xStaticS

Today I bought my first adult bike and I spent $550, which I know is basically small change for a lot of people on this forum, but for a newbie like me this was a big investment. I'm hoping to use my bike almost daily for commuting to and form my university campus. I live about 3 miles away and I will store the bike in my garage at home along with my family's other bikes, but when I'm at school I will have to lock the bike up while I am in classes.

I will only have to leave it locked for about 1-3 hours at a time, and then I can move it between racks as I go to different classes so it doesn't sit around for too long. The bike is a matte gunmetal gray hybrid, I personally think it looks pretty slick and stylish but the employees at the LBS thought it was a pretty nondescript bike and wouldn't draw thieves too easily. We have lots of bike racks on campus and they're usually pretty packed. I am planning on getting a kryptonite u-lock along with the cable to secure the wheels. I can't imagine anyone would try to haul around heavy and noisy power tools to use to break such a lock in broad daylight.

Does anyone have any additional advice for me? It's not like I have a $3,000 bike or anything, but it will probably look a hell of a lot nicer than the majority of other bikes that tend to hang around on campus. Should I be worried about my seat too (should I be one of those kids who hauls their seat and helmet into every class, or am I worrying too much?)

KBentley57

1. $550.00 is no chump change.

2. Try to use either end of the bike rack if possible

3. Kryptonite lock page has the info https://www.kryptonitelock.com/Pages/HowToSecure.aspx.

I don't use a U lock, but I run my cable through the front wheel, through the back wheel + triangle, and lock both ends through one of the saddle rails.

bmthom.gis

Use more than one lock if you are worried about it. No one ever had their bike stolen by using too many locks. Also, maybe switch out any quick release wheels for bolt-ons.I got these for my commuter: https://goo.gl/ZAcPiF - they need a special allen wrench to come off (make sure you keep it with you though in case you have to change a flat!), which will deter all but the most aggressive bike thieves.
Also, make sure you lock it to the rack. I *almost* walked away from just locking my bike to itself yesterday...oops!

bmthom.gis

As for yoru seat - you can get an old bike chain, stick it in an old tube and attach it running from the seat rails to under your seat stays. It isn't 100% perfect, but it will be a deterrent. Also, if you don't have a fancy seat, if it does get stolen it is at least a cheap fix
How to keep your bike seat from getting stolen.

bmthom.gis

One last link for you:
Bike Snob NYC: Prop Comedy: Keeping It Up

Check out his locking set up.

mikeybikes

I use a u-lock with a cable running through the wheels and my saddle. Worked for me on a college campus of 30,000-ish.

xStaticS

Cool! Thank you both for the helpful links!

I'm thinking the U-lock with the cable should be okay for me since I will only be leaving it for a few hours at a time. We do have issues with bike theft downtown but not so much on campus (that I've heard of). I might get an extra u-lock to make myself feel better though, haha. I will look into getting some new wheels that aren't quick release because it would be a real pain in the butt to have a bike but not have any wheels on it.

Is anyone knowledgeable about whether having multiple locks on your bike draws too much attention to a new/valuable bike, possibly making it a more likely target for thieves?

My last bike was a cheap-o schwinn department store cruiser thing, and I locked it for a whole year on campus with an equally cheap walmart u-lock. Last year I was living in the dorms and often left the bike totally unattended for weeks at a time. No one every touched it until it started to warm up in the spring and I guess someone decided that they wanted my rusty clunky mess of a bike bad enough that they sawed through my tiny u-lock and took the stupid thing. So I guess I don't even know if I'm being too paranoid or not paranoid enough? haha

ETA: My college is small-mid sized in a town of about 60-80,000 depending on how you look at it. It's a very bike friendly area so that's cool, but it also means that bike theft is pretty common practice around here. I've had a few friends lose some really nice bikes in the middle of downtown while they were having dinner at a bar or something. Bike thieves suck!

bmthom.gis

I would think the more likely thought with multiple locks would be "That is just too much effort" - especially when there are going to be a bunch of other bikes around that might be an easier grab. And you don't need all new wheels...just the skewers!

gsa103

Lock your frame & front wheel to a solid object with a quality U-lock. In a low to moderate theft area that's pretty much all that's required. Basically, you want a lock that will take more than 30sec to defeat.

The biggest thing with riding a bike on campus is maintenance. Try to keep your bike parked in a covered spot to protect it from rain. Rust will kill a drivetrain in a year or less if the bike is constantly getting wet. Once every ~3-6 months take some decent chain lube and go over the chain pretty thoroughly. Once a month is better for maintenance, but I'm assuming you're a busy student, and once a semester is enough to keep a bike running through your degree.

I bought a relatively inexpensive Diamondback MTB for ~$230 in '98, used it for all of undergrad and grad school. I didn't do much to it. Kept it outside but dry, oiled the chain once in a blue moon. Only thing I had to replace was a rear wheel & tire after I bent it on curb.

KBentley57

Also, if you have a pretty regular schedule, you can leave the locks on the rack. I only really commute to one place on campus, and I leave my lock + cable attached to the rack. When I arrive in the morning it's ready to be locked up, and I don't have to carry it around.

joeyduck

I think that this would be the mindset of a thief. They will likely go for an easier target, but if they want your bike they will get it no matter what.

I have never heard this. Why?

This is also a great idea to limit the lugging around.

If you go between buildings for class just move the lock and leave it at where ever you will be before you go. The short time in each location is a good thing.

Under cover is a great idea, but not always feasible. Get to know campus maintenance staff and see if they have a tuck away space that is secure, that has worked for me.

Always lock through the rear triangle, then supplement with a chain or second U-lock.

I invested in https://www.pinheadlocks.com/store/en/ for both mine and my wife's commuters; keyed identical. They really take out any worries and are easy to use. We do not frequent high theft areas and only have the wheel locks. If I was working in a big city downtown I would opt for full protection (seat, headset...).

Record your serial number! And part numbers of components. It is easier to identify, claim and shop. I made a list on my email and always have it. It is great when you want to start upgrading and cannot remember a spec of a part.

PennyTheDog

I agree with this. Get a u-lock for the frame and one wheel, and extra cables for the saddle and other wheel. It really isn't that much of a hassle-- it just takes a few seconds. On the other hand, coming out and seeing your bike (or parts of your bike) missing is a MAJOR hassle!

KBentley57

It's just my personal preference. On the end, there is only one bike that can be beside you, limiting the number of people who will toss a beater into the middle of the rack, lock it to your bike on accident, ect...

It's also easier to maneuver the bike in and out of without bothering others' bikes.

joeyduck

Got you. I thought you had a bike lock holy grail of information. I have never had someone lock their bike to mine, therefore I do not really think of that.

When parking on street racks I tend to avoid the end spot closest to the road since I have seen cars park and hit them and a lot of evidence of that occurring.

I usually park where is easiest. If questioned on the safest (least likely to be be a victim of theft) I would answer the middle of a rack is most safe since it seems to be a greater hassle to cut a lock.

I sometimes have a hard time fitting my bike in the middle of racks since I have front and rear racks and usually a kids seat; I guess by default I tend to use the ends (still within the bar limits of the rack though).

xStaticS

This has all been very helpful! Today I picked up the Kyptonite kyrptolok series 2 U-lock and it comes with a 4 foot cable so I will use the U-lock to lock up the frame, rear wheel, and rack, and then I can use the cable to keep the front wheel secured to the frame and lock. This is nice since I can register my keys and I might even sign up for the theft protection deal they offer since it's only $10.

On campus we have several areas where there are covered racks, but honestly we don't have a ton. I know a lot of people have really been pushing to get better racks that have covers to protect from elements so hopefully they actually jump on that. I plan on getting to campus pretty early in the mornings to snag the good bike spots before everyone else gets there. I wont worry about my seat for now. I'm nut sure why anyone would want to steal it since it's just a stock part that isn't particularly special. And if someone does take it for some reason I will just have a better excuse to upgrade the saddle.

I like using the ends of the racks too! We have a bunch of racks that are the style requiring you to lift the bike's font wheel up and over the rack and I find that it's just a pain and it ends up in a bunch of bikes that are all tangled up together. Parking a bike on campus is surprisingly difficult but parking a car is even harder and it's really expensive! So I guess it is worth it in the end

mikeybikes

Is your saddle quick release or does the clamp have a bolt?

If the former, try running the cable through the saddle rails, or even remove the saddle after each ride and string it along the cable.

at_hiker59

If you have to lock on different racks around campus, leave a ulock on more than one rack lessens what you have to carry around or if you forget a lock at home. I've left ulocks on the racks and carried a cable lock. The ulock locks the frame, the cable locks the wheels. The ulocks go on the racks that I fear my bike will most likely be stolen from.