episodic

Ok, I've watched videos on youtube and read sheldon's site about how to lock a bike. They all seem to presuppose you live in a wonderful area that has bike racks to lock them to. Literally, in my whole town of 20,000 - I can't think of seeing one bike rack - ever. Most of the time I use a cable lock that stretches 6 feet to lock to things like tall street signs, or telephone poles, or oddly shaped things like benches in front of grocery stores (I don't block the bench).


So what would be a good strategy to lock a bike in a town without bike racks. Thanks for helping.

GiantDefyGuy

a U-Locke AND A cable. I just got one the other day as a set.

Basically, it's a standard U-Lock and a separate cable with eyelets on each end. I use the U-Lock to lock my wheel to my frame, and then the cable goes around whatever I'm locking it to. The cable doesn't have a lock on it. The U-Lock goes through the eyelets of the cable, so you just lock the U-Lock, and that's it. When you take it off, you just unlock the U-Lock and everything comes out.

If you already have a U-Lock, you can get the cables with the eyelets separately and in many different lengths. My bike shop had a whole wall of cables in various lengths and thicknesses.

VR4

What's stopping you from using your ulock to lock your bike to a street sign? I have a mini ulock (OnGuard Bulldog mini) and have no problem using it to lock to street signs, parking meters, railings, etc...

episodic

I know this sounds odd vr4 - but almost all of the street signs here have concrete columns that extend past the frame height of the bike - with the skinny metal part then jutting from that. It is like they don't want ppl to ulock. There are no parking meters and poles the right size for ulocks are exceedingly rare. I guess I got my answer though - I just have to find something. . .

mijome07

You'll end up bike-less with this setup.

HappyStuffing

Bonus points if you lock up to something in inherently dangerous. Ex, natural gas meter at a building, support cables..etc. Thieves will tend not to want to die in the process of stealing a bike. It would be counterproductive.

GiantDefyGuy

You win the award for the most helpful and informative post in this thread.

BarracksSi

Most of the time, I use a chain. We have plenty of bike racks around here, but they can be full -- so, ironically, the result is as if there were no racks in the first place. I have to expect to lock to a light pole or tree or something.

AndrewP

U-lock to lock the rear wheel to the frame, so the bike cannot be ridden + a hardened steel chain (also linked to the U-lock) to go around your concrete post. Hardened steel chain is not as easy to cut as a cable.

GeorgeVW

And a chain to lock your seat and another to secure your front wheel. Because riding a bike with neither is no fun. Or pull your seat and take it with you.

tadawdy

I think that's pretty good response. Apparently, he thinks a cable is worth a damn. Most people do.

Sixty Fiver

He should as it was both helpful and informative... your locking method sucks.

Sixty Fiver

mijome07

That's what I'm talking about. Well done sir.

rogwilco

All those places sound ok to lock a bike to, just make sure that
- whatever you lock your bike to can't be easily removed itself (be careful about construction scaffolding for example)
- the thing you lock your bike to isn't weaker than your lock, wich kind of defeats the point (chain link fences for example)
- the bike can't be removed without even touching the lock (like if you lock the bike to a simple pole and the bike can be lifted over it)

Bike racks are nice, but even in cities that have them there usually aren't enough of them, so cyclists everywhere have to use similar methods as you.

(it's not a dumb question at all btw)

yama

Is the metal part really that skinny? In some places i have to get off my bike there are also not many opportunities for my two u-locks, but I practice while riding looking out for objects which seem to fit a u-lock. With some phantasy I always find something to lock my bike onto. For example we've got those street lanterns here, whose diameter decreases from bottom to top. No way to lock a bike onto from bottom to a height of 1.50 meters. But after that height, a Kryptonite Evolution will fit around. Some other lanterns require it to hang my bike with the ulock onto the lantern, so it doesn't even touch the ground...

spock

Assuming that your cable is weaker then your u-lock, it should be the other way around.

BlazingPedals

The U-Lock doesn't have to go around the seat tube, as shown. Yes, it's slightly more secure that way, but if the U-lock just won't reach that far, locking the rear wheel (inside the triangle) to the post is functionally the same. A thief would have to either cut the lock or the rim/tire to get the rest of the bike.

GiantDefyGuy

Yeah, the cable is a tad thinner (10mm) and the U lock is 13mm. This is what I have: https://www.giantbicycles.com/en-au/p...ct/1407/31214/

Looking at Sheldon Brown's site, he recommends the method I'm using (I think), BUT he's U-Locking the back wheel instead of the front. My back wheel doesn't have quick release, so I figured I'd do it on the front wheel instead. I just don't see why this makes me ultra-likely to have my bike stolen. If I'm doing it incorrectly, I'd love to know why. I bought the lock with the intention of NOT having my bike stolen.

As far as my other response goes...I came in this thread with good intentions....intentions of helping the OP. I posted a reply that I thought was helpful. I did something nice. If, for some reason, my reply wasn't actually helpful at all, why does it have to be a "I know a secret and I'm not telling you" type of thing instead of just explaining. I don't get it. Especially when I only came in here to help someone else in the first place. I posted what I thought was a helpful suggestion. And I'm still locking my bike like that because I still don't know why it's so wrong.

This: "You'll end up bike-less with this setup."
is neither informative nor helpful. To anyone.

I mean seriously, I came in here to help.

rogwilco

I think the reason for the snippy response was, that cable locks aren't safe at all and once the thief has removed the cable he could just carry off your bike without even bothering with the u-lock. Also, the rear wheel generally is more in danger of being stolen than the front wheel simply because it's more valuable.

yama

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9fLtdZyX-A

No offense, but since I've seen this vid, I never locked my bike with the Sheldon-Method anymore.

spock

https://www.sheldonbrown.com/lock-strategy.html https://www.bikeforums.net/general-cycling-discussion/196594-sheldon-brown-u-lock-technique.html

If U look at the Sheldons method, you'll see the post included

spock

Most people include the frame as well. A lot of bikes have a shorter wheel base.

GeorgeVW

A serious bike thief will have a wrench or three, so non-quick release wheels are a 10 second job to steal. Basically, you need to secure or remove every part of the bike that can be removed with simple tools. I'm in the U-lock rearwheel to frame and post/rack/whatever and use decent cables or chains to secure the seat and the front wheel to the U-lock.

Sixty Fiver

Locking the wheel to the post (through the triangle) is just as effective from a security standpoint, locking around the rear wheel and frame provides a better visual deterrent and will keep folks from thinking that they can simply remove the rear wheel and get the rest of the bike.

Have seen this happen and the perps often damage the bike in the attempt.

I like my mini shackle a great deal, it serves to disable the bike and if it isn't used with the cable (which I don;t always use) it can be slipped through the chain rings or in some cases can secure the crank to the chain stay which makes the bike un-rideable.

There are different classes of bike thieves... professionals will have better tools and be more selective about what they steal while opportunistic thieves are looking for an easy ride and something they can pawn / sell quickly.