Security: how do people secure their bikes?

[Jonny69]

Got an army of D locks, but I have a short Kryptonite and Abus for out and about. Bin all your quick releases - if you’re not racing you don’t need them and they’re nothing more than a security risk. Just a basic set of security skewers will stop a chancer walking off with your wheels.

DO NOT use a cable lock. Doesn’t matter how chunky they look, a pair of side cutters will snip through it in seconds. Kevlar won’t put up any resistance either, it’s just a bunch of plastic fibres.

 

[novocaine]

a long time ago when I was considerable younger I did a summer of courier riding in Manchester.
the bike I rode was a steel falcon/british eagle (I've been racking my brain for 3 months trying to remember what it was) that was wrapped in aluminium duct tape which I sprayed over in black so it looked terrible. all decent parts were masked in a similar fashion, simply because when it's making your living, you want parts that won't fail you.
I used an early newyorker lock that again was wrapped and sprayed so it looked crap but no way was it being cut off.
wheels had home made security bolts with greased ball bearings in the allen head.
it got parked regularly at the road side locked to a post and never got touched.

I'm not saying it's because it looked like shit, but........

 

[IJohnson]

It's often said there are two types of thieves. Those who know what they are doing and are equipped to do it, and the opportunists.
A decent D lock with a cable lock to secure wheels/saddle, and locking it in a busy place will deter the opportunists.
Not much will stop the first kind if they want it enough!

 

[jimo746]

Short stops (eg supermarket) I use a D-lock, sometimes with a cable through one or both wheels.
Longer stops (eg gym ) I'll take the cheap £25 bike and just cable lock it.
I wouldn't leave a shiny shiny bike I really treasured anywhere I couldn't see it.

 

[eightyeight]

I mean it’s not an expensive bike, and mostly the bits were from the garage, although I did buy the DX cranks and shifters for it! I’d be sad if someone stole it but it’s worth £150 tops!

Edit: oh and those V12 pedals!

So basically you’re saying I need to build another bike

This is my new problem. I'm rebuilding the town bike; it will be a lot nicer and hence i will need new lockage

 

[eightyeight]

Short stops (eg supermarket) I use a D-lock, sometimes with a cable through one or both wheels.
Longer stops (eg gym ) I'll take the cheap £25 bike and just cable lock it.
I wouldn't leave a shiny shiny bike I really treasured anywhere I couldn't see it.

Think my long stop and short stop locations are the exact opposite of yours.

 

[greencat]

What about your wheels?

Don't tend to bother with rear wheel when in local semi-rural town (it's obscured by panniers/bolted on depending on the bike). Front I just use another cheap cable lock on it -eg an 8 quid job from Aldi/Lidl

 

[Tricky1977]

Got an army of D locks, but I have a short Kryptonite and Abus for out and about. Bin all your quick releases - if you’re not racing you don’t need them and they’re nothing more than a security risk. Just a basic set of security skewers will stop a chancer walking off with your wheels.

DO NOT use a cable lock. Doesn’t matter how chunky they look, a pair of side cutters will snip through it in seconds. Kevlar won’t put up any resistance either, it’s just a bunch of plastic fibres.

I’m thinking of another cheap, long D lock now for the front wheels…. On guard seem good

 

[Madmax1993]

As others have said, there are two kinds of thief. The opportunist and the professional. A D lock, or folding plate lock will be the most secure against the more prepared thief, and will buy you time and effort, which will hopefully see them move on to an easier target. The opportunists will take bikes locked up with thin cables, or wheels that are only held on with quick releases. The extender cables around wheels will be sufficient to prevent the opportunist just making off with your wheels. If you think about it, it's not worth much effort to get (just) some wheels, compared to the reward of getting the whole bike. So the cable is usually enough to deter that kind of theft

 

[greencat]

Friend of mine was regularly getting his bike stolen in London. He eventually got a old and cheap woman's bike, complete with step through frame, then rattle canned the whole thing pink. Looked awful, but no-one stole it.

Yours does not want to be the best looking bike on the rack if you regularly have to leave it in dodgy areas (and everywhere in London is dodgy).