Thieves don't wear around a shirt that says "I'm a bike thief" on the back, dude.

But all those people walking by had NO idea who was doing the grinding. That person could have taken ANY bike just the same as the one he'd been sent to get, unless the owner happened to show up.

It's not a matter of who was doing the grinding, but rather one of do thieves really steal bikes with any frequency using a grinder? Just because it's possible doesn't mean that it's actually happening in the real world. The amount of 'what ifs' on this board regarding bike thefts is ridiculous. There is being safe, and there is being paranoid, and paranoid seems to be in favor here.....

Most LBS employees I've seen look like theives. It isn't like they have a nametag on so no one decides to ask.

Now I take my bike inside and explain to my boss what happened. He is cool and will not mind under the circumstances.

Not very likely as I work on campus and arrive long before most students and leave after most. I also use 2 ulocks and leave both on the rack.


If I plan on stopping on the way home I simply take a 3rd ulock with me (yes I own 3 ulocks) I live in Arizona, corrosion is not a big concern for me.

Should I have any of these problems then I will likely start to rent one of the bike lockers the campus has started to install around campus. Right now I am pretty happy with my locking strategy.

Exactly my point.

There certainly is a point when one can become too paranoid in regards to their bicycle locking system.
As I said in the beginning of this thread, use common sense, evaluate the value (personal or monetary) of your bike, the level of risk of theft in your area, and use good locks.

To answer your question, in chicago, theives certainly do use angle grinders to steal bicycles. I have personally witnessed it. I have worked with police (occasionally. Believe it or not) and insurance companies as an (licensed) investigative locksmith to determine how the bicycle was stolen for theft reports/insurance claims.

According to Kryptonite, chicago is third on the list for 2008 of cities with the most reported bicycle thefts. If I recall correctly, NY and Philly were # 1 and 2.

EDIT:
In 2007 chicago was #2, right behind philly. NY fell into #3, which is pretty surprising!

https://unbreakable-bonds.blogspot.co...0-shocker.html

Uh - I've had four bikes stolen, and I personally know over a dozen people who have had theirs stolen. Given that: I don't think concern about bicycle theft is paranoia. Since I have practiced good lock hygiene and used a solid lock, I have only had one bike stolen, and that was from my garage (the garage was either unlocked to begin with or forced, and the bike was unlocked in the garage).

Most of my friends who have had their bikes stolen have either used cheap locks or not properly locked up their bikes (not through frame, don't lock both wheels up, etc.)

I assume that I will have bikes stolen in the future as well, I just hope that I get good use out of the bike and bequeath a pile of worn out components to the bike thief (given the status of most of my bikes - I'm more or less halfway there ).

Where are all of the user reports? I've only ever seen one of a bike being stolen with power tools, although I've seen many about cable locks being clipped, or low-end U-locks being pried open.
Exactly my point; the vast majority of locked bikes that are stolen locked with poor quality locks. It's extremely rare to see a report of a bike with a high-end lock (ART Foundation four star and Sold Secure Gold rated) being defeated by a thief. Use a high-end lock and the thieves will go for easier pickings, which there are plenty of.

Life's too short, and cycling is too enjoyable, to be paranoid about 'what ifs' (what if someone comes along with a tube of glue and glues my lock shut!') to the point where it becomes a burden to your enjoyment.......

I agree wholeheartedly with this last statement.

Look, I am not trying to scare anyone here. Don't become too paranoid. I thoroughly enjoy riding all of my bicycles. I commute 12 miles round trip to work on my bike everyday, all year. Even in the freezing chicago winters, I love it. I am allowed to bring my bike into the shop at work. This is bar-none the safest way to keep your bike. Whenever I have to lock it up (in the city) I don't leave it for long. If I HAVE to leave it locked up for more than an hour or so, I use 3 locks and a cable. (The cable really is simply to make it 'look' more secured. It will go through the wheels and saddle, but I also have a U lock through each wheel as well.)

If someone attacks your locks with a grinder, they are going to get your bike no matter what locking system you have used. It is unlikely, but possible.

I'm taking another lock with me (a better one). I believe I've already said this. The U lock is heavy which is the reason I want to leave it at the bike rack. I'm doing it anyway to save my shoulders. I'll put my name on it so no one is mistaken.

You know what, my bike is not worth that much, 2 locks, job done. I'm not worrying about it anymore.

I've made an effort to read the thread, so apologies if I'm posting a redundant question, but:

Can anyone speak to the effectiveness of chain locks, particularly those sold by Kryptonite? I know they can be defeated by an angle grinder/TNT/whatever, but any other comments?

The Krypto hex chains are very good. They resist bolt cutters well. Much better than the cables if you don't mind the weight penalty. I would use a quality U lock through the frame/wheel in addition to the chain though.

I.E.: Don't just loop the chain through the bike and around the bike rack/pole using the lock to close the chain. Rather, get the U lock around the rack/post as well.

I just had 4 bikes taken from my garage (condo complex, shared garage, but secured.) I'm pretty paranoid when it comes to locking up out on the street, but was not too worried about it at home. I live in a small building in which most of the residents haven't changed in years. There isn't really a good way to lock up bikes at the front of my parking spaces where I have to keep em. I had been toying with a few ideas, but hadn't done anything about it yet.

Makes me wish I had taken the cost of one of the bikes stolen and spent it on locks instead. Although I'm still not sure what I would have locked them to, aside from each other which doesn't seem like much protection against thieves driving around with a van.

Has anyone dealt with that kind of situation? Would a PVC bike rack filled with concrete do the trick? that's about all I can think of that I can get away with w/o drilling into the walls to sink attachment points, something I doubt would go over well.

A chain lock and a u? Sheesh. It'll reach a point that I just can't take the bike anywhere.

^
Sorry to hear that. Sucks.
If you have a hammer drill (if not, you can rent one), get some piping from the hardware, assemble your own "bike rack", and mount it to the concrete floor (I am assuming you have one) using concrete expansion anchors. Ask someone at the hardware store if you need help designing/installing it.

Again, sorry about your bikes.

Just a recommendation my friend.
It depends on your theft risk/bike value....

I understand that. Let's posit that I will be locking up a beater-ish bike on a low-risk college campus during the day for classes, and the bike will be stored in my apartment at night. I'm leaning towards buying one of the chains and calling it good to go... I guess my reasoning is I can lock the wheels and frame with a chain whereas a U lock would require a cable or something. What do you think?

Yeah, problem is I'm not sure I can get away with doing something like that in a shared area. We're allowed to put storage bins etc at the front of our spaces, so I figured a free-standing rack would work. I figured if I make it big (too big to fit through the pedestrian exit door) and heavy enough (thus the concrete) that might work. But I'd also worry that PVC+concrete would succumb to a sledgehammer blow.

I'm going to have to figure something out, though. I've got my remaining bikes in my apartment and the back of my car, at the moment.

I used to ride a mid-level mtb when I was in college and just locked it with a u-lock. Never had any problems (and this was in New Orleans, where opportunistic crime is big business).

I still think it would be prudent to follow the OP's advice and use a u-lock and a chain-type lock. He's right about how effective it is to make your bike harder to steal than the next one on the rack. The only reason not to take that extra step is if you can get another bike for less money than the cost of the lock (in the event that your bike does get stolen without the second lock).

And don't feel too secure in the idea that your bike is a beater and no one would want it. You must have wanted it enough to pay some amount of money for it, so there is a thief out there that wants it enough to cut through your lock and take it.

Yeah I guess you're right... I'll probably get a U and a cable. I'd do the chain thing too but I just cringe thinking about pedaling around with 20 pounds of locks. Oh well, at least the bike already doesn't have any quick-releases on it.

Do you mean a chain with a combo lock built in to it? I haven't seen that. If they do make them, there is no way it is as secure as a U lock. If not, how will you lock the chain?

The poster above me makes some good sense.

Chain + U lock is the equivalent style of lockup, but way better than a cable.

If it truly is a low risk area, you could get away with a U lock through the seat tube and rear wheel (at the same time), and around a secure bike rack. Use a bolt on front wheel/allen head bolts or locking skewer and don't worry about it.

By chain lock I mean something like these:

Kryptonite New York Chain
or
Kryptonite New York Noose

Like I said, I guess the appeal to me is being able to lock the wheels and frame with one lock. I know that's insufficient if someone REALLY wants the bike, but this area is relatively low risk and will have lots of bikes locked from mediocre to poor, so I feel like if I can be one of the most inconvenient to steal then I'm doing well.

If a u-lock with cable is better that's cool too.

Ok, you're in an apartment building so this is probably overkill and quite possibly unfeasible. But if you have a concrete floor or walls (like in a basement) they sell a loop thing you can drill into the concrete and attach:
https://www.motorcycle-superstore.com...ac=2&zmap=2785



I actually got it from a thread in a motorcycle forum:
https://www.modernvespa.com/forum/topic27240

If it was in the floor or behind something else, out of the way, maybe you could get away with it or talk management into installing it - I mean, you gotta figure there will be other people with the same need as you in the future.

If it's not at ULock height, you can lock your bike to it using a heavy duty bike lock chain:
https://www.kryptonitelock.com/produ...=1002&pid=1169




Of course, this is a lot of trouble to go to and does require installation. I'm just sort of shooting out ideas I've had. Another non-installation idea is to lock it to something really heavy. Like, find some sort of weights that you could loop a chain through that require 2 people to carry one of them - I don't know, say 200 pounds a piece. Get 4 of them so they're 800 pounds total. You might be able to carry them in individually, then lock them together (and together with your bike) and they'd be so heavy anyone trying to steal your bike would find it easier to cut through your lock than to try to carry them off. You'd want to make sure they weren't shaped so that you could just roll them all off together.

Just shooting out ideas! :-)

For the people who are saying that this is paranoia, say that after you've had something of value stolen from you. I've never had a bike stolen, but I did have someone break into my college apartment once (when I wasn't home), and take a bunch of camera equipment and an electric razor. The razor I wasn't concerned about because I didn't use it, but the camera equipment pissed me off.

But worst of all was the feeling of being violated in some way - of someone else having that much control over me that they could just take my stuff and me be powerless to stop them. Even if your bike is a beater, if you like it, and have enjoyed riding it, and rely on it for transportation, you will be super-upset if it gets stolen. Until you know that feeling, you should lay off on calling people paranoid that are advocating common sense.