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someguy3 ,

There’s a new Ulock that’s apparently resistant to angle grinders. Someone tried on YouTube and they have to go through like 3 discs to do it.

Also get a “pinhead” bolt system. They replace the hex nuts on the wheels and seat with a round locking nut that you need your key to take off.

Treczoks ,

Check out the Lockpicking Lawyer on YouTube. See what kind of lock he does not condemn.

HelixDab2 ,

As someone that biked in Chicago for over a decade… You make your bike harder to steal than other bikes. Very few bike thefts are targeted; they’re largely opportunistic. If it’s a targeted theft, they’re going to get your bike.

Start by getting a good lock. If you’re riding a bike around that’s more than about $1500, spring for the Kryptonite New York series of locks. I’d say get a chain and a very small shackle, because that gives you the most places to lock your bike. When you lock up, remove your front wheel, and run the chain through your rear wheel and both the rear and front triangle, and through your front wheel. Make sure that what you’re locking to is sturdy, and difficult to move or cut quickly; city bike racks (the steel ones that are set into the concrete) are pretty good. For buildings that have exterior gas and water pipes, those are pretty great too. Take your seat and seat post with you. Get the tiniest, most uncomfortable-looking clipless pedals you can (Crank Bros. Eggbeaters are a good start, I had Speedplay Frogs before they were discontinued), and wear cycling shoes everywhere; as dumb as it sounds, a bike that someone can’t easily ride off on is less likely to get ripped off.

Don’t leave your bike locked up outside overnight. Don’t leave your bike in a garage, in a fenced-in back yard, or on a back porch. Set up a place inside your house to store your bike (yes, this means that you need a large shower mat to catch the melting snow in the winter). If you commute to work, see if they have a place inside where you can keep your bike during your shirt.

Declare your bike on your homeowners’ or renters’ insurance, and make sure that you specify replacement value, and exact duplicates rather than equivalents.

Yes, Kryptonite locks can be picked. The people that can consistently pick the new ones quickly are very unlikely to be ripping off bikes.

It’s not fool-proof, but I commuted to and from school in the loop, and to and from work in Skokie, and had a grand total of zero thefts across two high-end Cannondales, one mid-level Fuji, and a Specialized StumpJumper Pro in the years that I lived in Chicago.

psvrh ,
@psvrh@lemmy.ca avatar

Remove a wheel, seat and/or handlebars when you lock up. A lot, and I mean a lot, of bikes are stolen out of convenience, and not having a wheel means that someone can’t easily ride it away.

This won’t deter a motivated Igor Kenk-style thief that steals tens of bikes a day, but it’ll make you less of an opportunity to casual addicts looking to for a ride for the night or something they can flip for cash or drugs.

Dudewitbow ,

its sorta like the same mindset of driving manual. it wont deter everyone away, but it filters out some of the potential people who can steal it (those who dont know how to drive manual)

despotic_machine , (edited )
@despotic_machine@lemmy.world avatar

deleted_by_author

    •
    Potatos_are_not_friends ,

    Cover/remove any brand name labels. Duct tape and spray paint are ugly. Use them.

    I call it “uglifying”. Maybe it’s luck but I never had my ugly bike stolen. In a sea of attractive bikes, mine stands out like a eyesore. And I always imagine if some one did steal it, it’ll be quick to recover.

    br3d ,

    You can buy very convincing stickers that make your frame look rusty

    tubbadu ,

    Ugly bikes ftw!

    CbtB ,

    Base level: get a good lock, lock to something sturdy in a visible location. Put a cable on the seat and through the front wheel. Register the serial number with police and hide an air tag on it.

    Next level: cover your bike in stickers or hit it with spray paint in a few spots. Swap out components for kitchy ones or mark them up. Go wild with reflective paint on the tires.

    Elite level… Hang out with bike punks. Ride with them and learn their ways. Even if your bike is stolen chances are it makes it’s way back to you.

    Addition ,

    Make sure to loop a lock through the frame and both wheels. I use an ABUS frame lock on my rear wheel (never has to be removed) and a kryptonite chain lock for the front wheels and frame.

    If you want to get really secure, replace fasteners with tamper resistant versions.

    Nothing is ever theft proof, but there’s lots of ways to make your bike very theft resistant.

    fiercekitten ,

    These are all great suggestions.

    OP, You’ll want a heavy-duty D-lock from a company like Abus or Kryptonite, and always loop the lock around the frame of the bike and loop it through a secured bike rack. A bike rack that can be picked up and dragged off is not secure. A bike rack with loose bolts holding it in place is not secure.

    A frame lock that goes through the back wheel is also a great option, and the Abus ones (and others i believe) have an option on the frame lock to attach their own brand of bike chain as well. This is the lockup method i use on my $5k bike for any stops under 20 minutes.

    For anything longer, i also use a d-lock around my frame and hooked to the bike rack, as well as cable locks around my front and rear wheels. I also have security hex/allen bolts securing my seat and seatpost suspension. People walk by, see 4+ locks on my bike, and never bother it.

    Never use a cable lock to secure anything you’re not comfortable having stolen. Also bike insurance is a thing and can be really affordable. Finally, there’s an app called 529 Garage that allows you to register your bike into their database to help with recovery in case it gets stolen. Some cities also offer registering your bike with the city to aid in theft recovery. I did it in my city, but honestly i have no idea if law enforcement even checks the city database for recovery.

    Rentlar ,

    All depends on where you are. If you have a bike registration sticker program in your area, do that (e.g. 529 bikes, some cities, some police departments have their own service). Get locks with insurance that would cover the full cost of replacing a stolen bike that was properly locked, if available.

    Don’t leave it outside over night. Lock it in at least two places if it will be out of your sight in public for more than 20 minutes. Lock it at a bike rack or against a fixed post, one wheel, and frame locked to the rack if possible.

    TheRealKuni ,

    On top of the various lock suggestions, I added something on my ebike I quite like.

    ”Hidden” beneath my water bottle holder is a casing for an Apple AirTag. No one is likely to notice it because it’s mounted with the water bottle holder. It doesn’t blend perfectly, but enough to not be noticed unless you’re looking for it. The security screws that are used to mount it require a somewhat uncommon head (not that people don’t have them, just not a normal part of a bike kit), so it’s not easily removed.

    So if the bike is stolen, I can hopefully find it again.

    This coupled with an alarm lock that attaches to the brake rotor and a standard combination cable lock has served me well so far. Though this spring I might add a folding lock just in case. If I’m spending as much as I did on a bike I shouldn’t cheap out on protecting it.

    lemann ,

    I carry my bicycle into buildings wherever permitted, and make full use of the free staffed bicycle parking & free bus whenever possible. I also have 24/7 keyfob access to secure basement parking at my local train station (did require proof of address + one time fee to sign up). See if you can contact your local municipality as they may have something similar in operation.

    Before that, I experienced one attempted theft. At the time my bicycle was locked with just an Axa wheel plug-in chain combo lock (very rare in this country) which is built in to the frame.

    Came back to see it on the floor with the electronics gutted: no camera, lights, or bike computer. It was dark and luckily I had emergency lights in my backpack to ride home safely. Reported to police, I tracked down some of the stolen stuff online, and even the shop they were sold to (called to verify), provided serial numbers, police did nothing.

    Since the attempted theft I use two D-locks in addition to the built-in one, and have quick release mounts on all my bicycle electronics. I miss when I was studying at university and could leave my bicycle outside the library all night with just a cable lock, with no worries

    doublejay1999 ,
    @doublejay1999@lemmy.world avatar

    Use the technique

    boatswain ,

    A combination of a good lock (I think those Kryptonite New York locks are well reviewed) and having a bike that doesn’t look desirable. If your bike is obviously high end, it’s a target. If it looks like an old beater, thieves probably won’t bother. As often, anyway.

    PlasterAnalyst ,

    I have an old "NEXT" bike that I pinned the front fake shocks because they're really only springs. I did the same with the rear one by taking out the spring and replacing it with a piece of pipe. It rides good, it's still a POS that I got for free.

    frankPodmore ,
    @frankPodmore@slrpnk.net avatar

    I’ve been cycling all over the place since I was a kid and I’ve never had a bike stolen. Either I’ve got lucky or my approach is a good one!

    The standard advice in the UK is to have two locks, at least one of which should be a good D-lock. Two locks are twice as good as one, because breaking two locks takes twice as long as breaking one, and thieves generally want to be able to steal bikes very quickly.

    By a ‘good lock’, I mean in short, an expensive and usually very heavy lock. I have a couple of D-locks for taking out with me and a couple of very heavy chain locks that I keep for locking my bike up at home. I only take the chain locks out if I’m unsure about where to lock my bike, because they’re so heavy as to be barely worth the hassle!

    Ideally, a lock should be secured around a frame and a wheel, and then to an immoveable object. So, extending that idea slightly, the ideal place to secure two locks is one around each wheel and the frame. I personally find that this is often difficult to achieve in real life. But, again, that’s where having two locks comes in: a bike that’s secured to a bikerack with one lock and has the rear wheel imobilised with another lock is difficult to steal.

    Regardless of lock type and placement, the best places to secure a bike are those that either have their own security or have lots of foot traffic. Thieves are less likely to operate where there are lots of potential witnesses.

    Good luck! Bike theft is sadly common but it shouldn’t put you off cycling if you’re going to be smart about security, which it sounds like you are.

    Potatos_are_not_friends ,

    Ive been switching to foldable bikes. When I worked in a office, they fit nearly next to my desk.

    cooljacob204 ,

    Two most important things

    1. Don't leave your bike anywhere overnight.
    2. Don't make a pattern of leaving it locked up in the same place for long periods of time.

    A nice lock will help a little bit but tbh if they're determined then they will get it if you slip up and allow them the time.

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