Thankfully, Since I have a conversion, the wheels are worth easily 4 times what the frame is.

I live in Ypsilanti, MI. from which I take many rides to Ann Arbor, MI. Both cities have ample bike Racks:



Which my Mini U'lock has no problem fitting around. Additionally I have a thick cable that came with my larger u-lock that I used to lock my wheels with when I am goin to be somewhere for an extended period of time.

The longest it is ever locked up for is 8 hours while at work and i lock it to the bike rack right outside the door and it seems to do fine there.

I always worry about my wheels, since I use the cable to lock the wheels up, might swap to the Sheldon B. Method. (does that still work with mini ULocks? or do you need a large u-lock to ensure it can't get through the rear triangle?

So right now I have a 2 foot chain. Not a krypto, some heavy duty chain I got at the bike shop. I have a Krypto NY U-Lock on order. I went with the 4x8 instead of the smaller one. Might be using it to lock up my wife and my bike at the same time. Also, my wife's bike has a 3 foot cable lock, thicker than most cable locks I've seen. I figure I'll carry all three of those locks in my saddle bag that I'm going to install next week and hope that's enough. My bike is an old bike, but I think it is pretty nice so I don't want it to get stolen. If somebody is going to get through 3 locks, good for them. Need to figure out the seat lock.

Union Square is really that bad? What are some other "hot spot" areas? I read a NY Times piece recently and saw the three highest theft areas were 10004, 1003 and Boerum Hill. My office is in 10005, and I live in Brooklyn Heights, right next to Boerum Hill. Had me a little paranoid I guess. I don't lock up overnight, my building has storage. So it will pretty much be during the day when I take breaks and I plan to commute with my wife to a lot of restaurants this summer (red hook, dumbo, vinegar hill, smith st, etc...)

Mini. Sheldon actually says that the mini is better: https://www.sheldonbrown.com/lock-strategy.html

so why would a thief cut the wheels, the really valuable and easy to sell parts of a bike?

I might spend a day next week hanging out in Union Square with a camera looking for bike theives.

Nate -

In many cases the most valuable part of a bike (after the frame and fork) is the back wheel... destroying that greatly reduces the value of the bike and makes it impossible to just ride away.

I like this article about a bike theif caught in the act in the village.

https://gothamist.com/2009/09/08/vide...s_beatdown.php

Well that's true, you guys have a point.

What if your mean cat is lion ?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9fmf1cdGA4

You Tube has quite a few videos on bike locks and what it takes to defeat them. My fear that was confirmed is that all a lock does is deter an honest person from walking away with an unlocked and thus totally unsecured bike. I've seen the three lock system in place too, 2 u-locks and a chain/cable and the You Tube videos basically show that to be a couple of minutes or so of work to defeat. I've basically kept my bike indoors, the lock is really only for going into a convenience store long enough for a cold beverage purchase and even there the bike is in plain view. If I go to eat, I sit on the outside patio, again, the bike in plain view. Make it harder with multiple locks, but the trade off is you now have three locks that weigh you down. Best solution is to not own a bike worthy of stealing, but if someone is just looking for momentary transportation even the most unreliable looking beater will do and be stolen. It's not like they're going to return it or even keep or fence it ?

you know it actually looks VERY EASY. I'm not saying it is, but it screams out to a potential thief as an opportunity. I wouldn't want to come back to my bike with a half sawed rear wheel

I personally put a u-lock through my front wheel and downtube, then I put a cable through the back wheel.. My saddle is too cheap to worry about

im sure the crack head trying to sell a stolen bike for 20$ doesn't know or care.

My strategy is to take my bike with me wherever I go. This is not always possible, so the fall-back is to have a crappy bike (or at least a crappy looking bike) for those times when you have to lock up outside.

Please define the term "crappy bike".

90's department store mountain bike with nothing done to it but a tune-up.

How about these? https://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/bik/1778515498.html or this https://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/bik/1777665979.html

I want to enjoy my bike ride

A bike that makes the bike locked next to it look like a better target for a thief.

if you can't enjoy your time on the aforementioned craigslist finds, you're NOT A CYCLIST.

...which implies that you're a cyclist, and you ride awesome huffys! But your sig seems to imply otherwise! Egads!

i am not the one implying that the above bikes could not be enjoyable/fun. that's where i was taking issue.

and the most fun bike in my sig is seriously just about as nice as some of those huffys.

they can cash in on everything else. its all "free."

no, I don't think it would be very fun to ride a bike eaten by rust

Some people have "beater-bikes"

I've seen descent used road bikes being sold for 2 hundred bucks at garage sales and such.. Just an A-to-B you don't need to sweat about..
I'm not saying a huffy or mongoose.. Let's say you upgrade your bike, and put all the stock parts on a used frame, that was 50$.

Seriously? Two bikes is your locking strategy? You could be more reasonable by riding a not-too-expensive non-crappy bike that you actually enjoy riding, and lock it properly. I take it you are not a city rider, because in the city you can't take your bike into most buildings. And if you are not in a city, why are you so worried about theft?

I'ld have to agree with JohnDThompson that I have two bikes for that exact reason. I enjoy the ride on both of my bikes. But I'ld definitely plan when I go out on which bike I would take. I am NEVER locking my 3rensho even if I had 10 locks. On the other hand, I love my kilo, I enjoy it, I'ld do what I can to lock it properly and prevent it from getting stolen, but if it ever does get stolen (knock on wood!) I'll be sad. But it's not something that is irreplaceable.