Detailed Security Answers Wanted, Please?
 

I am a commuter. I use my bike to get to classes and locations off campus. Mostly, I use it to get to the DART station where I can then travel to different cities. Once I left my bike on the rack over-night. It was still there. I felt safe. I left it there again 2 weeks later for 6 hours and it was stolen. I now vow to never have my bike stolen again.

First, I learned I had a chain lock which is a no-no. I need a U lock. A Kyrponite mini. I use it and lock the frame and the wheel to the post.
QUESTION:
1. How do you know before hand whether or not the U lock is too small for your frame?
2. Is it true that narrow U locks are better than wider ones because you can put some weird theif thing in it?

"I have removeable wheels and seat," I said to myself.

Solution to my seat troubles:
http://www.4bike-police.com/Duty_Bik...duct_info.html
QUESTION
1. How many people use a seat lock? I can't imagine someone spending time to break through the plastic.
2. What is this business about allen bolts? I haven't a clue how to put it in.

"Yes, we're getting closer to feeling really secure, now! How about my front wheel? It's also quick release," I think. Now, it is getting tricky. I could actually remove the wheel and lock it in the back, but that is an extreme pain. I might be willing to do that when I park it at the DART station, but not when I go to places that do not seem as shady.
QUESTION
1. How the f*** do you use a "wheel skewer"?
2. Again, what is this business with bolts?
3. Some U locks come with extension cables. If a theif could quickly get through my cable lock, wouldn't an extension cable be even EASIER to cut through? So it is essentially useless, right? I saw a website that said they are harder to cut through. As thin as they are, I don't believe it.
4. Why can't I just buy another U lock and lock the front wheel to a post with that?

Lastly, location is everything.
I usually park at school. Police are always driving around. Students and faculty walking around. I think I'm safe.
Sometimes I park just outside the restauraunt or business building I am entering. Lots of cars and people coming in and out, right? I put it next to the bus stop once.
At the DART station, I put it in the rack. The rack is kind of hidden buy trees/bushes. Cars do not go past the rack since its facing the parking lot which is usually empty. What was I thinking? Next time, should I park it at the crossing where people are coming on and off the buses and up and down the stairs? Should I park it next to a store? And will all of this matter in the late nights? I use DART at night. How can I keep my bike secure during the night when people are not walking by so often?

Secure the frame and rear wheel simultaneously by locking the rear tire through the rear triangle. See http://www.sheldonbrown.com/lock-strategy.html

Remove the front tire and include it in the lock, too. Or, just wrap a cable around the front tire, and attach it to the rear lock as well.

If the lock is too big, you provide leverage for thieves, or something like that. A Kryptonite Mini is usually just big enough to lock up one wheel; use the larger locks if you are going to remove the front wheel, too.

I have never seen a good solution for securing a seat and seat post.

Total bike security is impossible, unless you are lucky enough to have a bike locker. You can probably secure your frame and your wheels, but that won't stop a thief with an allen wrench from removing other valuable components, like brake calipers or derailleurs. So, save the Dura-Ace bike for the weekend rides, and ride on a modest, practical commuter that doesn't have expensive components.

The best defense is to ride a bike with zero resale value and lock it securely (as advised in these other good replies) next to the most expensive, flashy bike you can find. And even then, don't become too attached to it.

Wrap your bike head to toe in electrical tape or spray paint it primer colored. Make it FUGLY. Remove all decals and brand names from components.

Smaller the U-lock the better, gives them less leverage. Buy it at REI and if it ends up being too small then take it back and get a bigger one. Take front wheel off and lock it to rear wheel and frame or if you're too lazy then get a chain, too, and wrap the front wheel locking chain with the U-lock.

Seatlocks are good. You can use pitlocks on your seat bolt and on your wheels if you have bolted axles. Some people use an old section of bike chain for their seatlock. It isn't impossible to removed, but the thief has to have a chain tool to do it...likelihood that they do is slim.

Location is key...lock it where there's people and lighting frequently. Make sure it's visible to the public. This is in no way a cure-all, as many people have their bikes ripped off in broad daylight in busy places, but everything helps.

Nothing is bomb-proof...what you're trying to do is make it difficult enough that a thief doesn't want to take the time to do it. Every little thing you can do helps. Do lots.

+1. Your locks don't have to be the best locks, just better deployed than the rig next to you (i.e. park next to the guy who only locked the front tire & has a quick release.)

Can anyone show any evidence at all that this works? I doubt it really does. You really think that thieves haven't realized why people put stickers and electrical tape over decals on their bikes?
And I see plenty of stripped bare x-mart bike frames locked up to bike racks. People still stole all the non-name, nearly-worthless parts off them.

DART allows bikes on their trains and buses:

http://www.dart.org/riding/bike.asp

Consider getting a folding bike to make this easier. DART also has bike lockers for rent, $45 per year, but apparently not at all locations.

Also post your question in the Regional Discussion forum; you're more likely to get a response from someone who lives in your area and can offer answers specific to your location.

http://www.missinglink.org/Pages/bike_locking.html

If your lock's shackle is long enough,you could also pop your seat off and run the lock through one of the set rails as well. You can also just run a cable through the seat rail to the lock.

Beater bike.Locks keep the honest people honest.If somebody wants your bike bad enough,it's gone.Before the invention of battery operated tools,you had a fighting chance,no more.Hell,you can buy a oxy/sed torch that will fit in a coat pocket,there isn't a bike lock on the planet that will stop that.

Here's my contribution: http://www.mechbgon.com/lock/index.html I don't think a longer-shackled U-lock is necessarily bad if you're actually filling up the shackle with bike, and that's what I prefer to do, so you'll notice a bias in that direction on my page :)

Thanks for the advice, guys, but I knew a lot of that already. That is why I made this post with SPECIFIC questions. Does anyone not know what I am talking about?

Also, often, my bike is the ONLY bike at the dart station.

Also, as I asked in my thread, is a cable wrap around really any more strong than a chain lock? Because I do NOT want to remove my front wheel everytime I lock my bike.

Bike theft tends to correlate with bike use. If you're the only bike around, you won't have all that much bike theft issues - if you're having to walk extra blocks because all the racks are packed full of bikes, there will be a lot of bike thieves out. So do the best you reasonably can with the U-lock on the back wheel and a cable on the front and getting rid of extraneous quick releases and call it good.

QUESTION:
1. How do you know before hand whether or not the U lock is too small for your frame?

Many bike shops have a rack or parking meter, so try out the lock before you buy it.

2. Is it true that narrow U locks are better than wider ones because you can put some weird theif thing in it?

Narrow U locks are better because they leave less room for a thief to try and pry it open.



Solution to my seat troubles:
1. How many people use a seat lock? I can't imagine someone spending time to break through the plastic.

I don't use a seat lock, and have yet to have it stolen, although i have been thinking of putting a bolt on the seat clamp.

2. What is this business about allen bolts? I haven't a clue how to put it in.

get yourself an allen wrench, or as i and probably most people here use a bike multi-tool.


QUESTION
1. How the f*** do you use a "wheel skewer"?

The wheel skewer is what goes through the wheels so that you can attach the wheels to the frame/fork. I use a locking skewer http://www.oredon.com/content/en/produits.php?id=24 but i think bulldog makes something similar.

2. Again, what is this business with bolts?

Most wheels have quick-release, a bolt just makes it less likely that an opportunist thief will steal them.

3. Some U locks come with extension cables. If a theif could quickly get through my cable lock, wouldn't an extension cable be even EASIER to cut through? So it is essentially useless, right? I saw a website that said they are harder to cut through. As thin as they are, I don't believe it.

The idea of using a cable lock on the wheels in addition to a U lock comes from the fact that a thief may only have one cutting tool for one or the other, but not both.

4. Why can't I just buy another U lock and lock the front wheel to a post with that?

You can!

How can I keep my bike secure during the night when people are not walking by so often?

First, if possible, never lock your bike overnight! Second, take the precautions above and you shouldn't have to worry. Two U locks of different brands would be fairly theft proof IMO.

I have heard that renter's insurance will generally cover your bike being stolen, even if it is out in the street. Can anyone confirm or deny this?

You can claim a bike on your home or tenant's insurance, but the deductible may be very high [i.e. $500], or may even top out low on coverage, specifically because it's a bike. You can get an insurance "rider" that will allow you to have specific insurance coverage for your bike, with lower deductible and a limit that is specific to a particular bike. Back in tha day, I put a $2000 rider on my mountain bike. The first $1000 was free, and then it was $3.50 for every $100 of additional coverage. Thus, the bike-specific coverage was $35/year with a $100 deductible. Bear in mind that this was a long time ago, and I'm sure rates have gone up. I only had one bike stolen with that sort of coverage on it, but it saved me almost $1800 in out-of-pocket expenses.

wow, thanks! About the ext. chain... if he has a tool to break the U lock, he can then also undo the chain so that logic makes no sense to me.

Also, I am still confused. Is it good to put your bike with other bikes or is it good to put your bike by itself in a high traffic area?

Well, you really need a second lock of some type for the cable for the most effectiveness.

As far as where to park your bike well, check out this vid http://www.neistat.com/movies/bikethief/index.htm

Do you really think people would say anything if they noticed a bike getting ripped off?
If a thief wants your bike they will get it no matter where you park it. Where is the parking in the train station?

wow......it would be interesting to see how U locks are defeated.
Now that i'm even more paranoid i'll have to install some kind of electric shock anti theft system on my bike

I didn't think people would care that a bike is being stolen, but I just meant that in a high traffic area, there is more chance for a police man to see it, right?

At my school the police is always there so bikes are rarely stolen.

DART is supposed to have police every now and then.

>First, if possible, never lock your bike overnight!

I agree. It's one thing to leave your bike a couple of hours during daylight. Overnight is a totally different kettle of fish. It's the time when pro bike thiefs will actually be out looking for bikes, it gives them as much time as they like (if the bike is there at 3am, it'll be there at 5am), cover of darkness etc etc.

I don't think I've yet even left my current bike out overnight, but if for some reason I had to, it would have *three* locks on it. If I had four, it would have four.

Steve

+1.

I see a taped-up bike and instantly go over to check out this super bike that's so good they're trying to camouflage it.

Steve

On uglifying, Lifehacker has a post about this today: http://lifehacker.com/396527/ugly-yo...-deter-thieves
You don't need a special tool to bust open (many) U-locks - you just need a pole, the longer the better, and a space to jam it in and use as a lever. You don't put an extension chain/cable on to secure a wheel in case the frame gets stolen, you do it to stop the wheel being stolen on its own.

It's like putting window locks on a bank: if the thief can blow crack the safe, the window locks aren't going to stop them. But at least it's going to stop the casual burglars.

There are two types of thieves, more or less: casual/opportunistic thieves that go after whatever is lying around and poorly secured who don't really have a clear idea of costs or brands and just want a cheap buck, and there are professional bike thieves who know what everything costs, see through camouflage, and know how to get around expensive locks. You can "outlock" or inconvenience the first type, but not the second. Luckily, there are many of the first but few of the second.

So you are saying you have a quick release skewer for your seat post bolt? Why? Get rid of it and put a binder bolt in there. It's cheap and super easy. And then if you are still worried about your seat post being taken apart and your seat being stolen then get a little cable to fish through the seat rails and your U lock.
But heres the thing. If a thief is taking the time and has the opportunity and the tools to wrench on your bike, you are gonna lose some stuff no matter what you do.

As far as seats go: Why does anyone have a quick release for their seat posts? Why do they even put them on adult size bikes? How often are you supposed to change your seat height? Never. That's how often. Set it right, tighten it, forget it.

Mountain bikers and other off-roaders will adjust their seat heights during a ride depending on the trail conditions. Easy, flat routes will allow a "normal" height while difficult technical singletrack requires a low saddle. A rider will want to stay off the seat completely--often behind it--over the tough stuff to let the bike move around beneath him/her.

Dottie, which station was the bike stolen from? A friend of mine had his bike taken from Galatyn Park a few weeks ago -- no U-lock, just a cable lock. He also said it was not a particularly nice bike, I guess they'll steal anything.

I normally bring my bike on the train but in the evening it can be tough because the trains are so full.