Living Car Free - Bike Security - Ultimate

Hi,

I know this topic has been done to death but I am just so frustrated with it all. This is the biggest obstacle for my car free lifestyle. The fact that I cannot go and just park my bike like many.

How can motorbikes do it?

Right now I use the Kryptonite U-lock.

I have a $1600 good bike I ride everywhere but if I need to go somewhere risky I use my single gear old school warrior eg. the beach.

This is so annoying as I have this awesome bike but cannot use it due to the fear of theft.

Please help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

spray paint your 1600 bike poop brown and camo green... nobody would like it... lol .

How do motorbikes do it? They weigh far too much to carry away, they're registered and have VINs like cars, they require a key (or hotwiring) to start, and they have several different options, often built into the thing, to keep them from being driven away without consent. Not really anything you can use on a bicycle.

Where are you located? What types of places do you go that are so risky to leave your bike locked up?

Yeah, I have the same problem, and no good solutions. One of my bikes is worth $1400 or so, and I don't want to see it stolen. If I commute on that bike, I always either bring it inside with me, or lock it in a super visible place. Most of the time though, I use my old beater (which works just fine) to commute and don't worry about theft.

That's what my 3 speed is for.

I have a Trek 520 I bought for touring. Shortly after I bought the touring bike, I got rid of my car. I then bought a 1975 (as old as I am) banana yellow Schwinn Le Tour for running errands, getting groceries, etc. I usually lock it up with a U-lock and a cable lock.
Aside from locking it up, I have a renter's insurance policy that covers all of my possessions regardless of the location that they are stolen from. To be honest, I do not know that I would have taken out an insurance policy if it did not cover the bike in this fashion (don't really have anything else worth worrying about). I'm pretty sure you could take out a separate insurance policy on just your bike if you really wanted to. When I go on a loaded tour this summer, I will have my stuff in storage with no apartment to so my renter's insurance will be done. I'm not sure it would be worth it to take out a policy on just my bike though. I've never really read anything about anyone's bike being stolen while touring.

I had my 3000 dollar bike stolen already from level 3 underground with security cameras and all. Time taken 60 seconds or less.

No insurance no compensation NADA!

I just want to go to normal places like everyone else. Eg. I go shopping, or to dinner at night time. Beach, Movies etc.

Good points about the motorbike. What else can we do?

Multiple locks?

All locks can be defeated. It just takes someone with knowledge, right tools and opportunity. Multiple locks may help, but there's no point in adding several similar locks (as they can be defeated with the same tool). In addition to U-lock you could use a decent chain locked with a good padlock, for example.

Basically the idea is to make the next bike more attractive to the thief in comparison to yours. If you have a very nice and expensive bike that may turn out to be difficult. Not to mention the weight of the hardware you would have to haul with you...

--J

I will essentially echo others here. Get a cheaper bike for riding around. $1600 would be too much for me for a beater. It doesn't mean that you have to ride something ****ty, but anything that's new and neat looking will be attractive. I for instance like the look of the old skinny steel frames, so I like how my bike looks, even though it looks "old". Also keeping it single speed helps deter thieves, I think. You should be able to get nice used roadies for $2-300 at your LBS.

Oh and, I heard that you can insure your bike against theft on your renter's (or homeowner's) insurance. I still have to look into that.

You should be able to get nice used roadies for $2-300 at your LBS.

Or go to the thrift store, spend like $10 and maybe as much as $50 fixing it up. My daily use bike I actually got for free - someone had cleaned out their garage, and put it and another one on the curb with the trash, with a "Free" sign on it. I grabbed them quick before the trash man came! I spent I think $40 for a new freewheel/cassette and chain, and it was ready to go!

Luckily I can park in the underground parking where the execs hide their cars.
**knocks on wood*** so far no reports of missing anything. Though I have been known to bring my bik einto the bank etc, as I leave my lock at work. Someone says something I ask if it's in the way as it's worth more than my car and I'll be gone in a couple minutes.....most I find are surprisingly agreeable. I hear ya about the movies and such. I get all twitchy thinkin my baby is locked up outside for a couple hours.

I think it's just a fact of life that in most of the U.S., a $1600 bike can't be safely left on a public street.

There are wonderful bikes out there for $200 that will be no more than a minute slower than a $1600 bike when you're riding several miles. Accept that a $1600 bike is almost useless for everyday transportation and move on.

Unless everywhere you go, you can have your bike next to you.

I think it's just a fact of life that in most of the U.S., a $1600 bike can't be safely left on a public street.

There are wonderful bikes out there for $200 that will be no more than a minute slower than a $1600 bike when you're riding several miles. Accept that a $1600 bike is almost useless for everyday transportation and move on.

Unless everywhere you go, you can have your bike next to you.

Agreed

In fact, a $200.00 dollar bike should not be locked to a bike rack with rusted Roadmasters. A good functional $200.00 dollar bicycle shoud be hidden far away from the bike rack. That is how I've managed to avoid theft.

Unfortunate that we need to modify our behavior regarding hiding a decent bike as opposed to being able to "know" it'll be there when you get back. Same goes for the 85,000$ Mercedes.

You could always do what I did - move to a small town. People around here leave their Treks, Xtracycles, Specializeds, etc unlocked all the time. If someone stole a bike here, they couldn't ride it in town.

I have this problem too, 7 years ago i bought a $1700 titanium cross bike. but lately i've gotten heavily into utility cycling and now I have to park on the street all the time. So i thought, should i sell it before it gets stolen? nah, why lose all that money for a bike i still love to ride?
So i bought a used $300 cross bike that I use for trips when i need to park. Ironically it's the one that gets used 85% of the time. If i could do it again, i probably wouldn't have bought the more expensive bike, cuz it's just not compatible with utility cycling.

Anyone ever have their bike stolen when locked with a mini U-lock? It seems to me that unless someone is willing to risk using a noisy attention getting grinder to cut through the lock that it would be pretty hard to break. When I park my bike at the gym (in bike theft heavy San Francisco) 95% of the bikes are crappy beat up mountain bikes or hybrids that I would never ride. My fixed gear bike looks like a million bucks next to that crowd (it would cost about $1000 retail to replace it) but so far no one has stolen it.

The thing is, if you like bikes, why should you have to ride a crappy bike everyday?

Seems the motorcycle has an ignition system and a steering lock to contend with as well many put mini locks on the front or rear wheel. Maybe as electronics and power systems get better we'll get bio metric based static energy systems. Thumb print switches to deactivate a possible static charge similar to a taser. Was in a William Gibson book.

Don't worry. I never get tired on my discovery of the most liberating bikes since I learned to ride one. It is the folding/separating bicycles. These are the most theft resistant bikes you will ever come across. Never mind the well intentioned, yet inaccurate claims of "uglifing" your valued bike. No matter what you do to bikes, if they are ridable, they are attractive to theives. They would probably not be stopped by passing crowds of people since no one wants to risk their necks over "just a bike."
The best lock is YOU period! Don't fall into a false sense of trusting locks, other people, watching through a open window, etc. Been there, done that, does not work in most cases. Since I purchase my first folder, I have never been so free! And they don't cost a king's ramson. A good dependable one starts at the same point as a non folder does.

If I know I will have to lock up for a long time I ride my ladies 5 speed Columbia that was given to me as a gift. It would win an "Ugliest bike in the world" competition.
I lock it with a Kryptonite NY lock and a Mini or a cable or all of them.
When I was locking it up a guy walking by said
"That lock is worth a lot more than that bike, why bother? " That's what it looks like.
A lot of trouble for a very low benefit. Nothing is ever a sure thing, and we have no control over a lot of things. But I can control how my locked bike looks, and how I lock it up. That's about all that is possible. I will be mad if it gets taken, but then I use the $10 Ross ten speed. If that gets stolen I use the $10 Schwinn continental.
It's easy around here to get rideable free bikes from the trash and cheap bikes at yard sales.

The thing is, if you like bikes, why should you have to ride a crappy bike everyday?

My opinion, and disagree with it if you want, is that a bike is not crappy just because its resale value is only $30. I think people in our society want to have 'the best' and be seen with 'the best'... hence luxury SUVs, houses so huge that you don't know what to do with all the space- but from a comfort, fun, and function standpoint there's nothing better about more expensive bikes unless you convince yourself there is. (and also the extra weight of an inexpensive bike could lose you a race, if you were actually using it for a race.)

Anyone ever have their bike stolen when locked with a mini U-lock? It seems to me that unless someone is willing to risk using a noisy attention getting grinder to cut through the lock that it would be pretty hard to break. When I park my bike at the gym (in bike theft heavy San Francisco) 95% of the bikes are crappy beat up mountain bikes or hybrids that I would never ride. My fixed gear bike looks like a million bucks next to that crowd (it would cost about $1000 retail to replace it) but so far no one has stolen it.

The thing is, if you like bikes, why should you have to ride a crappy bike everyday?

I don't lust after an expensive commuter bike because I have nicer bikes in the stable at home. I have my commuter, which is cheap, but I've never described it as crappy. Then I have my "good" bikes, which are used for anything but commuting...i.e. hard tail mtn bike, single speed mtn bike, cyclocross/road bike, and soon, a road "racing" bike, for racing. As a wiser forum member once said, "the correct number of bikes to own = n +1, where n is the number of bikes one currently owns" :)

but from a comfort, fun, and function standpoint there's nothing better about more expensive bikes unless you convince yourself there is.

I must completely disagree ...to a point. I agree with you about peoples' desire to have the best in our society. Hardly the peoples' fault though, that's how our society works. As for the gear, however, in every sport the levels of gear from say Walmat to high-end completely serve a purpose. A 200$ MTB is fine for going about town a getting a few things, maybe even commuting. Are you going to take on the mountains and an intermediate/expert level run with that? The brakes won't stop it in the mud, the rims would be destroyed after an afternoon, and you could more than likely break the frame off a couple good airs. A strong rider can wreck a low end wheel in no time, but someone who take their time and doesn't push....it might last years. This low-end gear is designed to introduce people to a new sport. If they get better and 'out grow'/destroy the gear, they upgrade. Same with skateboards, skis/snowboards, running shoes and all the performance clothing that goes along with it. You don't go out an buy your 11 year old a 300$ pro setup, you get a 30$ setup and let him thrash it. I've not skated a novice setup in over 20 years, as I'd destroy it in a day based on my abilities. The gear increases in quality and performance capability as it does in price. Otherwise it's a rip off and doesn't sell at all. I'm not a weight weenie but I like to be able to put my energy to the road more efficiently than if I were pedaling a tank.

That being said after 5 years of daily riding I actually need to get a couple parts for my mid range bike 1200$ new i think it was.... I bought it a year old for a deal. Wore the Kool Stop down to the mounting pins and is now grinding the rim. If I'd had cheap rims I would have had to replace both at least once in this time. These will be the first parts I've had to buy for my ride. I'd never have gotten that mileage or performance from a 200$ bike. It simply does not suit my needs. Nor does a 5000$ titanium racing machine. Too much bike for what I need.

As a wiser forum member once said, "the correct number of bikes to own = n +1, where n is the number of bikes one currently owns" :)

This applies well to many interests.

"How many X do you really need?"

"Just one more."

That being said after 5 years of daily riding I actually need to get a couple parts for my mid range bike 1200$ new i think it was.... I bought it a year old for a deal. Wore the Kool Stop down to the mounting pins and is now grinding the rim. If I'd had cheap rims I would have had to replace both at least once in this time.
Do I understand you correctly? You spent $1200 for a bike, then balk at spending $6 for a set of brake pads? You know it only takes about 15 minutes to change brake pads?

Any bike will last if you do the routine maintenence. By not changing your pads, you not only risk the rims but even your own life. Get 'em changed!

No worries I'm not balking at spending anything on the ride. It started grinding they came undone and are now fixed. 36 hrs from first noise. I spent about 600 for the ride and it was a year old. University student needed books and didn't want the ride anymore. It's the routine maintenance I'm speaking of, I do it and have only now required to buy something other than a tube after years of riding. We miscommunicated between me writing and you reading. I was trying to point out that I'd never get that kinda of use from a 200$ bike no matter what kinda of maintenance I put into it. Peace and pizza.

No worries I'm not balking at spending anything on the ride. It started grinding they came undone and are now fixed. 36 hrs from first noise. I spent about 600 for the ride and it was a year old. University student needed books and didn't want the ride anymore. It's the routine maintenance I'm speaking of, I do it and have only now required to buy something other than a tube after years of riding. We miscommunicated between me writing and you reading. I was trying to point out that I'd never get that kinda of use from a 200$ bike no matter what kinda of maintenance I put into it. Peace and pizza.
Sorry if I read carelessly. I hate it when somebody does that to me!

The discount store bikes are harder to maintain and especially harder o keep properly adjusted, since parts are made to looser specs. But getting back to the original topic....

i almost think that a shiny new discount bike is more likely to be stolen in some areas. Casual thieves (joyriders) do most of the stealing in some areas (especially inner city) and they seem to go for the bling value of inexpensive bikes. They also recognize the value of Trek or even Giant, but many have never heard of Bianchi or Gary Fisher, for example, so they're not as tempted.

Don't assume that bike thieves are not knowledgeable about various bicycle makes. They really do go for any bike that has a known highly touted brand name. The thieves also go for anything that can be ridden away. They are not too discriminate around here. Any bike has value by it's useful (riding) nature. And the ease of theft.

Don't assume that bike thieves are not knowledgeable about various bicycle makes. They really do go for any bike that has a known highly touted brand name. The thieves also go for anything that can be ridden away. They are not too discriminate around here. Any bike has value by it's useful (riding) nature. And the ease of theft.

Seems twenty years ago a nice bike would get ripped off, because a thief might make a nickel or two off the ride. Now a crackhead can sell a 1500$ bike for twenty bucks and be oh so pleased with himself. Even a POS can fetch enough to damage his brain if someone will buy it for next to nothing.

Then there are the thieves that really know what they're doing. *shudder*
Every spring a van would be spotted in MTL trying to steal messengers rides, as we almost never actually locked to anything solid, just lock and lean. Toss it in the back of the van and it vanished after a couple weeks. Apparently this van would then drive to Toronto where the rides were then sold. The van however made the initial trip to MTL full of stolen bikes from Toronto. I remember this happening for years.

Lock up your bike to a natural gas line, if you can find one. Most buildings have a gas line outside, you can regognize it by the large bulky meter attached to it. No crook is gonna want to grind or pry off your locks that close to a gas line.

Don't assume that bike thieves are not knowledgeable about various bicycle makes. They really do go for any bike that has a known highly touted brand name. The thieves also go for anything that can be ridden away. They are not too discriminate around here. Any bike has value by it's useful (riding) nature. And the ease of theft.
Yes, ease of theft. Even old cheap bikes get stolen. Like riding in traffic it seems like lockup techniques take some learning. One of my neighbors went car free a few years ago and had a few bikes stolen in the first few years. One of his bikes, and another neighbor's bike both got stolen after being locked to the same iron fence across the street. We figured it out. The bike thieves had used a thin saw to make a cut in one of the long iron bars. The cut was easy to overlook. So when a bike gets locked to that bar, the thief just has to bend the bar and slip the lock off and ride away. When I heard that the city was installing inverted U bike racks for the asking I asked. Now we have a more secure place to lock up. The point is that you can't just put the lock on willy-nilly and sometimes you have to get involved with your neighborhood to get better locking facilities.

Another incident illustrates the get involved part. I used to lock to a secure iron railing at a business near work but some security guard went nuts about it. He threatened to have the cops impound my bike etc. I had to go up the chain of command and explain the realities of bike commuting and theft. It worked. One of the bosses let the security guards know that he wanted to encourage bike use and lay off the bikers who lock to that railing. Other bikers benefit when you get a policy change enacted.

Lock up your bike to a natural gas line, if you can find one. Most buildings have a gas line outside, you can regognize it by the large bulky meter attached to it. No crook is gonna want to grind or pry off your locks that close to a gas line.

And if they do, call the police, because the police will probably make just as big a deal about a thief who punctures gas lines as one who steals cars.

good thread.

It hurts going back down the line in bikes after you have rode a rolls royce of bikes!

Especially when you work your #### off for it. I deserve that smooth feeling of riding not that normal feeling.

I can replace a bike stolen but I will NOT let thieves steal me of my awesome feeling riding an AWESOME bike that I worked my butt off for.

I had a u lock and chained bike stolen from under video surveliance. Nothing happened.

What about bike locators? As in homing beacon?

"I am going to be extensively travelling very soon and will bring along a new companion, Swifty (a Swift folder). As my companion, Swifty will go where I go, I am not planning to lock it up anywhere. I'll probably place Swift in a carrying bag to hide it from bicycle prejudiced establishments.

Hope my luck holds out."-stargazer48

"I've heard of people getting mugged for their bike here in NYC. So much for carrying a lock. I'm thinking of just buying a gun! In any case if you value your bike you'd keep it locked at home and not use it to commute. Manhattan is filled with enough delivery-boy-type pieces of junk you'd be safer blending in with those. Keep the full-suspension for the weekend trails."-razr

These 2 forum members touched on the extreme range of bicycle security problems and solutions that residents face in large, urban areas of the United States. I only look at and purchase those "funny looking" bikes (small wheeled folders) that I can locate and take a chance where I live. My present and future new bikes will only be folders-the most theft resistant vehicle which I could think of and use. Because nothing is completely theft proof!

I have been riding in NYC for over 45 years and I have had only one bicycle stolen while I was a bicycle messenger nearly 35 years ago. When lived in Manhattan, I have used my PX10 bicycle to commute to work and as my main mode of transportation. I carry 2 Kryp. ulocks with me and lock up both wheels and the frame. I must admit that when I lock up the bike, I wonder if it will be there when I return. Maybe it's luck or maybe it's because my 30 year old PX10 now looks like a beater (sorry PX).

SG

Hi,

I know this topic has been done to death but I am just so frustrated with it all. This is the biggest obstacle for my car free lifestyle. The fact that I cannot go and just park my bike like many.

How can motorbikes do it?

Right now I use the Kryptonite U-lock.

I have a $1600 good bike I ride everywhere but if I need to go somewhere risky I use my single gear old school warrior eg. the beach.

This is so annoying as I have this awesome bike but cannot use it due to the fear of theft.

Please help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What you could do, is take the seat and/or the front wheel (It's q/r isn't it?) with you when you leave the bike unattended, to raise the level of deterance. In addition to that, lock your bike.

As another poster in another forum so aptly put it, (to paraphrase) When you are locking your bike all you are doing is keeping the honest people honest.

I agree with poster that said you have to make the the other bikes look more attractive to steal (because they wouldn't want to go thru the trouble of stealing yours).

Lock up your bike to a natural gas line, if you can find one. Most buildings have a gas line outside, you can regognize it by the large bulky meter attached to it. No crook is gonna want to grind or pry off your locks that close to a gas line.

But if he did, it would almost be worth losing your bike in the blast just to see what happens to the thief. :D

lol.....only if I can get an image of his facial expression the instant the realization hits.

Lock up your bike to a natural gas line, if you can find one.

Hahaha. If I ever hear about a natural gas leak in the waterloo area, I'm gonna wonder if your bike was involved. As an environmental building inspector I probably have to recommend against this from a professional standpoint, but it is a novel idea.

good thread.

It hurts going back down the line in bikes after you have rode a rolls royce of bikes!

Especially when you work your #### off for it. I deserve that smooth feeling of riding not that normal feeling.

I can replace a bike stolen but I will NOT let thieves steal me of my awesome feeling riding an AWESOME bike that I worked my butt off for.

I had a u lock and chained bike stolen from under video surveliance. Nothing happened.

What about bike locators? As in homing beacon?


Like you, I ride my expensive bike everywhere. I commute very often 30km per day on it. I would much prefer to ride my good ride than to purchase a junker that just doesn't perform as well. With the recent upgrades, disc brakes and chain retention system, that I've added I'm becoming more and more afraid of theft. I've been dreaming about a bike locator type technology for years and it looks like things are starting to come to market.

At least for Canadians, check out this site: http://www.trackem.ca/
So far I've found a few different company's that offer this type of business and consumer service.

Here's a some "case studies" from their website:

Consumer Problem 1
A client’s father who has Alzheimer’s goes for daily walks but sometimes he does not remember how to get home. He will just stand on the street corner until somebody approaches him.

Solution
The son and daughter can now be reassured that when he does go for a walk they know where he is and if he does get confused they will be able to locate him and send somebody to assist the gentleman.


Consumer Problem 2
Eight (8) year old daughter travels to and from school by herself on the school bus. We would like to have the security that she gets to where she has to go safely.

Solution
With Trackem®, Mom and Dad can be at work or at home and see that she has arrived at school or home from school safely. Their daughter also enjoys Trackem® because not only does she have a cell phone but, she has the reassurance that mom and dad can always find me and get to her if she needs them to.


Consumer Problem 3
He has a problem of always misplacing his phone, between the car, house and his office. Twice he has purchased new phones and subsequently found the old phone weeks later.

Solution
Now if he misplaces it he can check his account and locate his phone. He can see where it was last left or where it is now

I wonder if they have GPS/GSM devices that would fit, with the battery into a seat tube or something. I think this type of security combined with a u-lock and cable could be the best solution for the most paranoid of us.

I don't know about GPS/GSM. Just the GPS by itself eats batteries for breakfast and requires visibility to satellites. Even without the display (which is a considerable battery hog) I doubt you could squeeze more than a couple of day's worth of juice out of one set of batteries. I certainly would not want to remove seatpost maybe twice a week to change batteries. Heck, even if I did, I'd probably forget.

Making battery case more accessible and/or bringing the antenna out of seat tube to improve reception would kind of defeat the purpose. Unless maybe you could use bike frame itself or parts of it as an antenna? But still, doesn't seem like a winner to me.

--J

How can motorbikes do it?

I ride a Vespa scooter, my only form of transportation apart from my bikes. So it goes everywhere. When I get into super-paranoia mode and I really want to lock it up, I have a disc lock on the front disc brake, and a New York Noose Chain that I can wrap around the floorboard and attach to whatever via a U-lock. This is in addition to the already built-in column lock (so that the handlebars are locked turned left), and engine immobilizer (an electric code found in the scooter keys that must be present for the engine to run). If somebody really wants it, they can saw through the chain/u-lock and toss it in a truck, but the immobilizer makes the whole thing useless without the key.

Usually I'm not that paranoid and the disc lock, column lock, and immobilizer are enough.

I also have full-coverage insurance because it's cheap for scooters.