I've been a fair-weather bike commuter on a dinky hybrid for a year, but just got a new Surly Cross Check (LOVE), and now that I have a fun and expensive bike to ride I want to get better about riding in all weather. I'm hoping to move towards selling my car someday soon. I'll ride the hybrid when there's salt on the ground, but otherwise really want to ride the Surly even when its raining.

However, current bike parking at work is just an uncovered rack about 200 feet from the entrance. I work in a strip mall in a not-so-great part of town, so I do get a little nervous locking the new bike to the rack, but I work in a federal building with cameras on the roof and often a security guard in a car at the entrance, facing the bike rack. My BIGGER concern is the rain. I don't want to leave my brand new steel bike out in the rain all day. The security guards have been surprisingly understanding on this and are trying to get me a dry place to keep my bike. Unfortunately, bringing it all the way into the building isn't an option. The two possibilities we are exploring are as follows:

1: Cable-locking the bike to the emergency phone that is under the wide awning just in front of the entrance (one of those tall blue-light phones). This is in full view of the security guards working inside the entrance, and as I said there is often one in a car just in front of the entrance. I'm not typically a fan of cable locking but it would be pretty ballsy to steal the bike in full view of the guards. However I do suspect this won't be approved bc of "safety concerns."

2. Leaving the bike in the foyer of the entrance. This is clearly the best option, but the only issue is that there is nothing for me to lock the bike to. I would have to u-lock the wheel to the frame and leave the bike just leaning against the wall. To get to the foyer you have to walk ~10 steps under the awning and open the first door of the building. There is a small foyer with all glass windows before you open the second door. Just beyond the second door is the security screening, with a metal detector and at least 2, usually 3 guards at all times. They can see fully into the foyer and there are definitely cameras recording the entrance. There is a motorized scooter that is also left in the foyer most of the time. This has not yet been approved but looks more encouraging. I left the hybrid there on the occasions where I forgot the key to my ulock, with no problems.

I should note that the guards certainly can't guard my bike as part of their job duties. They do know who I am, and would probably recognize if someone not me was messing with my bike, but I am not sure if they would confront the person or not for reasons of liability.

To be honest I am not that worried about someone coming in off the street, walking into a federal building, and taking a bike from the foyer. That is just so ballsy its hard to imagine it even happening. I am just moderately concerned about someone who works in the building taking it -- yeah, sucks to admit this, but we've had multiple instances of things like headphones being taken off someone's desk. That's probably happening after hours, though, and there is a big difference between stealing headphones and stealing a BIKE in broad daylight in front of guards.

I suspect I'm just being a little paranoid because I love my new bike so much, and it was a big purchase for me. I am also adding the bike to my homeowners insurance, they claim it will cover the bike in the event it is stolen even while out of the house, although that sounds a little too good to be true so I am wary.

So, would you feel comfortable leaving your bike unlocked in the foyer of a federal building?