How do I properly lock my bike in a city where bike thefts are common?
How do I properly lock my bike in a city where bike thefts are common?
I want to go biking in cities, but from what I've read most police departments simply do not give a fuck about stolen bikes. How do I make sure my bike doesn't get stolen?
I use a Kryptonite Fahgettaboudit lock and chain through my rear wheel and rear triangle with a cable through my front wheel. I live in Medellin, Colombia which is about as theft prone for bikes as NYC is. I've never had my bike stolen. I also don't leave it out at night, only when I'm going into a store or something.
Edit: Be aware this is a pretty heavy chain and lock but I love my bike and don't want it stolen so I bought the best one I could find.
Lock Picking Lawyer says he wouldn't hesitate to use the non-chain version. That seems like the best endorsement you can get for any lock.
I’d look into a nice beefy lock, I know they make some that are grinder resistant. I think the name of the game is making your bike take longer than a few seconds to steal.
Check out the Lockpicking Lawyer on YouTube. See what kind of lock he does not condemn.
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.
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)
Two most important things
- Don't leave your bike anywhere overnight.
- 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.
Dont leave a bike that is worth stealing, if you mind it being stolen, for daily commutes just get a second hand bike for around 200$ and fix it up, pick up a 50$ kryptonite NY lock and ride stress free.
This worked for me. Protip: get some shitty spray paint for a theft detering paint job
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.
I use a hardened steel chain and a hardened steel lock, and I thread the chain through the frame and the front tire. That's enough to defeat bolt cutters (and my lock has notches on it to prove it), though I'm not sure how it would do against an angle grinder. Though if they have an angle grinder, they might just go through whatever it's locked to instead of the chain/lock itself. There's only so much you can do against a very determined thief.
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.
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.
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.
Apologies for the lazy answer, but Lock Picking Lawyer on YouTube has a number of videos on bike locks. In addition to the lock itself, you want to secure both wheels with a chain or cable if possible, and take the bike seat with you if you can (or secure it in some manner). Thieves will remove any bike part they can quickly remove from the bike. Obviously take any bags or water bottles with you, too.
LPL is not a great resource on this since people aren't going to be discretely picking locks to not show signs of tampering. They are going to pull out a bigass pair of bolt cutters (and if you cut the pocket out of a pair of jeans you can fit some REALLY chonky bolt cutters in your "pocket") and cut through the cable.
In terms of protecting your bike from an actual attack? That is going to very much depend on where you live. Growing up, basically every thug had some good bolt cutters so chains and even cables were worthless and you needed the big fucking bar locks. I was visiting my sister on a business trip a few months back and saw someone literally pull out a battery powered angle grinder (ryobi) and slice through a bar like it was butter while I gassed up at a Wawa's.
Which is why all you can really do is lock your bike on crowded well traveled bike racks and hope that someone brought the road bike out.
Iirc he also tested bypassing the lock as well, at least for some locks.
I.e. Bolt cutters, grinders and pneumatics
Well, then you're pretty much out of luck because if someone wants to steal your bike, they will, even if it means coming with a rotary saw. And yes, it does happen, depening on the value of the bike.
My tip coming from a big city with a shitton of bikes: just get a cheap second hand bike that no one will bother with stealing. If you use it for your commute, then it's good enough.
If we're talking about an expensive sports bike, then don't leave it unattended.
This makes the most sense
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.
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.
Get a good lock. These "Steel U-type" are pretty hard to break, even a good 'steel-chain' type lock will be more than the average bike on the street.
There isn't a standard technique yet, but may-be your municipality or police department has a bike marking system which would basically makes the "stolen bike harder to sell"
These 2 things together would limit the risk as your bike is now hard to steal, hard to sell so they'll go for another one.
Also, can you park your bike in a locked place ? Like a bike room in your appartment building or your house entry-hall ? Not having it outside most of the time also limits the risk
EDIT : Realize that I made the steel/steal typo
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.
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
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.
Unfortunately safest bike locks are the heaviest.
Best option is to find some place inside.
I fortunately can bringy my bike to my work.
Kinda off topic, but why do homeless people always seem to have a phethora of bike rims? Like just the rims
the thought process goes something like: relatively easy to remove the tire quickly from even most locked bikes (not everyone will run their locks though the frame and also front tires too). rubber is useless, chuck it, metal could be aluminum and could be sold for scrap for pennies.
Probably much cheaper to steal a new wheel when you get a flat than buy a new tube.
Ive been switching to foldable bikes. When I worked in a office, they fit nearly next to my desk.
D-lock through the drive wheel and frame, steel cable though the d-lock and front wheel, steel wire though a closed metal ring/railing. I've used this technique for yonks and never had so much as a wheel stolen.
You don't need ultramax security unless you're locking it up outside at night. Deterrence is plenty good enough to stop people from snipping and running.
bringing inside with you. if you have to leave it outside, Don't ever give it privacy.
Get a good kryptonite lock and lock the bike up in a high traffic visible area whenever possible. Bike thefts are an unfortunate eventuality most of the time so don’t bother getting a super expensive bike.
Abus Granite is the gold-standard.
Never ever use anything weaker than a pair of Kryptolok's, so you get both wheels locked-up ( or undo the front wheel & put it beside the bike when locking it up with a single Kryptolok )
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Use the technique
Use the Sheldon Brown lock strategy. https://www.sheldonbrown.com/lock-strategy.html
I really like Abus nufix to lock wheels and seatpost. Seatpost is less necessary. Compared to other locking bolts, the housing spins so there's no way to get purchase with pliers. I keep a small wrench in my tool kit to remove the wheels when needed.
In addition to that I use a kryptonite lock and make sure I attach it through my bike frame and something really solid. If you try to lock to a sign, try to pull the sign out of the ground first and maybe check if you can use your fingers to remove the bolt. I like kryptonite because of their insurance program but there are plenty of solid lock brands out there. I've had good luck with Abus and Axa as well.
Lastly bike index , project 529 or a similar local org can act as a deterrent or method of getting your bike back if it's stollen. I've got bike index stickers on all my bikes.
Chain thru the seat to lock it or take it with you.