Originally Posted by
duke_of_hazard
What is best advice for when I do have to lock the bike outside . If I lock it in front of a busy 5 star hotel lobby, would that be good? It is amazing how many people who work downtown commute. Each high rise office has tons of bikes around it, so it couldn't be that unsafe?
If you read my Security section on my web sites, I do go more in detail with lots of links on actual bike thefts in progress in supposed safe or secure areas (see my first Security page and scroll to the bottom of the page for the link list). My point is that when you lock it up even in hotel lobbies, you are leaving the bike open to tampering (vandalism) or actual theft. People do not watch your bike. They are usually travelling and are wrapped up in themselves. If I need to lock up my bike outside, I simply do not take mine with me. And I do not listen to idiots barking orders at me about the bikes when I do. I usually have a bike in the shopping cart/trolley when I am shopping. Or I am towing a bike around in a small luggage cart. When I am in a restaurant, I do use a cable lock to lock it to the table when I get up for some reason:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/world-of-folding-bicycles/265102648/in/set-72157594325178229/
In the photo, my bike is not locked because I stayed with it all the time. This is what the bike does best and is designed for.
This is the only time I do lock. When my hands/body is actually not on the bike. And it is inside underneath a table sometimes with others present.
Just remember thieves are not stupid. Some actually take orders for a certain type of bikes and look around for one that fits the bill. If you need to lock up a bike in a urban setting, why did you bought a folding one in the first place?