How Do You Lock Your Tadpole Tri-bent?

[Psamathe]

(New at the "how do you operate it..." stage, photo yet to be added to "Photos of ... thread - only got it last Fri).
Specifically ICE Sprint X Tour but I suspect exactly the same answers apply to any tadpole. Thinking about locking e.g. outside supermarket as at home it lives indoors. Trying with a long (2.5m) cable and form eye round one front wheel, through the other (maybe round the frame) and a separate (D-lock) stopping the rear being removed.

But I look at it and wonder why I'm bothering locking the two front wheels other than for show ("It's well locked" message). Looks like you need an Allen key to remove them and most bike part theft would not be too interested in 20" wheels on stub axels (rear is 26" so more interesting) and casual theft wont have tools or knowledge to remove quickly. (And I'm looking at movement alarms anyway).

I have disk brakes and ideally don't want cables anywhere near the disks as they seem easy to put in slight bends (causing rubbing underway) particularly if anybody plays around when locked. Rear disk is well protected by the frame.

Do people bother locking the font wheels or is this just a recipe for rubbing disks or what locks/systems do people use for short term public place security?

Thanks
Ian

[[XAP]Bob]

I had ICE install a frame lock to the rear V brake studs - not quite ideal in terms of the bolts, and the lock, but it gave me decent confidence, along with the associated cable lock which locked into the handle of the frame lock.

By my reckoning nothing will deter a determined/prepared their, but a decent cable/chain and a frame lock, along with the low resale market for a bent were sufficient for me.

[Psamathe]

....By my reckoning nothing will deter a determined/prepared their, but a decent cable/chain and a frame lock, along with the low resale market for a bent were sufficient for me.

My own thoughts. If theft for parts they'll be assuming it's all specialised stuff and unlikely to notice e.g. BB7s but are they the same BB7s as for a DF ... so easier to find something else to risk getting caught with. And if theft for sale, they might hold their value but more specialised and probably more questions asked by the buyer.

I had ICE install a frame lock to the rear V brake studs - not quite ideal in terms of the bolts, and the lock, but it gave me decent confidence, along with the associated cable lock which locked into the handle of the frame lock.
...

I rather extravagantly went for the disk parking brake. Not for functionality but for touring it means you always have an emergency set of pads (e.g. contamination) and even a spare disk (I seem to have eternal problems with marginally bent disks that make rubbing noise each rotation!.

Ian

[[XAP]Bob]

lol - I think the V brake studs might still be there, at the very bottom of the rear triangle.
Mine certainly has fittings for both.

[Tigerbiten]

I've the chainguard on my Sprint.
So it's normally a short cable around one wheel then the cable is padlocked to the chainguard.
I can get up to a small tree inside the loop formed.
If I want more security then a D lock also goes in the back wheel.

Luck ..........

[belgiangoth]

Well, it will be noticed if someone tampers with it because they're noticeable bikes. I would guess that you would want to secure the rear wheel and frame as the rear wheel is most removable/resellable and the frame is the important bit. I would be tempted to lock up to a front wheel, but if all you need to do is remove the front wheel (with an allen key) to steal the whole bike minus front wheel...

What about lockable/pitlock skewers then you just need a d-lock to the front wheel?

[UpWrong]

My trike has a rear triangle so I just use a chain lock through that to an immovable object. But I might want more in a high risk area. I don't think trike front wheels are going to be of intest to a thief. Disk brakes attach to the king pins not the wheels.

[Cyril Haearn]

An opportunist thief would not reflect on possible saleability of whole or parts, they would just chuck the machine into their white van, and scarper. If they then realised what they had nicked they might dump it in a ditch. Or maybe even put it back where they found it

[Mike Sales]

An opportunist thief would not reflect on possible saleability of whole or parts, they would just chuck the machine into their white van, and scarper. If they then realised what they had nicked they might dump it in a ditch. Or maybe even put it back where they found it

When I was burgled stuff was taken quite indiscriminately, stuff of no possible resale value, for instance raggy old pyjamas.
I guess that since the goods are free to the thief they can grab anything available, and worry about disposal and value later.

[Cyril Haearn]

An opportunist thief would not reflect on possible saleability of whole or parts, they would just chuck the machine into their white van, and scarper. If they then realised what they had nicked they might dump it in a ditch. Or maybe even put it back where they found it

When I was burgled stuff was taken quite indiscriminately, stuff of no possible resale value, for instance raggy old pyjamas.
I guess that since the goods are free to the thief they can grab anything available, and worry about disposal and value later.

Let them try taking my hundreds of kilos of books

[Tigerbiten]

My thinking is .....
I have enough visible locks and lock to something such that it stop a casual/opportunistic thief .
But I know if a professional thief wants it because he/she knows someone who wants it, then no matter what I do it will go.
So I don't see any point of going overboard with locks.
But then again I don't live in the middle of a big city, if that was the case then I may well beef up my locks.

Luck ..........

[squeaker]

Usually just leave the rear brake on (lever hidden under the seat) or a cable lock through rear wheel and frame to deter the opportunist joy rider. Just remember to remove it before riding off (don't ask...).

[sharpedge]

I have a standard (ie short) Litelock Gold - short enough and light enough to go across the cruciform on my Adventure HD. That wont come off unless the frame is cut through and defeats the object of stealing the trike. Use a longer Litelock Gold (the longest) to lock through the short lock and then around the rack or other that you want to lock the trike to. Order direct, talk to them first and you can get a key which will be the same for both locks. In the garage I have a heavy chain and ground anchor but the chain is too heavy to carry around. www.litelock.com

[[XAP]Bob]

Usually just leave the rear brake on (lever hidden under the seat) or a cable lock through rear wheel and frame to deter the opportunist joy rider. Just remember to remove it before riding off (don't ask...).

Who *hasn’t* left the handbrake on at some point.

My father didn’t think a company Jag was doing very well going up the M1 many decades ago... turns out he hadn’t actually released the handbrake... when he first slowed down it didn’t smell great.

[KM2]

I would have thought that the front wheel needs locking, such that the thief would have to lift the heavy end and not just pick up the rear wheel and move it along on the front wheels. Similar principle to the tadpoles, lock the rear wheels, not the front.