San Pedro

This morning I rode my hybrid to the local train station (small town), and after I parked my bike I saw a beautiful carbon Pinarello locked up (GPS still on the bars). It was the nicest bike I've ever seen there. I see some nice hybrids, an occasional road bike (some guy has a Totem bike which is not so nice), but mostly dutch style bikes. I would be hesitant to lock up my road bike there, even though the chance of theft at the station are low. Also, wouldn't want my bike messed with. So have any of you or would you lock up your road bike at a train station?

rpenmanparker 

You don't mean in public, do you? The only way I would lock my bike up at a train station is if the train ran through my garage.

OnyxTiger

Bait bike, maybe?

2manybikes

Better get the car, and bikes out of the garage. Don't worry about the car.

jon c. 

A beautiful place with no bike thieves sounds pretty nice.

Doctor Morbius

I don't tempt fate when it comes to my bike(s) getting stolen. I like my bikes and don't want to have to bother with replacing them. Also, I don't need for any thieves to soil my already low regard for humanity.

If I'm not riding one of them it's in the garage or inside of the house with all doors locked. The exception is when I'm putzin' around in the garage working on some half baked project.

rms13

Looks like OP is in Japan where I'm pretty there is no crime.

prathmann

The local train station has these rather nice bicycle lockers. So I wouldn't have any issues with leaving my bike inside. OTOH, I usually just wheel the bike onto the train.

San Pedro

There is some bicycle theft in Japan, especially drunks who want ride home. In my town, it is really uncommon and there is a little police office at the station. I don't think the bike will be there over night. I'll try and get a picture of the bike parking lot.

I do know an Australian who had his titanium bike stole outside a restaurant in the big city.

K.Katso

Even though the bike parking at the station is supposed to be guarded, I don't think their checks are good enough to prevent someone from stealing a bike that they really want to steal. Therefore I would never leave a bike like that at the station. Most people here wouldn't commute on one anyway, you're just asking for it to get stolen if you do.

San Pedro

I've seen other road bikes at this station and others in Japan, though mostly more on the entry level side. I have a friend who was leaving his 2005 Pinarello at the 2nd biggest station in Nagoya (big city) for 2-3 years everyday, and now keeps it at the school he works at outside, chained to nothing, just a u-lock. Things are definitely different in Japan, and I'm sure overnight is a different story. My hybrid, though, has sat at the station for like a week without problems before.

CliffordK

WOW!!!
Is that a local commuter station? Or a main line train station? Or perhaps both?

I've ridden to the Amtrak station before. I asked them if I could leave my bike in the baggage area at the station, and they said NO!!!!!!
They also discouraged me from locking the bike overnight at the station.
They recommended that I pay $5 or $10 to check my bike on the train, and to bring it with me.

The next time I do it, I'll have my Bike Friday,and Bike Friday Suitcase. and hopefully I'll be able to avoid the baggage surcharge.

dim

cambridge UK train station :



They are adding new buildings now, and there are much less bike spaces available. If you bike is not locked on a bike rack, it gets removed and donated to charity. If you want it back, you have 7 days to claim it and you have to pay a release fee .... if the bike is not claimed after 7 days, it's sold for cheap

many people dont realise, and think it's been stolen

San Pedro

That is a station that is on the small side on a main line, and just one bike parking lot of two. The other is smaller and is on the other side of the tracks. Bigger stations have many more bikes. I've seen some massive bike parking lots in Osaka, which seems to be heavy on the bike commuter side.

Trains are relied upon by many people to get to work, and a lot of people ride to their local station. You can bring your bike on a train, if it's in a bad, but it would not be advisable during rush hours, especially in the morning when people sometimes have to force themselves inside the train so the door can close.

CliffordK

No doubt there are some small towns in the USA where one can just park a bike unlocked and expect it to stick around.

But, I wonder if bike theft and locking is one of the obstacles to bike commuting here in the USA.

Many stores realize that theft is a problem, but they put security cameras on store merchandise, and not their customer's property. Camera resolution is often poor. And, there is just little effort to hunt down these criminals.

One store that I periodically shop at... their bike rack was apparently stolen in the middle of the night. And, so far, it has been a few weeks with no apparent effort to replace it.

San Pedro

One side of the next stop on my line (rapid train stop) in a town of about 400,000. The other side has a really nice bike parking lot that is covered and has elevated parking spaces.


https://www.google.co.jp/maps/@34.92...8i6656!6m1!1e1

Underground bike parking in Tokyo, think it's new:

CliffordK

Is that like a giant bicycle vending machine?
Is it secure? Cheap?

prathmann

Not necessary to bring the suitcase/trailer since Amtrak rules are that folding bikes can be carried on in lieu of one piece of carry-on baggage. "Folding bicycles under the dimensions of 34" x 15" x 48" will be allowed onboard all trains in lieu of a piece of carry-on baggage. They must be considered a true folding bicycle."

But it might be advisable to carry a copy of their webpage with this policy in case someone at the station is unaware of it.

Adonis72

That bike would be long gone where I live unfortunately so that's a no.

Bike Gremlin

I use a 1996 MTB. Worse looking and better locked than other bikes - and you're reasonably safe. I expect to have a bike stolen every few years - the cheap ones I use for transport. Better that, than using car, or a bus. And cheaper.

San Pedro

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LDLQ6dGj0U

Not sure how cheap, but probably not too bad. It's like it's from the future!

indyfabz

It's an S-Works vending machine.

San Pedro

Bumping this because I saw the bike again, and took a picture. Duar-ace to boot!
17-02-17_001.jpg

datlas 

Thanks for the update. The pinarello really stands out from the crowd!

Cyclist0108

That is where my wife got her bikes stolen.

Our first "date" was s trip to a bike shop to replace one stolen at the train station.

Cambridge is horrible for bike theft, even by American low-standards.