If some of you have been postponing your investment in a good bike lock, this report we received from a reader, Christina, might persuade you to hurry up. Christina says that she and her boyfriend are lucky to still have their bikes, but it’s because they “practice good bike security.” Here’s what Christina wrote in an email:
“I just wanted to alert you to an attempted bike robbery at 45th and Osage last night. My boyfriend and I had locked up our bikes to a stop sign before going to a friend’s Chanukah party at around 8:30. When we left her house at 2, our bikes were all tangled up, pulled around the stop sign and out in the road a little bit. My front wheel and spokes were bent by my u-lock, my hand brakes were bent backwards, and my seat slashed. My boyfriend’s derailer was bent, but he claims it actually works better now than it did before. We’re lucky because we had locked up our bikes securely and we had good locks– for the damage and frustration, at least I still have a bike. I just wanted to alert my neighbors, because even though bike theft is pretty common, I think it’s always good to have a reminder to practice good bike security, especially when we live in what appears to be such a generally safe neighborhood.”
December 10th, 2012 at 1:35 pm
It’s also important to me to practice good spelling, so with that, “hand brakes.” 🙂
Stay safe, neighbors!
December 10th, 2012 at 1:47 pm
Maybe just once, just once for Christmas, we can have a story where the bike thief gets caught in the act. I long to see a mug shot for a bike thief on here. Come on Santa, make it happen, please. I’ve been so good this year.
December 10th, 2012 at 3:47 pm
Locked my bike up stupidly before thanksgiving in my alley, and came back to a u-lock attached to only the front tire. The best strategy is always a U-lock combined with a braided cable or chain. Stay safe, neighbors.
December 10th, 2012 at 9:27 pm
You had thanksgiving in your alley? Sorry…
You’re right, the u-lock should secure both the front wheel and the down tube to whatever you choose the lock up to. The cable should feed through the back wheel and around the seat tube and then feed one looped end through the other and then connect with the u-lock before locking up. I know this may seem obvious to some, but I remember when it wasn’t to me.
December 11th, 2012 at 10:44 pm
Use a separate padlock for the cable. U locks can be broken. If you use a separate lock it will require another tool to break that in addition to the tool(s) used to break the first lock.