General Cycling Discussion - Hey, How do you lock your bike up...

... to an old school bike rack? You know: the ones that are designed to have the front wheel stuffed into a series of metal slots.
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I guess "the" answer is a cable lock around the head tube and front wheel BUT I'm so brainwashed that U-Locks are the ONLY way to secure your bike that I feel the "need" to use them. I'm pretty upset: they built a HUGE, brand new grocery store a half mile away from my house and included one, tiny, poorly designed bicycle rack with it.

I lock mine at the end, most of those racks won't fit my bikes. If I had to lock to the middle of the rack I would use a U lock and a cable. Lock the Ulock through the frame as usual and use the cable to keep the bike from being rolled off the rack. Are there any other choices for locking up?

Aaron :)

First of all, I roll the rear wheel into the rack because it holds the bike much more solidly. I'd U-lock the bike to one of the rack's end tubes and cable lock through the front wheel.

I go for the end position. If that weren't available, my first inclination would be to scout around the building for a big gas or electrical main to lock to.

Another method of locking to the middle slots on those racks, is to put the front wheel over the rack's crossbar so the bike is straddling the rack. This means resting your downtube on the rack's crossbar, but it does allow locking your front wheel and frame to the rack with a U-lock.

I hate those racks :P

I put my bike on the end (not in the slot, but outside of the rack, resting on it), and u-lock my frame+rear wheel (if possible) to the rack. Usually there are only 1 or 2 bikes already on the rack, and they haven't taken the end positions yet.

I usually navigate to the end of the rack, and this style of rack is at a couple of LBS in my town.

You can likely put the front wheel up over the top bar of the rack and slide the rear of the front wheel in to the slot from the other side. Then run a long U-lock through the front wheel, rack, and frame.

I lock mine at the end, most of those racks won't fit my bikes. If I had to lock to the middle of the rack I would use a U lock and a cable. Lock the Ulock through the frame as usual and use the cable to keep the bike from being rolled off the rack. Are there any other choices for locking up?

Aaron :)

+1. Or move to a fence or railing where you can lock your frame and front wheel up to something solid. At times, I have placed my bike parallel to the rack so I can lock it up, though I am sure others probably don't appreciate that.