Bike security

[Soldiersteve]

Today a gentleman arrived at the heritage railway where I volunteer riding a rather smart looking racing bicycle. He told my colleague that it couldn't go in the bike rack as it had very fragile carbon wheels and wanted to take it into the cafe with him as it was apparently worth £12,000 and he didn't have a lock with him. Personally I find this rather strange. None of my bikes cost me cost me anything like what he said his is worth but whatever it is I'm riding I never go anywhere without a lock. Also from my experience most bicycle theft is opportunistic so a petty thief sees an unlocked bike and makes off with it. So it is completely beyond me that someone would spend such a huge amount on a bicycle and not carry with them some simple way if securing it. I'd be interested to know what other people think.

[Mike Sales]

Today a gentleman arrived at the heritage railway where I volunteer riding a rather smart looking racing bicycle. He told my colleague that it couldn't go in the bike rack as it had very fragile carbon wheels and wanted to take it into the cafe with him as it was apparently worth £12,000 and he didn't have a lock with him. Personally I find this rather strange. None of my bikes cost me cost me anything like what he said his is worth but whatever it is I'm riding I never go anywhere without a lock. Also from my experience most bicycle theft is opportunistic so a petty thief sees an unlocked bike and makes off with it. So it is completely beyond me that someone would spend such a huge amount on a bicycle and not carry with them some simple way if securing it. I'd be interested to know what other people think.

I am guessing that the racks were "wheelbenders", i.e. the type where the bike is supported by the front wheel in a slot, and so a careless collision by a passer-by may result in a bent wheel.
Myself I would not use one, but I would take a lock and/or leave the bike in plain sight, and keep my eyes peeled.
I would not expect to take my bike into a caff.
My bikes are not worth that much, but are precious to me.

[Syd]

My best bike cost a little over 1/4 of that and I never leave it unattended when outside of the house. Mind you I do the same with all the other four too.

My non-commute rides are always with at least one other person so someone stays with the bikes at all times during cafe stops. I’d not put my fail in a cafe lock and my ‘gold’ lock doesn’t fit nicely in my jersey pocket.

As an aside the ‘gold’ lock has only ever been used to lock bikes us inside hotel rooms!

[Psamathe]

.....
I am guessing that the racks were "wheelbenders", i.e. the type where the bike is supported by the front wheels in a slot, and so a careless collision by a passer-by may result in a bent wheel.
Myself I would not use one, but I would take a lock and/or leave the bike in plain sight, and keep my eyes peeled.
I would not expect to take my bike into a caff.
My bikes are not worth that much, but are precious to me.

I agree. Many times when I have to leave my bike and it's wheel benders I lock my bike elsewhere and if there isn't an elsewhere then I ride on. It's not about bike value but about being able to ride home.

Ian

[mjr]

In case anyone thinks refusal to use wheel benders is odd, think of it as providing car parking spaces only for 4x4s and similar robust vehicles. Anyone with a sports car will go elsewhere!

Back to the original: I've heard of people with expensive bikes they can barely afford and can't afford to insure not carrying locks because it's easier to end the "please lock it up in our weak unguarded non- CCTV bike park" argument by saying you don't have a lock than by saying the parking's substandard insecure junk!

[Soldiersteve]

This is the type of rack we have.

[Mike Sales]

This is the type of rack we have.

Not a classic wheel bender but one might well worry about a carbon wheel in it.

What I like would be something like a wall to lean on, in good sight from the counter and from a table. I would take a lock sufficient to slow down a thief.

[Soldiersteve]

.....
I am guessing that the racks were "wheelbenders", i.e. the type where the bike is supported by the front wheels in a slot, and so a careless collision by a passer-by may result in a bent wheel.
Myself I would not use one, but I would take a lock and/or leave the bike in plain sight, and keep my eyes peeled.
I would not expect to take my bike into a caff.
My bikes are not worth that much, but are precious to me.

I agree. Many times when I have to leave my bike and it's wheel benders I lock my bike elsewhere and if there isn't an elsewhere then I ride on. It's not about bike value but about being able to ride home.

Ian

I've put a picture in of our style of rack. But even if he didn't want to use the rack there was plenty of other places to secure it. I was just amazed he didn't have a lock with him at all.

[gaz]

This is the type of rack we have.

I've seen worse.

CycleParking8.JPG

[Psamathe]

.....
I am guessing that the racks were "wheelbenders", i.e. the type where the bike is supported by the front wheels in a slot, and so a careless collision by a passer-by may result in a bent wheel.
Myself I would not use one, but I would take a lock and/or leave the bike in plain sight, and keep my eyes peeled.
I would not expect to take my bike into a caff.
My bikes are not worth that much, but are precious to me.

I agree. Many times when I have to leave my bike and it's wheel benders I lock my bike elsewhere and if there isn't an elsewhere then I ride on. It's not about bike value but about being able to ride home.

Ian

I've put a picture in of our style of rack. But even if he didn't want to use the rack there was plenty of other places to secure it. I was just amazed he didn't have a lock with him at all.

I would not use that rack. I carry a long cable and good padlock so I'd probably be able partially push the bike into the right side and lock it round the back vertical.

Ian

[Soldiersteve]

In case anyone thinks refusal to use wheel benders is odd, think of it as providing car parking spaces only for 4x4s and similar robust vehicles. Anyone with a sports car will go elsewhere!

Back to the original: I've heard of people with expensive bikes they can barely afford and can't afford to insure not carrying locks because it's easier to end the "please lock it up in our weak unguarded non- CCTV bike park" argument by saying you don't have a lock than by saying the parking's substandard insecure junk!

There was no compulsion to use our bike rack. It was just offered. We regularly have visitors who choose to lock up they're bikes elsewhere in a car free area. Also our car park is a "weak unguarded non CCTV" area but people just lock their cars. I was just amazed that someone with such a valuable bike wouldn't have a least a basic lock. Personally I always lock my bike to something immovable.

[Soldiersteve]

I agree. Many times when I have to leave my bike and it's wheel benders I lock my bike elsewhere and if there isn't an elsewhere then I ride on. It's not about bike value but about being able to ride home.

Ian

I've put a picture in of our style of rack. But even if he didn't want to use the rack there was plenty of other places to secure it. I was just amazed he didn't have a lock with him at all.

I would not use that rack. I carry a long cable and good padlock so I'd probably be able partially push the bike into the right side and lock it round the back vertical.

Ian

Yes, but that's my point really, regardless of the type of rack available, you carry a lock so you can secure your bike somewhere.

[Mike Sales]

Yes, but that's my point really, regardless of the type of rack available, you carry a lock so you can secure your bike somewhere.

A good and fair point. Some of us wanted to take the opportunity to make the point that not all provided racks are adequate. The ones you show for instance are not always liked.

[fastpedaller]

Today a gentleman arrived at the heritage railway where I volunteer riding a rather smart looking racing bicycle. He told my colleague that it couldn't go in the bike rack as it had very fragile carbon wheels and wanted to take it into the cafe with him as it was apparently worth £12,000 and he didn't have a lock with him. Personally I find this rather strange. None of my bikes cost me cost me anything like what he said his is worth but whatever it is I'm riding I never go anywhere without a lock. Also from my experience most bicycle theft is opportunistic so a petty thief sees an unlocked bike and makes off with it. So it is completely beyond me that someone would spend such a huge amount on a bicycle and not carry with them some simple way if securing it. I'd be interested to know what other people think.

Surely he doesn't need any sustainance in the cafe........ a bike of that price tag must propel itself

[scottg]

Yes, but that's my point really, regardless of the type of rack available, you carry a lock so you can secure your bike somewhere.

Even a gold lock is can easily be cut with an angle grinder, so the lock is really just too slow someone down, I never think
of a locked bike as being secure. Bike rack, always mild steel, often easier to chop and bend the rack, than faff with the
lock itself.