safely locking your bike

[sarahpink]

I have mainly used my bike just for purely going out in, but come september I will be using it for college and I would also like to use it when I go to exeter town. But was wondering if someone could advise me on the safest way to lock and secure a bike. I currently have this lock

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/cycle/7/O...k/5360015432/?referid=frogoog&source=googleps

which I usually secure between the back wheel and the frame. is this the right way to do it? the lock seems pretty sturdy, I just don't want my bike to get stolen and want to minimize the risk as much as i can.

 

[Flying Dodo]

Cable locks like that can be easily snipped through, especially cheap ones. Basically the heavier the lock, the better. Always aim for something with a bare minimum of a bronze Sold Secure rating, ideally silver. Also best to have 2 types, a D lock and a chunky chain type. If you were only leaving the bike in town for a short length of time in a respectable area, the lock you've got would be OK, but I wouldn't rely on it for a long period of time.

Obviously if you're having to carry any decent locks around with you, it needs to be a compromise between weight and lock strength.

There's quite a few topics here on locks to look through.

 

[ianrauk]

How much is your bike worth? £11.50 of a cheap cable lock? Cable cutters would go trough that in seconds,


Look at spending at least 10% of what your bike is worth on locks if you are leaving your bike locked up for any amount of time.

I (and suspect many others) wouldn't leave our best bike anywhere out of our site. Get your self a cheap hack bike if you are planning to leave a bike locked up.

 

[tincaman]

I have mainly used my bike just for purely going out in, but come september I will be using it for college and I would also like to use it when I go to exeter town. But was wondering if someone could advise me on the safest way to lock and secure a bike. I currently have this lock

http://www.wiggle.co...source=googleps

which I usually secure between the back wheel and the frame. is this the right way to do it? the lock seems pretty sturdy, I just don't want my bike to get stolen and want to minimize the risk as much as i can.

There is no way I would go into Exeter with a nice bike and leave it out of my sight, even with a lock on.

 

[Globalti]

Agreed. My bike is either locked to the wall in a triple-locked, alarmed garage or it's under my bum! I would NEVER leave a bike anywhere, no matter how good the lock.

Buy a cheapo hack for trips to town - have a look at the student specials on here: http://www.freemanscycles.co.uk/student-packages/student-packages.asp?cat=student-bicycle or buy second hand from a local bike shop or out of the local paper or shop window.

 

[marinyork]

You want a D lock really. When locking it up you want it sufficiently high up away from the ground and around the bike frame/wheel/sheffield stand so as the tools for breaking it can get as little leverage/space to break it. If you look at videos on youtube and things, even for very beefy motorbike locks that are chain locks with 42" bolt croppers they can be broken in about 20 seconds if they are on the floor as the croppers can be put on the floor and the whole body weight easily levered onto the lock.

Might be worth seeing if Exeter has some 'secure' cycleparking of some sort. Also learn where all the sheffield stands are in town and rotate where you park.

 

[BenScoobert]

its a poor do when we have to work so hard to not get things stolen by people with too many fingers

 

[Ben M]

If you have to lock your bike somewhere, then use that lock through the front wheel and frame to an object, and a D lock through the back wheel and seatstay to an object. The rule when locking something with a D lock is that you need to fill the lock, so don't go buying a massive D lock, it needs to be full.

 

[RedBike]

Sadly there isn't a truely secure way.


Firstly make sure the bike is locked to something that cannot be easily cut or moved and the lock cannot be slimply slipped off.

Try and avoid parking the bike in popular bike areas. Nobody walks around with a set of bolt cutters on a keyring. If someone is carrying that sort of equipment then they're deliberately equiped to steel. In which case the chances are they will deliberately head to where they know there will be a bike/bikes.

Make sure the lock is on prominent display. This will deter the casual opertunistic snatch and grab thief.

Remove lights, computers, saddlebags etc. Anything electronic that will attract someone attention.



If all else fails. Park your bike next to someone elses thats worth a lot more and is unlocked

 

[HLaB]

Like others say get a more solid D'Lock for the back and use the cable lock to secure the front wheel. What has worked for me is the D'Lock through the rear wheel & frame and locked to a immovable object. In conjunction with a kyrptoflex cable to secure the front. Good Luck!

 

[RedBike]

The trouble with locks is they weigh a ton and the higher quality ones cost a fortune.

If you've got somewhere where you can leave the lock (aka always at work) then these locks make sense. But you'll soon get sick of lucking around a hefty cable and D-lock.



I think that at the end of the day you need to do sufficient to deter the casual thief but accept the fact that if anyone is coming equiped with tools/cutters that you're going to loose the bike.

 

[shrew]

bleh i recently spent 2200 on the new bike, insured it on my house hold policy which cost £50 a year and just requires me to use a lock and not a gold rated one to meet the insurers needs, if someone knows the value of my bike and wants to thive it then theyll get it no matter what lock i use, so i use a £30 cable lock or "Anti-chav lock" as i call it, to stop some oppertunist chav having it away and selling it to someone for £50 cos they have no clue.

insure it on household policy costs like 1/6th of cycle insurers prices, i get a new one if it gets robbed so i dont worry about it.

screw carrying locks heavier then my bike imo.

 

[StuartG]

It is defeatist talk to say you can't use your bike because it may be stolen.

While, like cars, any can be stolen if somebody really wants it - there should be a compromise you can find to use your bike for college. There are two key factors you MUST achieve:

* It has to look a less attractive bike than other bikes near by
* It has to be better secured than those self same bikes

So when the thief does strike - and they almost certainly will on any campus - it is unlikely to be yours.
But still don't use a bike you can't afford to lose. You can get a second hand hack bike for less than it costs to secure a quality bike.

So, let your bike get dirty. Take anything shiny off, old mudguards with rusty bent supports are good. Bits of tape, and that sort of thing.

Then at least two locks. You could use your existing lock as a secondary securing the front wheel to the frame and some stationary object. Then a D-Lock as above. This means the thief needs two tools and its going to take twice as long as that other bike - what would you choose to steal?

Finally share your concerns with college security. They may tell you the dodgy locations and times from experience which you should avoid. If there is a bit of history on knicking - ask what plans they have and if none use the student union to start agitating.

Oh and you do have the frame number recorded? Just in case ...

 

[Baggy]

Agree that using two locks is a good start. If I'm parking in Exeter I use the stands in Bedford Square (Princesshay) near the banks, or failing that the ones behind the coffee stall (near the mens' loos!) at the back of Dingles as these areas are covered by CCTV and almost always busy.

 

[Midnight]

I'd NEVER use a combination lock, they are soooo easy to open.

I prefer a heavy duty motorbike chain because it's long enough to go around lamp posts etc... when there's nothing better to secure to, though agree a good D-Lock is probably the best solution. You should also replace any quick-release fixings on wheels, saddle etc...

Personally though, if it's going to be left for long hours whilst in college, I'd get an old ratter that no-one would want to steal.