Hello all,

I will be commuting 2 miles to law school starting next month, and will be parking in the school's parking garage. I'm assuming it's relatively safe, in NW DC and in a monitored garage, I don't think anyone will try and bring tools to steal bikes/parts.
My plan is to leave the Kryptonite U Lock attached to the rack, then lock the back wheel and frame with that. Then my plan is to purchase a Kryptoflex cable and run that through the front wheel, seatpost, helmet, and connect to the U Lock. That way I can leave everything but the lights on the bike.

Is that a good idea? If yes, how many foot kryptoflex would I need?

Thanks for helping a new rider out!

I always carried my helmet with me, as yanking on the cable hard enough can be hard on the foam and shell. The seat quick release I replaced with a bolt (to deter theivery) and covered the saddle with a plastic bag held on with a big elastic band. Other than that, I did the same thing, and it worked fine for three years. Find a place to lock it that gets seen regularly, so that anyone interested in stealing will be forced to do it in clear view.

My cable is 6', and a pain to carry. I'd use a piece of rope (or garden hose), and see how little you can get away with. Of course, the cable will be stiffer, and require a little bit more length, but you can get a pretty good idea of what is required with the rope method.

Good luck. I kinda wish I was going back to school this fall!

Eb23, I would add two things to the above: 1) check with the University police -- I think every school in DC has them -- about which garages are safest or most frequently patrolled. Nowadays Univ Police Depts. have to keep logs and make public reports of crime on campus, some are even online to make it easy. That may help you choose which bike rack locations might be more secure. 2) Get to know the parking attendants who work in the garage you use. Always be polite to them, say Hi and all that so that they get to know you. A little kindness can get you a lot of extra security and that never hurts in the big city.

Only one thing sucks about parking garages if they have an arm to get in, somethings you will not have a problem riding in, but then some don't 'see' you, and what has happened to me is that arm has come down too fast and hit my healmet really hard, I almost lost it after that.

GEEK

If you leave the U-lock at the parking rack, you may want to carry a short cable lock for shopping stops. 2 locks are always better than one; if they can crack the U lock, your long cable is useless. I dont find it a problem to carry the U lock. There is a thread on ways to carry U-locks and my suggestion (top of the rear luggage rack is there)
Beware of using any QR skewers on a bike that you leave unattended. Some people mess with them, others remove them altogether even if the wheel is locked.

Seems like a good plan (excluding the helmet/seatpost), provided you can attach the U lock to a fixed object then through your rear wheel+frame. I suppose I just don't like the idea of leaving my helmet out, even locked up-some crackhead bob may just try and pull it/cut it off. I'd guess 4' of cable will work when excluding the seat. If it looks as though the U lock won't fit, or due to rack crowding, might only work sometimes-you may be better off with kryptonite hardened chain to the frame/object/wheel, and U through the other wheel (thats my setup at work).

For the seat you can use old bike chain in a loop from a rail to the frame (wrapped in an old tube or electrical tape). I use a small cable lock with a combination (cheapo ~4-5$) looped between the seat rails+frame a couple times. Also comes in handy when I stop at a store (in a low crime area) on my way home and I left my U lock at work.

--Earlier this week I saw a rather nice/new commuter bike locked to a rack with a new york chain by the FRONT WHEEL ONLY! I didn't have a chance to go back & leave a note later in the shift, nor have I seen this bike since-but thankfully there isn't just a wheel there now!

Hey, if you're going to be leaving your bike and/or lock unattended, you need to worry not just about theft but also about vandalism.

Sometimes U-locks get vandalized during the night if they are left on racks - someone trying out their bike theft technique, or just some bored teenagers, who knows why it happens, but if you show up in the morning and your u-lock is broken, you'll have to rely on just your cable. I'd take the u-lock home every night.

I wouldn't leave your helmet with the bike either for the same reason. Some frat boy walks by and thinks it's funny to kick your helmet, and you've got to ride home without. I used to see a lot of bikes locked up on the campus of the school I went to (in NW DC) with missing quick release skewers. I doubt there is a huge market for stolen skewers, I think it was more likely vandalism.

Make sure the parking garage really is the safest place to lock up, too. Check and see if, for example, there isn't a bike rack right outside of the Campus Security office or something.

Wow, thanks guys, I had not thought of all the things you mentioned.

It's the AU law school parking garage, that's why I assumed it would be safe. Since I will be primarily riding to class and back, I thought leaving the NY U lock would be ok, especially since it weighs 4 pounds I don't want to commute with that everyday.

I guess I was really naive, but then again, I can foresee several students leaving their bikes with just a cable lock.

Do you guys think it's a good idea to wrap the bike in wrapping paper, then tape around in black tape? I really love the way the bike looks, but I really don't want it to be vandalized...

Thanks for helping me out

I commute past that law school every day. It's a pretty good neighborhood,I'd be surprised if there were serious vandal issues. Personally,I'd use the NY3k for the frame and rear wheel,run a cable through the front,and swap the quick release on the seatpost for an allen bolt one. You don't need to make your bike completely theft proof,just lock it better than the others. You wouldn't believe how many nice bikes I've seen on campuses around here "secured" with a cable the size of the one that goes into the back of my TV. I could chew through most of them.

Just do me a favor:don't be a Starbucks lemming! Almost every morning I see peds dashing across the middle of the road for their coffee fix,when the crosswalk is only a few yards away.

dyna - thanks, I feel much more at ease. And don't worry, I have issues with corporations, especially Starbucks...fair trade coffee all the way...https://www.equalexchange.com/fair-trade

AU should be pretty safe, unless you're worried about the other students.

Is the garage gated and locked at night or is it always open? If locked you should never have a problem.

If you're still worried you could have a backup lock attached to the rack, in case the u-lock is wrecked or stolen. A medium grade cable should do.

You could always experiment with the legal system and see what happens when you bring the bike inside the classroom...the law school that doesn't allow you to bring your bike inside shouldn't receive your tuition (analagous fact situation to shopping at stores--see multiple other thread rants--a basic law school training technique).

Not for commuting, but if it's your only bike-perhaps. "Real" thieves can spot high end stuff no-matter how it's disguised. The key is to lock it equally, or better than everyone else.

I've a spare single speed "pub bike" that's quite randy, and not worth anything (except the hubs)-that I use if I'll be locking up on the street for an extended time.

For quick release skewers, you can swap them for bolt on ones (that use an allen wrench) through Nashbar/Performance relatively cheap. I'd probably lose the special wrenches that you need with security skewers (ie Kryptonite).