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Locking your bike long term?

Old 07-21-16, 02:38 PM
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Locking your bike long term?

I'm fairly new to commuting by bike, and I just recently got a bike with quick release wheels instead of bolt on wheels that I'm used to.

Just curious how regular commuters lock their bikes up all day, and how you go without worrying? I use a U-lock, which from what I can tell is a moderately accepted convention, but I don't see how that can discourage thieves from taking your wheels. Do you use an extra lock around the wheels? Do you place your bikes by a security camera?

I don't have to worry that much about thieves in the area I'm in right now, but I may soon be working in DC which has me wondering how I can protect my bike as best as I can.

One more thing, when I was first commuting early on, I locked my bike from the front wheel, and I came out at the end of the day a few of my spokes were completely bent, like someone either knocked it over or tried to take it. Do you lock your bikes from the slots (don't know what else to call them) of the bike racks or is there something else I'm missing?

Thanks
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Old 07-21-16, 03:03 PM
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Most people take the front wheel off the bike and run the U-lock through it, the frame, the rear wheel, and something solid.

That's why the QRs are a good idea...
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Old 07-21-16, 03:06 PM
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It depends on where you park the bike. Where I work I could probably get away with a cheap cable lock, but I actually use a U-lock around the seatstay inside the rear wheel. The front wheel is still free for the taking this way, but so far that hasn't been an issue.

In a less secure location, I'd probably get a locking skewer for the front wheel. Other options are a cable that connects to the U-lock and goes through the front wheel (not secure enough for city parking), removing the front wheel and putting the U-lock through both wheels (a major hassle), or using a second U-lock to lock the front wheel to the frame (a minor hassle). My view of security is that my solution has to be convenient for me, otherwise I'll get lazy and not do it.
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Old 07-21-16, 11:30 PM
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If you park at the same rack all the time, take 2 good U locks ( I prefer OnGuard ) and lock like this.



Then you can just lock the locks together on the rack when you leave instead of carrying them with you. Taking the front wheel on and off every time gets really old and eventually you will get lazy and skip it. Try to park near a bike that is not locked up as well as yours which would be an easier target for thieves if they came around. You can also opt for a cable to run through the front wheel that would go into the rear lock to the rack.
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Old 07-22-16, 06:37 AM
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I have no QR's, but I do have a ringlock with a chain that fits in it. I can leave the chain at home, I can leave it locked to the ringlock and wrapped around the tube for a quick stop, and I can use it and take through the front weel and wrap it around an object before I lock it to the ringlock. I especially like about it that I don't have to use it and the chain can't get stolen when I don't use it but leave it on the bike. Axa and Abus produce those.
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Old 07-22-16, 07:12 AM
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maybe you'll be lucky like me and your work will let you park your bike at your desk or inside your office :-)

also, find out if they will let you put it inside the loading dock area or something, so at least you're not leaving it out to the elements.

to your specific question, a U-lock through the seat tube and around the rear wheel, and a locking (non QR) front axle will be ok, just make sure you lock it something very secure.

the sad reality is that just this year, our local "cycling collective" has probably seen over a dozen bikes stolen, some VERY high end, and they were all locked. they were stolen in from various locations, at all time of day and night, sometimes taken from right out in the open during the daytime. thieves are thieves and they don't care. if they really want it, they will get it, no matter how good your lock is. at some point brute force and a few tools is going to win. I've even seen them unbolt sign posts and bike racks from the ground to slip the u lock off the post it is attached to . . .

the best advice is to buy a crappy "looking" commuter and don't put lots of name brand kit on it. keep your nice bike at home.
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Old 07-22-16, 11:30 AM
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It's like real estate, the three most important things are location, location, and location. A simple cable lock works when my bike is in a shelter in view of three security cameras. Some places, you'll have to remove the front wheel and lock it with the frame and rear wheel, lock your saddle, and take all the lights, saddle bags, and cyclometer with you, and even then it works best if you walk your pit bull to work with you and chain him up with the bike.
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Old 07-22-16, 12:11 PM
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I have a ulock with a cable, I run the cable through the front wheel, wind it around the frame and the rack, and then use the ulock to lock the whole mess together to the rack.

Granted, I also have the bike in one the pedal&park shelters set up by the mbta, so the fact that it's behind a (somewhat) locked door with 4 security cameras pointing everywhere seems to help.
In a less secure place I might just take the wheel and saddle with me, though I've never been parked somewhere (other than my house) for long enough to warrant it.
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Old 07-22-16, 12:21 PM
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I run my U-Lock through the frame and the rear wheel, with a 4-foot cable looping through the front wheel and the lock.
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Old 07-22-16, 06:36 PM
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location, location, location
Nailed it. When I work day shifts I park my carbon Devinci on a busy college campus, but in an old converted smoke shack. It's tucked right in the corner of a campus hospital (mostly primary care and diagnostic services), below ground level and not visible from the street, and the campus is non-smoking, AND across the street is gated federal property which is strictly enforced...ergo the hoodlums tend to congregate in other areas where bike racks are out in the open.


I use a u-lock through the front wheel/frame/rack, and a cable running through the rear wheel/u lock/rack. I don't know about others here, but I don't care to ride a sh*tty beater on the premise that something might happen to a nicer bike. I ride my nice bike everywhere, I am just cautious of where it is parked and how it is locked up. My buddy rides his SuperSix EVO everywhere - doesn't own a car - and exclusively uses a thin cable lock...I'm not as brazen as him but he's had great luck. It's all about where you park it.

Last edited by jfowler85; 07-22-16 at 06:40 PM.
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Old 07-22-16, 08:14 PM
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So if you only lock your frame and rear wheel and some lowlife steals your front wheel...can you really sell it for all that much? Is it really worth the trouble? And saddles - can you really get enough money to make it worth it?

I mean, if you sell a front-wheel-only on Craigslist doesn't that scream "I stole this"...? Who's going to buy it?
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Old 07-23-16, 06:36 AM
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Originally Posted by Bronsen
I'm fairly new to commuting by bike, and I just recently got a bike with quick release wheels instead of bolt on wheels that I'm used to.
Easily remedied. Get bolt-on skewers. They range from the simple hex-bolt variety (At Amazon or have your LBS order them from JB Importers) to custom-keyed Pitlocks. Between the two extremes are variations by Delta and Pinhead.

One caution about Pitlocks: The threads of their skewers are easily damaged. Replacement skewers are $11. But I've found using the skewers from the Amazon/JB Importers variety along with the nuts and shields from the Pitlocks is a reasonable compromise between security and durability.

Originally Posted by Bronsen
Do you place your bikes by a security camera?
Any competent thief laughs at security cameras. You shouldn't concern yourself with them either.

Originally Posted by Bronsen
I may soon be working in DC which has me wondering how I can protect my bike as best as I can.
Washington's Metro offers Bike Lockers for $120 a year at most stations. Nobody says you have to use the Metro in order to use their lockers. In my city, all the city-owned parking garages have bike lockers that are rented annually. Check around.

Originally Posted by Bronsen
One more thing, when I was first commuting early on, I locked my bike from the front wheel, and I came out at the end of the day a few of my spokes were completely bent, like someone either knocked it over or tried to take it.
Now you know why those are called "Wheel-bender" racks.

I recently changed jobs. I used to have indoor parking in a wall-mounted rack in the server room. Now I park outside like everyone else.

As for U-Locks, I needed one to leave at work with the new job. I bought an Abus uGrip Plus 501. (Not my pic, BTW.) It's the heaviest, most intimidating lock I could find. Not that much more expensive than garden-variety Kryptonites, if you get it at Amazon.



I leave it locked around the signpost overnight and on weekends. What's interesting is that in the morning, it's almost always in a different position than how I left it the night before. I can imagine people encountering it and going WTF?

Last edited by tsl; 07-23-16 at 06:42 AM.
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Old 07-23-16, 07:04 AM
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Locking up a bike is a crapshoot.

The most secure way to secure your bike and not worry about it walking off, FOR ANY duration, is to always bring your bike inside with you and lock it in your office. Second-best-a full-blown-whole-bike bike-locker enclosure made of plate steel that costs money to rent. I've had roadie mates with the best locks money could buy who knew how to use them, who parked in the least-bad of areas to be had (none are good TBH), who in 10-15 minutes were out $1500+USD with their bike gone.

Thieves will take anything that is stealable given opportunity and want. Whether it is a wheel or a frame or a bike.
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Old 07-23-16, 07:47 AM
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I put my knowledge and experience with bike locking and locks into these two articles:

Locking a bicycle

Bicycle locks
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Old 07-23-16, 12:00 PM
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Originally Posted by tsl
Easily remedied. Get bolt-on skewers. They range from the simple hex-bolt variety (At Amazon or have your LBS order them from JB Importers) to custom-keyed Pitlocks. Between the two extremes are variations by Delta and Pinhead.

One caution about Pitlocks: The threads of their skewers are easily damaged. Replacement skewers are $11. But I've found using the skewers from the Amazon/JB Importers variety along with the nuts and shields from the Pitlocks is a reasonable compromise between security and durability.

I've had pitlocks for 6 years now and no issues. From my research they were the most secure of that type of security system. I'd recommend a pitlock or pitlock type system for any commuter that has their bike locked up for hours at a time.
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Old 07-23-16, 03:02 PM
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Originally Posted by Andy_K
It depends on where you park the bike. Where I work I could probably get away with a cheap cable lock, but I actually use a U-lock around the seatstay inside the rear wheel. The front wheel is still free for the taking this way, but so far that hasn't been an issue.

In a less secure location, I'd probably get a locking skewer for the front wheel. Other options are a cable that connects to the U-lock and goes through the front wheel (not secure enough for city parking), removing the front wheel and putting the U-lock through both wheels (a major hassle), or using a second U-lock to lock the front wheel to the frame (a minor hassle). My view of security is that my solution has to be convenient for me, otherwise I'll get lazy and not do it.
Why do you say that running a cable from the u-lock to the front wheel is not secure for city parking? That's what I do but I'd be glad to do something better but can you actually get the rear of a bike locked to the post and the front. Posts are not wide they're skinny. Hope you can help!
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Old 07-23-16, 04:58 PM
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Mine : AXA defender Frame lock, Rear wheel + 1.4M security chain
goes around Frame, front wheel what you Lock To , and is secured by the frame lock
with a snap catch in the Lock and a Pin on the end of the chain.
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Old 07-23-16, 04:59 PM
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Originally Posted by Erik Stouffer
Why do you say that running a cable from the u-lock to the front wheel is not secure for city parking? That's what I do but I'd be glad to do something better but can you actually get the rear of a bike locked to the post and the front. Posts are not wide they're skinny. Hope you can help!
The cable is easily cut by a Bolt cutter Hard tempered security chain is not so easy..
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Old 07-23-16, 06:52 PM
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Originally Posted by fietsbob
The cable is easily cut by a Bolt cutter Hard tempered security chain is not so easy..

This does not work as a generalization - it depends on the thickness of the material and the size of the bolt cutters.
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Old 07-23-16, 07:23 PM
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I'm fortunate to have parking where I don't even lock it some days, BUT if I did park in a more public area I'd use a U-lock through the back wheel and frame and a cable lock through the front wheel.
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Old 07-23-16, 10:26 PM
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Originally Posted by Erik Stouffer
Why do you say that running a cable from the u-lock to the front wheel is not secure for city parking? That's what I do but I'd be glad to do something better but can you actually get the rear of a bike locked to the post and the front. Posts are not wide they're skinny. Hope you can help!
As fietsbob said, cables are generally easy to cut. I'm sure some are better than others. For a front wheel, it may be OK. In a lot of areas cutting a cable would net a thief a whole bike, so he'd be likely to pass over a front wheel locked that way. I'm just saying that I wouldn't personally consider it secure.
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Old 07-24-16, 01:54 AM
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I used to be pretty successful in not getting my bike stolen by using one solid ringlock (axa) and a seperate cheap light cable lock. In my reasoning, there are generally two ways to steal a bike, either the thief opens the lock at the location of the bike and rides away with it, or he picks it up locked, puts it in a van or takes it home carrying it, and opens the lock with a power tool at home. With the solid ring lock, breaking the lock on the spot would require a powerful angle grinder with all it's noise. So it's wouldn't be the attractive choice for the thief that wants to bike away with his loot. For the thief who takes the bike locked and breaks the lock at home, it's unattractive because he still needs to carry a bolt cutter and cut the cable to detach the bike from some lamppost or something. So the thief would choose another bike to steal.

Now that I have bike that's a bit more desirable, I have replaced the light cable with a heavy chain that is locked by the ringlock, so taking the bike from the place I left it would require a grinder instead of a bolt cutter. This strategy is of course dependent on the fact that there always a lot of other bikes in the area which are easier to steal and mine is not that special. But in general I would advice to think like your local bicycle thief and lock the bike accordingly.
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Old 07-24-16, 10:11 AM
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Last time I visited PDX , in the Bike Rack, near the Main Library, was a Wheel, just a front wheel, locked in the Rack ..

So don't do what they did.
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Old 07-25-16, 08:14 AM
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These are all great things to consider, thanks to everyone for giving such thorough answers. It seems there's a lot of experiences out there that suggest that you can't be too safe. Now, I don't have a very expensive bicycle, but I don't want to lose it at all. I really like some suggestions like the one TenSpeedV2 posted, I think that could definitely be an option for me. However, Marcus Ti said something about being able to take your bike into the office. Oh how I wish that I had that kind of job! I am going to take a job as a guitar instructor in the city, and in my experience you usually just get a little practice space to yourself, but if they would let me take it inside, I would feel the most comfortable. I'll definitely keep reading all of these over again to see if I can gather any more information.
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Old 07-25-16, 08:17 AM
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Originally Posted by idiotekniQues
I've had pitlocks for 6 years now and no issues. From my research they were the most secure of that type of security system. I'd recommend a pitlock or pitlock type system for any commuter that has their bike locked up for hours at a time.
Just looked them up, those look great! I'll have to check them out. So you use multiple pitlocks, ones for your wheels and for your frame, etc? Were those all separate purchases or was there some sort of set that you can lock up with relative ease?
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