h_double

I recently bought my first bike (a Raleigh Passage 3.5 hybrid) since I was a little kid , and I am loving the fun, exercise, and convenience of being able to use it to get around town.

One thing I'm less thrilled about is discovering how most areas just aren't that bike friendly. There are several strip mall type shopping centers locally where I end up locking up to the sign marking a handicapped parking spot (locking up so as not to block the space of course), or even locking up to a stop sign, because there is literally nothing else in the vicinity that a U-lock will fit around.

It might seem like a silly question, but I figure there is lots of accumulated experience on this forum, and I would appreciate it if anybody has any hints or stories as to particularly good/bad places to stash a bike while I'm out & about -- I don't want to lock the bike anyplace somebody might object, but I DO want to keep it safe from theft & damage.

Phantoj

Good place:


Not such a good place:



Seriously, when locking up to signposts or parking meters, consider how easy it might be for a theif to:

1. Lift the bike and lock over the top of the post
2. Remove the post at the base
3. Cut the post

I haven't lived downtown, so I don't know that much about bike theft. There's only so much you can do to secure a bike, but you have to do something.

h_double

I'm way ahead of you on watching the structural integrity of the post (though most of the time I'm locking the bike, it's for ~30 minute errands in the middle of the day). I guess I'm worried more about safety/courtesy issues than theft per se -- I don't want to park the bike where it's potentially in the way of motor or foot traffic, etc. There's a shopping center near my home with a video rental place as a separate outbuilding in the parking lot, and the only place to lock my bike is to the handicapped parking sign right in front of the video place. It's not in anyone's way, but it feels a bit rude parking there and then going to the other shops across the parking lot.

cerewa

Stop signs and handicapped parking signs are often perfect, as far as I'm concerned. When locking to these things, if it's really easy to remove the post then don't do lock up there. Most of the posts I use are hard enough to remove.... you'd need some tools and a fair bit of time to steal the bike. Also, none of my bikes is worth all that much.

Parking meters are particularly good around here. if it were easy to move a parking meter all the crooks would have made off with meters full of coins by now.

Raiyn

You'll gain instincts about locking places. Here's something that will help with the actual locking technique https://www.sheldonbrown.com/lock-strategy.html

flipjarg

Great post! i was trying to think of things i could lock up on today. The information in this post helped me quite a bit. i didn't really think much about someone removing the post. Although i will be in a busy city when i'm locking up. Still, i won't be taking the chance.

EGreen

Phantoj

When two vowels go walking, the first one does the talking?

I got 4th place in a spelling bee in 2nd grade.

Cynikal 

While I understand that this works well, my issue with this method is that it LOOKS less secure. Thus, more attractive to thieves.

Artkansas 

And those rules are always true except when they're not.

But I have to agree with you on the safe place. That's just what I was thinking.

Raiyn

Not at all. Especially if you use a cable lock along with it. People who just lock a frame tube are actually easier targets as there's more room to mount a leverage attack.