11 Miles Biking?

[Heltor Chasca]

Having been in both camps commuting 22 miles a day for 5 years I have to agree that a better bike is best. Security in the form of a decent lock or two. I use two in risky areas is your option. Where you park is important too.

I easily used to justify a decent bike in the relatively short time it paid for itself when comparing public or personal transport costs. I am not even going to mention health benefits and the plethora of advantages cycling brings to us.

 

[zapshe]

Thanks everyone for the advice. I was planning on possibly "roughing up" the bike and using two different kinds of locks. Moreover, I was going to modify the main lock to be more lock pick resistant and make it take longer to saw through.

I can see both sides of the argument, a good bike is definitely needed for the journey, but will also be a target for thieves. It'll be a risk I have to take I suppose. But, with two locks, I'm sure most thieves will probably look the other way.

 

[tom73]

A crime prevention officer once told us if they want to brake in they will you can only deter them. But if it's harder to get in then they will go and find easy target. They will only give themselves so much time to take stuff. In the end if they want to they will find a way but make it harder up the chance of seeing them off. So if you lock it right and store it in the right place. Surely they will easier picking's then yours. See what other do and placer's they use ask around see what the over all view is. Buy the bike that meet's your need's you want to one seen on and put a smile on your face don't let fear of it being stolen put you off.

 

[cyberknight]

A crime prevention officer once told us if they want to brake in they will you can only deter them. But if it's harder to get in then they will go and find easy target. They will only give themselves so much time to take stuff. In the end if they want to they will find a way but make it harder up the chance of seeing them off. So if you lock it right and store it in the right place. Surely they will easier picking's then yours. See what other do and placer's they use ask around see what the over all view is. Buy the bike that meet's your need's you want to one seen on and put a smile on your face don't let fear of it being stolen put you off.

For work i leave my locks on the bike rack, combination of a chain designed for motorbikes and a d- lock, you see plenty of bikes worth more locked with something you can chewe through with your teeth.If the OP can leave the locks at the college or invest in something ?
Currently my work is 10 miles each way and i have a manual job as well as shifts and i manage ok , not sure if its mentioned above but somewhere to change and freshen up is a bonus even if its a wet wipe for the sweaty bits and a does of body spray .

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

But if the OP is relying on a bike for 11 mile journeys, they need something reliable, which contradicts the “cheap pile of crap”.

A bike can be very cheap, without being crap. It just needs to look crap.
I regularly ride 20+ miles a go on a Raleigh hybrid that I paid £10 for, although I did fit a new pair of Schwalbes and sort out the dodgy brakes first, so the total cost is nearer £45 not counting the Cateye computer - which is not exactly essential and makes no difference to reliability. This is my main "go to" bike and does more miles than my hacks.
Another bike, that I just got to tinker with, a 45 year old 3-speed, owes me the sum total of £5 and after pumping up the tyres, adjusting the brakes, and oiling the chain, I went straight out for 20 miles on it with no issues. I would fit some Schwalbes for puncture resistance if I was commuting on it though. It looks like a complete shed but rides very nicely.

Reliability is a function of maintenance standards, it has virtually nothing to do with how cheap or expensive a bike is to buy - so long as outright BSO machines are avoided, and most of those are horrible full-sus MTB's that you wouldn't want to commute on anyway because they bounce along like Zebedee and are hard pedalling. It is not necessary to spend £X amount to be sure of getting reliability, and only buying bikes above some arbitrary price point does not guarantee it will be any more durable than those below that point.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

@zapshe some around here take the front wheel with them or the seat post.
Maybe going to lectures with a wheel is a bit ott, but you could certainly put the seat post (fit a quick release, mark the hight) in your uni bag.
It's only a deterrent, but, combined with good locks, every little helps.

 

[zapshe]

some around here take the front wheel with them or the seat post.

I was planning on using two locks, putting them through the body and the front/back tires (each tire will be secured with a lock).

Overall, I suppose the decision rests with me. I'll drive for a while and then see how secure other bikes are and where they're being locked up. Moreover, I'll ask around about how often bikes are stolen. At my university, at least, I've only ever heard of the entire bike being stolen, never someone stealing parts (which is very common I know), so that may not be the problem here, but I'll check.

Thanks guys for all the advice! I was going to buy a hardened U-Lock or chain along with the forgetaboutit (spelled it wrong) lock and then secure the lock with both of these locks in tight positions. Moreover, as I mentioned, I going to add my own touch to these locks to make them a bit more resistant. The forgetaboutit lock can be picked, but becomes much harder without removing the cover, which I'll soldier on there. I plan to do tricks like that and hopefully make it much more trouble than the bike is worth.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

It's worth investigating @zapshe if there's secure bike parking at the uni.
You could also make friends with a janitor, ask if there are any unused room you could leave you bike in.
Still lock it, though.

 

[tom73]

Like @Pat "5mph" says see if they have a bike store. Not sure what course you are doing but making friends with the course technician is always a good plan for any favours.

If no suitable safe bike store is provided you can always get together and campaign for one. You won’t be the only one in need of good bike parking.

Good luck and enjoy the ride

 

[zapshe]

they will just saw through them both with an angle grinder and it will take 5 minutes.

I've actually seen no reports of u-locks being broken with angle grinders (though I'm sure it happens). I was hoping to add a layer of gunk that could potentially get stuck on the blade.

I'm planning on going to the university and seeing what I can do. I tried checking online about rooms where I could put the bike in, but nothing came up.

You could also make friends with a janitor, ask if there are any unused room you could leave you bike in.
Still lock it, though.

Solid advice, hadn't thought of that. I'll make sure to see if the janitors/professors have any rooms that I could use.


Thanks again everyone. I really don't want to get a dirt cheap bike, but I also don't want it to be stolen! I've been thinking about getting a chain lock along with the kryptonite forgetaboutit lock. Even if they have an angle grinder, the chain lock would be harder to use that on since the links will be moving. This would make the angle grinder a pain to use since they wouldn't be able to get that leverage in without actually holding the chain with one hand and the angle grinder in the other, which they will hopefully be reluctant to do. This combination of locks would require an angle grinder AND one of those bulky cutters to go through. Moreover, I plan to add layers and such that would make attacks harder to carry out. The longer it takes them, the more likely they are to leave it alone.



EDIT: I found online several products that are made as GPS trackers for the bike. Moreover, they can alert your phone if it's being messed with. That would be something I could give the police so that they could follow the stolen bike. I don't know what they'd do, it would be something worth asking about when I get the chance.

I also found an article that had research done about ways to slow down these attacks:

Loose fibres: o Both high performance and low performance fibres were seen to effectively jam the drill bit, with some disruption of the functioning of the angle grinder. o The amount of fibres present, length and how the fibres were fixed (to reduce likelihood of loss of coverage) were seen to be key factors in the success of this group of materials. o Coiled fibres were also seen to rapidly jam the drill bit (however, no cut resistance was seen). 

Woven fabrics: o As with the loose fibres, a range of woven fabrics were seen to effectively jam the drill bit, especially when loosely fixed. 

Ceramics: o Highly effective at preventing cutting and cause significant wear to drill bits, angle grinder discs2 and reciprocating saw blades. o The effectiveness of this group of materials will be highly dependent on one or more of the following: the grade, fixing method and form; however, low grade ceramics have been seen to perform well.

^These were the results. I can attach such things in ways where they can't be removed from the chain and U-lock ( I'm pretty good with my hands ). With a combination of all these, the fabrics might get tangled in the angle grinders and the blade dulled by the ceramics. Moreover, the forgetaboutit lock is already cutter proof, can only be compromised through picking or angle grinder, so I could make it very hard to penetrate. All these things would make the locks very heavy, but I don't mind carrying extra weight on me, better exercise and I'm use to it.

Link to the site with tests:
https://www.cpni.gov.uk/system/file...s_Spreadsheet_Manufacturers_V1.0.20160523.pdf

^They used 36v tools.

 

[cyberknight]

You can get lockable skewers for your wheels too , might be worth the investment if you are concerned about someone pinching your wheels .

Hiplock has a range of wearable bike lock s
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/hiplok/?des...slid=&pgrid=20164074556&ptaid=kwd-29734969391
as do lite lock
https://www.litelok.com/

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

. I really don't want to get a dirt cheap bike, but I also don't want it to be stolen! I've been thinking about getting a chain lock along with the kryptonite forgetaboutit lock. Even if they have an angle grinder, the chain lock would be harder to use that on since the links will be moving. This would make the angle grinder a pain to use since they wouldn't be able to get that leverage in without actually holding the chain with one hand and the angle grinder in the other, which they will hopefully be reluctant to do. This combination of locks would require an angle grinder AND one of those bulky cutters to go through. .

No-one holds on to a chain link with their hand to cut it with a grinder. What they'll do is pull the locked item/chain away from what it's locked to so the chain is under tension and hold the grinder with their other free hand. It's easier and faster than trying to break a chain with bolt cutters, as you will need a very large and heavy pair for thick chains - and they are conspicuous to carry. An angle grinder will conceal into a rucksack along with a few other tools and if the thief dresses up like a workman it doesn't even look out of place. These guys are out all day every day scouting for targets, and if they take a fancy to your bike it will be gone in 5 minutes no matter how many locks and chains you employ. The only way to be fairly certain an unattended bike won't be stolen is to only leave near-worthless bikes unattended. Anything with a secondhand value will sooner or later go missing or get parts robbed off it.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

@zapshe you can also take out bike insurance.
Maybe students get a discount?
Here it is possible for parents to put their children's bikes on the home insurance policy, even if they are away term time.
You can also find stand alone, bike specific insurance - read the terms and conditions first!

 

[Reynard]

Going back to a previous post, do invest in some wicking base layers.

Doesn't have to be cycle specific, something like a running jersey or a soccer training top will do the job equally well.

Take it from me, there is nothing worse than having to sit all day in a smelly, wet t-shirt - especially if you've nowhere to change. I only made that mistake once.

If you have a locker available to you, keep a change of clothes in there. If you get caught out by rain, or it's very hot and you've sweated buckets, at least you'll have something dry to change into.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

Well said @Reynard: I change into a uniform, so no problems with wet clothing, it will be dry by the time I'm finished.
But there's always a spare pair of socks in my locker ... and some bike oil!