How to NOT get your bike stolen!

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Thunder Snow on December 24, 2011 at 12:29pm

I learn something from Hal Ruzal every time I watch him in action.  Even if he is mistaken about how tough a wrought iron fence is, he's right about most everything else.

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Permalink Reply by David on December 24, 2011 at 12:51pm

Sorry, my mistake.  I read the "minimal (if any) deterrence value" as referring to the paragraph rather than just the last part of it.

So I guess we agree.  They have minimal value in deterring something they weren't designed to deter.  So if you're trying to decide whether to use them or not, you should focus on their intended use of deterring component theft, not on their inability to deter bike theft or bake bread.  

I admit I find it kinda funny that anybody could possibly believe that locking skewers make it less likely that somebody will steal their bike, but since you work with the registry I accept that you're a lot more aware of people's misconceptions than I am.  

Kevin C said:

I conceded your point in the first sentence of my post.

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Permalink Reply by h' Zerocats on December 24, 2011 at 7:50pm

Maybe I'm inadvertently skipping some content in this thread but I don't see where anyone presented the idea of people thinking that locking skewers make theft of a bike less likely?

2 points in response to your comment though:

-The registry is designed to facilitate direct communication between theft victims and the bike community.

If victims have any misconceptions, they're all right there for you to read, along with any other information they are willing to provide. The only real editing we do apart from spelling corrections when necessary (e.g. "TERK") is to remove text about rewards, and very occasionally racially charged second hand/ non-detailed descriptions of thieves that don't add to the likelihood of recovery.

-In some regards the use of locking skewers can actually make the theft of a bike more likely-- specifically in the case of the popular locking method of 'securing' all parts and only using one small U-lock to lock the frame. There is an easy theft technique that becomes available to thieves when there is only one locking point to the object the bike is locked to.
David said:

I admit I find it kinda funny that anybody could possibly believe that locking skewers make it less likely that somebody will steal their bike, but since you work with the registry I accept that you're a lot more aware of people's misconceptions than I am.  

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Permalink Reply by Gene Tenner on December 26, 2011 at 12:03pm

Here is a good article from consumersearch.com "How to Buy a Bicycle Lock."

http://www.consumersearch.com/bicycle-locks/how-to-buy-a-bicycle-lock

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Permalink Reply by h' Zerocats on December 26, 2011 at 6:38pm

Agree-- I can't find any holes to poke in it.

Gene Tenner said:

Here is a good article from consumersearch.com "How to Buy a Bicycle Lock."

http://www.consumersearch.com/bicycle-locks/how-to-buy-a-bicycle-lock

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Permalink Reply by Kevin C Dormant on December 26, 2011 at 9:40pm

As promised (threatened), here’s a little something about evaluating locks. If you accept that locks are nothing more than time delay devices (I do) and that if someone really, really wants to steal your bike, they will (I do), then your job is to make the thief’s job more inconvenient, and accordingly, make your bike a less attractive target. I’m glad Martin Duke of Hazard weighed in on this thread. He probably has more experience cutting locks off bikes than anyone in Chicago who doesn’t steal bikes for a living.

 

There are a handful of manufacturers out there who sell high quality locks. I don’t endorse one over the other, and think if you invest the money in a top of the line lock from Abus, Giant, Kryptonite, or OnGuard, you’re taking a step in the right direction towards winning the race to outrun the bear. I happen to be more familiar with Kryptonite locks, and I have heard from Martin that he cuts more OnGuard U-locks off customers’ bikes than Kryptonite locks due to freezing up or broken keys, but am unsure if this factoid is related to manufacturing, maintenance or coincidence. 

 

If you’re only going to use one lock (and two are recommended) make it a U-lock. If it’s a Kryptonite U-lock, buy an orange one (Evolution 4) or a yellow one (NY series). If you are only going to use one U-lock (did I mention that two are recommended), make sure it has a double dead bolt locking mechanism. That means when you turn the key, bolts engage both sides of the shackle. You can tell whether your lock has a double dead bolt by notches on the shaft of the shackle, and the cross bar (where the key goes) has two bolts that engage those shackles (pictures below). Kryptonite also makes a U-lock with a “bent foot” design. It’s a single dead bolt, with the other side of the shackle curved for insertion into the cross bar. It was supposedly to make the locks more resistant to leverage attacks, but it’s a shoddy design compromise. The grey and the black Kryptonite U-locks, and of course, anything with a round key (if you can still find one) are all crap. Don’t buy one. If you have one, upgrade.

 

I evaluate the security of a locking job by the number of cuts it will take to steal the bike. It should take a minimum of two cuts to free your bike. Three is better. A double dead bolt mechanism requires two cuts, meaning they have to cut both sides of the shackle. A single dead bolt, bent foot lock only requires one cut, and trust me, if I know that the thieves know that. 

 

Martin also mentioned a chain and lock combo sold by Bike Registry. It’s a tremendous value for under $40, and seriously, it will scare most bike thieves away. Chains are a little bit more difficult to attack with cutting tools, the problem being that the links move around and make it more difficult to apply a cutting tool to the place you’re trying to cut. The determined thief would have to try to zip-tie a portion of your chain in place to try to keep it from squirming around under the rotating blade. The Bike Registry YouTube video shows the chain being defeated with a cutting torch, and we have yet to receive a CSBR report with the method of theft identified as an acetylene cutting torch.  The links on this chain are two-cut security and the Abus lock fits so securely that no lock shackle is exposed to cutting or prying tools.

 

The downside of the Bike Registry lock is that it weighs about six lbs. The people who I know who use one of these regularly, tend to leave it locked to a rack where they normally lock their commuter, and ride with a single U-lock. Carrying it around on a daily basis is more of a commitment than I’m willing to make.

 

I promised pictures, so here goes. The first is a bent foot shackle. The second is a shackle for a double deadbolt. The third is the monster Bike Registry chain.

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Permalink Reply by Kevin C Dormant on December 26, 2011 at 9:41pm

Shackle for double deadbolt.

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Permalink Reply by Kevin C Dormant on December 26, 2011 at 9:50pm

Bike Registry security chain and lock.

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Permalink Reply by El Dorado on December 27, 2011 at 7:19am

Thank you for the pics Kevin. I believe the Kryptonite orange & yellow level U-locks also use a better quality steel to help prevent cutting.

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Permalink Reply by rb on December 27, 2011 at 10:18am

this was very helpful, thanks for the discussion and the pics. I need to buy some new locks!

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Permalink Reply by Joe Studer 8.0 mi on December 27, 2011 at 11:17am

I actually carry this beast on a daily basis, worried that leaving it locked to the rack where I work (a square tubed city rack directly adjacent to Wacker Drive) would expose it to dirt and grime that would ultimately affect the lock's operation.  Am I overthinking this? 

That beast is heavy.

Kevin C said:

Bike Registry security chain and lock.

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Permalink Reply by Kevin C Dormant on December 27, 2011 at 11:32am

I overthink these things so you don't have to. I do worry about moisture getting into lock mechanisms and causing them to seize or fail. Maybe twice per winter, I put a drop or two of chain oil in the keyhole of my locks and onto the tumbler mechanisms of the lock, work the key and bolts around for a bit and then wipe off the excess. And I have also scoped out a covered area in the Loop where I am an unauthorized bike parker on rainy and snowy days.

This is a terrific security system, and if you are comfortable carrying it and using it on a daily basis, I predict your bike will never be stolen. I'd recommend everyone do the same, but I'm having a hard enough time getting people to carry more than one U-lock. (It apparently spoils the line and drape of their skinny jeans.)

Joe Studer said:

I actually carry this beast on a daily basis, worried that leaving it locked to the rack where I work (a square tubed city rack directly adjacent to Wacker Drive) would expose it to dirt and grime that would ultimately affect the lock's operation.  Am I overthinking this? 

That beast is heavy.

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