best way to protect your bike?

[gavroche]

What is the best way to protect your bike when you leave it outside a shop?
I only have a ring lock but I feel that it would be easy to cut through it. I have thought of carrying a heavy chain but the weight of it puts me off.
My answer is to use the bike for exercising only so it is never left on its own, only when I get back home when I lock it away.
Any shopping or anything else, I take the car or walk into town.

 

[gaz]

Have a look at this website. Lots of good information about locks and how to lock your bike.

 

[wheres_my_beard]

Use a heavy duty lock, maybe a D/U lock or a cable and lock it to something solid and immovable. I don't leave my bike anywhere, no matter how short a time without locking it firmly to something. If it looks substantial, no one in their right mind will bother trying to cut through it, or even think twice about trying to manually break it.

If you lock looks flimsy they may try their luck using brute force, and will most likely damage you bike in the process or in frustration.

 

[Chris S]

I've painted my bike with black paint (the sort that's used on iron gates).

It looks OK from a few feet away but not close up - not even a druggie would steal it!

 

[wheres_my_beard]

I've painted my bike with black paint (the sort that's used on iron gates).

It looks OK from a few feet away but not close up - not even a druggie would steal it!

Sounds a bit like what this guy has done to bike through the power of UGLY

 

[snorri]

What is the best way to protect your bike when you leave it outside a shop?

I keep my best one in a glass case in my bedroom , but I have another one for 'using' and lock it with a cycle lock when shopping in bandit country.

 

[MacB]

I don't leave a good bike outside the shops, I did build up a 'disguised' shopping bike with an old frame and decent parts, so that it could be left and also be a backup commuting bike. It was never needed for commuting, did less than 100 miles in 18 months and the parts made it too good to just leave anywhere, so I've split it up for sale. My 'new' leave anywhere bike is an old MTB that cost me £10 at the tip, I've also resisted my natural inclination to tinker and upgrade, all I've done is stick a rack on the back.

I still double lock it, d-lock round down tube and through front wheel and second d-lock round seat tube, rear wheel and bike stand. If it goes it'll be replaced with another £10 job, but I'll be gutted about the locks, they weren't as cheap.

Another security measure is to use locking skewers and bolts, or you can superglue ball bearings into the heads of normal allen bolts. Just make sure the bike is set up right first as it's a real faff to get them out.

 

[Deleted member 1258]

I've been looking at motorcycle disc alarms http://www.kabrus.co.uk/xl802.html like this one to give a potential thief a bit of a fright, I'm thinking get one that will fit a mudguard stay, chainring, saddle rail or carrier. If the thief is determined he/she will take the bike, but I'm thinking this might just make them decide to move to an easier target.

 

[rb58]

I never go to the shops on a 'good' bike, only on the old hack that my son and I share for exactly that purpose. If I'm out on a 'good' bike then it's either watched over by someone else whilst I go into the shop/pub etc, or it goes in with me. Petrol station shop don't seem to mind if you take a bike in with you, although I've had some funny looks from other customers - but that might be down to my choice of lycra than anything else...

 

[Moodyman]

I never go to the shops on a 'good' bike, only on the old hack that my son and I share for exactly that purpose. If I'm out on a 'good' bike then it's either watched over by someone else whilst I go into the shop/pub etc, or it goes in with me. Petrol station shop don't seem to mind if you take a bike in with you, although I've had some funny looks from other customers - but that might be down to my choice of lycra than anything else...

Agree. A decent bike lock will cost as much as a second hand runaround bike. Get a cheap pub/local errands bike

 

[Bman]

If I need to lock my bike with just a cable lock I will lock it in plain view of the shop I am going into. As long as I dont take my eye off it for longer than it takes to crack (probably about 10-20 seconds) It'll be fine.

 

[Chris S]

Sounds a bit like what this guy has done to bike through the power of UGLY

The link doesn't seem to work.