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I use both a heavy U-lock and a thick cable lock. I've never had a bike stolen though I have had accessories stolen. You don't need to make your bike imperviou
by btrettel 6y ago
I use both a heavy U-lock and a thick cable lock. I've never had a bike stolen though I have had accessories stolen.
You don't need to make your bike impervious to being stolen, just harder to steal than another bike near it so that the thieves pick that one instead. That isn't particularly hard in my experience. In my case I have two different types of locks as that increases the chances that a thief won't have the right tools to defeat one of the locks. E.g., if a thief has something to pry a lock off that would work on the U-lock, that won't work on the cable lock.
Having an ugly bike probably also helps.
- zimpenfish 6y agoYeah, I use a heavy D/U-type, a thick cable, and a bar-type (like an Abus Bordo). Pain in the arse carrying them about but I've never had a bike stolen in London.
- JAlexoid 6y agoAbus now has lightweight versions of their locks.
- Obi_Juan_Kenobi 6y agoThat's not a generalizable solution. Some people want more expensive bikes, namely electric bikes that provide more mobility, and to a vastly greater number of people. It also suggests that there will always be a class of vulnerable bikes available for theft alternatives. The cost is still there, simply borne by 'someone else'.
- btrettel 6y agoI'm not saying this strategy can be implemented by everyone, will work forever, or that it's just. My only claim is that if you implement it now, it'll greatly reduce the probability of theft. Also: My bike is actually fairly expensive but doesn't look so. The new cost was over $1000 at the time as I recall, comparable to a new e-bike. (I bought it used for a fraction of that.) The bike doesn't need to be cheap, just not look attractive to a thief.