General Cycling Discussion - please give tips > "thief proof" yer bike

bike theft is a problem in my area of the city. Does anyone have good tips to keep higher-end bikes from being stolen??

put poop (human or dog) all over the bike... especially the handlebars

actually you know what would be a good product.... a taser-style electroshock kinda thing.

Originally posted by veganheart
bike theft is a problem in my area of the city. Does anyone have good tips to keep higher-end bikes from being stolen??

Dont ride the high end bike....

Welllllll,
Let me start my saying that no bike is safe overnight in most big cities unless it is locked up inside.
I ride the mean streets and I've come to view certain times and locations for locking up my bike in about four risk catagories.

Light Risk
I'm going into a store for two minutes. It is in a good neighbourhood. There is no immovable object near. I lock using a U bolt through the rear wheels and frame. I leave all the accessories on.

Moderate Risk
These are areas of heavy pedestrian traffic in chic shopping didtricts or in rural areas. For short stops I lock my bike through the rear wheel and frame to an immovable object. Here in the city of Toronto, the City Cycling Committee provide post and rings in most areas.


Moderate to High Risk
These are in similar areas as above but when I will be staying longer and especially after dark. I lock the bike to an immovable object, either take the seat or lock it to the bike and lock the front wheel to the frame. I remove all accessories.


High Risk
It's not a nice neighbourhood and it may be after dark.I see people drooling over my bike, or I'm locking it up for a long period of time. I lock the frame, rear wheel and seat to an immovable object. I lock the front wheels to the frame and an other immovable object, preferably not the same one. I remove all accessories. If I see a bunch of kids hanging around I offer the leader half a 5 dollar bill to look after my bike. I give him the other half when I get back.

I don't cheat on my locks. I carry two and they are almost as expensive as the bike. I lost 2 bikes before I started doing this. It is really embarrassing taking the streetcar home carrying your bike helmet.

Allan

well, basically there are 3 main strategies and use them together:
1) try not to park your bike somewhere unsafe - duh?
2) secure it - use locks - best is 2 locks of different types, say a u-lock and a thick cable/chain lock
3) disguise it - keep it dirty, don't wash it, put tape overall, use an old raggedy seat, put on ugly reflectors or whaever --- i know some people who have covered the whole frame with tape so it looks like crap, but i have had decent luck with just leaving it dirty and make sure it doesn't look new, shiny or otherwise attract attention. i recently went somewhere with my old aluminum hardtail ('97 Norco Torrent) which is a great commuter bike and i only had a small cable and i was worried. i asked a friend and he glanced at the bike and said "who would want to steal that junk?" and i was happy and sad at the same time: happy that it was unlikely a criminal would steal it is a cyclist thought it was junk, but sad b/c i am proud of my bike, but it's fine if only i know how cool it is. :)

of course, a fancy or unusual design like a Cannondale Lefty or a heaft downhill bike with major suspension can be more difficult to disguise.

any lock CAN be broken, so the best thing is to make your bike look less desireable than others around AND make the locks so much of a nuisance that a criminal would rather spend his time on an easier target.

anyway, especially since i have been in Germany where bike theft is (relatively) rare, i have gotten pretty lazy. personally, i have had one bike stolen in my life - and it was left unlocked in my open garage as i wetn somewhere for 30 minutes and forgot. although in college my girlfriend's junker bike was locked to a pole and someone went through the trouble to lift it 10 feet into the air and over the sign, why i don't know since it was worth maybe $40. good luck.

Originally posted by veganheart
bike theft is a problem in my area of the city. Does anyone have good tips to keep higher-end bikes from being stolen??

Bike theft is a problem in EVERY city. And like car theft, it's a crime of opportunity: high-end or low-end, if the opportunity presents itself, your bike is history.

If you like your 'high-end (bike)', don't park it in public out of your sight. For me, that means I don't even carry a lock: either I'm on the bike or it's secure in my residence and not in public view. If I need to do something that necessitates me locking the bike up, then I take my beater bike instead.

Keep in mind that if it is a really high end bike, they will cut through the frame. If you have to lock it up, I'd say to dismantle it and wrap it up with as many locks as possible.

why would they cut through the frame... isnt that the most valuable part of a high end bike?

maybe but there's still value there without the frame.

why would they cut through the frame... isnt that the most valuable part of a high end bike?

The components on a high end bike are valuable. Consider a new pair of Race Face cranks or a Chris King headset goes for over $100. One could sell off the parts and make a lot of money.

My solution against bike theft is to keep the valuable bike indoors, or in my line of sight outdoors. If I need to lock the bike up for any length of time, I will use my cheapo bike (late 80s KHS). It's not attractive to thieves.

I agree with the junker bike idea. However, most bike thefts are crimes of opportunity. Unfortunately, you will probably have to lock up your junker also.

I grew up around a lot of bike theft (I had mine stolen once). Most kids don't care about the value of a bike, they're just looking for something to cruise around. Fortunately, those kids will more than likely not have the means or will to cut through a lock. They know that there is an unlocked bike somewhere. That will be the one they steal.

>>>>>>>bike theft is a problem in my area of the city. Does anyone have good tips to keep higher-end bikes from being stolen??<<<<<<

First.. You need two locks. Get the the New York Chain by Kryptonite and their U-Lock. They are expensive, but it's worth it in the long run. If the lock costs less than $50.00 USD. Forget it.

Second...Do not travel with the chain and leave it attached to the bike rack or the place you intend to park it. Always travel with the U-lock since you never know when your going to make a temporary stop.

Third.... Don't even think about commuting with a bike that costs more than $700 unless you can park it indoors at work.

Ride old bikes. :D They cost less to purchase, less to operate, and are less prone to theft.

I've got a couple ideas for you to try.

1) Shift gears when the bike is stationary. That way if some happens to break the lock, its harder for them to peddle away as the drive train is all crossed geared and buggered up.

2) Take the seat and front tire with you. If you have QR's.

3) Hide a note in the bike somewhere. Like the headtube, seatpost or BB. If by chance the bike is taken in for service by the low life to an LBS, they may come across your note while working on it. Something like, "This bike belongs to "Veganheart" if the individual who brought in the bike did not identify themselves as "Veganheart" then it is stolen! Please contact the police immediately.

4) Another one is to register your bicycle with your local police department. That way if it is stolen, and the police happen to recover it, then they can check thier database to see if the owner registered it.

5) I would highly recommend the Kryptonite NY Lock for your bike security. Its expensive, however, it worth it. Virtually theft proof. Although nothing is a hundred precent, the NY is your best bet.

Don't let this be your' bike

When you go to the police auctions, you can't help but notice that about 75% of the bikes there have locks on them. You can buy the best locks in the world, but if you don't use them, they don't do much!

John E. has it right. The best way not to get your bike stolen is to not lock it up. Seriously, there's no reason to be locking up your $1500 bike. Leave it at home, take it inside. You know when you're in an area of high risk for bike theft. If this is the case, get a cheap bike at Goodwill or build one or something. Personally, I have a nice bike and a cheap Giant Rincon commuter that I'm still upgrading. Nobody's going to steal the Giant, especially since bike theft back home usually is so low.

Where I live now there is an inordinant amount of bikes stolen. Everyone rides around the crappiest bikes I've ever seen because anything else will just get ripped off.

One of my roommates locked his bike to a bunch of other guys' bikes. His wheel was locked with a U-Lock and his frame was locked with a cable. They cut through his wheel (including the rim) and his cable lock to steal the bike.

There's also always insurance.

*David

You can stamp your zip-code onto the BB shell.
Use nuts rather than QR skewers to attach wheels and seatpost.
Ride an unfashionable style like a touring bike.


I ride in a town with few cyclists, not enough to maintain professional bike thieves in any luxury. The main problem is from opertunists looking to pay for their next fix, and from drunken vandals.
Night-time vandalism is more of a problem, so I generally hide my bike from public view when I go out on the town.

Removing accessories and bike parts for security every time you lock your bike become a real pain in the butt. I like to mount accessories as permanantly as possible, with nuts and bolts.

To amend John E: Make it an old ROAD bike. Visibly unfashionable road bikes seem to be (knock wood) the thieves' least fave object. Down tube shifters, drop handlebars, brake cables that stick up in the air, a brand nobody's ever heard of, nutted axles on the hubs, uncomfortable-looking saddle, a dull paint color--these are all thief-repelling elements. A pro thief will bust a lock to get to a bike they want. Most of these guys don't really know bikes, and they'll bypass a classic road or touring bike to score a Wal-Mart dual suspension imitation mountain bike.

And another thing; if you must leave a bike unlocked for a few minutes at a time, build and learn to ride a fixed gear--a stiff hub under someone who's never ridden one will take it's own revenge!

I'm not sure how effective this is, but you can register your bike here:

http://www.nationalbikeregistry.com/

Depends on what you have to ride. If you have to ride a expensive bike and lock it up outside then the best lock that could not be defeated even by pro thieves is the Kryptonite New York Chain. ALL the other locks currently available at a typical bike shop could be rendered useless in less than 45 seconds. They tried picking, cutting, sawing, freezing and various other things and after 21 minutes they gave up and the New Yorker was bruised but not broken. The only lock that was not tested was the new MasterLock Bike Culfs because it was not on the market at the time of testing. Do keep in mind this New Yorker chain is very heavy at around 8 pounds!!!!!!

BUT if you live in an area that you are concerned about bike theft and cannot park and lock inside where you are, then I would do as others mentioned and buy a beater. Even with a New Yorker installed they can take your Campy Record parts in a matter of seconds including your seat and post, handlebar and stem, headset and fork, and main components. Go to garage sales or Goodwill for used bikes or to Wallyworld for new bike but no road bikes there.

A little perspective, when my car was parked at work someone put a $1200+ dent in it, my story turned out ok but everyday lots of people get $600+++ damage done to their cars while their at work, the mall, or getting groceries. most insurance deductables are $500. so to get a $500 bike stolen is no more expensive than parking lot damage. it's bad but like everything in life, buy a new york lock, use it, and take your chances.

>>>>>the best lock that could not be defeated even by pro thieves is the Kryptonite New York Chain. ALL the other locks currently available at a typical bike shop could be rendered useless in less than 45 seconds. <<<<<<

Not true... Bike shops two years ago in Manhattan were telling me the New York Chain had been defeated. The CV Lock which was supposed to be indistructable has finally been defeated by the pros. Turns out a company created a universal round key which is used to defeat the lock. The New York Chain is a different matter altogether. To defeat the chain, you'll need heavy equiptment (blow torch) which would send sparks about 20 feat into the air. No bike theif professional or otherwise would go to this exteame to steal a bike. The CV lock on the New York Chain is another matter since it can be defeated.

Do keep in mind this New Yorker chain is very heavy at around 8 pounds!!!!!!

I always keep the New York Chain at work so I never have to carry it. I always ride with the New York U-Lock.

today i bought a new lock: the Specialized "wedlock". anyone know anything about it or how easily defeateble it is?

i bought it b/c it seems to offer more security than most of the chain/cable locks and is about the same weight as a u-lock, but folds up so it is easier to carry - i have a small trianlgle on my bike and a u-lock only fits if i have 0 water bottle cages - the wedlock allows me to keep 1 water bottle cage and not have to worry about puting my lock on my rear rack or wherever.

it is made of 6 steel segments which each swivel so it seems like it should be about as safe as a u-lock but much harder to pry or jack open.

i'll be using it on my old commuter hardtail which it all dirty and "uglified" so i think it should be sufficient. for overnight and insecure i will stay take my old beater bike...

I had a P.O.S.(piece of %#$@) bike stolen in college. Cheap, steel, worthless Kmart bike. At the year's end, during finals week, landscaping cleared away all the bushes around the dorm. And there was my poor bike for all the world to see, stripped away, and had been back there the entire year.

My friends got a huge laugh at me when I pointed to it and said, "Oh look, someone's bike was sto..." and I stopped mid-sentence realizing it had been mine!

Originally posted by cranky
I had a P.O.S.(piece of %#$@) bike stolen in college....

There was a guy in my dorm in college who would simply take whatever unlocked bike he would find outside the dorm or classroom buildings and ride to wherever he wanted to go. Just take the first bike he'd find not locked up and ride it away. Not surprisingly, he'd have a sea of unlocked bikes to choose from all the time.

As far as I knew, he never got caught.

I come from an area where we learn paranoia. First of all, I never let my bike out of my sight, unless it is locked up. Only problem there, I use about a 1/4 inch cable with a simple padlock.. Is this cable good enough..? Are u bolts what is needed to be really secure. When riding with my high end bike, I never leave it out of sight..
Maybe worst problem, I have read/heard of thefts is when thugs attack you on the bike paths, harm you and take your bike. I was told on a nearby bike path, a cyclist was knifed, over in Oceanside?

Dahon Steve is repeating a rumor...not saying that the lock cannot be defeated, because anything can be defeated. darkwing.uoregon.edu/~ode/archive/v97/1/950929/950929.kryptonite.html

If possible, try bringing the bike wherever you go. I keep my bike at home and I don't even have a lock for my bike. When I go to the gents, I'll bring the bike along with me too. HEHE:D

It is really not wise to leave your bike out of sight, not only do you worry about your bike but it'll actually be stolen. Lock your bike only if you have NO other choice.

Here's a funny story: San Mateo is a very nice city and crime isn't as high as neighboring Redwood City or San Francisco. Anyway, when my girlfriend's old (and I really mean old) bike was stolen from our locked rack down in the garage, we were shocked! But the funny part is, there are many other bikes locked in the same rack, much nicer than ours. And there's even a few bikes that aren't even locked on the rack--they're locked to each other ... including a Santa Cruz Superlight (a really nice anodized gray) and a new Trek 6500 mountain bike. The bike was locked with a cable lock just like any other bike on that rack.

But the funny part is, there are many other bikes locked in the same rack, much nicer than ours.

maybe the theif was looking for a particular size frame?

or else just doesn't know anything about bikes.

I'll pass on a security piece of equipment I've read about and looked up on the internet.

This is a two piece device and can be easily used for bikes, but is primarily sold for luggage/baggage/laptops, etc.

This is a proximity alarm. You keep one piece with you and the other attached (and hidden) on the bike. If the bike is moved a specific distance from the other device, an alarm goes off. These things go for about $60 or so.

I just had my bike stolen from in front of my house. (I now have it chained to a metal loop I've installed into the bricks.) If I would have used this device with that bike, an alarm would have gone off (either in the house or on the bike, depending on where you place the units) when the thief started walking away with the bike.

Here's a link to one compnay that makes a proximity alarm ...
http://www.trackitcorp.com/

Here in Gothenburg, Sweden I often see locked up bikes in the morning that is destroyed. The wheels are kicked and looks like a taco. Sometimes locking the bike is no answer. The only thing to do is to not leave the bike locked outside over night, but to put it inside.

If I leave my bike for an hour or so (rarely happens) I remove the frontwheel and lock together with the frame and backwheel with my U-lock in something permanent like a pole/post.

Originally posted by oscaregg
And another thing; if you must leave a bike unlocked for a few minutes at a time, build and learn to ride a fixed gear--a stiff hub under someone who's never ridden one will take it's own revenge!

Yeah, I was going to say that. I mean if a thief ever steals my bike (it's a beater so not much likely-hood [knock on wood]) they'll have three problems:
1) Riding a fixed gear.
2) Stopping with no brakes.
3) Finding someone who wants to buy a single-speed bicycle that has the paint scraped off it, stickers plastered on it, and no brakes.

Cycling has been my only mode of transportation for the past three years now; even through the long Winnipeg winters. Probably not the best idea, but i dropped $900 (CAD) on a Giant; this is the only bike I currently own. So bike theft is something that i need to consider, and take precautions for. Here's what I did:

- I spray painted my frame a bright neon orange. If you can get reflective, then even better for night
riding.

- I don't lock up my bike on bike racks with other bikes. Instead i find a street sign close to an intersection, or other place where there is steady traffic, but not many people walking by.

(I guess my theory behind the spray-paint and open area locking, is that instead of trying to hide your bike from thieves, shove it in their face; cause it's in everyone else's face as well. There is no other bike in the city that looks like mine, and if it's gonna be stolen, then the thief will have to do it in the spotlight.)

I read other replies about buying an old beater bike with one gear, and little or no accesories. This is fine if you're not travelling too far; or you don't mind components breaking down on you in rain, snow, or just over time. I agree it's cheaper if these parts are vandalized or stolen; but you want to be able to enjoy your ride (preferably worry-free), and especially if you depend on biking for getting around. So I wouldn't toss all the good components, there is a level of risk that needs to be taken.

On the flip side, don't upgrade your bike with $500 parts, and expect to get away with it by throwing dirt on your frame and hockey cards in the spokes. A lot of bike thieves steal bikes for a living, and know what they're looking for. It's hard to hide expensive components, even with the price tags ripped off.


I've been lucky so far; no attempts on stealing my bike. Granted, Winnipeg isn't as bad as other major cities, but i know too many people who are on to their second, third or fourth bike in 3 years.
I hope this helps someone out; in return, all i ask is that not everyone paints their bike neon orange. I'd still like mine to stand out. :)

IR

The thread comes back from a two-year sleep.

Heavy bike theft seems to be a problem more in major cities. I've ridden for 45 years, about half of that in a small drug-ridden city in CT & had no problem leaving my well-polished & upgraded Peugeot Success secured to a bike rack with a cable & Master lock in front of the public library for the day (altho i would not do this very often). Have never in my career had a bike stolen or vandalised. I don't use QRs.

Here in Noho the same arrangement serves for locking a bike to a rack downtown for an hour or so at a time.I've also left it for the better part of a day locked up by the bus station.

Thieves cutting frames - well, a steel frame can be repaired, so they can use that too.

IR
Doesn't surprise me in the slightest that a newbie would revive a thread that's been DEAD for over TWO YEARS
This has been covered a lot more recently - just because everything shows as new doesn't mean it is, especially when it's on page 20

Ride the beater Luke!

First.. You need two locks. Get the the New York Chain by Kryptonite and their U-Lock. They are expensive, but it's worth it in the long run. If the lock costs less than $50.00 USD. Forget it.

Second...Do not travel with the chain and leave it attached to the bike rack or the place you intend to park it. Always travel with the U-lock since you never know when your going to make a temporary stop.

Third.... Don't even think about commuting with a bike that costs more than $700 unless you can park it indoors at work.

OK. Toronto is the bike theft capital of North America. I've had 7 bikes stolen over 12 years, $8500 worth.

1. Krypto locks are useless, and spending more doesn't mean anything. The $150 ones could be picked with a ballpoint pen. The theft guarantee is BS-I tried to claim it with all paperwork, its a scam.

2. Forget disguising the bike. Bike thieves are not stupid. Forget relying on the lock, I had a bike stolen, with lock, after it was angle grinded out of a piece of fence, along with the fence, in the middle of the afternoon, in a busy area.

3. Don't ride an expensive bike and lock publically. It will get stolen, but don't assume that a cheapo bike will not get stolen. If you park outside, count on the bike being stolen, and there is little you can do about it. I had a $30 death trap stolen

4. Who to blame? #1 -Ebay as the best site to fence stolen parts. #2 police, who do not take bike thefts seriously, but if a $1500 car was stolen, they would not only chase it to the ends of the earth, but also gladly risk the lives of the public to do this, especially in Toronto. They consider bikes toys. I blame the many, many buyers of stolen parts and bikes for this problem.

Some easy tips: Consider a bike like the Raleigh Rush hour, it looks like a fixed gear bike. Theives are afraid of fixies because they know that a fixie rider will hunt them down. Replace quick-release levers with wired bolts. Silicone glue allen heads-it slows parts strippers down too much. Try to make the bike distinctive -I once saw a orange fun-fur bike, or my favourite, a camoflage bike with army soldiers glued all over it in a huge battle.

Doesn't surprise me in the slightest that a newbie would revive a thread that's been DEAD for over TWO YEARS
This has been covered a lot more recently - just because everything shows as new doesn't mean it is, especially when it's on page 20


Thank you for pointing out the dust that has accumulated on this topic. Without hesitation, I admit that I did not notice the date on the last post; I simply came across this thread through a search. But thanks to the public humiliation, I will not make the same mistake again.

IR

It's kind of cool how you can get flamed both for posting without searching, and posting after searching. If there's supposedly "a lot of good information availibile if you just search" then I don't see why anyone would have issues with a thread being revived.