How to keep your bike from being stolen

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.

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.

Comments

[ReddWolf]

This step is not very helpful since I am a small, short girl... I don't think I would be much of a threat deterrant. Now my 75 lb German Shepherd may be...

[bendog38]

 a german shepard will make ANY criminal run for their LIFE

[batvans46]

just lock that puppy up with your bike ;)

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]

That's just plain awesome. If my Aussie were that well trained, he might do just as well. But a Rottweiler?! It can't be overkill if it is that successful!

Bendog38

[batvans46]

he isnt particularly well trained, he just knows how to guard my bike lol. hes a smart dog, he knows i love my bike and that im not as fast as he is without it. i just trained him with a bone locking him up outside my house with my bike every couple of days for an hour at a time.

[ReddWolf]

Yeah unfortunately my bike was stolen with the K9 Cruiser dog attachment on it (for the dog to run with the bike while you ride.) It was in my backyard locked up but unfortunately above mentioned German Shepherd was not in the yard when this happened, and I was not in the state.

[batvans46]

frank castle just runs right next to me (yes thats who i named him after lol). sorry for your loss :(

[robbied]

you could also carry a small length of rope. If you lock your bike using a U-lock and cable lock, then tie the whole lot together with a piece of rope, that would make it way more annoying for a thief to try and get around. I'm not sure bolt cutters would cut through rope.

[pyro=fire]

Where would won lock his bike here because it doesnt look like any other lock can reach

[countrygiri]

I wouldn't actually advise u-locks- I myself know how to break them open. A really strong,well placed stomp normally does the trick.

Then again-you get what to pay for. If you have a really good u-lock,chances are it'll be ok.

[Napole]

Two words of wisdom: Presa Canario.

[jarrelb]

i actually had to google Presa Canario. and i agree.

[MrHacks]

I've been following such security measure even before I read this article. My problem is my town lacks places to hook a bike up while I'm in a store. (My U-Lock can't reach around certain things whenever a bike rack isn't around.)

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?

[batvans46]

buy a cheap 20$ bike off craigslist, plant it, "steal" it. complain, repaint it, repeat.

[cry_wolf]

Buddy i stumbled upon this picture and im wondering, if this secure enough? :D
U-Lock Madness

[mickryobe]

Wow!
He stole the bike, the locks and the bike stand.
A truly ambitious bikenapper.

[Derin]

LOL U CANT SEE THE BIKE ITSELF>:D NOW THAT IS Overkill.

[cry_wolf]

The best part is, that none of the U-Locks are attached to the rail, however one U-Lock is attached to the rail by a pull-tie. LOL

[NuclearDog]

Yeah, only one is attached, but surely no one will be riding that away. Those wheels aren't turning!

[bad ass pope]

And it's got flat tires.

[Richie15]

But you could pop that attaced one, throw it in the back of a van and drive off somewhere you'd have time to work on the rest. But of course you or I would never do that... ;)

[Fuzz2050]

What's really ironic, under all those locks, it's a huffy

[I smell bacon]

lol

[cry_wolf]

Haha true.

[Derin]

I saw that!it is pretty epic,but you would have to spend your week there 24/7 to get that bike

[Gamernotnerd]

I am pretty sure all of those locks cost more than the bike itself.

[Langston P . Landman]

I wouldn't just have "U" locks on a bike to lock just a wheel and frame, but have a 6' cable and a good meddle resistance lock to lock the frame and both wheels as well as keeping the bike in my site. The wheels can also be as expensive as well as the bike, especially if the bike is a expensive one. The pad lock I would use is the one that has no screws nor reverts or shows anything that is holding the lock together and an key hole that is difficult to pick.

[thehumble1]

that's actually a pretty nice setup. alum rims, single speed, nice canti brakes, good straight bars and probably a deceptively great frame under that paint camo. I'd kinda like to take it for a ride.

[kjones5]

Looks like a Nishiki. My wife has one very similar. A few minor changes to the frame and, of course, she still has the 21 speeds. The grips are the same as the ones we took off her bike.

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.

[frisbeechamp1983]

Hey,I just wanted to put out there, that this article is good at the first, until all the stuff about how not to lock up a bike, It's just a little too much. I mean, It's a good idea to lock up your bike, but unless you live in a really bad area, and I mean BAD, there is no need to take off the front wheel, and use four different locks, where I live, which is like a suburban area, my bike wont get stolen just because I didn't lock the front wheel, and my crankshaft. I mean, who would want to just take the front wheel on my bike, I can always get a replacement, no big harm, it's not like I didn't lock up my bike at all. so to whoever feels like they need to lock up their bike, but does not want to go out of there way, just lock the frame, and run the cable lock through your front wheel as wheel, problem solved. it takes less than thirty seconds. thanks

[jimboburgess]

I don't know how many times walking back drunk at night i've longed for a bike to ride. If it's not locked up there is no problem if I borrow it, you just got to come pick it up outside of my place.

[jimboburgess]

Many people who steal bikes aren't in it to make several hundred dollars parting it out or even selling the whole thing. They want to make $20 bucks to get high or they are kids that do it cause they don't know any better.

My strategy is the same as if I was running from a bear I just have to be faster than my slowest friend.

In the case of bikes, I make my bike more complecated to steal than other bikes i park around. I take the front wheel off, lock that to the back wheel/frame and to something cemented to the ground with a U-lock. I also use a cable lock that is largely superficial but it loops around my seat, frame, wheels and whatever i locked it too also. It takes me about 2/3 minutes to do it all but I have peace of mind. I live in NYC commute to work but store my bike inside at night.

[Ma77h3w]

Would connecting a charged camera flash circuit to a bike lock take out a potential robber? Or would that be considered too illegal?

[elrodqfudp]

I use a folding bike because I live on my sailboat and it makes it easy to store the bike inside out of the salt air.

When I go into a store I fold the bike, put it in a shopping cart and take it in with me. If the store to which I am going does not have shopping carts, then I pick one up near by and return it when I am finished with it.

[inquist]

I agree with this article and this page, although the mere threat of violence is enough without actually resorting to it. I once had to chase a guy down, who was riding off on my bike, because I left it unlocked. Never again in public!

[Screamo]

I don't see any lock on it.

[Hallmar]

Hey dude, Its between the front of the rear rim and the center tube.

[sockeye101]

Where do you get your attack cats from? The suppliers here in Ontario charge waaayy to much for shipping...

[simonguy27]

"I've always wanted a Varsity" hey i got a varsity thats in good shape for 140 bucks
http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/hnp/bik/1997990596.html

[dinglballs]

hahahaha im beginning to think you were once a bike thief from the way you are talking about all this...