Lock Your Bike

Hahaha! Fail!

Karl McCracken — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 23:42:23 +0000

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?

Karl McCracken — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 07:29:15 +0000

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

Karl McCracken — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 21:54:05 +0000

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!

Karl McCracken — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 19:12:24 +0000

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?

Karl McCracken — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 20:15:43 +0000

Nope. I’m not suspicious at all.

btw – do you want to buy a $50 bike?

Spot The Deliberate Mistake

Karl McCracken — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 20:11:43 +0000

Free bike, anyone?

Integrated U-Lock?

Karl McCracken — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 18:57:39 +0000

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

Karl McCracken — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 21:55:13 +0000

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

Karl McCracken — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 22:17:33 +0000

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

Karl McCracken — Tue, 26 May 2009 19:06:32 +0000

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.