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| A keyed Padlock represents one method of locking |
A NEW GUIDE: HOW TO LOCK AND PROTECT YOUR MODERN BIKE
You've spent anywhere from US$1,000 to $5,000 for your electronic motorized bike and now you need to park it somewhere. You park it and lock it, but when you return a few hours later, there's nothing there! Shock & Horror!
http://humanoidolabs.blogspot.tw/2013/02/electric-bike.html
As the numbers of Ebikes increase due to popularity, so does the number of theft incidences. Law enforcement has no solution and often has no emphasis on bike theft crime prevention. What can be done about this concerning problem of theft in society?
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| A variety of lock choices including DIY chain, padlock, ubolts, steel woven cables |
Spend a day researching the challenge of safely locking a bike to deter crime and one will discover that all methods of locking up a bike can be defeated by a professional thief. So what's the answer to preventing bike theft?
THE PLAN
First, you won't need to do 100% of the things to protect your bike. Maybe 90% will do. We'll provide some pattern plans for protection in most situations against the average thief. Nothing is 100% secure, however, by adding 90% protection, the odds of having the bike stolen can be reduced.
DETERMINE BEST TRANSPORTATION MODE
There are times when you will want to forgo the bike and walk to a nearby store, take the MRT to a far away distance, go by train on a trip, go on a family outing by car, or take the bus. Use the bike when the situation is best for the bike. This is when you can keep the bike in your sight, withing hearing distance with a bike alarm, or when the bike will be locked to a solid object and you will be away for a few minutes. You may also use the bike when perhaps the bike will not be parked, as when riding with a friend, or sight seeing.
NEW & UNIQUE BIKE
You may want to buy a new and unique bike which has parts not compatible with other bikes. This will make the bike less desirable for resale. Plus, the resale of such a bike would be an outstanding target.
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| Woven cable locks the front wheel to chassis or post |
BIKE ONLY GOES IN A CIRCLE
No one will ride away with the bike when the front wheel is turned 90-degrees and locked into position. This will cause the bike to go in a circle, if it could move.
PICK UP AND WALK AWAY
There are several locking techniques to perhaps reduce the chances of a bike being stolen, but none of these are 100% safe for the bike. The bike can be protected from an average person picking it up and walking away with it. But the fact of this matter is that a professional thief can use tools to defeat any locking system. However, one can slow down a thief.
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| A Chinese Ubolt that disassembles |
EYES ON TARGET
The method here is to lock both wheels of the bike outside and keep your eyes on it at all times. How is this possible? A roadside restaurant has windows, for example. Watch for any suspicious activity by your bike, especially someone pretending to talk on a cell phone and standing nearby.
To a thief, every little item represents cash and stripping your bike of anything puts cash in his pocket. A bike seat can easily cost $30 and up, so lock it down. The handlebar set may be a gold mine with a motor throttle, controller, two brake hand calipers, cables, bell, grips, mirror, basket and other accessories. The photo shows how a woven steel cable can be threaded through the seat to lock it down. The other end of the cable threads through the rear wheel. Choose the largest shank that will still fit through the seat's metal anchor. We recommend a keyed locking cable as the combination lock may be the easiest to defeat without any tools.
Parking a bike somewhere overnight gives the thief a longer period of time to make plans on stealing the bike, and the cover of the night to achieve it.
FIND A SECURITY CAMERA
Park your bike directly by the security camera so if the bike is stolen, there will be image records available doing the stealing.
ROTATE THE PARKING POSITION
Do not lock the bike in the same place all the time. Change locations to prevent thieves from observing and catching on to your routine.
FIND RELIABLE EYES
Become a regular at a local business and ask the workers there to keep a casual eye on your bike whenever it’s locked out front.
KEEP AWAY FROM THE CURB
Protect your bike from street cleaners, buses, and careless drivers by locking it a few feet away from the curb. Position the bike on the sidewalk side of signposts with the wheels parallel to the gutter to avoid bike mangling.
DO NOT PARK IT AT THE STATION
Do not park a bike at the MRT, Subway, Train Station, Bus Station, Museum, Theater, School, or other similar place - it's like a red flag signaling the bike will be available for some time.
USE REMOVABLE ACCESSORIES
You can strip the bike rather than the thief. Most popular accessories are now made for removal. Choose accessories with mounts that allow device removal and stow in your carry-with-you bag.
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| Giant's Ubolt has a bike mount and extra long shank |
The battery often costs as much as half the bike cost. It can be removed to lower the value of the bike. It's unlikely a thief will pay an additional $400 to $600 for a battery to make the bike usable. Take it with you - the battery is usually metal peg locked into place when the key is removed. However, the metal peg simply slides into a piece of battery casing plastic, thus negating most of its secure feature. You probably won't want to carry around a lead acid battery. Keep it on the bike to give it massive weight. Based on the weight of batteries, lead acid is so heavy that one would probably not remove it or carry it. A Lithium battery is lighter weight and more practical for the removal and carry approach.
REGISTER YOUR BIKE
The bike register is designed to alert others to a stolen bike and have access to a data base of necessary information to return it to its proper owner.
ENGRAVE YOUR BIKE
Metal engraving your own name or identification on the underside and painting over it so it's still visible to you, will help you identify your bike should you see it somewhere.
MAKE THE BIKE UNIQUE
Painting a color strip on the bike will make it identifiable and unique. The stripe cannot be easily removed during the time of theft and the bike will likely need a repaint job by the thief, making this is another deterrent.
KEEP IT WITH YOU
Strange as it may seem, it's possible to keep the bike with you in some situations. While shopping at the grocery store, a young man was seen walking through the isles shopping with his bike. As he rolled it along, it looked like a very expensive racer bike, one in which he would not let out of his touch.
EARS ON TARGET - BIKE ALARM
Use a bike alarm. There are several types. One will sound a loud decibel alarm by detecting vibrations. Another type will switch on automatically when the lock has tampering. It is hoped the loud sound will slow down a thief. However, the real use of the alarm is when the bike owner can hear it.
MAKE IT OLD
This is a very popular technique in some areas of China and Taiwan where owners will take a can of flat black spray paint and spot paint the new bike to make it look old and blend it in with other old black bikes. However, the owner of a new bike may be against doing this. There are many debates about this at bike Forums.
RUBBER INNER TUBE IT
You can age a bike by cutting up an old inner tube and wrapping the new bike with it. Secure the tube with plastic ties.
LOCK TYPES
There are numerous locks but can be summarized into three categories.
1) U-Bolt
2) Chain & Padlock
4) Steel Cable Weave A) Flat Key Lock
B) Round Key Lock
C) Combination Lock
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| One of the strongest Chinese Ubolt locks |
Choose quality locks that are not so easy to defeat. It helps to have a lock that takes longer to defeat. Consult the web for this type of information. It's a little shocking to discover some of these locks sell for $1,000 to $3,000 dollars. In public, probably the thief would find it easier to cut the post or the chain rather than the lock.
SLOWING DOWN A THIEF
A thief can be slowed a bit by locking the bike with several different locks, each having a different locking system. This forces the thief to use and carry more than one tool. It is hoped that the extra work will make the thief pass over the bike.
ULTIMATE GPS SYSTEM
It may be possible to hide a built in GPS tranmitter system and follow your bike should it be stolen. The GPS may be hidden in the seat or stowed in a frame tube.
THE BEST PROTECTION
The best protection is to not leave your bike somewhere accessible to thieves.
LOCKS OFF
Do not lock to hand rails as people with disabilities and the elderly depend on these being non-obstructed. It may be illegal to lock a bike to a parking meter in some locations.
LOCKS ON
Th following may be potential places to anchor a bike:
Bike Rack
High Post
Fence
Sign Post
Tree
Utility Pole
MODIFY YOUR NUTS
A bike often has its handle bars, brakes, seat and other parts attached with a simple hex nut that any old allen wrench can fit for quick removal. The nuts can be replaced with something like Zorx nuts that require a more exotic wrench to remove. It's more unlikely a thief will carry exotic tools around.
LOCK IT AT HOME
Keep the bike locked in the garage, in your yard, in a storage shed, and in your apartment.
LINKS
HOW TO CHOOSE A LOCK
http://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/bike-lock.html
TYPICAL EBIKE
http://humanoidolabs.blogspot.tw/2013/02/electric-bike.html
HOW TO LOCK YOUR BIKE STRATEGICALLY
http://bicycling.com/blogs/ramblingman/2012/11/14/how-to-lock-your-bike-strategically/
THE BICYCLE COALITION
http://www.sfbike.org/?theft_locking
HOW TO LOCK YOUR BIKE
http://www.kryptonitelock.com/Pages/HowtoSecure.aspx
THE PROPER WAY TO LOCK YOUR BICYCLE
http://lifehacker.com/5942301/the-proper-way-to-lock-your-bicycle
OTHER LOCKING SYSTEMS LOCKS AT AMAZON
http://www.amazon.com/b?ie=UTF8&node=194614011
http://www.amazon.com/gp/top-rated/sporting-goods/194614011
FOLDING LOCK
http://www.amazon.com/Abus-Bordo-Granit-X-Plus-Foldable/dp/B005F3EPY4/ref=zg_tr_194614011_15
PITLOCK
http://www.pitlock.com/
BLOGS
http://bikesnobnyc.blogspot.tw/2012/08/seriously-why-not-just-spell-it-wensday.html
LOCK REVIEWS
http://www.slate.com/articles/life/shopping/2006/04/avoiding_the_bicycle_thief.4.html
http://www.bicyclesource.com/choosing_bike_lock
http://www.bikeradar.com/fitness/article/buyers-guide-to-bike-locks-20408/
KRYPTONITE
http://ibookmarkedit.com/kryptonite-black-18mm-new-york-fahgettaboudit-u-lock-997986/
WIKI
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bicycle_lock
DIY YOUR OWN LOCK
http://www.instructables.com/id/Super-Easy-Bike-Chain-Lock/
(to be continued)