If your bike hasn't been stolen (yet) please read this!

[Globalti]

I keep pictures of all our bikes on my laptop, named with the frame numbers. I'm going to dump them on Photobucket now while I think about it.

 

[ufkacbln]

Note Boushti the cat.

Cats are a reasonable idea, but tend to be easily distracted so do not make good guards.

I find a rota for the kids and wife to sleep in the bike shed is a more reliable deterrent

 

[ufkacbln]

More seriously the point that has to be realised is that all you are doing is making the theft more difficult

Parking next to an easier and more attractive target is probably as effective as upgrading the lock, as is the positioning with CCTV and busy places

Ulocks are easily breakable with a bottle jack, cable locks cut and chains bolt cropped.

Type "Almax" into YouTube to see some worrying videos.


The other problem is the public. There are also videos on YouTube where bike thieves are not questioned and on occasion even helped by Joe Public.

 

[apollo179]

More seriously the point that has to be realised is that all you are doing is making the theft more difficult

Parking next to an easier and more attractive target is probably as effective as upgrading the lock, as is the positioning with CCTV and busy places

Ulocks are easily breakable with a bottle jack, cable locks cut and chains bolt cropped.

Type "Almax" into YouTube to see some worrying videos.


The other problem is the public. There are also videos on YouTube where bike thieves are not questioned and on occasion even helped by Joe Public.

I was trying to avoid advertising the actual tequnique.

 

[element]

I would also like to add check your insurance. A cousin of mine was recently on his way back from a triathalon in France and had 5k's worth of cevelo nicked off the roof of his car. It would appear that being secured to a moving object like a car invalidated his insurance if he had attached it to a railing it would have been fine.

 

[ufkacbln]

I was trying to avoid advertising the actual tequnique.

It's on YouTube!

Thee is a balance with these things, and I feel that this is a widely known technique and there is no need to hide it.

In fact the opposite.

If people now look at their locked bike and think ... "Can I fit a bottle jack in that space", then the benefit outweighs any risk

The most comprehensive advice and information I have seen in one place is Quick Release TV - Lock it or Lose it

 

[apollo179]

It's on YouTube!

Thee is a balance with these things, and I feel that this is a widely known technique and there is no need to hide it.

In fact the opposite.

If people now look at their locked bike and think ... "Can I fit a bottle jack in that space", then the benefit outweighs any risk

The most comprehensive advice and information I have seen in one place is Quick Release TV - Lock it or Lose it

Yes i see your point - when its become universally known in the criminal fraternity then advising the general population of the situation and dispelling the idea that these d-locks are infallible is a good thing. I didnt realise it was so well known. I forgot about youtube , the defacto training school for anything illegal all you have to say is this tecnique should only be used for legal purposes.

 

[Cyclopathic]

Cable locks are pretty bad - when the lock rusted through on my not-often used old mountain bike I removed the lock with a bread-knife - as I didn't have a hacksaw. It didn't take long.

If you're prepared to sit there for a bit I reckon you could get through a cable lock with some nail clippers. One strand at a time.

 

[e-rider]

I agree with the first part of the sentence but I disagree with the last part...... it does not only contradict the first part but because I don't trust cables to lock bikes full stop, use 2 D-locks instead.

Any lock buys you time, no more than that. A cable might buy you 10 or 15 seconds while a top quality D lock might but you up to 3 minutes, even longer in some cases. Therefore, if you leave your bike in an isolated area then there isn't a lock that can protect your bike. Make sure you leave your bike in an area with CC TV if possible and with pedestrians.

It's not a contradiction. The tools required to break a D-lock and cable lock are different. By using both the criminal needs two tools. By having two D-locks the criminal simply needs to use the same tool twice. However, as stated in OP if you only intend to use one lock make sure it's a good quality D-lock.



I personally use two D-locks and one cable lock. Didn't stop some twat jumping on my rear wheel a few months ago making it look like a pringle!

 

[Silver Fox]

One thing you can't guard against is the bent individual who works in your LBS with access to your home address and what bike you've purchased. The turd may not screw your property themselves but all they have to do is sell/give the information onto another and your security is immediately compromised.