How do YOU lock your folding bikes?
 

Hey everyone, I recently bought a Dahon Vitesse D7HG and am in need for some proper how-to when it comes to locking a folding bike. I'll be moving out to college next week and have been considering buying a TiGr lock for its light weight, good looks, and high strength to weight ratio. I'm sure many of you believe there's a better solution to a $165-220 titanium bike lock that may seem gimmicky, and would like to see how you lock your bike!

Sure, why buy a folding bike that you can bring indoors instead of locking it outside? As it turns out, though I can bike wherever I want given its portability, as far as I know the UF (Florida) campus doesn't allow bikes indoors. And considering I've never really seen what a bike rack looks like (probably hyper-congested) during the fall with the influx of new freshmen (myself included), I need to be able to quickly get in and get out as quickly, easily, and painlessly as possible.

So far I've contemplated folding it and somehow getting a lock around the key parts, like the frame, and wheels all in one go, but so far I haven't a clue about how I'm going to do so! So let's see those locking techniques, folded and unfolded!

Thanks :D

On the rare occasions I need to lock one of my folders I fold it and run a cable lock through both wheels (the rear wheel includes the rear "triangle") and hope for the best.

I lock mine with a mini U-lock through the frame and locking skewers on the wheels and seatpost. If I had to leave it in an area where theft was more frequent l would add a secondary lock. But my Reach is more like a mini-velo than an ordinary folder, so that method may not work for you.

Would it be possible to bring your bike indoors if you folded it and put it inside a bag?

If it is a valuable folder in a place where bikes get stolen, my best suggestion would be to get a cheap used mountain bike or hybrid for bouncing around campus. We all know no lock is secure if someone really wants the bike. With an old junker, you can get around campus just fine and may not even have to lock it, which makes the whole bike/transportation thing more fun.

+1

Doesn't even have to be a zip up bag. If you can attach a shoulder strap to the bike to carry it - all you need is a cover that slides down over the strap and hides the fact that it's a bike attached.

I was once refused entry to The Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam by the door b!tch because I had an unconcealed Brompton.

"No- it is forbidden to take the bike in"
"But - I just want to check it in to the luggage room"
"No - it is forbidden to take the bike in"
"I'm not going to ride it up and down the galleries - I just want to check it in"
"No - it is forbidden to take the bike in"

I have been back with family but without the bike since - but I'm still plagued by a burning desire to return with the big hidden inside its bag just for the hell of it. The building has a big central spiral ramp. Hmmmm

FWIW, both the Brompton, and my Bike Friday Pocket Llama (using the heavy-rider BTO option)
have a hole, triangle, to pass a lock through the main frame .

It's the hole that is welded in the frame build that makes locking them up straightforward.

Chain and armored cable locks on hand to use .

I haven't used mine yet, but if I need to, I have an Abus Bordo folding lock. http://www.abus.com/eng/Mobile-Secur.../Folding-locks

If you want to lock up bikes, you should have bought a regular bike. The fold up/carry about feature that folding bikes have to the lesser or greater extent is the way to best protect your bike. Not breakable locks.

Make sure you always carry a bag and/or slipcover with you at all times to prevent the above.

of course Parsing the above overgeneralization , it all depends on where you Live.


My Bike Friday Pocket Llama, Falls into the folding column as far as this site goes ,

but it was never made to fold as fast and easily , but instead to be partially knocked down and packed for travel

though the rear portion and the seat mast are hinged, to facilitate this use.

I use a cable lock to lock mine but I don't usually leave it for more than a few minutes.

check out this http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...-Bike-security

I sure as hell didn't buy a folding bike so that I can carry it all over the place, nor did I buy a regular bike to lock it up.

I think your assessment needs more refinement.

Me, I just hang a sign on it -- "You toucha my bike, I breaka you face". I haven't had a bike stolen yet. :bike:


If you believe that, perhaps I can interest you in some great vacation property for sale in the Everglades :p

Or sell ya, bone dry pizza oven hot land in AZ.. with no water.

Folded bikes are not bike by definition
They in most cases are no longer have "two wheels inline.
I took my folder in to lessons quite frequenty, I mainly locked it up outside in a safe area. But if lesson on other side of campus, train running late or I need to get away quick I took bike into class room.
Never a problem, however if lots of people started doing it......................

Often some people object to the fact its called a bike.
I have had problems on city buses in nottingham, despite the fact that it was smaller than other items on buss; ie large bags, ,but it never stopped me taking it on anyway!!

If its in a bag you ar proberlbly OK
Else sometimes you moght suffer from the :"quick this is unusaull, lets think of a general rule to exclude this. "Ok its still a bike", or "health and saftey", actually "we are not insured"............................." i dont like you"............"actually i am sad".............."borred".....................

I have a cable lock on mine, but 99% of the time I just bring the bike inside with me - that includes 711 and stores.

couple years ago i was doing some freelance work at the metropolitan museum of art. the place is like a small city. literally hundreds of employees.
security took a look at my brompton folded up.
first day:
security: no bicycles in here. youll have to lock that up outside.
me: this is not a bicycle, it's sports equipment.
security: erm.. ok.
second day:
security: no bicycles OR sports equipment allowed in the facility.
me: it's not sports equipment. it's a personal transport device.
security: hmm. i see.. go ahead.
third day:
security: no personal transport devices allowed in here without certification of need, buddy.
me: this isnt a personal transport device. it's a trolly for my work gear. (s-bag attached with laptop and bento box inside.)
security: in that case, you'll have to enter through the service entrance on the other side of the building.
me: no problem :)

LOL. You are quite quick on your feet! Nice answers!

i've been through it a few times.. practice makes perfect ;)

Hah. I usually resort to walking through the suspect area as fast as possible. I've actually rarely been stopped.

conversaion with buss driver
bikes aren't allowed on........
its a folding bike..............
we dont let bikes on................
its a folding bike and is folded up, surely its ok as its small than a suitcase that you would allow?
we are not suppose to let bikes on..............
but its a folded up bike,
(i put money in the one way slot and bought my ticket and went on the buss, with the rationale that he did not say I could not bring it on.)

Lol. If taht were me, I might say "it's not a bike, it's a scooter". But I guess that would be a boldface lie?

Plenty of that around :lol:

I work at a college and have an office. I go in through a side entrance to my building and rarely ever see security. Yesterday, a guard happened to be passing through the area when I was rolling my Swift in, as I rarely fold it at the office. After holding the door for me, he said "you can't have a bike in the building." I pulled the seat post up and kicked the triangle in and in less than 5 seconds said "It's a folder." He said "okay - go ahead."

zeffrafael...

Even if you go with the TiGr lock, be sure to run a cable lock through your seat rails. If you don't do this, you leave your seat (and seat post) vulnerable to being stolen while the bike is left behind. A long seat post like the one on your Vitesse isn't exactly readily available at most bike shops.

By the way.. good luck in your first year at UF! Don't forget to study a little bit between all the parties! :beer: