• Thanks for Visiting "Lock Your Bike"

    This is a specialist / niche blog about . . . uh . . . locking your bike. The clue's kinda in the title.

    I also write a more regular blog about cycling, bike culture, advocacy, and stuff, called "Do The Right Thing".

  • RSS Recent Posts on “Do The Right Thing”:

    • Friday Caption Contest: Hi-Viz Edition January 27, 2012
      First up, a big “well done” to everyone who entered our last competition. Sadly it was too hard to pick a single winner, so you all have permission to go out for a Jolly Nice Ride this weekend. Take some sandwiches, pack your Thermos, and make sure you’re all back in time for tea, or [...]
    • Police Are Appealing For Witnesses… January 26, 2012
      …after this dramatic footage of a child abduction was released by kidnappers: As you can see, the plucky kid makes a break for it at 1:30, but was brought down by the pack of Lycra-clad snatchers. The kidnappers have issued their demands: “We want some great carbon wheels, ceramic bearings (’cos, they totally make a difference), the BEST [. […]
    • Watching A Bike Decompose One Day At A Time January 24, 2012
      I was in New York in the summer of 2005, and one morning found myself in a bookshop flicking through a book of photos of bikes left locked up on the city’s streets. It showed their decline over time from usable transport, to components, to scrap metal. It was depressing, yet fascinating stuff. Anyway, someone’s done [...]
    • New Key Ring - From The OTHER Love Of My Life January 24, 2012
      When I was 18, the woman who’s now Wife gave me one of those leather thong bracelet things. I wore it ’till it started to fall apart, and for the last few years its remains were used as my key ring. Unfortunately, it’s now completely disintegrating, so I’ve made a new key ring. Like the first, [...]
    • Dead Frog January 23, 2012
      No - not this kind of dead frog, though it does look like an ideal isotonic, carbohydrate-based drink for after a long (or short) ride… No - I mean my Knog Frog Strobe. I was given a red one last autumn, and thought that paired with a white one for the front, it’d be ideal for [...]
    • “I’m Getting Paid To Wear This Hat” January 23, 2012
      Just too funny - The Shit Cyclists Say, via peopleforbikes.org:
    • Winter Cycling Gear January 18, 2012
      Man it was cold this evening! I was forced (literally forced) to wear some extra, technical garments to keep warm: A “fleece” under my jacket. This is a bit like a jumper, but made of some sort of man-made fibre. The wonders of modern technology. A hat AND a scarf Gloves. These were my Aldi specials, but proved [...]
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Hahaha! Fail!

Sometimes people’s failure to lock their bike properly is just so stupid that it’s funny. Like this photo from joeandmiranda’s Creative Commons images on Flickr that I found via Bikehacks:

Oh, and just in case you’re wondering, I don’t think the bike is an Asda special with the front forks on back to front – I think the handlebars have just swivelled round while the bike was being secured by its owner…

Decoy Bike?

A great way to protect your bike from getting stolen is to park it next to something far more attractive / easier to sell for ready cash. I’m guessing that’s what’s happened here, with these two completely unlocked bikes I saw yesterday:

As I said, neither bike is locked, though that lamp post is pretty securely chained down. Or at least it would be if the lock used on it had been tough enough to resist attack from my Daughter’s nail clippers.

What really puzzles me though is the question as to which bike is the decoy?

The one with the drop handle-bars, 531 tubing & shifters mounted on the downtube, or the full-sus BSO? Or maybe they’re both decoys in an area notorious for lamp post thieves?

The Good Lord Smites Bike Thieves

I’m a huge fan of Yehuda Moon, and last Friday evening I started doodling bike stuff on a napkin in a restaurant – just to keep Daughter entertained.

What I came up with was this (now re-drawn – I don’t routinely take colouring pencils with me to restaurants!) – a little morality tale about the rights and wrongs of stealing bikes (click to enlarge):

Personally, I’m a little uncertain about the power of prayer when it comes to protecting your bike from being stolen. I’d much rather put my trust in a good solid lock, a public location, and a sturdy anchor point to lock up to!

I Was Only Away For A Second!

While I was walking through town today, I saw a guy ride up & park his bike outside a shop before popping inside. He was just nipping in to pick something up, so didn’t bother to lock it:

This is a mistake that people frequently make (just the once though . . .), which leads to the inevitable sign in the shop window . . .

STOLEN BIKE!

(A photo of the missing bike goes here)

Last Friday, I nipped inside this shop for just a second. Sadly, my faith in the honesty of people round here was rewarded by my bike being stolen. It was my pride and joy etc, etc

I was tempted to grab the guy’s bike and take it just around the corner that this shop is located on. But cyclists can get funny about having their bikes stolen – funny as in psychopathic.

What’s the answer to this sort of problem? Probably to get something like an Axa Defender fitted to your bike – it’s a cheep, but surprisingly effective immobiliser for just such situations:

True, the thief could carry your bike off, but at least that should slow them down enough for you to vent the full wrath of a cyclist robbed on them!

Nothing At All Suspicious In This?

Nope. I’m not suspicious at all.

btw – do you want to buy a $50 bike?

Spot The Deliberate Mistake

Free bike, anyone?

Integrated U-Lock?

This is pretty cool.

A U-lock integrated into the bike design. It enables you to lock the bike to something, or for those just-nipping-into-the-shop moments, to render it un-ridable, by locking the steering.

It reminds me a little of those rear-wheel locks you see on classic bikes (my Pashley, or instance), with a huge score for convenience.

I guess there’s also the added advantage that any attempt to break it is likely to damage the bike frame too, so there’d be no point . . .

First Name: Mr. Last Name: T

I’ve just found this picture by Richard Masoner on Flickr, and had to share it with you:

The picture I have in my head is of Mr T riding up on a tiny little BMX, which he then locks with one of the chains from round his neck. Made me laugh, anyway.

Too Crappy To Steal

This is a brilliant idea – via Bike Hacks. It’s a bunch of ‘rust’ stickers that you can apply to your swish and fast ride to make it look like a pile of junk that’s not worth stealing. Given the intelligence of the average bike thief, you could probably apply these to your full-carbon road bike.

Now, if only someone would make a set of stickers to apply over the top of that nice Campy 11-speed stuff to make it look like a dodgy knock-off . . .

How To LockYourBike[.co.uk] Video

Here’s a great video by Carlton Reid, produced for Northumbria Police. It shows genuine bikes being stolen by genuine thieves, as well as some tip-top advice for how to Lock Your Bike [.co.uk] and avoid this pain yourself:

Read more on Quickrelease.tv’s page for this film, which also features two other excellent videos employing the skills of an extremely good-looking model.

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