Security options

[All uphill]

Ride a cheap bike!

My city bike is £50 worth which reduces it's likelihood of being stolen.

Gets knackered by the muck and scratched by its owner!

If you ride a nice bike you need a nice lock!

I'm with you on this @Jameshow

I'd add that an old style bike may also be less attractive to thieves.

I use my 'do everything ' 1994 Marin daily and value being able to just walk out of the house, wheel the bike out and ride. I use a cheap cable lock and am rarely away from the bike for more than 10 minutes.

The last bike I had stolen was in 1996.

 

[HMS_Dave]

I fling as much poo on my elephant bike as possible. No one has gone near it.

 

[fossyant]

Ride a cheap bike!

Life is too short for cheap bikes.

 

[fossyant]

I'm with you on this @Jameshow

I'd add that an old style bike may also be less attractive to thieves.

I use my 'do everything ' 1994 Marin daily and value being able to just walk out of the house, wheel the bike out and ride. I use a cheap cable lock and am rarely away from the bike for more than 10 minutes.

The last bike I had stolen was in 1996.

My commuter is an early 90's Diamond Back Ascent. It's old, but has had a respray and looks smart. Looking closer you'll see it wears Deore XT and LX ! Not cheap.

 

[MichaelW2]

All bike weigh 40lbs. Some are expensive, lightweight racers with high security locks, others are hacks made from spare parts and carry a light cable.
My London bike was nice used steel light touring/Audax style frame ( back when this was unfashionable) with a spray can lime green paintjob and old but serviceable components with no QRs. It rode better than it looked. The lock was an old Kryptonite.

 

[mjr]

I generally use a thick D lock with the branding filed off through the rear triangle and wheel, then an alarmed thick rope cable through the quick release parts and front wheel. Not lost one yet. Did once return to a kid fiddling with the D. Not sure if he was trying to pick it, but it's an I bar key, not a Yale-like or an old O key.