Bike Security Options?
 

I'm interested in being able to keep my bike at almost any cost. I've looked around a bit at different options and it seems to me that a combination of deterrents is the best strategy. Other than the costs, what do you think about these ideas;

Kryptonite New York Mini Lock
Spybike seat post GPS
Atomic 22 bolt system
using an engraver to carve my email address into each part.
Using a heavy duty Loctite to make it more difficult and time consuming to remove bolts

Is a Kryptonite New York Mini lock large enough to lock to things in most situations? Do you know someone who has actually collected on the insurance policy? I have a medium sized no name brand U lock now but I'd spend the cash to make sure I have a ride home if it's worth it and if they'll actually pay out.

Spybike seatpost website doesn't look very professional but if it works it would be a great way to track down a stolen bike. It only works when the bike is moving. At $155 it isn't outrageously expensive. Have you any experience with Spybike or other GPS that can be hidden in the seatpost?

Atomic 22 is really expensive, I'm talking $500 to outfit an entire bike! The idea is that a thief can't steal components and in particular wouldn't be able to remove the Spybike GPS inside the seat tube, meaning I'd catch him eventually. I love the idea of the locking skewer to eliminate the hassle of carrying a second lock. There's Pitlock too but they offer far fewer options and don't have the capability of locking my quill stem, a shame because Pitlock is far cheaper. Do you have experience with Atomic 22? Do you think it deters thieves?

Can I safely carve my email address into my steel frame and aluminum parts without weakening them? It seems like a silly question but I just don't know. My Dad carves his driver license number into everything and it has paid off many times resulting in arrests.

Lastly Loctite makes stuff that makes heavy duty stuff that makes it a pain to remove bolts and sometimes requires heat. That would slow 'em down but also make things very inconvenient for me.

Again, I'm hoping to attack the thievery problem from all sides to persuade the thief to move on. What do you think of this approach?

The atomic 22 being Titanium fastners stuff is relatively inexpensive if your bike costs LIKE $9000.00

its a British company Are you in England ?


IDK most of the specifics , But One : No aluminum cracks around scratches .. stamping into steel may be better

and have you considered a Folding Bike that you can take in with you and not leave it on the street @ ALL

First of all security needs depend on where and wen locked, so add your city of residence (or if you're worried about privacy one near it) to your profile. Then clarify what your needs are, ie. all day outside while at work, for 1/2 hour while shopping, 5 minutes while you buy ic cream, etc.

Lastly, ask the question of the commuting or living car free forums, since those folks are much more dialed in to parking security than people here who encompass a large spectrum of riders, and come to this forum for technical/mechanical info.

FWIW while you're here. Yes, Kryptonite pays claims, but requires proof and thieves often take the lock with them, or toss is somehwere where people don't think to recover it. IMO engraving won't help, since it won't deter a thief, and the odds of recovery are tiny.

I'll respond here and move it over to the living car free board.

I'm not in England but I buy stuff from all over the world.

Folding bike, uh no. I'd rather carry my real bike inside every place I go than ride some slow bike.

What about etching with acid into aluminum? How do they do pantographing?

I live in a very large southern city and I'd like to eliminate the vehicle from my life. The little woman will still have the bimmer if I have to go somewhere fancy. I actually haven't driven my vehicle in six months. I've just been carrying my bike inside.

I thought about how to beat the Kryptonite claim if the thief tosses the lock. One could assume that the company created that clause to sell two locks to each person. If the lock isn't recovered break the second lock and send it in. It seems absurd to require bike owners to be responsible for a thief's actions during a crime.

Considering $500 locking options? Putting Loctite on that will make it impossible for a thief (and you) to remove bolts? Engraving your name/info on every part of the bike? It sounds like the thieves already won if they're making you go through that much hassle. Or you live in the most dangerous city in the world.

Just get a bike that doesn't scream "steal me!" and you can lock it up with a wimpy cable lock when you're out and about. It can still be light, fast, and fun to ride. And you won't have to carry a big heavy lock everywhere. Still keep it safe inside your home at night of course.

My advice:

First - get a "U" lock and lock the bike at its highest point on the frame to something solid.
Run a cable through the wheels and onto the lock.
Unless someone has a portable grinder or a set of bolt cutters, you are safe.

If some thief comes by and he DOES have a portable grinder or a set of bolt cutters, make sure that your bike is parked close to several bikes that cost at least 3 times as much as yours did, so the thief will be inclined to steal one of the other bikes instead of yours.

Don't leave your bike out over night - especially if it screams "STEAL ME" to every passer-by.

I remember someone advertising an anti-theft package designed for Harley-Davidson motorcycles...... it was a bike cover with "SUZUKI" print on it.

Binky

Catching a thief doesn't mean you'll get your bike back. A friend had his bike stolen in SF. Guy walked up and cut a ulock with massive bolt cutters. In a crowded area, broad daylight. They caught him 2 hrs later when he came back for another. But the bike was already long gone.

All of these don't stop vandalism.

Since bike owners don't pay taxes on bikes the police aren't interested in helping us out. It's entirely up to the bike community to create an environment that eliminates the bike thief. Beyond the security measures above I can think of lots of creative ways to do this, lots of them. A very direct propaganda campaign comes immediately to mind.

FastJake it sounds like to me there's a equal juxtaposition to your argument: it could be said that the bike thief has beaten you by forcing you into thinking you have to ride a lesser bike. I'd rather track him down with GPS and exact justice, thereby discouraging the bike thief from trying it again.

It seems from many responses that many people have just subscribed to the idea that it's okay that their bike got stolen rather than trying to assuage the problem from the onset. Seems like a sad manner of speaking to me. I don't have that mindset so I don't understand.

When I saw the thread title, it just occured to me. Yes lock up your bike. But I thot of race cars that have removeable steering wheels so that the driver can get in. Why doesnt some componet company make a removeable handle bar with a quick release. Any criminal trying to steal a bike with both a U lock and no handle bar would be a bad target. If they couldnt quickly ride away it would be too much trouble.

read that in the nicer neighborhood in SF a box to lock your bike up in was installed on the street ..

We have bike lockers for rent in Rochester, NY. They're generally in the downtown parking garages, so you just pay a monthly fee and get a full-enclosed, huge locker. They're awesome for commuters.

Considering the number of people who can't manage to use the QR's on their wheels correctly, just imagine how quickly a company producing a similar handlebar would go out of business after the liability claims come in from people who end up eating pavement.

I have seen a quick release stem clamp. However, the problem really is all the cables.

I never said a lesser bike, I said one that doesn't scream "steal me." I love riding my commuter. It has a light wheelset I built myself. It has fenders and a rack for carrying stuff. It's the nicest bike I would ever want to use for commuting, even in a perfect world where theft didn't exist. But it's not covered in chrome or carbon fiber (I leave that for my race bikes.)

While putting a GPS tracker in a bike would make it very satisfying to track down a thief, I would rather my bike not get stolen in the first place.


*Edit: maybe some context is needed here. I ride my commuter year round and in Wisconsin the winters can be just as bad as a thief or vandal if you aren't careful. The salt attacks everything. So I'm not going to ride a $xxxx bike through that.

Use 3' of 3/8" Grade 100 chain from tulsachain.com and attach it with a lock large enough that it cannot be cut with bolt cutters. Run the chain Sheldon Brown style.

This ensures that the thief must use a grinder.

It's the most secure I can come up with. The GPS idea is good, but don't expect the cops to help you.

You seem overly obsessed . . .
Have ridden in 38 states and over 300,000 miles.
A simply long steel cable and a mini titanium combo lock is all I use.
So far I've been lucky deterring joy riders and thieves.