Bahnzo

Just curious as to what other people's mindsets are. When you go to a store, do you always lock up your bike? If not, what determines if you do or don't.

dwinks

I always lock up. The ONLY time I won't, is if I'm riding with other people who will be remaining at the bikes. If it's a quick second in and out, I sometimes just toss the u-lock through the back wheel and around something, sometimes just through the back wheel, just so long as no one can hop on and go. Anything more than 30 seconds and it's getting locked up. My bike is valuable though. If I rode a total beater huffy or something, I might lock it less.

mulveyr 

I hardly ever lock up when I'm around town. Bike theft is pretty much non-existent.

When I'm touring, I use a mid-weight cable lock if the area looks sketchy, but otherwise I generally just don't bother.

PJCB

I always lock my bike, no matter what. When I was a kid, my bike was stolen from the store I was in for 5 minutes, even though we lived in a super safe area. I'd rather be safe than sorry. I don't want to take the risk. When I can't lock it up (nothing to lock it to) I lock the back wheel and put the bike out of sight.

dcrowell

Weird. I don't bring a lock on tour, but pretty much always lock up otherwise.

mulveyr 

I'd assert that it would be weird to live somewhere that you'd have to worry about bike theft. ;-) But yeah, the world is a big place.

Fasteryoufool

I'm actually rethinking this right now.

Where I'm living now, the bicycling culture is virtually non-existent. There's no market for bikes, and bike theft is pretty rare as a result... So often if I was going into the corner store for a few things and would only be gone for a couple of minutes, I'd just park where I could watch it on their security monitor. However, the other day my son went outside and found two teenagers inspecting and discussing whether or not to steal my bike. After he stared them down, they headed over to where HIS bike was parked and looked to see if he was watching. So basically I'm back to locking it up always, like I did in California.

I friggin' hate people.

BeastRider

Keep living THAT dream. I lived in a relative "safe" area as well. One day I left mine and stepped inside a friends house while he put his jacket on. Stepped outside and my bike was GONE along with his as well. There isn't such a thing as a "safe" place when it comes to your bike.

If you happen to be riding a Huffy then I suppose it doesn't matter. But anything else and I am sure that, given enough time, your luck will run out.....unfortunately....

mulveyr 

40+ years of riding, and never had a bike stolen yet. Will my luck run out? Possibly. I might get hit by a meteorite too, but I worry about that as much as I worry about my bike. Not everyone chooses to live in places where things like that are a concern.

frantik

the only time i dont lock my bike up in a store is when i take it to the local 7-11 cause i can keep an eye on the bike the whole time and i'm only inside for a minute. i'm still paranoid about it though.. i used to take it inside but they put some stuff where i would park the bike.

if my bike is going to be unattended for more than 5 minutes i will ulock it. short trips inside might use the lightweight chain i keep in my saddle bag instead

BeastRider

Point I am trying to make is that it doesn't matter where you live or how "safe" you might think your community is. There is always the possibility that it COULD happen.

I ride on a daily basis. Either commuting or running errands. If I can't take the bike inside wherever I happen to be and I am unable to see it then it gets the full lock treatment. Better to err on the side of safety.

Kudos to you for not having anything stolen in 40+ years of riding.

NormDeplume

In my town people regularly don't lock up their bikes. They also leave their houses unlocked even when away for the weekend. But every once in a while, a handful of unsavory folks will drive in from a "big city" and spend the night breaking into cars and stealing stuff. So while I am happy to live in a small town where people feel so safe, I am an import, and I lock up my bike when going into a store. My family may be the only bike-lockers in the area.

BeastRider

It only takes a few seconds for a bike to vanish. Personally, I am a bit too old to run after someone in an attempt to catch them. So I'll continue locking mine up.

Hopefully, those of you that THINK you are safe will never have to suffer the pain of the loss of your prized possession.

crackerdog

I almost always lock mine even though bike theft is rare. I would go to prison for the things I would do if I caught someone who stole my bike so I try not to get into that situation. I've known people who just walked out of sight of their bike and it was gone. I've never lost any bike during all my years of biking but there is a reason for that.

mulveyr 

It's a bike. A pile of tubes and machined parts, easily replaced by something just like it.

Honestly, I don't understand why someone would get emotionally attached to an inanimate object.

PJCB

Not everyone can afford to be so cavalier. For many it's the only transportation. For others (including myself), replacing it is not financially feasible. I don't understand the aversion to locking up. Worst case, you lose 30 seconds. Best case, thieves don't steal your bike. But hey, don't feel obligated to lock it up! I'll just make sure that I park and lock my bike next to yours.

mulveyr 

I'm not sure that someone with three bikes listed in their profile can reasonably assert that it's not financially feasible. ;-)

As for the locking issue - it's not an aversion. It's a matter of evaluating reasonable probabilities, and choosing whether or not you choose to live in a place or with a mindset that treats everyone else as a potential criminal. When I stop at my usual haunts, it never even occurs to me to consider whether or not it's "safe", as that evaluation has already been made long, long ago. So prop the bike up somewhere, and go in and do what I'm there for. When I'm touring, if I stop to get a snack at a bodega that's surrounded by burned out cars, drunks puking on the sidewalk in front of the store, or people dealing drugs a few feet away on the corner, then it's time to re-evaluate the necessity for a lock in that place.

In reality, ANY lock, including 10-plus-pound-New-York-City-class monsters, can be defeated in under a minute with portable tools. At best a lock provides a very short delay before the bike gets stolen.

PJCB

I mean, I'm not going to preach the benefits of precaution to you. I have three bikes, two were free and one cost $70. I live on a budget because I am a college student, and tuition is not cheap. Clearly, I don't have a lot of cash lying around to replace a stolen bike. I lock my car doors and my house. I don't think that being cautious is a bad thing. I'm glad you live in a place where you feel you can trust everyone to not steal your stuff. I don't live in a bad area, nor do I think everyone else is a thief, but why risk it? Maybe its pride or bravado or something, but I just don't get it.

dcrowell

I live in the city for the easily bike-accessible amenities. I haven't had a bike stolen since I was a child, but I lock up and park indoors when I can.

I stopped for pizza and beer last night. I like the place as they let me bring my bike in.

linus

Epizia

Can I afford to have my bike replaced? I guess so. Do I want to shell out the money doing that instead of, say, putting it into a mutual fund, or towards my grad school tuition bills etc? Yeah. I'd rather not throw money into the wind, just because I have it. Keep doing that, and you won't have any money left.

And yes, experienced thieves who have tools on hand will be able to steal your stuff, break into your house, chop your car, and make your girlfriend break up with you, no matter what you do.

But with all that in mind, I'd still rather lock up my bike so Joe Schmo Crackhead who is just looking for something easy to sell today isn't as tempted to make off with my gear.

Anyway my bike was locked up, but still stolen from my back patio last weekend. I bought a new one yesterday, but I'd rather have that $ to pay bills, or spend on things I didn't already own. New bike goes in the garage every time now, no more exceptions. And when tooling around the bike ALWAYS gets locked up, even if I can see it at all times.

BeastRider

Evidently, you either don't care about YOUR bike or you have a disposable big-box store bike. Me?....I have ONE bike and it's my main mode of transportation. I don't have two or three and I certainly don't have the readily available income to replace it without going through the hassle of the insurance company battle.

Emotionally attached? Possibly. But being stupid and leaving it unlocked someplace is, frankly, ludicrous.

alexaschwanden

All the time.

Singlespeed92

I have my fair share of bikes,Brother-but having been forced out of work by the fed gov in 2008 and not being allowed to work "any type of gainful employment" while not receiving any kind of benefits (even as a combat vet...red tape and loop holes,long story) for just over 26 months while fighting a screwed up system (in an attempt to have been released back to some kind of work,mind you),and living on a fixed income now...replacing any one of them would be POSSIBLY a once-per-year-at -tax-refund-season,and notice I said "possibility",as in,not a sure fire thing that I could even then (and yeah...I said forced out of work,not by choice). As for "choosing" to live somewhere,not everyone has the choice to pick up and relocate any time they wish like (apparently) you do or I used to.

I understand someone not understanding if someone gets emotionally attatched to a thing,but I can't comprehend why someone would make SO many posts borderline bashing peeps for discussing theft deterent (and agreed,that's all that locks are)...are you,perhaps,a bike theif trying to deter peeps using locks? That would at least make sense...(I don't mean that as antagonistic as it sounded),and the thing is,and this is me personally,I don't have a mindset that treats everyone (anyone,actually) as a criminal...I trust in God,but I have enough sense to not leave my old Mustang ragtop running with the top down while I shop too

Singlespeed92

BTW,locked every time unless I can sees it,or another rider/friend stays with it