Fear

[Gooby]

I have a great bike and want to use it more for short trips around town. The problem is I am scared to death of it being stolen.

Even if I go to the point of locking it up, everything is quick release and is removable in seconds so if I do lock it what do I do with the saddle and wheels.

I have seen too many vandalised bikes around town with broken wheels to feel comfortable locking the bike up and walking away.

I typically "bloke shop", in that I go for a specific reason to a specific shop and purchase specifically what I require.

I have seen people take thier bikes into the shop with them, is this acceptable?

Does anyone have any suggestions on ho to keep bikes safe during this type of trip?

[Fume Troll]

I wouldn't. Maybe a ratty 2nd hand bike is what you need for town?

Cheers,

FT.

[ewenm]

Buy a 2nd hand cheap hack bike that has quick-release nothing and use that for shopping trips.

[pdV6]

Yep. You need a snotter, or at the very least a ½-decent bike that looks like a snotter.
Even then you have to lock it up hard and not leave it too long.

Can't see too many shopkeepers (other than LBS) being happy about bringing bikes onto the premises.

[CAB]

i tend to wheel my bike in to most shops if i know what i want - they are a bit cumbersome for browsing unless you are in evans

once got told in mothercare just after they opened at 9 that i should leave my bike outside - seconds later a poor women with a double pram took out two stands (cards/wrapping paper and the like) by the checkout. Didn't feel like i had to say anything.... ;-)

[sjg]

CRC do a cheap set of allen key skewers which you can replace the QR ones with. OK, anyone with an allen key can release them but it stops complete opportunists. You can get fancier ones for more money that have a special security key that opens them.

Otherwise get a couple of cheap small cable locks. Sturdy D-lock through frame and back wheel to something solid, one cable lock for front wheel to frame, one cable lock through saddle rails to frame.

There's a lot to be said for having a second cheap bike with nothing quick-releasable. Can fit a rack too which is far handier for shopping and errands.

[mk1fan]

The replacement qr skewers from CRC can't be undone with a normal allen key (well the ones I got can't) and certainly offer more protection than a set of qr's;

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?Mod...

Replace the seatpost qr with an allen or torx bolt and that'll make that more secure.

CRC have three heavy duty Oxford locks on sale at the moment (one with 58% off) which will certainly discourage the opportunist thief:

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?Mod...

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?Mod...

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?Mod...

Use two separate locks both locked round an immovable object rather than looped into each over.

I'd second the snotter option over taking your p&j to the shops.

Finally, your fear is a touch irrational. You can never gaurantee that your bike won't be nicked/vandalised however, the opposite is also true in that you can't gaurantee that your bike will be nicked/vandalised. You only need to take very small measures - like outlined above - to greatly reduce the chances of it being nicked.

[motorheadmadness]

hi there, i was also worried of the same thing, i have a reasonable Cross country bike and it is also quick release all round. I then was reading one of my many biking mags (cycling Plus) and they found a lock that overcame this problem. basically it locks all of the compontants together including front wheel, back wheel, seat and handlebars. MAGIC!. once your bike has been locked together you then need to secure your bike to a lampost or a bike lock hoop in the tarmac using a standard lock ( ideally a heavy duty 1). the link to this piece of handy kit is below. its quite expensive but assures peace of mind and once attached all the components they dont keed to be removed. good luck.

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?Mod...

[spenny_b]

My inlaws have a "pool" snotter they use when going into town - in fact they deliberately leave it in the front garden so it looks snottier by the month!

A 20yr old Raleigh Shopper, in rust brown, plus authentic rust on previously chrome bars!...they use fairly good spec road bikes for their touring trips, but this Shopper gets left in local town centre every other day - its the standing family joke, never gets locked, and never gets touched!

(note to self, next time I use it to remember it has a waffy saddle that could very easily provide a morning wake up call in all the wrong places!)

[wildoliver]

In fairness those raleigh shoppers are a grossly underated bike! I used to regularly pinch my mums when my bikes were in bits and with the sturmey archer in top gear it could fly along at a good pace, as well as provide amusing jumps off kerbs etc! By god I hammered that bike and nothing ever broke!!! Better still it had a shopping basket on the front, guaranteed zero theft capability and exceedingly useful!

[pdV6]

spenny_b said:

this Shopper gets left in local town centre every other day - its the standing family joke, never gets locked, and never gets touched!

Reminds me of a time long ago when a housemate was feeling skint, so he deliberately left a bike unlocked on the drive for a couple of days (hoping to get an insurance payout).

Of course it didn't get touched.

Karma bit him on the ar$e, though, as a month or so later he needed the bike so went to get it out of the garage... whereupon he found it had been nicked!

[Gooby]

So the wisdom of PH has delivered the following options;-
1) get a "snotter".
The problem with this is that I would have to keep a 3rd bike in the garage which is not big enough for the car, the 2 bikes already in there, 7 dive cylinders, drysuit, 2 wetsuits, 2 BCD's, regs and all my tools plus the other "boys toys". Not really an option. I have dinged the car with the bikes already and I am more than a little pissy about that.

2) replace all QR's and bolt the bugger down.
This will make it a sod when I want to ride, I will have to remove all the non quick release bits and replace with the QR adding 20 mins prep to my already ltd ride time

3)Take the bike into the shop

4) forget the bike and go by car.

Options 3 and 4 are winners.

Out of interest, in places like amsterdam where most people get about by bike, is there a big crime problem?

[ewenm]

Gooby said:

So the wisdom of PH has delivered the following options;-

2) replace all QR's and bolt the bugger down.
This will make it a sod when I want to ride, I will have to remove all the non quick release bits and replace with the QR adding 20 mins prep to my already ltd ride time

If you get the more expensive secure QR skewers, you can take the secure levers with you so it shouldn't be much more inconvenient than having normal QR.

[Nick_F]

I'd have thought that an 'ABUS' - there's another 'A' brand, too, can't remember it - style motorcycle chain, long enough to go through frame and both wheels and around something solid, plus a cheap 'n' cheerful wire loop lock for the saddle rails would cover you for a trip to the shops - particularly if you can put the bike more or less outside each shop you're going to.

It's a bit of a heavy solution for dailiy commuting, but should be bearable for short trips.

Mind you, I live in a part of the world where I'm more worried about dinging the bike on the railings as I lock it up than I am about someone actually pinching it.

For the truly paranoid there are secure Torx fasteners to replace all the bolts and screws on the bike, so no-one without the appropriate tools will be able to have your brakes, bars and gears away, either.

Needless to say I'll be singing a different tune when my bike is nicked from outside the grocer's on Saturday...

[spenny_b]

Gooby said:

So the wisdom of PH has delivered the following options;-
1) get a "snotter".
The problem with this is that I would have to keep a 3rd bike in the garage which is not big enough for the car, the 2 bikes already in there, 7 dive cylinders, drysuit, 2 wetsuits, 2 BCD's, regs and all my tools plus the other "boys toys". Not really an option. I have dinged the car with the bikes already and I am more than a little pissy about that.

No, no, no....point being is to leave the snotter outside to "weather" nicely...lock it to your drainpipe or something.

Understand COMPLETELY your concerns with being in the garage and dinging the car, having the same issue-ette at the moment with Mrs spenny_b storing her bike with kiddy seat on the back next to my Westfield...there's only one way it'll go in nicely...and she doesnt do it "that" way!!

As for the cylinders and other dive kit, my mate doesnt risk it being in his garage (although to be fair it's a lockup not near his flat)...he stores it in the flat (cylinders, BCD's, rebreather, suits, the LOT)...always a cheap shot to wind his Mrs up very quickly each time I go round there! ...it tends to go down like a bag of puke.

[sjg]

Those CRC skewers have changed - good idea to use a security allen bolt instead.

No need to swap back to QRs for "proper" riding, just make sure you keep one of the keys in your camelbak or wherever else you keep your tools.

mk1fan said:

Finally, your fear is a touch irrational. You can never gaurantee that your bike won't be nicked/vandalised however, the opposite is also true in that you can't gaurantee that your bike will be nicked/vandalised. You only need to take very small measures - like outlined above - to greatly reduce the chances of it being nicked.

Yep. A former flatmate tended to have VERY nice bikes but couldn't be bothered maintaining a shopping bike as well. He'd often nip to the shops leaving his Sunday (which was about £4k worth) chained up outside and never had a problem. Somewhere with plenty of pedestrians and ideally CCTV I wouldn't have a problem leaving a nice bike for half an hour.

Everyone I know who's had bikes stolen either used crappy locks (the sort that can be defeated in a minute with hand tools) or commuted and had to leave it in a secluded place all day - which gives the theives plenty of time to work.

[Gooby]

spenny_b said:

As for the cylinders and other dive kit, my mate doesnt risk it being in his garage (although to be fair it's a lockup not near his flat)...he stores it in the flat (cylinders, BCD's, rebreather, suits, the LOT)...always a cheap shot to wind his Mrs up very quickly each time I go round there! ...it tends to go down like a bag of puke.

I used to have that grief, imagine if you kept cylinders ine the SWMBO's wardrobe. It was a good idea at the time with only one major drawback.

sjg said:

No need to swap back to QRs for "proper" riding, just make sure you keep one of the keys in your camelbak or wherever else you keep your tools.
.

I see what you are saying but when I am heading towards a set of large steps on one of my favourite trail, it is easy to reach down to the QR and drop the saddle, down the steps then at the bottom of the hill re set the saddle. The ride wont have the same flow with stop, undo pinch clips, remove camelback, fish around for multi-tool, find allen key, drop saddle blah blah blah...

mk1fan said:

Finally, your fear is a touch irrational. You can never gaurantee that your bike won't be nicked/vandalised however, the opposite is also true in that you can't gaurantee that your bike will be nicked/vandalised. You only need to take very small measures - like outlined above - to greatly reduce the chances of it being nicked.

You are probably correct, I spent the first few years of lotus ownership checking and double checking the alarm and periodically phoning tracker to check it is still working, I still wont park it in town. The problem is I have a bad temper with morons who like to harm peoples possessions. If I caught the bar steward.....

[beanbag]

Gooby said:

I have a great bike and want to use it more for short trips around town. The problem is I am scared to death of it being stolen.

Even if I go to the point of locking it up, everything is quick release and is removable in seconds so if I do lock it what do I do with the saddle and wheels.

I have seen too many vandalised bikes around town with broken wheels to feel comfortable locking the bike up and walking away.

I typically "bloke shop", in that I go for a specific reason to a specific shop and purchase specifically what I require.

I have seen people take thier bikes into the shop with them, is this acceptable?

Does anyone have any suggestions on ho to keep bikes safe during this type of trip?

I had that problem until today. I just bought a Specialized Sirrus for around town and road trips. OK, it's not exactly a cheapy bike but it doesn't scream out, "I'm worth 1000's!!!!".

Get yourself a security wheel axle for the front and rear along with a good lock and you're all set.

If you want to be doubly cautious like me, get a little bike insurance. I think I'm covered up to €2000 so I can effectively get my bike nicked 4 times each year and just get a new one without any hassle.