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My U-lock's shackle is 8.5 inches by 5 inches (21cm by 13cm) at its biggest "inside" measurement, which I think is considered "standard size" rather than "mini."
If it were a mini-sized lock, and I could not get enough free space for a vertical post while going through the chainstays, then I might try the rear wheel and at least one seatstay, like shown below: http://www.omnicast.net/~tmcfadden/lock3.jpg I doubt anyone has EVAR had their bike stolen after locking it to their sponge mop =D Typically, I go through the chainstays if I've got a horizontal bar like a railing, or a bike rack that doesn't come up very high off the ground and has thin bars. If I'm locking to a parking meter, a sponge mop :D or other vertical post, then I go through the rear wheel and seatstays. The front wheel is a separate topic. If I plan to leave the bike for a long time (very rare, 1-2 times a year) then I would consider removing the front wheel and securing it with my Kryptonite chain along with the frame and rear wheel. If it's for just a few minutes, I have a thin FlexWeave cable I can lasoo the front wheel with, and put the free end of the cable over my U-lock's shackle. |
Originally Posted by mechBgon
If it were a mini-sized lock, and I could not get enough free space for a vertical post while going through the chainstays, then I might try the rear wheel and at least one seatstay, like shown below:
Might be able to get a few more millimeters by removing the seat. Perhaps for a long parking day I would try that. So, I might try the lower chain stay thing again next time I get a chance, but in general, I'll probably stick with SB's original plan, which makes it pretty easy to latch up quickly and doesn't require a super-heavy or bulky lock. I also do the other part of his plan, running a cable lock through front tire, back tire, and the hitching post. But as has been pointed out before, its probably more about neighborhoods. I'm always amazed when I see someone has bothered with a big, heavy u-lock, and then fastened it through the front tire. |
Originally Posted by MarkS
I can't tell from your photo -- are you going through *one* seat stay or *two* ? On mine, there's no room to thread the lock through a single seat stay at the top: The crosspiece for a potential cantilever brake is too close to the tire and the mini vbrakes are too close to the stay. Hmm ... can go through both stays at the top if I loosen the vbrake -- but only enough clearance (thanks to the seat again) to lock to a mop handle :)
Might be able to get a few more millimeters by removing the seat. Perhaps for a long parking day I would try that. So, I might try the lower chain stay thing again next time I get a chance, but in general, I'll probably stick with SB's original plan, which makes it pretty easy to latch up quickly and doesn't require a super-heavy or bulky lock. I also do the other part of his plan, running a cable lock through front tire, back tire, and the hitching post. But as has been pointed out before, its probably more about neighborhoods. I'm always amazed when I see someone has bothered with a big, heavy u-lock, and then fastened it through the front tire. But anyway, this is one of the merits of a "standard-sized" U-lock, I have a little more room to work with. I think I'll stick with the standard size when I get around to replacing my U-lock (it's one of the Bic-pen-vulnerable ones :( I would've replaced it sooner but I park indoors all the time normally). |
I don't think that the rim of the rear wheel is as fragile as some are making it out to be. Sheldon Brown is no dummy, and he lives right next door to a city with a large population of knowledgeable, well-equipped thieves. A rim is under a considerable amount of tension, so cutting it is going to be difficult with anything short of a powertool. If the thief is equipped to cut the rim, and is willing to do so, then you've lost your bike in any case - they could probably steal without cutting the wheel. It's also unlikely that a thief would be willing to destroy the second most valuable part of the bicycle just to steal it.
I usually use Sheldon Brown's method on my campus, and have had no problems, but no one has even tried to steal my bike so far.Of course, I lock up for periods of no more than four hours during the day, in high-traffic areas, so there's not much risk. I hardly ever leave my bike locked outdoors at night, and that's when I would be especially worried in a relatively small, not-so-urban area like this. |
Hey Jeff, I am planning to move to Philadelphia when I start graduate school in the fall, and I was wondering...what kind of locking methods do you see in the city? I am bringing my bike with me-- it's an unremarkable Vista English Racer, but I would rather have it than have it stolen.
Thanks for any help! Kate |
Just using a cable lock will keep most theives from walking off with your stuff. A U-lock so much the better. While jacking is an workable way to bust a U-lock, it takes some time, can damage the bike, and filling the free space in the U makes it much harder to do.(I have never had a customer come in about a thief stealing their bike when a U-lock was holding it, altho one guy had the frame stripped(three times, tells you something about parking a bike in the same spot ALL THE TIME))
For what it is worth, a pro can get your bike if he wants it. I am a pro mechanic and have yet to have a lock removal take longer than 30 seconds. People love to lock the lock to the bike and lose the key. I have my guys time the removals. I use a pants leg strap and my secret weapon. :) |
xxx
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I lock mine around the seat stays, through the wheel (i.e. around the tyre/rim) and then to whatever I can find that seems secure enough.
I'm more afraid of random vandalism (like cutting brake cables part of the way through), so that's why I avoid locking my bike in many places. |
Kate -- Please, please do NOT lock your bike up with just a cable in Philadelphia!! I live here, and this is the #1 reason why bikes get stolen. Someone can cut pretty much any cable with a bolt cutter in about 3 seconds, and it happens ALL the time here.
There are a few options, but you will definitely need at least one good u-lock. I suggest either the Kryptonite Evolution or the New York locks, not the $30 one. I know that might be a lot to spend on a lock, so the $30 would probably be fine, and would definitely be better than a cable lock! You should lock the frame of the bike to an object that is not posted in dirt, not a small tree, and something that is bolted down if it's a bike rack. Then, you can loop a cable through both tires to prevent them from being stolen (they're much less likely to cut a cable for tires than an entire bike), and put the cables through the u-lock. (Don't use a padlock or anything like that.) You could also lock the rear wheel AND the frame to the object -- I see this a lot, but you'd also need something to secure your front wheel. The MOST secure option, I believe, is locking the rear wheel and the frame to an object, and then locking the front wheel to the frame with another u-lock. However, even I'm not willing to carry around two u-locks, so I usually lock the rear wheel and frame with the u-lock and use a cable to secure the front wheel. I hope this helps, and if you have any other questions about Philadelphia, feel free to ask! |
I had a friend in school who locked his bike up the same way. We believe someone bent his rim in an attempt to steal the bike as one afternoon it had worst wobble straight off the rack. I just know i learned to lock up the frame and wheel, but maybe if you had a space issue I would lock up just the rim.
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Originally Posted by JosephPaul86
(Post 4884471)
I just know i learned to lock up the frame and wheel...
I use the Sheldon Brown method, using the smallest u-lock that will fit around my rear wheel and a fat steel post (not a flimsy bike rack post). Using the smallest u-lock that fits eliminates empty space for leverage tools and prying tools. In theory, a crook could cut through the rear tire, inner tube, and rim, and steal a bike. But, most crooks want a bike they can ride, or a bike they can very quickly sell. The rear wheel is the most expensive single component on most bikes, so a crook would be WALKING off with a bike he would not be able to sell. Crooks in my neighborhood always have a wide choice of bikes. The colleges near me provide a "shopper's dream" with hundreds of bikes in every size and category. About 60% of them are locked only with a cheap cable lock or $5 chain lock. About 20% are locked with $10 "pretend" u-locks. Less than 10% are locked with a top quality u-lock or chain. And, only about 1% of them combine a top quality lock with the "Sheldon Brown" method. So, what does a crook do? Go after the bikes he can steal in under 5 seconds? Or go after a bike that has a top quality lock, and using the Sheldon Brown method? |
Originally Posted by alanbikehouston
(Post 4887581)
In theory, a crook could cut through the rear tire, inner tube, and rim, and steal a bike.
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Originally Posted by Raiyn
(Post 4888470)
It's a poor theory. Even powertools jam when you try to cut a wheel.
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Even if the thief thinks it can be cut, there are many reasons given here why he wouldn't find it worth cutting.
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what i wonder is that if rims are so hard to cut why aren't we making chains and u locks and **** outta them.
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Originally Posted by goldfishin
(Post 4888905)
what i wonder is that if rims are so hard to cut why aren't we making chains and u locks and **** outta them.
If you read the article you'd understand Sparky
Originally Posted by Sheldon_Brown
If you don't have secure parking at your workplace, you should indeed have a serious lock, such as a Kryptonite. The thing is, you should not carry it home every night. The weight of a typical U-lock represents the difference between a $400 bike and a $700 bike.
Just leave the lock at work, locked to whatever you normally lock your bike to. Carry a light cable lock with you for quick errands or emergencies. If you use both the U-lock and the cable lock at work, you are more than twice as safe as you would be with either of them alone. Either type of lock can be defeated, but each requires a different large, bulky tool which is useless against the other. Don't take your bike apart to lock it, it is really bogus. The cable lock will secure your front wheel to the frame and any convenient object, and the U-lock will secure your rear wheel and frame. If you have a quick-release seatpost bolt, replace it with an Allen head bolt, and stop worrying about having your saddle stolen. The best cable locks are the ones that have the lock built-in, rather than relying on a padlock. The padlock is the weak link, easily cut with bolt cutters, the tool of choice for most bike thieves. A new, sharp bolt cutter will cut a cable too, but an old, worn-out one will only crush a cable. The best U-locks are the smallest. My favorite is the Kryptonite Mini, which not all bike shops stock. The Mini is much smaller and lighter than the more popular models, but just as secure. It may be even more secure, because of the limited room to put a jack inside it. It also gives less purchase for leverage-based attacks. People tend to buy the big clunky U-locks because they don't know how to use them properly. A U-lock should go around the rear rim and tire, somewhere inside the rear triangle of the frame. There is no need to loop it around the seat tube as well, because the wheel cannot be pulled through the rear triangle. http://www.sheldonbrown.com/images/locktechnique1.jpg Some will object that felons might cut the rear rim and tire to remove the lock. Believe me, this just doesn't happen in the real world. First, this would be a lot of work to steal a frame without a useable rear wheel, the most expensive part of a bike, after the frame. Second, cutting the rear rim is much harder than you might think. Since the rim is under substantial compression due to the tension on the spokes, it would pinch a hacksaw blade tight as soon as it cut partway through. Then there are the wire beads of the tire, also difficult to cut. |
Am I doing this correctly? I don't understand the purpose of having to put the lock inside the triangle. Please edumacate me.
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/10867177/ripsheldonbrown.png |
I disagree. It all depends on the situation. I put the lock through the pole, frame, and rear wheel. My U-Lock is on my rear rack and my cable is in my pannier. If I'm on campus all day and only get to walk by my bike 2-3 times over a 12hr period then I attach the cable lock around the pole, front wheel, frame, back wheel, and security cable tied through the saddle. If it's just for a quick run to the shop or something I put the front wheel with the back wheel (still faster than getting the cable out of the bag, untying it, and negotiating it so it hits all the points). Or if I can leave the front wheel unlocked period (i.e wedge it so it can't be taken off between the frame and a wall). These are all deterrents. And I do feel bad having the lightness of a 19lb bike's weight negated by having 5-7lb of locks alone.
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Originally Posted by fasttimes68
(Post 12466863)
Am I doing this correctly? I don't understand the purpose of having to put the lock inside the triangle. Please edumacate me.
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/10867177/ripsheldonbrown.png |
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I carry a cable lock and leave a U-Lock at the office and *slap head* NEVER thought: use both! Will do in the morning....
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Amazing followup: the very next morning after the previous post I used the U-Lock on the rear wheel AND the little cable lock on the front wheel. That very afternoon, for the first time ever, thieves came through our parking garage and stole wheels and other components from the parked bikes. My bike was left alone, just as advertised (though I had an apprehensive ride home, worrying that it had somehow been vandalized and waiting for a spoke or something to pop...).
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One more year and this dead thread could have started school. :)
I use the seat stays and rear wheel, or the front wheel and the down tube in the U-lock techniques, depending on the situation. One wheel and part of the frame makes for a little bit more of a hassle then just a wheel or just the frame. It also helps keep the bike from falling over in a stiff breeze, like I have seen many a bike do with a cable lock, or just the top tube in a U-lock. Classy!!! I have been able to get my cargo bike into a good position so my big ring gear and frame could be locked to a pole, just for my own amusement. :) |
Originally Posted by Totaled108
(Post 12751063)
One more year and this dead thread could have started school. :)
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I got a small u lock, i don't remember the brand but I got it like in Feb when I bought my Utopia. It was like 60 dollars! expensive lil fuker but it's nice and has a rubber coating and some weird looking keys. They told me I should get a smaller one cause it'll be harder to break or cut or whatever so that's what I did. The way usually lock my bike is I put the U under my rim of my back tire so it's going upward and I put the lock bar over the top tube so it locks the wheel so it can't turn. Usually my hubby has his bike and also wraps his cable lock around both of ours and to whatever like a rack or something. I don't think I would just leave it somewhere alone with just the U lock cause someone could pick it up and run with it or put in in there car or truck.
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