

RB wrote:
> Just got a bike for casual trips to the store and back. I'm a 65 yr
> old kid who hasn't been around bikes since approx 1960.
>
> Question being what techniques there are to discourage bike theft
> when I'm in the store?


Here in the uk, paint it with 4 differnt types of left over household paint.
the scrotes only want cool bikes!

pk

 

[David L. Johnson]

On Wed, 07 Sep 2005 14:31:11 -0500, RB wrote:

> Just got a bike for casual trips to the store and back. I'm a 65 yr old kid
> who hasn't been around bikes since approx 1960.
>
> Question being what techniques there are to discourage bike theft when I'm
> in the store?
>
> I have a chain lock, and of course will use that to fasten the bike to a
> pole whenever the opportunity is there. And, I have spoke locks so the
> wheels can't turn.

A spoke lock will be useless. They are usually very flimsy. How much
lock you need, though, depends on 1) where you live, and 2) how long you
plan to leave it outside.

Many times, when I am out on a club ride, stopping at a rural restaurant
for lunch, we leave our bikes unlocked. Sometimes someone will keep an
eye on them, but usually it is not a concern. In a suburban shopping
center, a please-don't-steal-me lightweight cable lock will be enough. On
the other hand, when locking the bike in a city like Philadelphia or New
York, even for short time periods, you need a serious lock. Probably a "U"
lock is best, followed by a very stout chain lock.

> What I'm concerned about is someone tossing the bike in a pickup while
> I'm in the store, and honking off with it.

Never lock the bike to a pole that is so short that someone can lift the
bike over. Lock it to a large tree, or tall pole, or a secure railing.
One of these is usually available.

> Any neat tricks I can use to minimize that possibility when there's no
> poles to chain it to?

Complain to the manager of the store, making it clear that you (and
others) won't be able to shop where there is no secure place to lock your
bike. Then, if they want your business, they'll get some sort of bike
rack.

--

David L. Johnson

__o | Some people used to claim that, if enough monkeys sat in front
_`\(,_ | of enough typewriters and typed long enough, eventually one of
(_)/ (_) | them would reproduce the collected works of Shakespeare. The
internet has proven this not to be the case.

 

[Jasper Janssen]

On 7 Sep 2005 12:45:47 -0700, "Cam" <[email protected]> wrote:

>Bolt cutters make quick work of chains. Get a decent U-lock and always
>find something solid to lock your bike to.

Depends a lot on the chain. Good chains nowadays are a) large, so they
don't fit into the jaws of smaller boltcutters that you can hide under
your coat b) have hardened steel links and c) *especially* don't have
links that are only bent together and not welded..

It's the hardened steel bit that really matters, though. You do need ones
that are hardened all the way through, not just on the ourside.

Aside from that, making your bike look crappy is an excellent first line
of defense. Mud, rust, lots of gaudy flaking paint.


Jasper

 

[Todd Tracy]

RB wrote:
> Just got a bike for casual trips to the store and back. I'm a 65 yr old kid
> who hasn't been around bikes since approx 1960.
>
> Question being what techniques there are to discourage bike theft when I'm
> in the store?
>
> I have a chain lock, and of course will use that to fasten the bike to a
> pole whenever the opportunity is there. And, I have spoke locks so the
> wheels can't turn.
>
> What I'm concerned about is someone tossing the bike in a pickup while I'm
> in the store, and honking off with it.
>
> Any neat tricks I can use to minimize that possibility when there's no poles
> to chain it to?

See:

http://sheldonbrown.com/lock-strategy.html

 

[none]

Cam wrote:
> Bolt cutters make quick work of chains. Get a decent U-lock and always
> find something solid to lock your bike to.

A bolt cutter will work equally well on a chain or a U-lock, but chains
are more resistant to pulling because they don't have integrated locks.

-Mike

 

[(PeteCresswell)]

Per RB:
>Any neat tricks I can use to minimize that possibility when there's no poles
>to chain it to?

Keep that bike as your "good" bike, find something sufficiently nasty looking
(cruise the neighborhood on trash day...), fix it up so that it works for the
intended purpose.... More rust is better than less rust.
--
PeteCresswell

 

[ellis]

"RB" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Just got a bike for casual trips to the store and back. I'm a 65 yr old
kid
> who hasn't been around bikes since approx 1960.
>
> Question being what techniques there are to discourage bike theft when I'm
> in the store?
>
> I have a chain lock, and of course will use that to fasten the bike to a
> pole whenever the opportunity is there. And, I have spoke locks so the
> wheels can't turn.
>
> What I'm concerned about is someone tossing the bike in a pickup while I'm
> in the store, and honking off with it.
>
> Any neat tricks I can use to minimize that possibility when there's no
poles
> to chain it to?
>
>

St Pierre Quadrachain + American Lock 700 series padlock around a solid pole
no less than 15' tall. Don't ever lock your bike to a scaffolding.

If there is no pole, bring your bike into the store.

 

[Jasper Janssen]

On Thu, 08 Sep 2005 01:21:26 GMT, none <[email protected]> wrote:
>Cam wrote:
>> Bolt cutters make quick work of chains. Get a decent U-lock and always
>> find something solid to lock your bike to.
>
>A bolt cutter will work equally well on a chain or a U-lock, but chains
>are more resistant to pulling because they don't have integrated locks.

Good U-locks don't succumb to boltcutters, that's just the Stupid Light
And Cheap ones. The way to get a U-lock off apparently involves using the
bike frame as a lever against whatever it's bolted to to simply pull the
thing apart, often damaging the frame in the process, even if they fail to
get it. I've seen gaspipe bikes in apparent use with two 20-degree bends 5
cm apart in the top tube. Yikes.

Incidentally, lock strategy for chains: Make sure the thing is tight. You
don't want them to be able to put one arm of the boltcutters on the
ground, cause that more than doubles their strength compared to cutting
with both arms.

Jasper

 

[Cam]

(PeteCresswell) wrote:
> Per RB:
> >Any neat tricks I can use to minimize that possibility when there's no poles
> >to chain it to?
>
> Keep that bike as your "good" bike, find something sufficiently nasty looking
> (cruise the neighborhood on trash day...), fix it up so that it works for the
> intended purpose.... More rust is better than less rust.
> --
> PeteCresswell

I try to park near a more expensive bike that has a cheaper lock.

Cam

 

[Paul Hobson]

Jasper Janssen wrote:
> On Thu, 08 Sep 2005 01:21:26 GMT, none <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>>Cam wrote:
>>
>>>Bolt cutters make quick work of chains. Get a decent U-lock and always
>>>find something solid to lock your bike to.
>>
>>A bolt cutter will work equally well on a chain or a U-lock, but chains
>>are more resistant to pulling because they don't have integrated locks.


> Good U-locks don't succumb to boltcutters, that's just the Stupid Light
> And Cheap ones. The way to get a U-lock off apparently involves using the
> bike frame as a lever against whatever it's bolted to to simply pull the
> thing apart, often damaging the frame in the process, even if they fail to
> get it. I've seen gaspipe bikes in apparent use with two 20-degree bends 5
> cm apart in the top tube. Yikes.

Don't forget the car jack method. To prevent both of those, find a good
fat rack and fill up the u-lock asss much as possible.

> Incidentally, lock strategy for chains: Make sure the thing is tight. You
> don't want them to be able to put one arm of the boltcutters on the
> ground, cause that more than doubles their strength compared to cutting
> with both arms.
>
> Jasper


--
Paul M. Hobson
Georgia Institute of Technology
..:change the words to numbers
if you want to reply to me:.

 

[Leo Lichtman]

"Paul Hobson" wrote : (clip) Don't forget the car jack method. To prevent
both of those, find a good fat rack and fill up the u-lock asss much as
possible. (clip
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
I recall there are some steel links, with loop ends, which slide over the
U-lock, so a car jack won't fit in.

 

[David]

"Leo Lichtman" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> "Paul Hobson" wrote : (clip) Don't forget the car jack method. To prevent
> both of those, find a good fat rack and fill up the u-lock asss much as
> possible. (clip
> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> I recall there are some steel links, with loop ends, which slide over the
> U-lock, so a car jack won't fit in.

There used to be such steel links, called Bad Bones (for their reminiscent
dogbone shape). They're basically a set of 1" wide spacers used to fill the
interior area of the shackle, preventing insertion of leverage bars and
jacks. Hang onto any you find. They've been out of production for years.

Dave