How to (Almost) Never Have a Bike Stolen
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 29 มิ.ย. 2024
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Out of my 7 years of experience bike commuting, I've never had a bike stolen. That's pretty impressive (or lucky) considering that I've even had periods of time where I had to exclusively lock my bike outside (even overnight) in public. Here's my strategy that I've used to never have a bike stolen, and how you can avoid bike theft.
My bike lock setup:
kit.com/ZachGallardo/my-lock-...
1. Abus Granit X-Plus 54 Mini:
amzn.to/2F6tBCC
2. OnGuard Bulldog Mini:
amzn.to/2F2e8Di
3. Kryptonite Kryptoflex Cable Lock:
amzn.to/2Fj3No1
*note: I actually just use a generic cable lock, but this Kryptonite one is marginally better
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What are some of your best tips for securing your bike from thieves?
Zach Gallardo Cable lock connecting front tire to frame secondary D lock through frame and back wheel
Make it look like a beater, take off parts like front wheel and/or saddle so it looks like it was left behind and the best parts have already been taken.
you gotta lock it out of sight ,2nd floor outdoor stairs a good place and dont be so paranoid youre gonna attract alot of bad energy .
Still lock it up though!
Remove both the wheels, flip the bike upside down, lock the frame and wheels separately with quality u locks.
The part about people not caring is true, my bike was stolen and my mother found it a few days later, she called me and I brought some tools with me. We literally stole my own bike back and I just took it back home while other people were just going past me. I looked shady as hell but no one really cared.
Fair enough! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
My friend did the same but the theif had seen and beaten him! (Though he had CCTV videos of his cycle stolen and second video of getting beaten)
Are you slim? If so you looked like slim shady hahaha omg i kill myself with my jokes 😂
@@AS-gh1gethere will always only be one real slim shady
The irony would be to be arrested while stealing your own bike.
I've always used two locks, and every single time I've had a bike stolen (3x), was when I decided that 'Oh, I'll be back in 10 minutes, one lock will probably be enough'. So yeah, definitely agree with the 2+ lock advice.
I think this is a really difficult issue. Say youre on your bike and stop at a store to get a coffee. You use the easiest deterrent because you think you will just be a few minutes, you're within 500 meters of the bike and you think it's quite visible and bang its gone before you've paid for your coffee. And who would actually take off all their components for a stop like this?
It's happened to me, riding my bike, needing to pee and using a cable to lock my bike outside a public toilet.
Having all the options is great but I've found that the cable lock is actually everyone's primary lock. I have a mid-range racing bike. From cable I go to D lock from D lock to back wheel rotor lock and then to wireless bike alarm. If someone's determined to steal your bike they will, irrespective the security you have.
@@JohnVianneyPatron u got to ge into the habit of lock it up with as many locks as possible.
Wow! Where do u live?
@@JohnVianneyPatron Yeah I popped into a supermarket for a few minutes and that was enough time for thieves to angle grind the kryptonite evolution and steal my ebike which i use for work as a food delivery guy
where do you live?!
I had my $2000 specialized PINK bike stolen from Wal-Mart. I stupidity thought it was safe because I used the bike rack and above it were 2 security cameras and it was 11 am on a sunny day. Silly girl....I was. Came out and my $50 not good enough lock was cut easily.
I called the police from inside Wal-mart and they said they would come to my home in a few hours.
I walked home with tears in my eyes. I felt violated. Then, I decided to accept it and not be upset over a material DREAM bike.
By the time I reached home, my daughter met me at the door, saying the cops called and they are bringing my bike to me.
A trucker saw the thief on a pink bike and thought it was suspicious and called it in. The cop found my bike in a ditch and he said it was the FIRST bike he ever brought back.
This video helped me a lot, but I am bummed out to have to use 3 locks. I bike far distance......but it would also suck to have it gone when I'm 3 hours from home.
I loved the video and it explains my errors very well.
P.S. I couldn't even get Wal-mart or the police to look at the security cameras that were above the bike rack.
THANK YOU!
Namaste
~The lucky one
Why could't police look at security cameras records ? What is problem for them ?
@@Temporalplace Great question.
@@Godisfirst21 Did they say that they won't do it or they cant do it because of law ?
They told me to just be happy I got it back. They don't like to explain themselves. Ya know what I mean?
@@Godisfirst21 Yeah i know
I spent nearly 3 decades living in Brazil so I have a PhD in bike thievery. When I was young I rode my bike with my cousins. Chain came loose on my bike so we stopped to fix it. We got mugged by a gang. So the lesson here is: don't take risks such as stopping in some street to fix a loose chain when you live in a shitty 3rd world country.
...like San Francisco in 2023!
youre tweaking
@@arjunyeleshwarapuyeah lmao, if you can't even stop then dont even go outside with a bike
I live in Brazil too. I always act like I'm armed when a stranger comes close to me when I'm with my bycicle.
You don't have to be in a 3rd country. In rich countries in EU, where people ride $5000-10,000 bikes, gangs pull up in a van alongside you and steal the bike from under you, at knife/gun point... there's an article about that somewhere on Google (saw it on TV once).
2 minutes into the video and so far you've just persuaded me that I should become a bike thief
bc he is one...
Dont do it bruh imma spank dat booty cherry iffya du
I agree. I would never steal a bike unless i had to which I don't have to worry about at the moment, but this video kind of made me want to steal a bike
ErinDoes Anhh just don't do it. It's such a bad habit.
beware, bike thief usually do crack and meth
put a sign on the bike saying "STEAL ME", bike theives will think its a trap
Or a challenge lol
How about 'STEAL ME, YOU'RE ON TH-cam' 😂
I've often wondered about leaving a nice bike completely unlocked on a busy sidewalk. Seems like bait, don't you think? And if the scum disagrees and tries to steal it anyway... make it bait. Seems to me a few beat downs on a regular basis would jack up the "risk" coefficient dramatically.
how about gps tracking installed on bike
RobMacKendrick Yeah I think you underestimate just how many people would consider stealing a bike like that. It’s a way bigger pool of people than the number of beat downs they would ever receive for stealing bikes, so most of them would never even feel that deterrent or care enough to stop them from trying.
Here's something to cheer you up: I saw a bike theft video (parking lot camera) posted on a local online rag. I hesitated to tell my bikey "Ride 100 miles, no problem" knows-all-about-bikes friend, mainly because he hates to "hear negative things." But . . . I showed him the video anyway. Three days later, my friend is in a bike shop and watching as a guy tries to buy parts for his "new" bike. Yep. It's the stolen $1500 bike. My friend notices the bike owner dude is wearing a shirt advertising a local restaurant, follows the guy and sees the guy park the "new" bike outside the restaurant. Sure enough, the dude works there. I find the contact # for the guy whose bike was stolen, my friend takes him to the restaurant and the owner of the bike gets his bike back. Restaurant guy says he bought the bike off some friend; no idea it was stolen. Yeah. Buy a $1500 bike for a few hundred dollars . . . Sure.
Please tell me that guy got jail time for stealing that bike. The reason people can steal bikes without worry is because they don’t get punished if they’re caught.
If you want to protect your bike, leave it near security cameras if possible. Use a device that sets off an alarm if moved, such as an Oxford screamer. And most importantly, invest in a GPS tracking device that can be hidden inside the frame. Do all of those things and I guarantee that, if in the unlikely event your bike is stolen, you'll have a 90% chance of getting it back.
OH MY GOD IM NEW TO CYCLING AND HAVE JUST HEARD OXFORD S C R E A M E R FOR THE FIRST TIME I CANT-
@@leegg8664 You can't what?
@@royborrill2711 I just found the name really funny:).
@@leegg8664...;-) I agree. But it does the business. Frightens the life out of the scumbags trying to steal your bike. :-)
Yeah, about that... not where I work. Dude cut the cable lock and went off with the bike, 100% on camera. It was on the town's news for a while.
There's a special place in hell for bike thieves
I'm picturing a long downhill ramp in to a pool of lava on endless loop.
@@ArtzFenix With their front brakes detached
@@l.k5244 I thought that was obvious 😉
I’m getting the feeling someone had a bike stolen.
And I'm the executioner. Thumbs up stay Awsome everyone.
1. look out for tape or plastic tubing on racks. It might look as if its there to stop your paint job being marked but its common to use an angle grinder to cut the rack at 3 in the morning and then cover the cut with tube or tape so that when an expensive bike is locked up, it can be removed along with the lock in seconds with no tools.
2. If you come back to your bike to find a slashed tire or bent wheel, never ever leave it there overnight - that's what they want you to do.
3. If your bike is a practical commuter tool rather than your pride and joy, avoid big brands and add uncool accessories that make it look less desirable. A basket or pannier rack is good, fenders are good, big ugly retro style lights are also good. I know that a lot of delivery guys using bikes with quality components go so far as to give their bikes a very unflattering paint job.
My bike was stolen today hence why I’m now subscribing to your channel this is my 5th bike stolen. The emotion is gone because of how many I’ve lost but had I watched this video I can now see my failures. Thank you for creating this video and will use this method
Bike thieving... what a petty crime. Grow a pair and a rob a bank.
How about a lock that literally makes a very loud noise if it detects that it is being opend or broken unnaturally. That would certainly make the "risk" for theives much higher.
Most people wouldn't bother doing anything we are desensitised to noise we have mobile phones ringtones
@@TheAnonyy Not alarm level loudness, that's borderline hearing damaging at close distance, but it might be difficult to get a very loud product to market due to regulations,I'm just speculating
Most angle grinders already make noise...
@@TheAnonyy Emphasis on "most", all kinds of people exist
There are motion activated bike alarms that sound when the bike is moved
Locking my bike outside the library, a guy told me that he put his there with a reasonable lock on it. When he came out there was a better lock on it. The cops told him that it was common there. They would come back after hours, remove your lock and then take the bike. He bought a really good lock and added that. In the morning, the crooks lock was gone. I think he was a bit lucky that they didn't smash his wheels out of spite.
That happen to me but He locked his seat to my seat good thing my seat unlocks easy so I took his seat as well he tried to chase me but he couldn’t keep up without a seat 😂I rode off and thru his in a bush
i would've prbably waited with a baseball bat close to my bike and smashed the head of the tief when he came back haha
That was a thief respect the fair play! 😂
@Patrick Bateman true story 😂
@@resksmith5862 oh yes my friend I'm with you. I'd wait and wait with a bat.
if you have expensive components, its a good idea to change your bolts to star bolts, 99% of the time bike thieves don't have a star nut Allen key with them.
Aka Torx screws.
they eventually will carry a Torx set with them
best thing you could do if you can shell out the money: get custom made screws and a few custom screwdrivers - while expensive, it is probably the best bet since you're literally the only one in the world that happens to have the needed tool
don't skimp on the material tho, get hard screws or they might get drilled out otherwise
i screwed up the math. bought a $40 lock for a 60 dollar bike
Better than a $60 lock for a $40 bike.
At least it's unlikely anyone will steal it.
Sounds logical to do that since you won't have to buy a 60$ bike every time someone steals it.
Steal the lock, leave the bike
the thief will be cutting through your bike to steal your lock ;-)
I've had 3 beautiful bikes stolen from me. Each time it happened I was devastated, heart broken and mad as hell! I currently own 2 gorgeous bikes and I don't even own a lock! If the bike cannot go inside with me I just keep rollin. So there are times when I don't ride because I know the bike can't come in. But luckily I can bring it inside where I work. Locking my beauties outside is not even a consideration for me anymore.
Get a cheap commuter bike that still looks good, under 300.
Same here, normally I’m riding with a partner or a friend. So say he goes into a shop I look after his bike and vice versa.
It sucks that when I take my bike with me in my car I'm scared to leave it I'm the car cuz it will get broken into or it stolen off the streets. Even got chased once by 3 guys for my bike while out on a stroll for my bday.
Ride ugly ones
get a folding bike, like Brompton for example. it folds easily and u can bring anywhere. For weekend ride or group rides, bring ur best one ;)
I had my specialized bike costing around 10,000 dollars stolen in about 5 minutes. While I ran inside to get water at my own house. Always KEEP IT IN YOUR SIGHTS
So what did the cops say? I do assume you called the cops. Same thing happened to me, my bike was "only" $700.
You took too long to get water mate.
Honestly that Sucks. That thief should get both his/her hands cut off
NorceCodine they just said, “we’ll keep a lookout for it” never heard back from them
Langor yeah, it was stupid of me. I get mad at myself when I think about it.
@@p1mpmasterbackhand I can't wait to tell my bike shop mechanic pal your story. He thinks most people are super stupid about bike security and he just loves to hear these kinds of stories. "You took too long to get water, mate" is the best reply EVER.
Sadly I’m here because I had my bike stolen
I know it is 3 years past your accident, but what mistakes did you do when your bike was stolen?
Don't lock your bike near the ground. When the thief can place one arm of the bolt cutter to the ground, they can use their body wieght and it is much more easy to cut a lock.
The ultimate locking strategy: always park next to a better bicycle with worse locks!
I used to be like Zach and took 3 locks with me, one being a super heavy Fahgettaboudit Mini. But then I realized that most bikes around me still use cable locks, bad u-locks and novelty locks. Now I use a kryptonite messenger lock for the bike or a ligther chain, a ottolock for my front wheel. My saddle, while comfy, is ragged so I don't need to lock it. Also, I bought a fixed gear since they can be good bikes for cheap(er).
@@gregortega2767 Yes. But is very easy to carry so I might as well use it. Wheels are bolted so makes it a bit higher work than the bike next to mine. Also, Bosnianbill lock was defective. Mine already saved my foldable. Still, is a minimum security lock, thats why I use the u-lock too.
So true honestly, I always see bikes "locked" via cable through the front quick-release wheel😂 makes me feel better
Have you ever considered bike thieves might use a fancy stolen bike as bait to get you to park your bike next to theirs?
Robert Ketteringham Bruh why you trying to make me more paranoid😂
@@beccag2758 because that's the mindset you should be in in order to be as cautious as possible when securing your bike...
Spends $875 on a bike because of its amazing light weight...
Needs at least 3 heavy locks to keep it safe...
But that's just when commuting. You don't need to bring a bike lock if you are just going for a ride.
You could prob make due with 1 motorcycle heavy duty lock but it will be heavier than 3 bike locks
@@VolcanicProtectorMan good idea! :) thank u!! ps where is a good site for motorcycle locks?
@@buffythevampireslayertilid3154 if you're looking for motorcycle locks, look for at least ART4 rated ones, there's a chain with a hole at the end where you can loop the chain through, giving you the most length for the price and weight.
That's what use for my motorcycle
Try $4000😂😂
I don’t even have a bike but still watched the whole video, now I also know to spend 10% of my bike’s value on locks
I use a pretty beefy chain lock but just today I did a test on how easy it is to pick and even I, who had never picked a lock before, managed to pick it in less than 2 minutes. Time for a new lock.
What brand was it? We need to know.
Seconding this
He knows so much because ;
'i have never had a bike stolen but I have stolen 357 over the last 7 years
where does he say that??? what time stamp???
@@buffythevampireslayertilid3154 he didn't literally say that I was joking
He didn't figuratively say that either....it was just a joke.
My MTB was once stolen. I stole it back.
@Jonathan how tho?
I luv ninga - well done!
@Jonathan r/ihavereddit
@Jonathan off yourself.
how did u know the one u stole back was urs..?
What's wrong with locking your bike to trees 😂 I've yet to see anyone fell a tree in public to steal a bike
I have a stihl chainsaw and know how to use it
I think it's because the city discourages it, harms the tree and stuff. Plus that probably means you're primarily using a cable lock
Well if you're using a D-lock or a chain (as you should be) then they won't be big enough to go around a thick tree. They will only go around a thin young tree which is easy to cut down. A cable lock might fit around a thick tree, but cable locks can be cut in seconds.
It literally has happened. You're harming the tree if it is or isn't stolen so probably dont.
I have seen it. I've seen smallish trees (3-4 inches in diameter) cut to steal a bike right off it.
Grabbed my Hiplok Gold and never looked back. The thing is built like a tank, can easily be work over the shoulder/around the waist, and has saved my bike seemingly countless times. The lock itself is covered in tiny knicks from people trying bolt cutters on it and failing. Sure, an angle grinder could almost certainly break through it, my Cinelli stays inside when I'm at home, and locked up in view of the security desk at work.
Also, you failed to mention the best security: camouflage; if you're fine having a bike that looks cheap most thieves will pass it over. You can also hide it in plain sight by making it so noticeable/ traceable that it's too much of a risk to pinch. With my old bike I took all the branding off the rims, spray painted the frame, and sticker-bombed the whole thing, you couldn't tell there was a Miele columbus steel frame under there.
Looked like shit, rode like a dream.
Thought about the same thing myself. Remove all brandings
@@tacticalg6686 FR, you know they are good components, all showing them off does is make you a target to some dude with bolt cutters and a drug problem
bike thief is medieval equivalent of chicken thief ...lowest form of life
Nope, that would be the thief's customer. Don't Buy Hot Bikes!
How about stealing chickens on a stolen bike?
back then they had posters showing how to lock up your chickens
Lmfao those poor chickens being kidnapped
A suggestion that I'm surprised hasn't come up yet, if you're going/commuting to the same place over and over, get a super heavy duty lock and leave it behind so you don't have to take it with you.
If i was a thief, I'd steal or ruin your lock in the night and steal the bike that will probably have a worse lock the next day
That's what i do, but into my siblings house, i put it on tree
Wow! Great video!
A disc brake alarm does wonders. It's visible, comes with a brightly colored "reminder" strap that also works as a deterrent, it's impossible to take it off the wheel. As soon as your bike gets touched it'll beep loudly several times, then if it's touched again within 30 seconds the alarm will sound super loudly for like 15 seconds and then the the thing repeats. No measure is a complete deterrent but if you stack enough obstacles you reduce the probability of theft exponentially.
The only ones I'm finding on Google are for motorcycles. Will those work on bicycles with disc brakes too?
@@newqI was wondering that too
In London, they cut the bike racks and cover the cut - so dont lock your bike to a rack with tape on it.
Most use portable angle grinders that they leave in bushes. The steal in broad daylight and will get through most locks in < 2 minutes
Agreed
Jonathan you can test that by using it to lock a 5 grand bike up in London for an hour or so. Good luck, let me know how you get on
@Jonathan I'm not taking the piss out of you, but honestly, no bike lock on the market will take longer than 60 seconds to cut through with a portable angle grinder. That 45 minutes claim is false, unless they mean using a cheap hacksaw...
Jonathan yeah? Whereabouts do you lock it up?
Jonathan cops around all the time? Which train station? Are you sure you're talking about Britain? 😂
I live in London where bike theft is pretty common, one thing I always look out for in the rare occasions I lock my bike overnight in public is the other bikes on the rack on locking against. If there are other bikes that look like they have had parts stolen or whatever I avoid the area and find somewhere else. Bike thieves are habitual and will usually go back to spots where they've scored before
Then you probably never park your bike in London ))
@@Jake-kl6xlever
The paranoia comes natural when you care about your bike indeed!.
I use a flimsy wire lock atm but i will definitely go for a heavy duty u-lock asap.
you missed an important one...many of my customers from my bike shop have lost bikes stored in their garage because they neglected to LOCK the bike securely , with a U-Lock or similar lock, to a steel wall mounted bracket or similar...bike thieves will brazenly walk right into unlocked garages and steal a bike if it can be carried away.
If I saw a thief I would attack them
@@sjlevi99if
I think the thing you forgot to mention was bus racks! If you commute and place your bike on a bus rack often, you need to pay attention. People can walk up to the bus when it stops or people can get off the bus at a stop and just pick your bike up off the front rack. In most cases the bus driver, nor anyone else will even try to stop them. You need to pay attention. You can sometimes, if you have a quick release on your front end, snap it open as you rest it in the rack, this way if someone tries to jump on it and steal it, well you see where I'm going. Or if you are going a long distance on the bus you could even use the U-lock, attaching the front wheel and frame. In short, don't think that your bike is safe just because its on the bus! Pay attention!
Zach B very true!
Hell Yeah and great advice!
Just lock the rea tire to the frame and you're good to go always do that.
Brian Delaney did he sue?
If you put your bike on a bus rack, sit (or stand) as close as you can to the front and never let it out of your sight.
I have been commuting with a bike for a decade. Often left it outside even over weekend. Never got it stolen. Because I have an ancient MTB that looks like it is worth $3 but rides really well. I keep it looking like crap. A friend joined me one day, left his fancy enduro bike locked next to mine, outside of a train station. It wasn't there on the way back. Because it screamed "his front brake is worth more then this piece of crap next to it". But it is not, it is a sleeper. Looks like a beat up Walmart bike with Marin badge. Downside is biking in rain with rim brakes, which can be scary. Also I would prefer a 1x drivetrain, but they were just not good when it was made. Other than that, it is stiff, good geometry, rides smooth, I love it.
I never had a problem with rim brakes in the rain... aside from the loud screeching noise.
I'm pretty sure some random pedestrian will get a heart attack at some point because I used my front brake.
Get some Huffy stickers
One thing I'll add, if you chained your bike up in a mall area and come back and the bike is gone, don't assume the bike was stolen. When I worked mall security, we had to cut bikes off of poles that were chained up. We'd leave a notice on the bike and if in an hour the bike was still there we'd cut the lock and take it to the office for lost and found. (this was because the bikes could pose a hazard, especially because people liked to chain them to the trees behind the fire doors at the mall I worked at. We'd end up with quite a few bikes because people would probably just assume their bike got stolen, not report it to us, and leave property. So if you chained it up in a mall area, check with mall security first.
Police can also remove a bike if it is causing a hazard or improperly parked. Definitely check with security &/or police - it is good to make a report also for data & in case it shows up.
A word of warning about wearable chain/U-locks. They are great until your crash with the lock between you and the tarmac. In this scenario the lock always gonna win.
Be careful with quick-release hubs. I had my bike double-locked and cabled on Michigan Ave in Chicago (lots of foot traffic, highly visible location, anchored to a very secure 10-foot-tall signpost) and some ass-hat decided one day that if he couldn't steal my bike he was make me pay for his disappointment by removing the front quick-release hub. If I hadn't noticed that when leaving work for the day I'd have likely been seriously injured or worse. Yeah, that's life in the big city.
I think you forgot to mention that you should spend at least 10% the value of your bike on locks.
He did mention it
Jitterbugg Will r/wooosh
He said it
He always forgets that
@@augmentedkeys5971 He was being sarcastic.
Many years ago (many), a friend of mine bought an Italian Masi road bike. It was beautiful, sculpted lugs, hand finished paint, all Campagnolo super record components.
He then went to work with two or three different kinds of tape and several cans of spray paint. By the time he finished, the bike looked like it had already been stolen and clumsily repainted two or three times, ravaged by the Visigoths, and generally gave the impression that you could catch tetanus or rabies just by standing anywhere near it.
Rob never locked that bike. He routinely left it lying outside of convenience stores, movie theaters, and shopping malls. And during the three years that I worked with him, it never got stolen.
I have never quite had the heart to adopt that strategy, but it definitely worked.
When I lived in Helsinki, Finland I never had my bike stolen. I didn't even bother to lock it most of the time when I used it to quickly visit grocery stores. The lock I had was made by myself out of a length of rope and a padlock, and you could've hacked through it with a knife in seconds. It's nice to live in a safe city.
My bike was complete shit though, so I guess thieves didn't have any reason to steal it lol.
Nice country
I used to put my U-lock through the bike rack, rear triangle (rim/tire in the lock) and remove the front wheel to put it through the same lock. This way the thief cannot get as much leverage when trying to steal and it's more work to one) break the lock, two) pick up the bike and front wheel separately and three) not be able to instantly ride off/push the bike away from the rack . always worked for me!
Other tip? Hose clamp around the quick release wheel lever. I have this on my front wheel. It make bike thieves more difficult with needing another tool and more time consuming to steal. If they snip the secondary cable for my front wheel, they still need an 8mm wrench to loosen the hose clamp from the inside of the fork with the spokes in the way. I filled in the screwdriver slot, painted it black and put black tape just to make look better and match my bike color. Quality locks? I got 3 main locks (Krytonite NY standard u-lock, Krytonite NY Noose chain lock and Bully Alarm Pager u-lock) but I only use 1 at a time. My go-to lock is the Krytonite NY standard u-lock with a cable. The Bully Alarm Pager u-lock has a loud "disorienting" blaring alarm and comes with a pager that immediately pages me when somebody touches my u-lock. Great feature.
Good strategies, good reminders. I haven't had a bike stolen since 1985, so I must be doing something right! However, a couple of years ago I parked my bike in a sketchy part of town in the middle of the day for about two hours, and someone snatched my (unsecured) Brooks saddle and carbon fibre seat post. It was an expensive lesson. Now I loop a cable through the saddle.
Buy a boring value bike using just for daily downtown and take your dream bike when doing longer rides.
and remember, comfort is the thief's silent accomplice!
This has definitely worked for me. No thief in their right mind steals a "K Mart" special.
on my good road bike i never leave sight of it, non cyclysts dont understand
me neither. best way to ensure your bike is safe is to keep an eye on it. never leave it unattended.
JogBird same herw
mine goes to the bathroom w/me lol!
Yes! I only leave my main ride unattended when I am refuelling in the middle of nowhere, small towns are usually very safe around here. If I bought another road bike, it would either be in my room or under my legs.
You don't need to be a cyclist to understand thievery.
Awesome Video !! Thank you very much for producing and uploading it
Sad thing for me is I am watching this AFTER my beloved 3 speed Raleigh was stolen - had it for 20 years, no one ever touched it, left it locked in an office parking lot overnight and next day - gone. Vintage Brooks saddle, covered with plastic bag so it wouldn't be ruined. Pouring rain, brakes didn't work, could have put inside the office building or even walked it home but I didn't think anyone would steal it. Can't fix stupid. My friend gave me her old Schwinn but wow...so not the same. Thanks for this great video.
I got a 40$ bike ( most of the parts were rusty, I used it so it wouldn't get stolen, it made my commute to the train station much quicker) with a 35$ lock stolen, the lock hurt more than the bike
He clearly said your lock should be 10% the cost of the bike. $35 lock made someone think $350 bike.
if i catch a bike thief there will be a whole new chapter in paramedicine students to learn from ...
Glueing a ball bearing into the hex fitting is one I have never heard of before. Brilliant!!!!! Thank you!!!! I have had a titanium rail seat, carbon post, carbon bars, stem, Dra Ace shifters, carbon cranks and front carbon rim wheel (the wheel had a bolt on skewer) all stolen by a thief with tools in less than 20 minutes while in a store in Portland, OR. $3,500 gone in minutes on a busy public street right beside the store entrance with a security guard just inside the door. Hex keys, cable cutters and an apathetic populace resulted in me losing. Walking home with my frame and rear wheel I noticed that the same thief had hit upward of 20 plus bikes in downtown Portland that day the same way! This went on for months until a group of riders put out a bait bike and got him. The cops searched his tents (he had multiple tents) under a bridge since he has over $1,000 in bike parts in his back pack and recovered tons of bikes and parts that most of it made it back to the owners. He had been selling the parts for drugs to a guy that would in turn would sale the parts and bikes in Seattle and Vancouver BC. No one felt sorry for his homeless plight being a mass thief like he was.
Thanks for your vid. Needed some great advice for my new bike.
I've only had one bike stolen... My beloved P1 dirt jumper... Until I tracked the guys down and took it back. My daily driver is a big beefy $3,000+ ebike and I use two Ulocks and a cable at ALL times. One of them being the giant Kryptonite New York Fahgettaboutit lock! Great tips!
I'm from central london, and I cankot remember the number of bikes I have had stolen. It took me 20 years to get to the point where I wasn't losing at least one bike a season. I was riding vintage racers worth basically nothing, and crashing them fairly often in traffic situations. Insufficient grip, bad handling, bad brakes etc. That had to change.
These days I ride proper mountain bikes with no dodgy handling characteristics.
My strategies:
#1 use a link based heavy duty chain designed for securing motorbikes. I wear it round my body while riding and yea it's heavy. It's a form of weight training.
#2 carry the bike in wherever possible. Has to be very light and also clean and nice to look at in in a host's place. Hence carbon/titanium frames etc.
#3 adding reflective stickers / removing decals. My bikes do not have any logos on them. Hence they would be hard to sell.
#4 extreme vigilance - if it is locked up outside I am probably within 30m keeping an eye on it.
I used to live in central London and I rode a vintage '80s race bike. I used good Kryptonite locks on it (an Evolution Mini that I had bought for the lower risk city where I come from, plus a Kryptonite New York Standard) and it never got stolen. This bike is a bit of a Frankenstein, a mish-mash of parts, only cost £100 too, so I hope thieves don't think there's much reason to steal it, especially with two Kryptonite locks on it, when many people lock up much more valuable bikes with much worse locks.
Can I ask why you don't like vintage racers, and why you switched to a mountain bike? From my experience road bikes have more than enough grip for the paved roads of a city. As for brakes, that's nothing to do with the style of bike. Old MTBs have shit brakes too. Just replace the brake pads and make sure the callipers work and they're enough to stop you. The MTB you ride, does it have suspension? MTBs are of course heavier than road bikes, especially with suspension which adds to the weight massively. Also carbon/titanium? Sounds very expensive, and therefore attractive to a bike thief. I think my £100 steel scruffy '80s roadie was a great vehicle for getting around London. I would never have gone with an MTB personally due to the extra weight. Interested why you went that route?
Of course there is another option in central London which I'm a massive fan of too - Boris bikes. Very affordable, only £2 for 24 hours' access, which is way cheaper than the tube, especially when you consider a return journey or multiple journeys in a day. And best of all you don't have to worry about having your bike nicked at all!
Thank You Very Much for that it helped a lot. When you broke it down it actually made sense and was very detailed. Now I feel a lot better about my chances of not getting my bike stolen.
I was thinking to put a bag of human poo under pressure and if the bike is moved without activated a nfc card to cover the thief in human poo
Being someone who recently had their precious bike stolen (a simple inevitability in Berlin), this video speaks to me. This was my own fault given that I only used a crappy cable lock only around the frame. Honestly, having my bike like this without it getting stolen for more than 4 years before it was stolen was a god damn miracle!
My new bike is always secured with a Kryptonite New York U lock around the rear wheel and frame and another hardened steel heavy chain around the front wheel and frame and I never leave the saddle and seat post on the bike when I leave it.
I'm also considering fitting a GPS tracker inside the handlebars. Would this maybe be overkill?
It was not your fault. You are a victim. The thieves are the ones who stole it. They would be at fault even if you had left your bike unlocked.
No if it makes you feel secure.
My relatively small town (400k population) provides free smartlock stands near bigger shops/locations (those are stationary heavy duty bike stands that lock your frame and a wheel) . Lock it via phone app or dial a number or use a registered public transport card thingie. Convenient!
Wow nice, tell me more about your city
400,000 is a small town? Where are you? India?
They stole my bike right outside my house door and it was locked! In broad daylight with local businesses around. Bike thefts are an everyday thing in Rotterdam Netherlands, and this video helped me prevent this incident from happening again. Thanks man. Great video and l will start using 3 locks as well. Subscription well earned.
If I saw a thief I would knock them out
Dude sick video! I live in Toronto I just bought a bike and I wanna keep it my bike as long as I possibly can. Appreciate all the tips fam
I ride regularly to downtown Santiago (Chile) where there's plenty of bike racks scattered and plenty of bike thieves as well. I settled on a specific rack that's outside the front of a lot of restaurants, and during day only. Thieves might (I hope) assume the bike belongs to someone who works there at the restaurant and go try somewhere else. And I never ever park at night, period.
The discussion here focusses on reducing the Theft Likelihood relationship shown at 3:11 by increasing the "risk" element. But another way to achieve the same reduction would be to decrease the "reward" term in the equation. Make your bike unattractive. My Bianchi was never stolen in Berkeley CA despite having Campagnolo hubs and derailleurs because I painted it black with house paint and used downtube shift levers. You can file off or otherwise obliterate or remove logos (like that "Brooks" tag on the saddle). Don't shout "Expensive."
And remember, you have to carry all those locks around with you. How much do they weigh? If the bike is close to the UCI weight limit (6.8 kg) and your 3 or 4 locks come to another 6 kg (Arbus - 1 1/2 kg, Kyptonite Fahgettaboudit - 2 kg), you might as well by a heavier, off-brand bike at 10 kg, make it ugly and put good wheels on it and buy a lighter cable lock.
Like a "sleeper" car.
Having a very uncommon bike helps as well, as thieves can't easily resell it, and they know it. E.g. here in Vienna, Bromptons are very uncommon, so nobody knows their real value and the market is also very small. On the other hand, a high-end race bike screams to be stolen if left weakly protected. However, also be aware some thieves focus on cheap weakly protected bikes, especially the opportunists just needing a quick ride, so using a cable lock is always a bad idea, even for a 50$ bike.
Best summary of how not to have your bike stolen I have ever seen. Good work.
Thanks for the very good video!
Strongly agree with the content in this video. I have also never had a bike stolen but view it as a when and not if kinda' issue. I always lock my bike using my full setup even if its a brief stop.
One time we used an angle grinder to cut free my friends bike in public in the city centre after he'd lost the keys. Sparks were going all over the place, it was broad daylight, countless people walked past and the police drove past slowly, no one stopped to ask us the deal or what we were up to. Everyone assumed we were not stealing a bike (which we weren't) but we totally could have been.
Fuck bike thieves, if you love bikes do not buy bikes if you even suspect they might be stolen!!
Never show off your expensive flashy bike in a shady part of town. Common sense yeah, but its likely to be the case for some people.
Nicolas Honrade I live london, the whole bloody place is shady
Joachim Macdonald the point is valid for London
I got my classic used CCM with an awesome basket for my groceries stolen on the night of my birthday 3 years ago downtown after I had a good time and came out of the club at 1am. The chain was broken. I had my lesson never to leave a locked bicycle overnight 2 times and I use a hard U lock. Thanks for the advice.
Good points if you ask me! Maybe also do a follow up about what to do when your bike gets stolen and how to prepare for when it gets stolen (write down frame numbers, keep prove of ownership, registration if that's a thing in your country, airtags i guess, searching on places bike thieves use to sell their stolen goods, etc.)
I live in NY and had my bike stolen the first day I had it out here. Got a new one a year later and won’t let it go to chance.. this was helpful 👌🏽
How did this happen, did you neglect to lock it up?
Strip the decal off your bike and replace it with Huffy decal. No one steals Huffy bikes.
Abus folding locker works great for me! Heavy duty and still portable.
great info. I just got an expensive road bike with the quick release front wheel and these tips will definitely help.
Canadian company Rocklockit make a D lock holder to put on the back of your saddle.
You mentioned increasing risk but forgot to mention reducing the reward for the theif. At the expense of fixie points, you can de-badge some of your compents that theives know are expensive components by looking at the labels
Or do the opposite. On a crap bike put dura ace stickers
@Bikechanic yea
Install a car alarm on your bike + hidden gps tracker
wat
Pff, if only GPS trackers were small enough.
@@AWriterWandering check Sherlock they are gps/ANTI THEFT TRACKERS made for bikes
Go on Amazon and search "bicycle alarm". $15 gets you a pretty loud alarm with a wireless key fob. Put the fob on a ring with your bike lock key(s). Anyone messing with your bike will set off the alarm and at least give you warning / attract attention.
Great video - liking these tips
Underrated video, thank you for this
My top tips for cycle security,
1: buy and use at least 2 different types of lock. Thieves don't like having to carry two sets of tools in order to steal one bike.
2: avoid parking your bike anywhere where street lighting is poor. Thieves love areas like this as it offers them cover.
3: have your bike and any expensive components security marked. Marking your bike makes it traceable, hard to sell on and less appealing to thieves.
Wish this video came out sooner I got my bike stolen at school. R.I.P aventon matero
Nicely done. Very clear and concise. The same info that I have been hearing from others but much more organized and to the point. Thanks.
I'm trying to figure out how to secure my new Ebikes to the bike rack on my truck hitch. I figure a beefy kryptonite chain and lock from the truck frame to the first bike and another chain/lock through both bikes (front & rear wheel and frame. This is just for transport and to protect them when we go into a restaurant or store. .... thoughts?
Thanks, I'm considering to buy another lock now!
I also installed Bike alarm to my bike too, it's touch sensitive, if anyone touch bike the alarm goes off. Cost me only £10 😊
Thank you for posting this video. I recently purchased an e bike. I use 3 heavy chain locks and I use them all every time. I also keep it locked where I can see it. At night, it comes inside.
This guy is so smart when it comes bike security this video made me think back about how and why I lost the 10 bikes I’ve gotten stolen within a 7 year period, I wish I knew then what I know now. They need to come up with like a shock lock something that would electrocute these bastards.
Finally got a wabi purchased after months of waiting for stock so now I’m here 🦾
outstanding video... wabi…. i'll check these out thanks
If you have an expensive bike, install a GPS tracker to it. That's the best way to keep your bike safe. Of course having 3 locks is a good way to make sure you don't have to waste time chasing the thief.
My Opinion Is Have 3 Or 4 Locks. Am Not Have Bike Yet But Am Ever Had Think At Least 3 Locks But Now I Think We Must Be 4 High Quality Locks. Perhaps 3 Key Lock 1 Alarm Motion Key Lock
I live in Japan where all you gotta do is stick a lock thru one of the wheels so no one can hop on and ride it away...
One more advice: make your bike look bad. It does not mean technical neglection, but the frame wrapped with packing tape or duck tape can visually deteriorate the bike. If possible, use a cheap bike for everyday commuting. Use parts that are scratched, the more rusty look, the better. I know, not everybody likes to ride a bad-looking bike, but if you live in dangerous place, maybe it is the option.
Still no videos about forks 😂 damn I’ll be here waiting love the videos
Henry Rivera FORKS!!!
your the only person i know whom would come up with an equation for having your bike stolen
it's basically an application of decision theory or game theory, i think his formula is a type of "expected value" equation
It's who not whom; you're using the subjective tense.
Grammar Nazis, Unite! th-cam.com/video/N4vf8N6GpdM-/w-d-xo.html-----
And I mean that in a most approving way.
I have that same abus ulock but after watching this video I'll definitely at least get a second lock. On top of that, I just insured ly bike against theft and damage. Definitely worth it for the first couple years if you're buying a brand new bike.
I've never had a bike stolen either, those U-locks are the real deal. Just got a chain one too for my new bike that's over two grand. After seeing this video, I'm going to get a third one.
FINALLY, a NO Bull 💩 video on the truth about bike locks .
This is hands down the BEST video EVER on bike locks and how to use your lock in terms of locking the area with the highest monetary value.
Brilliant , choherent and extremely lucid delivery ! 👏👏👍👍
If you regularly have to leave your bike locked in public for long hours, make sure it's worth 10% of your U lock. Keep your better bike for rides when it's under you not locked on streets.
A bike "worth 10% of your U lock".🤔
@@mechanicaldavid4827
Yes, so whatever the worth of your bike is, the lock should be 10x more expensive, very simple
@@agentmikster44 That is both bad math and a dubious lifestyle choice. My advice: Have a good bike. Enjoy riding it. Don't be shy about protecting it with a good quality lock. There will always be some naïf whose nearby bike is only guarded by a flimsy cable lock.
@@mechanicaldavid4827
I thought it was obvious I was being sarcastic...
@@agentmikster44 I thought so too. That doesn't mean I agree with anything you really wanted to say (but wanted to perform in ironic form).
Best bike lock video that I've seen so far
Amazing video!
Hexlox for wheels, headset cap bolt, seat post clamp, and saddle clamp. Beefy U lock through rear wheel and frame.
thats my setup, never had any problems.
Exactly. Use security skewers on both wheels, seat post and tube cap. Then use a 16-18 mm U lock on frame + any wheel. Register your bike.
Last is optional. Install a GPS inside your seat post.
Guaranteed you have the safest bike out of anyone.