AMERinMTL

Well i just learned at this moment that my buddies fully built from ground up custom FBM bmx got robbed. he's out a good 1000 or more in parts. So it makes me wonder how safe am I, or you for that matter. . .


I live in Montreal, Canada, i'm honestly not sure of our statistics on bike theft, though i'm looking now. This guy had his bike locked with a u-lock, not sure which brand IN ADDITION TO a large chain and a master lock.

I personally use an onguard bull dog (https://www.rei.com/online/store/Prod...ory_rn=4500826)

When I lock my bike i lock my rear rim as well as my kmc 415h chain to a parking meter with as little room as possible in there for someone to put something to pry (sp) at it with. In fact if you where to put a crowbar in there you can't really get decent leverage cause you would be putting it against the rear tire or spokes so you would screw the bike up but not get it, i think. . .

So what can you guys tell me about securing a bike, how do you do it? Any tips or pointers, unfourtantly as i read on the internet and have heard around bike theft is just a horrible epeidemic and we all need to work against it! Thanks

TERMINATOR

Just go to the local marine store and pick up some 5/16 inch. coated chain about 1 1/2 feet long. Usually they are white. This coating will prevent the chain from scratching up your bike. Then get a real heavy duty Pad Lock that can't be cut with a hack saw.

Padlock

and a chain something like this...
Chain

mude

u-locks = no good

frozin

I only carry a lock with my road bike.

I never leave my bmx alone- and if I do it's somewhere when I am very close and in plain eye sight. If I am going into a store or fast food joint, I'll just take my bike in with me and park it somewhere out of the way- usually the food places with double doors (a mud room between) are the best places to do this but a lot of businesses will let you bring your bike in if you ask nicely.

If you really need to leave your bike outside locked up, use a thick chain and a strong lock going through your frame, handlebars and wheel. If you're in a bad area, you might want to take the seat with you too..

Bike theft is ridiculous! I had my hoffman taj stolen back in 98 and even located the bike and theif- police didn't do anything. Arg!!

hypersnazz

My roommate a couple years back had $2000 worth of mountain bike stolen, he recovered it and the cops would NOT allow him to press grand theft charges, only petty theft. Not only that, the cops who recovered the bike and denied him a proper case were bike cops themselves.

Brian

I've only lost 5 bikes and a pair of pedals to thieves. Bastards. As far as the petty theft/grand theft issue, that's just they way they do things sometimes. Is GF a felony? Maybe they just didn't feel confident trying to get the prosecutor to slap the perp with a felony. It would have been plea bargained to a misdemeanor anyway. That's just the way the system works.

simonw

my bmx lives in my house, and i dont use it to go anywhere where I would need to leave it (e.g. I dont go to the shops alone with it)

For me its not a mode of transport or a tool, its a recreational item.

KinetikBiker

my bike is locked up or inside wherever i go...

example: some freinds of mine and i rode our bikes to the local coffe shop thingie call Carribou Coffe...to get smoothies, they left there bikes outdide in plain sight...i brought mine inside the store and left in by the door...i also lock it up even if im just using the bathroom at the skatepark or buying a gatorade or water...its definatley worth the extra time locking you bike up so that its not going bye bye...even if its just some crappy K-mart bike or if its a custom bike thats over $1000 its worth locking up...

queensrider86

I live in a high-theft area. i never lock my bike up. i roll deep.If we go to a store, two people are watching the bikes.

A chain wouldn't work. if you lock your frame they will take your wheels. if you lock the wheels they will take the frame + the rest of the bike. if you lock both wheels and the frame and the handlebars and the seatpost, you might be safe;or they will take your crankarms

Brian

Queensrider, you're most hilarious when you don't mean to be.

soad

i don't lock mine up. i just went across my bike with steel wool and let it sit in the rain to get some parts rusty. nobody wants a POS looking bike.

CMcMahon

Oh, how wrong you are about that.

Flatline

Just ain't right.

AMERinMTL

i've seen a bike outside my school with NO brakes, rust everywhere, some sort of old beach cruser have everything stole but the front wheel which was still neatly locked to the post. So yea, people want a POS, why, i don't think anybody knows.

hypersnazz

People go to far less trouble, though. All the mechanics at my last shop (including myself) built up fixed gears from cheapass old 10-speeds and had no trouble cruising around SF and Oakland.

That said, a fellow mechanic reported yesterday that his $4500 TCR carbon road bike was locked to his friend's $3000 Blur...the thief cut the lock and stole the Blur, *moving* the road bike out of the way to get at it. And the weirdest part of the story was...this was the *second* time his bike had to be moved out of the way so another far less valuable bike could be stolen right next to it.

Brian

Who would steal a road bike?

Brian

Hey, the "What matter most" thread got deleted? Was it my less than polite, but direct response to someone that got it "Terminated"?

CMcMahon

Yeah, it got deleted, probably along with that guy's account, too.

hypersnazz

His own words: "It never felt so good to be so insulted."

iweargirlspants

i wouldent ever leave my bike anywhere im not. its just the dumbest thing especially when you are talking about thousends of dollars in parts.

KinetikBiker

you tell 'em....

iweargirlspants

damn right.

cubehead22

people dont steal my $hit because they know that ill either beat the **** out of them if i find out or ill steal everytihing they leave outside of there house for the rest of there lives , this has only happened like three times or so because i lock my bikes up too and once i even took a dudes car , parked it at the local mc donalds he didnt find it for a week

KinetikBiker

oh your cool, are you a gangsta gangsta who poelpe dont mess with cause you be rollin on dubs and will pull out ta 9 and blow dey brains out the dizzzor?



i didint think so...

drive someones car the McDonalds....creative, funny, illegal, AND BULL****!




foo sho!

bmxrdr88

thats freakin' funny. why aa mc donalds. why not wal-mart or something? they have bigger parking lots.