General Cycling Discussion - how to defeat the sheldon brown lock method?

first off, i never really liked this lock method, it looks insecure and might temp a thief to give it a try.

so here is a strategy to break it, frist let the air out of the rear tire, then take a pair of bolt cutters, cut off half the spokes from the rear wheel, typically there are 18 or 20 to cut, cut the ones closest to the lock position, this will reduce the rim tension. now cut the rim and tire with the bolt cutters. the rim is thin alu and will breek easily. the bead is a thin kevlar and will break easily. the tire and tube is rubber, easy enough. now flex the rim slightly and slip the u lock off. or make another cut and remove that part of the wheel to get the u lock off. now recieve your new bike.

thoughts?

Here are sheldon's thoughts:

"Some will object that felons might cut the rear rim and tire to remove the lock. Believe me, this just doesn't happen in the real world. First, this would be a lot of work to steal a frame without a useable rear wheel, the most expensive part of a bike, after the frame. Second, cutting the rear rim is much harder than you might think. Since the rim is under substantial compression due to the tension on the spokes, it would pinch a hacksaw blade tight as soon as it cut partway through. Then there are the wire beads of the tire, also difficult to cut."

from here http://www.sheldonbrown.com/lock-strategy.html

first off, i never really liked this lock method, it looks insecure and might temp a thief to give it a try.

so here is a strategy to break it, frist let the air out of the rear tire, then take a pair of bolt cutters, cut off half the spokes from the rear wheel, typically there are 18 or 20 to cut, cut the ones closest to the lock position. now cut the rim and tire with the bolt cutters. the rim is thin alu and will breek easily. the bead is a thin kevlar and will break easily. the tire and tube is rubber, easy enough. now flex the rim slightly and slip the u lock off. or make another cut and remove that part of the wheel to get the u lock off. now recieve your new bike.

thoughts?

OK now you have spent 10+ minutes cutting the wheel apart...what are you going to do for a rear wheel, which is typically the most expensive one on the bike.

Aaron :)

Here are sheldon's thoughts:

"Some will object that felons might cut the rear rim and tire to remove the lock. Believe me, this just doesn't happen in the real world. First, this would be a lot of work to steal a frame without a useable rear wheel, the most expensive part of a bike, after the frame. Second, cutting the rear rim is much harder than you might think. Since the rim is under substantial compression due to the tension on the spokes, it would pinch a hacksaw blade tight as soon as it cut partway through. Then there are the wire beads of the tire, also difficult to cut."

from here http://www.sheldonbrown.com/lock-strategy.html

did you even read my post?

1) i cut off half the spokes, there is no tension left
2) get real, only a dumbass is going to use a hacksaw to cut a rim, it would take forever, i have no idea why sheldon would even mention a hacksaw, must have been caught up in his fantasy that his lock method was unstoppable.
3) bolt cutters will crush and cut the rim easily, it can do it to a thick hardened chain, an alu rim will be like butter.
4) the bead will not survive repeated attacks from a bolt cutter, i give it 60 seconds at most for the 2 beads, but more realistically it will probably be 20 seconds tops. difficult, but not impossible, give a thief 5 minutes and he can steal a bike and still have time left for a smoke break.



OK now you have spent 10+ minutes cutting the wheel apart...what are you going to do for a rear wheel, which is typically the most expensive one on the bike.

Aaron :)

the rest of the bike is still of value, the #1 frame and #3 front wheel.

for the rear wheel, a new tube is $3, new tire is $10, as for the rest, you still got the hub and cassette. just need a rim and spokes.

Sure you can defeat it and destroy the rear wheel but most thieves aren't going to do it simply because they want a bike they can either ride away in after snipping the lock or being able to flip it fast. They aren' going to want to dump 200+ dollars into getting replacement parts so they can re-sell the bike.

If they want to do that, fine I guess... but when I go crusing and looking at locked up bikes, at least half of them use cable locks that can be easily cut or u-locked through the top tube. Those are much easier bikes to take, and have a higher 'profit' margin for them.

To answer the original question now.. defeat is simple and he says so how to do it on the same page.
A pair of good sized bolt cutters will chew through the rear wheel pretty well given a couple tries.
If your bike is that expensive though, I'd probably not lock it up unattended.. Those are what beater bikes are for :D

What if the lock went around the lower stays and the wheel?

If the bike is destroyed stealing it then why steal it?

Bike theft needs to be a felony offense and taken seriously like stealing a horse or an auto or any other form of transportation.

If I were a thief, I'd just look for a bike with an unsecured rear wheel and take that. Lots of bikes out there have QR wheels. So what if the cassette doesn't match the number of cogs or teeth and chatter like crazy? It'll still work, just not very well. Then bam, I have one complete bike. If it runs like crap, so be it, not like I paid anything for it.

I can pawn it off on someone for just enough to get my next fix. If it ends up working well, then I might ride it around some more.

It really comes down to how much money I'm looking to make. If I want several hundred dollars, then I have some idea of what I'm looking for and I can be picky. If I am substance abuser or a junky, I just want a few tens of dollars for my next fix. A bike without a rear wheel or one that doesn't match might just be enough to get me $20 or $50. Doesn't matter if the complete bike is worth $200 or $1000, $50 will get me by just fine.

Not everyone it out to make a bunch of money or cares or knows how much the bike is worth if complete.

Note that I am not a thief. I've stolen some girls' hearts and such, but that's about it. :lol:

How to defeat the Sheldon locking method without cutting spokes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9fLtdZyX-A

The problem with the sequence as presented in the OP is that he has the tire tread, casing, bead, rim tape, and rim being cut individually. In reality M. leTheif has to cut through the whole thing at once. Undoubtedly, thieves have long enough and sharp enough bolt cutters, but if they have bolt cutters that large they will just cut through the locks anyway.

From the thieve's point of view, yes, it is possible to do this, but there is likely another bike nearby that will be less effort and you do not have to destroy to steal.

hypothetically, you can also defeat the sheldon method by taking a hacksaw to the frame.

first off, i never really liked this lock method, it looks insecure and might temp a thief to give it a try.

so here is a strategy to break it, frist let the air out of the rear tire, then take a pair of bolt cutters, cut off half the spokes from the rear wheel, typically there are 18 or 20 to cut, cut the ones closest to the lock position, this will reduce the rim tension. now cut the rim and tire with the bolt cutters. the rim is thin alu and will breek easily. the bead is a thin kevlar and will break easily. the tire and tube is rubber, easy enough. now flex the rim slightly and slip the u lock off. or make another cut and remove that part of the wheel to get the u lock off. now recieve your new bike.

thoughts?

Just try it out and tell us how it goes. Hypothetical crap is just what it is...crap. Too many variables in the theory. Get right down to the practical matters and see how it goes. Just do it on your own bike or some consenting individual. Because if you do it on some poor soul, I certainly hope you get caught and get the severe beating you deserve! :thumb:
Hey, you asked for thoughts :D

Personally I always run a cable or chain thru the frame and usually the rear tire. Then run another cable thru the seat, trunk, rack other tire, etc.

Bike theft needs to be a felony offense and taken seriously like stealing a horse or an auto or any other form of transportation.

Agreed, but don't forget that you live in a society where most people think only poor people use bikes as vehicles, and everyone else just has them as toys. Accordingly, they don't care about either group. And, it obviously makes sense to classify thefts based on monetary value of the stolen goods, regardless of the fact that they may be identical crimes otherwise. :rolleyes:

If it were easier to track stolen bikes down, it might (MIGHT) be a different story. GPS chip in the seat tube?

Angle grinder + 30 seconds = defeat of u lock. Maybe 60 seconds.

We are diverging from the topic but I guess I might as well post thing.
Skip to 6m 50s or about.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6AdugFzCi24#t=6m50s

I've tested Sheldon's hypothesis about how the rim would be hard to cut because it's under compression. Even with a hand hacksaw, it posed no challenge in real life. With a cordless recip saw, it would take less than five seconds. I've used full-sized recip saws to cut old computer hard drives in half (that's a big block of aluminum) using regular old bimetal Wood & Nails blades. Never underestimate a reciprocating saw. :)

The other usual objection is "well, but then they'd need a rear wheel since they destroyed it." Guess what the bike parked next to yours has, and most likely not locked either? Yeah. These are bike thieves, they're not going to balk at swapping stuff around.

Every locking strategy has a weakest link, but I'll stick with locking the frame with the U-lock, and include the rear wheel whenever possible. I might not walk away chortling to myself for the clever illusion that only the rear wheel is locked, but knowing how easy it is to cut a wheel...

Put the lock around the seat tube and rear wheel and then you have to go through the lock itself... add a lock to secure the front wheel and you have a less attractive target.

Locking around the seat tube opens you up to the frame being damaged if someone uses a crowbar and tries to pry open your lock.

Every time this topic comes up someone says all they would need is a bigger set of bolt cutters or an angle grinder and if thieves take to carrying these nothing will be safe... hell... I could pack a portable cutting torch and could get through the toughest lock in seconds and it would not make much of a sound at all.

Messing up the rear wheel (as shown above) will get you the bike minus one of it's most essential parts and for many thieves the object of the theft is to get a ride or something they can pawn for a few dollars and without a rear wheel the value of the bike is greatly reduced.

It is also hard to run while carrying a bike... it negates the ability for a speedy escape.

We are diverging from the topic but I guess I might as well post thing.
Skip to 6m 50s or about.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6AdugFzCi24#t=6m50s

:lol: gotta love 10:02, gotta be stupid to jump off a bike like that

Messing up the rear wheel (as shown above) will get you the bike minus one of it's most essential parts and for many thieves the object of the theft is to get a ride or something they can pawn for a few dollars and without a rear wheel the value of the bike is greatly reduced.But the point is that the "Sheldon Brown" method is not particularly secure (not that anything is, but it's far from the best.) Sheldon says it is, that wheels are hard to cut, but this is easily disproven.

Really, if you can put the lock around the back wheel inside the triangle, you could also have it go around one or both of the chainstays -- also locking the frame. So I see little benefit to locking the back wheel and not the frame, since you can just as easily lock the frame *and* back wheel.

Yes, thieves usually don't cut back wheels. But they're even less likely to cut frames (even if it's not particularly difficult.)

How to defeat the Sheldon locking method without cutting spokes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9fLtdZyX-A


thank god i don't lock my bike with sheldon's (stupid) method. he should really take that piece of bad advice off his site.

But the point is that the "Sheldon Brown" method is not particularly secure (not that anything is, but it's far from the best.) Sheldon says it is, that wheels are hard to cut, but this is easily disproven.

Really, if you can put the lock around the back wheel inside the triangle, you could also have it go around one or both of the chainstays -- also locking the frame. So I see little benefit to locking the back wheel and not the frame, since you can just as easily lock the frame *and* back wheel.

Yes, thieves usually don't cut back wheels. But they're even less likely to cut frames (even if it's not particularly difficult.)

Agreed, I see no reason to skip locking the frame too.

I'd like to see how well a thief gets away with either a large set of bolt cutters on a bike, or a cordless cip-saw... Maybe if it's in a desolate area, with no eyes looking, for a 10 minute period at least.

Huge bolt cutters, or a cip saw being used on a bike will quickly draw attention. And, that's the one thing a bike thief doesn't want. And, the ride away, rolling down the street with giant bolt cutters. Would be stopped by most cops rather quickly (Possession of burglary tools).

So, he'll just take the bike next to it with a flimsy cable lock, or not locked at all.

And, I wonder how many cip-saw blades one would go through cutting though AL rims. My experience shows cip-saw blades gummed up after about 10 seconds of being used on AL.

I'd like to see how well a thief gets away with either a large set of bolt cutters on a bike, or a cordless cip-saw... Maybe if it's in a desolate area, with no eyes looking, for a 10 minute period at least.

Huge bolt cutters, or a cip saw being used on a bike will quickly draw attention. And, that's the one thing a bike thief doesn't want. And, the ride away, rolling down the street with giant bolt cutters. Would be stopped by most cops rather quickly (Possession of burglary tools).

So, he'll just take the bike next to it with a flimsy cable lock, or not locked at all.

And, I wonder how many cip-saw blades one would go through cutting though AL rims. My experience shows cip-saw blades gummed up after about 10 seconds of being used on AL.

There are several videos on youtube showing people cutting locks in broad daylight and the general public ignoring it.

Hypothetically you approach me cutting off a lock and I say, "Thanks for your concern, but it's my bike, I lost the key...." what are you going to do then? By the time the cops arrive, if they show up at all, I'm long gone. I seriously doubt a cop is going to stop me for riding around with bolt cutters. Hell, I've wittnessed hit & runs and the cops never showed.....

There are several videos on youtube showing people cutting locks in broad daylight and the general public ignoring it.


While, I'm sure there are MANY examples of such things, by and large, the crook will just move the the next bike, that is unlocked.



Hypothetically you approach me cutting off a lock and I say, "Thanks for your concern, but it's my bike, I lost the key...." what are you going to do then? By the time the cops arrive, if they show up at all, I'm long gone. I seriously doubt a cop is going to stop me for riding around with bolt cutters. Hell, I've wittnessed hit & runs and the cops never showed.....

Again, by and large, it's a matter of effort vs. return. If someone is doing something that brazen, most likely it IS their bike. Because a crook will just take the one next to it, that he could get in a fraction of the time.

Gees. thanks guys for telling everyone how to steal our bikes... A little common sense, please?

OK now you have spent 10+ minutes cutting the wheel apart...what are you going to do for a rear wheel, which is typically the most expensive one on the bike.

Aaron :)


**** makes no sense, bikes get stolen all the time without front wheel, not having a marginally more expensive rear wheel is not a big deal, as long as you got the front one. still gotta walk away with it anyways, unless you got a vehicle. not having a ridable bike doesn't deter thieves.

Gees. thanks guys for telling everyone how to steal our bikes... A little common sense, please?

Only way to improve security it to demonstrate weaknesses inherent in a system, so those weaknesses can be fixed.

Security through obscurity never works.


**** makes no sense, bikes get stolen all the time without front wheel, not having a marginally more expensive rear wheel is not a big deal, as long as you got the front one. still gotta walk away with it anyways, unless you got a vehicle. not having a ridable bike doesn't deter thieves.

Front wheels are easy to replace. Not so much with back wheels.

I get that and all but...

While, I'm sure there are MANY examples of such things, by and large, the crook will just move the the next bike, that is unlocked.



Again, by and large, it's a matter of effort vs. return. If someone is doing something that brazen, most likely it IS their bike. Because a crook will just take the one next to it, that he could get in a fraction of the time.

Maybe the crook will move on maybe they won't. I've seen some examples on Craigslist where they're targeting higher end bikes and cutting cables, which is why I invested in a heavy chain.

thank god i don't lock my bike with sheldon's (stupid) method. he should really take that piece of bad advice off his site.

Thing is... many people have been locking their bikes in this manner for many years and decades and guess what ?

They still have their bikes.

Sheldon Brown passed away several years ago so won't be editing his article on how to lock your bike... he recognized that a thief with enough time and motivation can overcome any locking system.

Stats show that when it comes to bike theft that bicycles secured with a quality shackle are far less likely to be stolen than those locked with cables... which are a joke.

Maybe the crook will move on maybe they won't. I've seen some examples on Craigslist where they're targeting higher end bikes and cutting cables, which is why I invested in a heavy chain.

Cables are ridiculously easy to cut. I can cut most cables with a pair of heavy dikes. But, no mechanism is 100% secure. It's a matter of weighing the risks vs. the mechanism.

Example: I will have no qualms using a dollar store bike lock on my BSO road bike. Nobody will steal it. And, if they do, they obviously really needed that bike more than I did.

But, on my duty bike, I use a heavier cable (Masterlock line), and bring it indoors overnight, or extended periods. When I go inside a store, I take the seat with me. If it had to stay outside overnight, I'd get a chain lock, with a kevlar sheath.

If I park it near my office, the masterlock cable, but I just lock the wheels to the frame. The risk of it being lifted is low, and the lock is just to keep honest people honest.

It's easy. 18Volt Dewalt grinder. A cut off disk will zip through both the kryptonite lock and the cable lock in probably 10 seconds each. And it fits nicely in a backpack.

My bike is sitting in my office right now. I don't carry a lock for it and simply won't leave it anywhere.

My other favorite bike lock is what I use at a restaurant where I can see the bike but may not be able to catch the thief it he/she pedals away on it: I pop out the brake disconnects. That way they may take off on it, but are pretty likely to crash when they realize the brakes are both disconnected. Takes only a few seconds.

thank god i don't lock my bike with sheldon's (stupid) method. he should really take that piece of bad advice off his site.
That would take a miracle! (Somebody else would have to do it.)

I'd like to see how well a thief gets away with either a large set of bolt cutters on a bike, or a cordless cip-saw... Maybe if it's in a desolate area, with no eyes looking, for a 10 minute period at least.
...
And, I wonder how many cip-saw blades one would go through cutting though AL rims. My experience shows cip-saw blades gummed up after about 10 seconds of being used on AL.

As I mentioned, I used to destroy computer hard drives with a recip saw (a HIPAA-related security/privacy thing). A computer hard drive is easily 10 times the amount of metal to cut compared to a bicycle rim, and I wasn't keeping score, but I seem to recall getting about 10 hard drives per blade. Bimetal wood-&-nails blades. Cutting a bicycle wheel, tire and all, would be like a hot knife through butter.

If the overall idea behind Sheldon's method were "well this will deter theft because they'd have to destroy a valuable part of the bike," then locking the frame would increase that deterrence.

If the overall idea were "now I can use a smaller lock that's harder to get a jack inside of, since there's less space," that's really only valid if using a larger lock does actually leave more space. If you're using the bigger lock to capture both seatstays or chainstays along with the rear wheel, it's a wash.

If you just want to carry a smaller lighter lock, then you got me there. Some people also point out that the thief can't use the bike's frame as a lever to attempt to twist the lock, another valid point but I wonder how often anyone bothers to try that on a recognized decent-quality U-lock.

Thing is... many people have been locking their bikes in this manner for many years and decades and guess what ?

They still have their bikes.Well, except for those who have had their bike stolen.

The point is that Sheldon makes this method sound great and talks about how hard it is to cut the rear wheel -- but a hacksaw makes quick (15 seconds?) work of it, proving him wrong. A better plan would be to change his method slightly -- put one or both of the chainstays in the lock as well as the rear wheel. (Of course, you should also lock the front wheel somehow, and Sheldon talks about that too.)

The rear wheel is the second most expensive part of the bike, but the frame is the first. The lock is the hardest part to cut, but if they cut the frame the bike is only worth some parts. If they cut the wheel, the bike is more valuable than if they had to cut the frame.

Summary: don't use the Sheldon Brown method. Instead, lock the rear wheel and frame with the lock rather than just the rear wheel. It's a little bit more resistant to a thief -- of course it's not thief-proof, but it's a little less attractive to a thief, because now the thief has to attack the lock itself if he wants the bike's frame.

We are diverging from the topic but I guess I might as well post thing.
Skip to 6m 50s or about.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6AdugFzCi24#t=6m50s

Seems like an effective method for stealing a crappy bike!

For another bike, all that man-handling is going to contribute to the resale value as much as a trashed rear wheel.

==================

The advantage of the Sheldon Brown method is that it may let you use a smaller and lighter lock and it could be good enough.

Gees. thanks guys for telling everyone how to steal our bikes... A little common sense, please?
I think bicycle thieves already know how to steal bikes!

Maybe the crook will move on maybe they won't. I've seen some examples on Craigslist where they're targeting higher end bikes and cutting cables, which is why I invested in a heavy chain.
Cutting cables is easy and fast and can be done discretely.

thoughts?


Willingness to destroy part of something to get the rest ,
has a number of analogies in war and other economic systems, of exploitation.
:trainwreck:

As I mentioned, I used to destroy computer hard drives with a recip saw (a HIPAA-related security/privacy thing). A computer hard drive is easily 10 times the amount of metal to cut compared to a bicycle rim, and I wasn't keeping score, but I seem to recall getting about 10 hard drives per blade. Bimetal wood-&-nails blades. Cutting a bicycle wheel, tire and all, would be like a hot knife through butter.

How much harder would it be to cut through the (useless to the thief) lock?

Like hard disk, cutting through the rim produces something that doesn't have much value.

How much harder would it be to cut through the (useless to the thief) lock?

Comparing an aluminum bicycle rim to a hardened U-lock shackle is like comparing a stick of butter to a block of granite. Get out your own U-lock and attack it with a hacksaw blade for a few strokes, then a dead bike rim.


Like hard disk, cutting through the rim produces something that doesn't have much value.

A whole bike, minus a wheel? Plenty of value, they just need to steal a wheel or swap one around from another bike they stole.


In our area, there seems to be a fresh rash of bike theft. I'm glad I don't have to lock my bike outside work and leave it for a long time, but if I did, I'd make sure it was no easy task to get it freed, probably with a top-of-the-line lock that I left on station at my lockup point, plus a second one I carried with me.

did you even read my post?


Yup! Did you ask for thoughts? Well here are thoughts addressing your ideas very directly from the author of this method.
I didn't post it as a refutation but as an addition to this discussion.

Anyway that youtube video does the best job of showing how easy it is to hacksaw through the wheel and get it out of the u-lock's grip. I think we all know that the best defense is not to leave your bike somewhere where it's likely to get stolen...

Most bike thefts are done using the stolen bike as a getaway vehicle.
People who are organized enough to have an escape vehicle (car) ready to load up a bike will most likely be prepared to deal with more than one type of lock.
Every time a theif approaches a bicycle he has a few options: Steal and ride away, steal and carry away, or move to an easier target. I propose that most bike thieves are not looking to do an honest day's work and be suitably rewarded - they want the easy theft, the quick getaway and the quick cash. Notice in the British video that all they had to do to lure a thief was to lock one bike up with a cable, and that every one of them seemed intent on riding the bike away when finished.

The people I feel sorry for are those who do not think (or cannot convince themselves) to get a junk bike to ride when they need to leave it somewhere locked up ... there are thieves who will go to the trouble to cut a wheel and steal the rest of the bike, but I guarantee* they won't do it with a rusty 10-speed pulled out of a dumpster - and if they do, who cares?

A thief would be much more willing to deal with an incomplete bike if it is high quality.

(*guarantee will not be honored)

Summary: don't use the Sheldon Brown method. Instead, lock the rear wheel and frame with the lock rather than just the rear wheel. It's a little bit more resistant to a thief -- of course it's not thief-proof, but it's a little less attractive to a thief, because now the thief has to attack the lock itself if he wants the bike's frame.

I believe I already covered this in more than a few posts on the subject and pointed out that this method has an added visual deterrent but does introduce the potential for one to experience frame damage if a pry bar is used.

Have been using the "Sheldon Brown" method before I knew who Sheldon Brown was and have yet to have a bike stolen that was locked in this manner.

Commuting and riding in Portland right now... the NY Kryptonite shackle I carry is a deterrent in itself as unless you are on meth (as many thieves are) you will know that this lock is just too much trouble.

Seems like an effective method for stealing a crappy bike!Or a good quality bike. It's not like an aluminum rim would be *harder* to cut through than a steel (let's assume a really crappy bike) one. Some Deep V's might take a little longer ...


For another bike, all that man-handling is going to contribute to the resale value as much as a trashed rear wheel.It took the guy *ten seconds* to cut through the rim. All he'd have to do is cut through the rim twice, once on each side of the lock, and perhaps cut two or three spokes and remove it that way without any manhandling of the bike frame. This would take, what, fifteen additional seconds? As an added bonus, the bike he walks away with might not look so suspicious -- people may not notice the missing part of the wheel if it's next to the seat tube.


The advantage of the Sheldon Brown method is that it may let you use a smaller and lighter lock and it could be good enough.Get a mini U-lock, use it on both the rear chain stays and go through the rear wheel (you don't need to go around the tire, just going through the spokes is adequate). That doesn't require a larger lock than the "Sheldon" method, and it secures the tire and frame better than the "Sheldon" method.

Or a good quality bike. It's not like an aluminum rim would be *harder* to cut through than a steel (let's assume a really crappy bike) one. Some Deep V's might take a little longer ...

It took the guy *ten seconds* to cut through the rim. All he'd have to do is cut through the rim twice, once on each side of the lock, and perhaps cut two or three spokes and remove it that way without any manhandling of the bike frame. This would take, what, fifteen additional seconds? As an added bonus, the bike he walks away with might not look so suspicious -- people may not notice the missing part of the wheel if it's next to the seat tube.

Get a mini U-lock, use it on both the rear chain stays and go through the rear wheel (you don't need to go around the tire, just going through the spokes is adequate). That doesn't require a larger lock than the "Sheldon" method, and it secures the tire and frame better than the "Sheldon" method.

Again, one must weigh the risks of their bike being stolen, vs. the lock mechanism. I'll hazard that the Sheldon method is fine for 98% of situations. The 2% of course, will have to find a more secure manner (ie, U-lock though each wheel, connecting it to the frame; and then one from the frame to the stand).

If a theif wants something bad enough they will get it regardless.

If a theif wants something bad enough they will get it regardless.

Exactly! Nothing will stop a criminal who wants that item very bad.

I mean, we don't have Ft. Knox-like security in retail outlets. Risk vs. Cost. They know they wont stop 100% of crooks, but they work on the diminishing returns.

Again, one must weigh the risks of their bike being stolen, vs. the lock mechanism. I'll hazard that the Sheldon method is fine for 98% of situations.... but if you can make your bicycle more secure with no extra effort and exactly the same equipment ... should you not do so?

There is no advantage to locking just the back wheel over locking the chainstays through the back wheel, and a pretty big disadvantage.

... but if you can make your bicycle more secure with no extra effort and exactly the same equipment ... should you not do so?

There is no advantage to locking just the back wheel over locking the chainstays through the back wheel, and a pretty big disadvantage.

Meh. Again, for many people, just having it locked (With anything) works. I'm sure each person knows their risks levels, and appropriately apply it.

Like right now: My bike has the wheels locked to the frame, and not locked to anything immobile. The risk is low enough.