Show us your decent bike disguised as a crappy bike.

[wafter]

True - which is the theory behind the concept of painting it to look rubbish
or stupid

Yup, although I still find the need to make a bollocks of your own property to prevent some scumbag nicking it immensely irritating.

 

[Punkawallah]

Yup, although I still find the need to make a bollocks of your own property to prevent some scumbag nicking it immensely irritating.

Indeed. My ‘hack’ is a 70’s frame, over-sprayed black, with 37mm tyres on 700 wheels, everything is bolted on. Cost me in total about £20 (for the tyres, second hand), so owes me nothing, and has yet to be stolen.

 

[GarthW]

I call this my "junk bike." It's an SR "Semi Pro" model from early 1980's. It's well above the department-store bikes of its day, but the name "Semi Pro" is still not appropriate at all. But unlike my OCLV carbon-fiber Trek, it allows mounting a rack, and I use it to take a box to the post office, take laptop and tools to work, etc., so usually it has a trunk bag an/or pannier on the rack, and no seat bag. I also pull my trailer with it, with a lot of tools and supplies for work. However, when I took this picture, I was using it for regular riding (hence the three waterbottle cages and aerobars) until I could get the fork replaced on my Trek after the steering tube broke, the same as what happened to George Hincapie in the 2006 Paris-Roubaix race. It's the only tube in the frame & fork that's aluminum, and that's what broke. But back to this SR, which was given to me, free, over 20 years ago: It's a dog, as its frame wastes your energy. It looks pretty bad too, with dinged-up paint and lots of surface rust on the frame and fork. I've upgraded almost all of the components though, and everything works well. I don't know if it's any less likely to get stolen than the CF Trek, but it wouldn't be as great a loss.

 

[Fastpedaller]

I have one of these on my bike

I don't know if it's effective - But I will if it isn't

I had another thought for transfers to create my 'own make' and deter thieves - also providing some amusement for other cycle enthusiasts.....
'Doors' stickers on the frame

 

[DCLane]

@Fastpedaller- they're better than the commercial ones, which are for cars/vans. You could sell them ...hint

 

[Fastpedaller]

@Fastpedaller- they're better than the commercial ones, which are for cars/vans. You could sell them ...hint

find them on Temu - IIRC it was 8 for 54p

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

I have wondered if you could reduce the chances of a bike being stolen by paiting it pink and attaching fluffy accessories and a basket at the front

I mean - it is normally morons who do it
and boys/young men are often much better at being that type of moron
and that sort of person doesn;t want to be seen witha girlie bike


and the ones who are not morons are the ones selling them - and I reckon they would see less market for it

maybe

 

[FrankCrank]

Pretty sure someone here already suggested a white saddle with a brown stripe down the middle as the perfect deterrent

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

Pretty sure someone here already suggested a white saddle with a brown stripe down the middle as the perfect deterrent

My saddleis starting to look really carp
it came with the bike and has always just be right for me
but it is padded and the top surface is starting to wear out and the attachments to the base is starting to come off

but I am staying off getting a new one because it does make the bike look worse
and as it is generally not all that clean due to riding on canal paths in this weather - it is probably a decent deterrent to theft

maybe

 

[fossyant]

This 'thought' of having a scruffy bike triggers me !

 

[Dadam]

This 'though' of having a scruffy bike triggers me !

Agree. And I'm sceptical to how much difference it really makes to the risk.

 

[Yellow Saddle]

This 'though' of having a scruffy bike triggers me !

Not to mention that photo of the SIDI shoes.