Securin' yer bike: thoughts, please.

[Nebulous]

If I'm out cycling on my own on my good bike I don't let it out of my sight, I'm rarely off it. Work bike is a 5 year old cyclo-cross which is showing signs of wear. I usually carry a d-lock and a cable when using it. Most people at work leave their d-lock in the bike shed, but I take it home as I occasionally use the bike to go shopping.

When I did my first audax I was very surprised at how relaxed they were. Some really expensive kit gets left outside without locks whilst eating and sometimes while sleeping. The venues can be rough as well, service stations, McDonalds, convenience stores and assorted village halls. I suppose there is security in numbers, I've never heard of any problems.

 

[Blue Hills]

I know of someone who had a bike stolen from outside an audax stop. He probably got caught up in the idea that it was not the done thing to lock a bike on an audax. Not a rare thought - on bike rides folk have quite often queried my use of a lock at a stop. My response is that I have carried it, it would be daft not to use it. Never yet had a bike nicked.

 

[silva]

I take it with me (it's my handbag too btw) wherever I can and if it's prohibited or too less room I leave it on a very visible (for me and others) place, lock it with a heavy chain, and it's not for long.
Leaving a bike for a longer time on a public place is just a beg for thievery and damage. Use scrap bikes for that if not avoidable. The worst thing that can happen is a walk or lift home. And the typical thief of such scrap bikes is one using it to get home. Probably for a same reason.
With bikes left behind for a longer time it's always a same story repeating, the first day the easiest unmounted parts are gone, the next day the harder parts, then the remainder gets molested and finally the rest got sold to a scrapdealer.

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

The problem with small D locks is they are absolutely useless if the only fixed object available to lock to happens to be a large diameter piece of street furniture, especially old fashioned cast iron lamp posts. It won't stop a thief simply picking up the whole bike and heaving it into the back of a Transit! If I need a stronger lock than a basic cable type I use a 4 ft length of heavy-ish chain inside an old inner tube and an English lever padlock, but even then I will only take a hack bike not anything worth stealing.

 

[MichaelMcCycle]

Indeed. He says what bike but not where/when/how long leaving. Other stuff nearby is variable

Remiss of me. Two hours, at a bike rack beside a university gym, with CCTV and passersby, and responsive security guards.

 

[MichaelMcCycle]

Indeed. He says what bike but not where/when/how long leaving. Other stuff nearby is variable

Fair point. Please see my reply.

 

[classic33]

I use my Genesis SS for shopping into local town. It has a pannier set with a NY heavy duty U lock and two coiled combination locks. I usually just use the coiled combi lock but if i leave bike for long periods use all three. Yes the bike probably weighs 3-4kg heavier with locks, but I feel confident in leaving it for more than two mins

We don't only ride bicycles on here.

Weight of lock(s) isn't really a downside on either of these. The trike had what it was fastened to removed from the wall, then when that didn't work, dismantled the front end. Cool box as well.

The extra wheel got the audio alarm, Krank Mine. Set off four times so far.

Both great for load carrying


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