You've just spend a lot of money on a new bike, or you feel rather sentimentally attached to your old beater, either way you want to do everything you can to keep in in your possession.
Just a note, this won't work in an extremely high crime area, if you live in a place where people are willing to strip the parts off your bike, don't let it out of your sight. If your lucky enough to live in a city where you can just leave your bike unlocked, then you probably live in a city with more cows than people. For those moderate crime areas, this should work.
There seems to be a bit of a misunderstanding here. People keep on recommending better locks under the assumption that they are harder to break. Any lock can be broken, but if the thief has the time to take a car jack out and spend the ten minutes prying it open, its your fault for leaving your bike there.
People also suggest doing things like rounding off all the screws on your bike, or filling them with epoxy. Good idea until it breaks and you can't remove it.
The safest place for your bike is under your legs, short of that, by your side. At least within your sight. Locks, no matter how nice, will only help so much.
Just a note, this won't work in an extremely high crime area, if you live in a place where people are willing to strip the parts off your bike, don't let it out of your sight. If your lucky enough to live in a city where you can just leave your bike unlocked, then you probably live in a city with more cows than people. For those moderate crime areas, this should work.
There seems to be a bit of a misunderstanding here. People keep on recommending better locks under the assumption that they are harder to break. Any lock can be broken, but if the thief has the time to take a car jack out and spend the ten minutes prying it open, its your fault for leaving your bike there.
People also suggest doing things like rounding off all the screws on your bike, or filling them with epoxy. Good idea until it breaks and you can't remove it.
The safest place for your bike is under your legs, short of that, by your side. At least within your sight. Locks, no matter how nice, will only help so much.
Step 1: Evaluate your bike
This is hard, take a step back and forget how much you love that hunk of steel or aluminum, and try to actually evaluate its worth.
Some hints:
If its not made out of steel or aluminum, its likely worth a lot.
triple butted anything, expensive
Carbon fiber anything, expensive
If it even thinks words like 'Campy' or Dura-Ace, its worth a lot.
Anything handmade (you don't count)
If your bike really is worth that much, and not just to you, the best and only way to ensure it doesn't get stolen is to never let it out of your site. Take it into your house with you at night and keep it next to your bed.
Otherwise you will probably be fine leaving it outside overnight.
Then again, if you couldn't bear to part with it, inside is always best.
Some hints:
If its not made out of steel or aluminum, its likely worth a lot.
triple butted anything, expensive
Carbon fiber anything, expensive
If it even thinks words like 'Campy' or Dura-Ace, its worth a lot.
Anything handmade (you don't count)
If your bike really is worth that much, and not just to you, the best and only way to ensure it doesn't get stolen is to never let it out of your site. Take it into your house with you at night and keep it next to your bed.
Otherwise you will probably be fine leaving it outside overnight.
Then again, if you couldn't bear to part with it, inside is always best.
Step 2: Protection
Buy yourself a lock or two. U-locks provide the best protection. One that can't be opened by a bic is nice, one that can fit in your pocket is damn cool, but its up to you.
In general, the more you pay, the better it is, a wonder that free market system of ours.
For the most part, a u-lock is enough, but if you want to be really safe, a separate cable lock provides the most protection when combined with a U-lock. Then again, if theft in your area is so high that you need to do this, consider taking your bike inside.
In general, the more you pay, the better it is, a wonder that free market system of ours.
For the most part, a u-lock is enough, but if you want to be really safe, a separate cable lock provides the most protection when combined with a U-lock. Then again, if theft in your area is so high that you need to do this, consider taking your bike inside.
Step 3: Actually locking the bike
Even if you have the biggest, scariest most theft deterring u-lock its useless unless you use it properly. Ideally you want to lock the bike to something, as well as lock it to itself.
The easiest way to do this is to put the u-lock around the rear wheel inside of the rear triangle. This is effectively locking both the rear wheel and the frame. The wheel can not be removed from the frame, regardless of the amount of jumping up and down it can sustain.
If there are bike racks, use them, you can almost always lock more securely to a rack than to a street fixture. There is also the safety in numbers. As long as your bike is surrounded by bikes that are easier to steal, its somewhat safer.
Alternatively, bring it inside with you. Much more secure than any lock.
The easiest way to do this is to put the u-lock around the rear wheel inside of the rear triangle. This is effectively locking both the rear wheel and the frame. The wheel can not be removed from the frame, regardless of the amount of jumping up and down it can sustain.
If there are bike racks, use them, you can almost always lock more securely to a rack than to a street fixture. There is also the safety in numbers. As long as your bike is surrounded by bikes that are easier to steal, its somewhat safer.
Alternatively, bring it inside with you. Much more secure than any lock.
Step 4: What not to do
The heart of this instructable, how to not lock your bike. I realize this may be a bit unnecessary, but every day I see so many bike so poorly locked i feel the need to lash out against the owners on a non-larcenous method.
Warning: the following pages contain images of horrifically abused bikes that more sensitive viewers may find offensive.
Warning: the following pages contain images of horrifically abused bikes that more sensitive viewers may find offensive.
Step 5: Do not do this: Not locking to something
Need I say, do not lock like this if you value your bike.
Always lock your bike to something immobile, otherwise there is nothing to stop a van full of marauding bike thieves from grabbing your bike, throwing it in the back of their mobile bike theft machine and having their way with it. If the idea of a hoard of ugly men having their way with your precious bike doesn't fill you with fear, well then I'm sorry, i just can't relate.
Always lock your bike to something immobile, otherwise there is nothing to stop a van full of marauding bike thieves from grabbing your bike, throwing it in the back of their mobile bike theft machine and having their way with it. If the idea of a hoard of ugly men having their way with your precious bike doesn't fill you with fear, well then I'm sorry, i just can't relate.
Step 6: Another do not do this: Not Locking at all
No lock, no matter how ugly your bike is there is someone with an uglier bike who wants yours. No excuse no matter how quick the errand will be or how cheap your bike is, there is still no reason to leave it unlocked.
Step 7: Do not do this
No matter how good of a unicyclist you are you want to lock the bike, not just the wheel. If only the front wheel is locked, all you have to do is flip the quick release and take the frame, if you really want it that badly.
Step 8: Don't Do This: Ignoring the first step
Remember the first thing you did, deciding whether or not your bike was really that valuable. It's important, and these people failed. They made the cardinal mistake of being the best bike locked up at a certain location, making them the focus of theft attempts.
Step 9: Trying to make your bike unridable
Many people advocate vindictive anti-theft measures, such as loosening your front quick release, opening the brakes and derailing the chain, in an attempt to punish anyone who tried to ride off with their unlocked bike. These may cause pain and anguish, but they too are not an effective anti-theft measure, for them to work, someone has to have already stolen your bike. Furthermore, chances are just once you'll forget to tighten the quick release and you'll be the one needing dental work.
Fixed gear riders advocate fixed gear bicycles as a method of this, that they are somehow more secure because they are harder to ride. They are forgetting that due to the unbearable popularity of fixed gear bikes, they have become incredibly attractive targets for theft.
Fixed gear riders advocate fixed gear bicycles as a method of this, that they are somehow more secure because they are harder to ride. They are forgetting that due to the unbearable popularity of fixed gear bikes, they have become incredibly attractive targets for theft.
Step 10: Camouflage
Some people seem to think that they can avoid theft by making their bike look to unique to sell, other think they can just make their bike look crappy. To some extent they are right, you can make a bike look crappy, or unique, but that doesn't help theft proof it if you don't lock it properly, it just makes it look ugly.
This myth is so prevalent that even major bike manufacturers have taken to making intensionally ugly bicycles. Please, a bicycle should be a thing of beauty, make the madness stop.
This myth is so prevalent that even major bike manufacturers have taken to making intensionally ugly bicycles. Please, a bicycle should be a thing of beauty, make the madness stop.
Step 11: Do not do this: Exotic locking mistakes
Sometimes people get really creative with their locking, and sometimes it works. More often though, it fails and makes the bike rather easy to steal.
Step 12: Subtle security
This bike may seem to be violating just about every one of the rules I have posted, but it has a secret form of security that may not be immediately visible. It's my bike, and if you so much as touch it, I will end you. If you try to take it, your getting your head bashed in with my U-lock. Remember, YOU are always the best security (Even better than those heavy chains that you get to wear as bandoleers).
Visit Our Store »
Go Pro Today »
I make custom bikes and I use hardened steel rods for trikes and I also use a 7 foot logging chain to go threw all tires and frame and around a light post. I use a stainless steel abus discus lock with S. Steel inserts that can not be drilled with basic bits.
I avoid solid locks like brass that have a plate on he side that with a light tap of a screw driver will expose the pins that can then be dumped out. Some big solid looking ones have a plate holding the locking mechanism in place, A small file notching the rivet and it can be unscrewed with a screwdriver dumping out he goods and then opened. I can brake a master combination lock open in less than 30 seconds with a fork. Two large screwdrivers put threw a shackle can open almost any lock faster than if you had the key. Most lock have a hardened shackle but the locking pin that holds it is aluminum or zink and takes nothing to brake. I have tools that can open just about any lock you can think of. A big U-lock can be opened in about 45 seconds. the way that I lock up my bikes can be broken in about an hour or maybe 30 minutes if you were me. Remember this: LOCKS ONLY KEEP HONEST PEOPLE HONEST. Your job is to slow them down or have them move onto anothers bike that the owner just doesn't care about. If you spend $1000.00 or more on a bike and buy the cheapest lock then you are STUPID.People put money in banks to keep it safe. Spending around $50 and you may just be able to find your bike when you get back.
If your bike oes get pinched then there is a way that you could get it back. Go buy yourself a Low-Jack for your bike. Some pet stores sell a GPS device that attaches to your dogs coller and it's battery will last for 72 hours when charged. Buy this then change the battery so that it will last all year long then intall in th frame while using the fram8e as the antenia. get online with the collers supplied website and go film the Police aresting them then post on you tube.
I have a new bike now [worth more than i care to say] and i Installed a Lojack system in the 'Gas Tank' on the top tube. I'll know where it is [within 3 feet of it's location] in 5 minutes. Can't beat that.
my rottweiler is well enough trained that if i lock his chain to my bike and tell him to sit, he wont do a damned thing till i get back. that is, of course, unless someone causes any movement to his chain...
havent needed to search for a bike rack in 5 years. best theft deterrent EVAR
Bendog38
Then again-you get what to pay for. If you have a really good u-lock,chances are it'll be ok.
Since I live just outside of town, how do I get the folks in the city to listen to someone living just outside of city limits to get more bike racks?
U-Lock Madness
He stole the bike, the locks and the bike stand.
A truly ambitious bikenapper.
She's getting into sprint triathalons. She needed a road bike as the mountain bike simply put her at a huge disadvantage. She found her Nishiki and was immediately a lot faster. She had the tires swapped out for true road tires and gained even more speed. It's pretty fast for what it is. She's still building skill and power, so it's plenty of bike for her right now. In fact, she's beating a lot of folks, in all age groups, with bikes priced in the multi-thousand dollar range. Next step is to add tri-bars.