General Cycling Discussion - Question about sheldon's method for using a u lock

"People tend to buy the big clunky U-locks because they don't know how to use them properly. A U-lock should go around the rear rim and tire, somewhere inside the rear triangle of the frame. There is no need to loop it around the seat tube as well, because the wheel cannot be pulled through the rear triangle."

Thats the part I don't get, can the thief just take an an adjustable wrench and get the wheel off by angling the wheel/still attached lock? Then he can leave the wheel and have the rest of the bike?

I believe that the lock ON the wheel prevents the wheel from being removed because it cannot fit through the rear triangle of the frame. The lock cannot be angled to get through the frame without damaging it?

You have to get either the wheel, or the thing the bike is locked to, through the rear triangle. Try it yourself at home. Good luck!

BTW, we're not talking free-locked here--just throwing the lock on the wheel. We're talking around the rim (the part within the rear triangle) AND through a stationary object, like a signpost, railing or (gasp!) a bike rack.

Yes, tsl that is correct! I remember now, thank you. Here's the pic that went with the article.

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/images/locktechnique1.jpg

But only if the wheel isn't locked to something, otherwise removing the wheel works.
Otherwise he needs to cut the wheel, tire, innertube, and rimstrip to take the bike.

^^^^^

Yeah, what they said! You should be locking the bike *to* something, right? Otherwise a thief can just throw the whole bike into a pickup truck and go!

^^^^^

Yeah, what they said! You should be locking the bike *to* something, right? Otherwise a thief can just throw the whole bike into a pickup truck and go!

For sure, It's just one of those things thats hard to work out in my mind without actually visually trying it first. I just got my first mini U lock today so I was curious. With my older larger one I could easily go around the seat tube and the wheel, but now that I have a mini, I will just use the wheel (properly of course).

Sheldon says that it would be hard to cut the rim of a wheel. Has anyone tried this with a wheel about to be discarded?

My biggest issue with this method is the fear of a thief not realizing how difficult it is to bend or cut a wheel and destroying it in attempt to get it through the rear triangle.

What I usually do is put the mini u-lock through the back tire and one of the seat stays. You have to angle the lock a bit, but I found that it doesn't take up much more of your lock than Sheldon's method and you get the added benefit of actually locking the frame.

Edit: I should add that my IRO Jamie Roy had clearance for large tires, but is equipped with 23s so there is plenty of room to do this. It may be different with larger tires or tighter clearances.

Sheldon says that it would be hard to cut the rim of a wheel. Has anyone tried this with a wheel about to be discarded?

Not necessarily any harder than cutting steel pipe with a hacksaw, which with a good one can go quite quickly if you have a strong arm. The difficulty is that it's impossible for anyone nearby to not know what you're doing so you need to be EXTREMELY good at social engineering to convince everyone around you that you have a legitimate reason to be hacksawwing a locked up bike and taking it away.

A good public spot, preferrably with cameras nearby, is worth more than a Fahgettaboudit lock.

I doubt it's as easy as cutting pipe. Rim is highly tensioned with spokes, any advance you make from inside the wheel will squeeze the cut against the saw blade. Sawing through tire, then rim might work better.

--J

Good point, I was thinking the spokes would push the rim perpendicularly rather than against a blade going through it but I suppose it could press parallel as well.

With a pair of bolt cutters, wheel, and tire, are invisible.................... ultra easy cut.

why a hacksaw? these are getting smaller and cheaper:
Fein Cordless Multimaster (http://www.amazon.com/Fein-MSX-315-Velcro-MultiMaster/dp/B0026JOGNU/ref=sr_1_17?ie=UTF8&s=industrial&qid=1270128597&sr=8-17)
Makita 3-3/8-inch Cordless Circular Saw (http://www.amazon.com/Makita-5094DWD-14-4-volt-Cordless-Circular/dp/B0001AGNPU/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&s=hi&qid=1270128460&sr=8-11)
I'd put the lock through the frame.

This tactic would only work on a bike with a narrow rear triangle. On my hybrid, with some finagling, I could get the rear wheel out without removing the wheel lock if I followed this method. So just keep that in mind.

In that picture of Sheldons (RIP) U-lock, if it is moved down a couple of inches between the chain and tilted towards the vertical, the lock can immobilize BOTH chainstays and the wheel. I've always preferred this when possible to both secure the wheel and make it clear the bike is locked as well. Its a little messier locking so close to the chainrings but thats the only downside.

I doubt it's as easy as cutting pipe. Rim is highly tensioned with spokes, any advance you make from inside the wheel will squeeze the cut against the saw blade. Sawing through tire, then rim might work better.

--J

Someone asked about this on Crazyguyonabike a few weeks ago, and then tried it. If i recall correctly, it took him less than a minute to hacksaw through a tire and rim.

In other words, it's a pretty lousy method of locking a bike.

This tactic would only work on a bike with a narrow rear triangle. On my hybrid, with some finagling, I could get the rear wheel out without removing the wheel lock if I followed this method. So just keep that in mind.
If the U-Lock is locked to the wheel and a stationary object?

Try it sometime... You'll find it won't work.

If you knew who was going to steal it and how, you'd prepare for that.

Just having a lock on it is a big improvement. Having a U-lock instead of dinky cable lock is another step up.

At that point, anybody stealing the bike has got to be carrying some serious metal-cutting implements around with them, and it's about as likely they'd cut the lock as to cut your wheel. The wheel may not be that hard to cut, but then again, you're ruining the thing you're stealing when you do it, too.

If you'll notice that piece of pipe the bike is locked to- how long would it take to hacksaw through that?

HAHA derrr, yeah I guess that's right.. Didn't take the stationary part into account. :P

If you'll notice that piece of pipe the bike is locked to- how long would it take to hacksaw through that?

Thieves probably realize that if city property is getting destroyed (well, in the nice areas of the city), they will start drawing serious attention. But if it's just another bike disappearing...

If you'll notice that piece of pipe the bike is locked to- how long would it take to hacksaw through that?

Around here, the recommendation for locking to city-provided inverted-U racks is to make sure that they haven't been pre-loosened by thieves. You can simply pick some of them up out of their holes and slip the pipe out of the lock, throw the still-locked-to-itself bike into a truck or van, then take it elsewhere to cut off the lock(s).

In the photo above, couldn't the lock be placed lower so that it goes under the chain. That way the lock can secure the rear wheel and the rear triangle. That was how I always locked my bicycle.

Heres a video that shows someone cutting a rear wheel, didn't look hard at all. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9fLtdZyX-A

That's why I lock through parts of the frame you REALLY don't want to cut and try to lock TO things that are not viable to saw through.

Don't use the Sheldon Brown Locking Method (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9fLtdZyX-A)

Looks like the guy ripped through the back wheel pretty fast...

Then again, if someone is determined to steal your bike, it will be gone no matter how well it's locked .

That bike had a particularly large space for the hacksaw.