How paranoid are you about theft of your pride and joy?

theyid

I've just got my beauty a Trek 7.6fx which is a joy to ride. Thing is I haven't got the locks I ordered yet (a kyrptonite mini u lock and chain, both 'silver rated) but already I'm worried about leaving it places.

I've read lot of stuff about where to keep it and how to lock it but still I feel uneasy about leaving it unattended. I'm intending to ride the 10 miles to uni when I go back but am now really paranoid about it being nicked!

How do you guys (and girls) feel? I'm putting on the house insurance soon but would rather come back and it still be there!

HamishD

If I were you I wouldn't leave it anywhere until a) your insurance 100% covers it (double check your household insurance policy wording and then check it again . . .) and b) your locks have arrived (keep the receipts) . . .

Then, as long as you don't leave it anywhere silly or for loong periods of time, happy days

That's what insurance is for and two silver rated locks will deter most thieves. If you've taken all the right precautions then if it's going to get nicked, it's going to get nicked - there's nothing else you can do about it. Enjoy the riding!

Up the blues

H

theyid

Yer your right but still can't help but worry. I think some little s*it will vandalise it if he can't get in it (it's Coventry I'll be leaving it in!).

Why can't you get a bike GPS security like they have on cars? But then again the Police mosly don't care as it is....

I enjoyed my trip to Wembley last March (if it's the Chelsea blues!)

prj45

Very.

I simply won't leave it it public, if I do it will be within sight, and on the rare occasion I do let it go out of my sight whilst in a public place I'm a bit of a nervous wreck..

tardington

Quite right there! I *insist* on taking my nice bike into my work building... When someone kicked up a bit of a fuss I just gave them a level stare, and pointed out that the rowdy local youth actually hung out in our 'bike shelter'. They may have given in.

I may also have said I would park it there if they gave me a deposit of £700... 8)

HamishD

I really try not to get para but generally I think there are good and bad places to leave your wheels - you'll obviously know the area better (all that I've ever seen of Coventry was the station and numerous roundabouts) . . .

don't leave it in Ned central and you should/might/may be OK - are there dedicated bike racks etc where there might be lots of easier pickings? You get it insured for a reason after all.

You were good value at Wembley last year, we were rubbish. I hate that stadium by the way, the stench of corporateness is almost overpowering.

Check this out though

(sorry, couldn't find Jimmy's or Flo's hat tricks :twisted: )

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUn7QageCHY

spursn17

I never leave mine.

Lives in the spare bedroom at home and an unused office at work.

theyid

HamishD wrote:

I really try not to get para but generally I think there are good and bad places to leave your wheels - you'll obviously know the area better (all that I've ever seen of Coventry was the station and numerous roundabouts) . . .

don't leave it in Ned central and you should/might/may be OK - are there dedicated bike racks etc where there might be lots of easier pickings? You get it insured for a reason after all.

You were good value at Wembley last year, we were rubbish. I hate that stadium by the way, the stench of corporateness is almost overpowering.

Check this out though

(sorry, couldn't find Jimmy's or Flo's hat tricks :twisted: )

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUn7QageCHY

Coventry is dodgy they nicked my cheaps*it Halfords bike off a main road last year! The library has a camera on the bike racks if that stops them. I've seen the videos on youtube of people just walking past & even helping the theives!

I was at the FA cup final this year (free FA tickets) wasn't a great one but happy to see the fastest FA cup final goal! Outside after was funny with some fat scouser squaring up to an equally fat cockney chappy (no offense intended here), handbags at 10 paces! :roll:

Found this for you http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zeNwvWLdjQ

This one should be fresh in the mind though http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FtOzfQEs-M0

theyid

HamishD wrote:

I really try not to get para but generally I think there are good and bad places to leave your wheels - you'll obviously know the area better (all that I've ever seen of Coventry was the station and numerous roundabouts) . . .

don't leave it in Ned central and you should/might/may be OK - are there dedicated bike racks etc where there might be lots of easier pickings? You get it insured for a reason after all.

You were good value at Wembley last year, we were rubbish. I hate that stadium by the way, the stench of corporateness is almost overpowering.

Check this out though

(sorry, couldn't find Jimmy's or Flo's hat tricks :twisted: )

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUn7QageCHY

Coventry is dodgy they nicked my cheaps*it Halfords bike off a main road last year! The library has a camera on the bike racks if that stops them. I've seen the videos on youtube of people just walking past & even helping the theives!

I was at the FA cup final this year (free FA tickets) wasn't a great one but happy to see the fastest FA cup final goal! Outside after was funny with some fat scouser squaring up to an equally fat cockney chappy (no offense intended here), handbags at 10 paces! :roll:

Found this for you http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zeNwvWLdjQ

This one should be fresh in the mind though http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FtOzfQEs-M0

AndyManc

I'm not paranoid, I'm a realist.

I do not leave my bikes anywhere, maybe when one of my bikes reaches 10yrs old and is falling to bits I will consider locking it up in the city centre, until then they go everywhere with me.




.

spasypaddy

if im not riding it my bikes are either in the garage or in the alleyway inside the building i work in. Went to a pub with it a few weeks ago and sat down next to it was still not comfortable. sad but true

ocaaaaa

I am paranoid but I still lock the bike anywhere if I'm out and about , use it to get to most places so have to lock it up.

I leave it on busy roads usually in areas which aren't rough with a good lock (£80 Abus thingy) and the pinhead quick release replacements so the wheels don't get nicked.

It's insured too , so in worst case it'll be covered by insurance

E.T.

I'll leave my bike locked up if tis somewhere like the Nature Reserve Field Centre, but not in the town centre, well maybe for ten minutes if I'm buying a paper.

Fortunately I don't have to worry about it for commuting to work as I work from home, or 50 miles away when I take the car

But if I did commute, I would be inclined to use a U-lock and a padlock and chain, as I understand that they are different techniques for breaking each, and means two sets of tools for theiving theeb@rstards. Busy areas are good (not side alleys etc. as that just gives a thief time to do what he wants to do)

The rule of thumb the police recommend is buy a lock equivilent to 10% of the value of your bike...you get what you pay for!

Vary the location of where you leave it. If your regular and your bike is worth nicking they may well know exactly you leave it how long for (and how much time they have).

If it is just a commuting bike (wouldn't do this to mine) you can make it look crap by an awful paint job, including rust coloured paint, the whole point is to make it look undesirable

linsen

I am fairly paranoid, as I do not currently have the bike insured, and usually don't let it out of my sight.

Exception was the club run I did with my local cycling club. Didn't take a lock as I assumed cakestop would be taken with our "babies". Nope, they were all left in a heap outside a garden centre.

No, I'm NOT telling you which one....... :roll:

DonDaddyD

When I took Karen (Kuota) to work as I was going to check on it, someone I passed asked "hello going to check your bike again?".

I think I check the Kuota at work once every 2 hours....

At the Morpeth, once indoors, I couldn't properly relax....

I've never felt so protective about anything....

linsen

DonDaddyD wrote:

When I took Karen (Kuota) to work as I was going to check on it, someone I passed asked "hello going to check your bike again?".

I think I check the Kuota at work once every 2 hours....

At the Morpeth, once indoors, I couldn't properly relax....

I've never felt so protective about anything....

Firstly - never tell your GF about that last comment

Secondly - I wasn't at all worried about Frank outside the Morpeth. That was partly because I had two and a half pints, and partly because your baby was out there and I knew she'd get half-inched first

DonDaddyD

linsen wrote:

Secondly - I wasn't at all worried about Frank outside the Morpeth. That was partly because I had two and a half pints, and partly because your baby was out there and I knew she'd get half-inched first

That's partly why I put mine next to Greg's Cervelo....

Don't understand how he can put just one lock around it, mine had 3 (two cable locks and 1 d-lock) and I still felt uneasy....

Cafewanda

linsen wrote:

DonDaddyD wrote:

When I took Karen (Kuota) to work as I was going to check on it, someone I passed asked "hello going to check your bike again?".

I think I check the Kuota at work once every 2 hours....

At the Morpeth, once indoors, I couldn't properly relax....

I've never felt so protective about anything....

Firstly - never tell your GF about that last comment

+1

linsen

DonDaddyD wrote:

linsen wrote:

Secondly - I wasn't at all worried about Frank outside the Morpeth. That was partly because I had two and a half pints, and partly because your baby was out there and I knew she'd get half-inched first

That's partly why I put mine next to Greg's Cervelo....

Don't understand how he can put just one lock around it, mine had 3 (two cable locks and 1 d-lock) and I still felt uneasy....

He probably knew you would keep an eye on it

londonbairn

Home - kitchen
Work - underground car park protected with entry pass then a bike cage with keys and camera and then inside the cage Abus lock

No one has ever had anything stolen in there from my time there.

My friend left his bike outside his house locked to the railings in Notting Hill, 10 mins later he came out and it was gone! I'd never ever leave my bike outside the house in London

ride_whenever

At home they all live inside, my nice bikes are never left on the street.

When i take my commuter places I have an abus granit extreme, so i don't really worry too much, although i still keep and eye on it. I want to get a serious chain that'll fit over the extreme as well for securing the forks and front wheel.

boneyjoe

Where do you live and where are you planning to park it? I'm sure it would be safe with a D-lock in most areas. Best not get one that's too heavy, as they're a pain to lug about.

CiB

I have an agreement to disagree on security with our facilities manager. I bring my bike up into my office; her view is that we have a bike 'shelter' outside and surely that's better than nothing and I should leave it there. I don't work like that - either something is fit for its intended task or it isn't, and a bike shelter that offers neither protection nor security isn't fit for purpose and is not somewhere I'd consider leaving my bike unattended for 8 hours a day.

That said, I don't get paranoid about it disappearing mainly because I never leave it anywhere that it's likely to get pinched. I don't have a lock, and don't worry. It did cause a problem adding it to the house insurance last year though. The ins agent asked the question 'what sort of lock do you use?'. Me - I don't have a lock. I never leave it unattended. Him - but we have to know what sort of lock you use when it's unattended. Me - it's never unattended, except at home when it's locked away securely. Him - We have to know what sort of lock you use though away from home. :? Me - ok - it's an enormous steel padlock with a length of 2" link chain wrapped the nearest solid object. Will that do? Him - yep - that's fine. Thanks.

biondino

I left my fixie outside Costa yesterday when I popped in for a coffee. No lock, so I kept an eye on it pretty much solidly even when I was ordering! I reassured myself that only a 6 foot plus fixie-riding thief with substantial thighs would have been able to mount, push off and get up to speed quickly enough to avoid me chasing him and pushing him off :twisted:

dilemna

Don't bother with any cable locks you may as well use string. Use two Abus Granit Extreme D-locks. Get your bikes individually named on your house insurance policy. But try not to leave them unattended in the first place. Or instead you could get a Rotweiler to guard it or a cheeter as some guy in France I knew a few years ago did to guard his motorbikes and cars in a huge barn.......

Mike400

Home - Concrete workshop/boilerhouse with one tiny window and a solid wood double-locked door. To get this far you need to get through a beefy padlocked 2m high gate

Work - basement carpark, very secure with electronic shutters (always closed) and 24hr CCTV, plus friendly security gaurds who take an interest.

Half the cyclists in here leave their helmets, lights, computers, bags etc on the bikes and there has never been any trouble. I dont, I like having everything removable with me but thats just me.

Dont use the bike anywhere else I need to stop. Wifey cracks up when I wont stop at the shop etc on the way home from work or whatever but Im just not going to take the risk.

My bike isnt worth much either!!!

theyid

I'm going to lock mine with my two Kyrptonite locks (chain and mini evo).

You want to see the paper they want for the £900 guarantee - receipt for lock, receipt for bike (will go with estimate from lbs as it's the Mrs under the cycle scheme), record of bike registration, returned form.

il_principe

I had a bike stolen from a "secure" storage room at my old job. Access required getting through reception, then knowing the access code... inside job I reckon. Thankfully the bike was a Ridgeback Hybrid and its theft led me down the path of roadie enlightenment.

The Pearson commuter lives in the office, but does get me round London so will be locked up and left. I use a Kryptonite D lock and cable. It'll prob get stolen one day but that's the risk you take in London, and if it were stolen I'd be upset, but not that upset (afterall it'd be an excuse to source a new bike). If someone stole my Pinarello I'd probably cry for a week and then take a contract out on them. For this reason I only ever leave it at home, locked outside the Morpeth, or in my sight on cafe stops (or left unlocked outside a kebab shop in central London at midnight - although this only happened once and I was pissed ) :oops:

Bikes are covered under home contents, but rather than pay any other insurance I pay a sum of money into another account every month - this is the emergency bike fund and there's current;y enough to replace the Pearson twice over. I'd much rather pay into my own account than pay some insurance feckers well over the odds.

lost_in_thought

When I first got the old commuter, I was so bl**dy paranoid about people stealing it. Luckily the office where I worked at the time had several office-sized rooms set aside for filing, one of which was my bike's office!

However I still had to leave it at liverpool street overnight, so I took not only the saddle, but also the handlebars with me! Bless my cotton socks.

Eventually I realised nobody was going to steal it, especially not with a massive scooter-sized oxford lock on it, and calmed TFD. :P

I subscribe to the 66 'one good lock' school of thought, having secured a bike once with a pretty thick combination cable lock that broke. I had to cut it off myself, took me about ten minutes with a pair of tin snips and a stanley knife. I don't think cable locks are really worth the money.