How do you lock up your bike?

Hi there!

I just bought a resettable combination cable. However, I was told
that it is not a secure way to lock up a bike. Should I use a u-lock
in addition to the cable? How about Kryptonite's NY chain? How
secure is it to use it alone?

Background: I plan to lock up my bike at a place where I could commute
by vanpool everyday. As a result, the bike will be left at the same
plaza for the most part of the day, week, and year. Any good security
strategy for my plan?

Sorry for bringing up so many questions!

Steven Chan wrote:
Should I use a u-lock
in addition to the cable? How about Kryptonite's NY chain? How
secure is it to use it alone?

Background: I plan to lock up my bike at a place where I could commute
by vanpool everyday. As a result, the bike will be left at the same
plaza for the most part of the day, week, and year. Any good security
strategy for my plan?

i do the same thing .. same place, every day. the ny chain is a boat anchor,
btw. what i do is park it in front of a coffee shop or other high traffic
area (u-lock the frame and rear wheel to the rack and the front wheel to
the u-lock via a cable) and if you leave the lock locked to the rack
overnight the weight doesn't matter so much. so buy that ny chain if you
want.
--
david reuteler

In article ,
(Steven Chan) writes:
Hi there!

I just bought a resettable combination cable. However, I was told
that it is not a secure way to lock up a bike. Should I use a u-lock
in addition to the cable? How about Kryptonite's NY chain? How
secure is it to use it alone?

Background: I plan to lock up my bike at a place where I could commute
by vanpool everyday. As a result, the bike will be left at the same
plaza for the most part of the day, week, and year. Any good security
strategy for my plan?

Sorry for bringing up so many questions!

I think this URL provides a good starting point regarding
bike security:
http://www.biketracks.com/english/biketheftframe.html

In addition, I'll suggest not locking to street signs
that are held down by a bolt in a metal collar embedded
in the sidewalk (a lot of 'No Parking' signs are like that.)
It's easy for a thief to undo the bolt and simply pull the
whole signpost through the lock. Likewise, wooden fence
pickets are easily kicked-off. Parking meters are generally
secure things to lock to; more so than some of the bike racks
I've seen.


cheers,
Tom

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On 9 Jun 2004 14:43:45 -0700, (Steven Chan) wrote:

Hi there!

I just bought a resettable combination cable. However, I was told
that it is not a secure way to lock up a bike. Should I use a u-lock
in addition to the cable? How about Kryptonite's NY chain? How
secure is it to use it alone?

Background: I plan to lock up my bike at a place where I could commute
by vanpool everyday. As a result, the bike will be left at the same
plaza for the most part of the day, week, and year. Any good security
strategy for my plan?

Sorry for bringing up so many questions!

May I suggest you spare your expensive road bike and get a refurbed, used,
or 'beater bike'? Unless you're biking a lo-o-ng way to the lock up, and
that is how you plan to do your major bike riding, in which case you'll
want to ride your good bike; then, with the beater, use the method David
suggests. The bike will be there when you come back, but in addition,
you'll have much greater peace of mind.

Even though it's locked up, I'd be worried about damage, accidental or
intentional, not to mention exposure to the elements.

-Badger

On Wed, 9 Jun 2004 15:18:46 -0700, (Tom Keats) wrote:

In article ,
(Steven Chan) writes:
Hi there!

I just bought a resettable combination cable. However, I was told
that it is not a secure way to lock up a bike. Should I use a u-lock
in addition to the cable? How about Kryptonite's NY chain? How
secure is it to use it alone?

Background: I plan to lock up my bike at a place where I could commute
by vanpool everyday. As a result, the bike will be left at the same
plaza for the most part of the day, week, and year. Any good security
strategy for my plan?

Sorry for bringing up so many questions!

I think this URL provides a good starting point regarding
bike security:
http://www.biketracks.com/english/biketheftframe.html

Good link! I'm wondering how many people follow the advice to 'bring your
bike with you'?

Mine is now easily luggable, and I've been thinking, would the 7-11 really
mind if you rolled it in the store to get coffee, or the dept store care if
you carried it with you to buy those sunglasses, as long as you weren't too
clumsy, and the bike wasn't mud-caked or anything?

Anybody in the ng who brings it along into stores? Experiences?

-Badger

I take the bike into the store with me. If they object I just tell them
"See ya, the store down the street doesn't mind."
You can only lock up so much of the bike. With a quick adjust seat post,
somebody with a bad attitude could steal just your seat/saddle, which
would mess up your ride home. Even if I take my kids for fast food
on bikes I make sure they are in sight at all times. Kids and bikes both.
Bill

On Wed, 09 Jun 2004 20:32:44 -0400, Badger_South wrote:

On Wed, 9 Jun 2004 15:18:46 -0700, (Tom Keats)
wrote:

In article ,
(Steven Chan) writes:
Hi there!

I just bought a resettable combination cable. However, I was told
that it is not a secure way to lock up a bike. Should I use a u-lock
in addition to the cable? How about Kryptonite's NY chain? How
secure is it to use it alone?

Background: I plan to lock up my bike at a place where I could commute
by vanpool everyday. As a result, the bike will be left at the same
plaza for the most part of the day, week, and year. Any good security
strategy for my plan?

Sorry for bringing up so many questions!

I think this URL provides a good starting point regarding
bike security:
http://www.biketracks.com/english/biketheftframe.html

Good link! I'm wondering how many people follow the advice to 'bring your
bike with you'?

Mine is now easily luggable, and I've been thinking, would the 7-11
really
mind if you rolled it in the store to get coffee, or the dept store care
if
you carried it with you to buy those sunglasses, as long as you weren't
too
clumsy, and the bike wasn't mud-caked or anything?

Anybody in the ng who brings it along into stores? Experiences?

-Badger





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I would never use a cable. They are too easy to cut.

I use a Citadel U-Lock to lock the rear wheel and the frame to something
secure,
parking meters are great, or other tough poles that can't be removed, broken
or
slid out of. I use a cheap Bell U-Lock (12$ at Wall Mart) to lock my front
wheel to
the frame.

Kinda heavy but I only carry them along if I know I will have to lock
somewhere...
for example when I go to work or when I go shopping. For training and
riding they
stay home and the bike never leaves my sight.

As for a huge chain... remember the weakest link... the lock itself is
probably easier to
break or cut than a U-Lock so I would not use that.

"Steven Chan" wrote in message
...
Hi there!

I just bought a resettable combination cable. However, I was told
that it is not a secure way to lock up a bike. Should I use a u-lock
in addition to the cable? How about Kryptonite's NY chain? How
secure is it to use it alone?

Background: I plan to lock up my bike at a place where I could commute
by vanpool everyday. As a result, the bike will be left at the same
plaza for the most part of the day, week, and year. Any good security
strategy for my plan?

Sorry for bringing up so many questions!

Steven Chan wrote:

Hi there!

I just bought a resettable combination cable. However, I was told
that it is not a secure way to lock up a bike. Should I use a u-lock
in addition to the cable? How about Kryptonite's NY chain? How
secure is it to use it alone?

I suggest not to use the chain alone, but in addition to a U-lock. Look
where you will park your bike and check the other ones, are they
cheaper, better, and what kind of lock do they have. If they all have
one U-lock and you have a chain, a thief will go for the chain. So if
they all have one U-lock, put 2 locks, a U-lock and a chain, it will
require more tools, one for the chain and one for the U-lock.

Personally, maybe you'll say I'm paranoid, I use 2 locks, a U-lock and
the chain, and usin them properly, meaning a hard access to the keylock
and filling the U-lock as much as I can and having the chain as tight as
possible and when going for a while, I also bring my front wheel with
me. There are less chances that a thief will go for the 2 locks on my
bike and antoher lock on another bike to get a wheel to put on mine, and
all that in a busy spot. It's not impossible, but I put the probability
on my side.

Bill wrote:
I take the bike into the store with me. If they object I just tell them
"See ya, the store down the street doesn't mind."

hmm, maybe some day i'll try that at work.
--
david reuteler

Bill wrote:

I take the bike into the store with me. If they object I just tell them
"See ya, the store down the street doesn't mind."
You can only lock up so much of the bike. With a quick adjust seat post,
somebody with a bad attitude could steal just your seat/saddle, which
would mess up your ride home.

Buy that three foot small diameter cable you see in the bike shops
to loop your seat spring rails with one end and the other to your lock.
No, it's not -completely- safe, but does stop the casual bad attitude
thief from just walking off with the seat without having to work for it.



Even if I take my kids for fast food
on bikes I make sure they are in sight at all times. Kids and bikes both.
Bill




--

-TTFN

-Steven