Design Against Cycle Theft

James Phillips

Dear All,

I am a third year Product Design student at the University of Leeds, and am currently conducting a project relating to anti-theft systems for bicycles. The project will result in the design and prototyping of an innovative new anti-theft product.

The project is currently at the research stage, and as part of this it is desirable that I talk to cyclists about experiences of cycle theft and opinions and experiences of current anti-theft products, along with any opinions they may have about what aspects of these products should be improved in future.

This research will take the form of a short (5 minute) online questionnaire, and will be completely anonymous.

Responses from as many cyclists as possible would be extremely beneficial to the design process and greatly influence future design decisions, so I will be extremely grateful for all responses I receive.

The survey is available, through SurveyMonkey, via this link:

www.surveymonkey.com/s/DACTUR

The questionnaire gives the option of being contacted at a later stage to give feedback and opinions on design concepts that result from this research, so if you are happy to do this, simply enter your email address in the appropriate box!

Thank you for your support.

James Phillips

Zachariah

Portable Rottweilers that don't need feeding.

turnerjohn

completed mate. Good luck ....not an easy one to "crack"...pun intended !

marchant

Done, will be interested in finding out what you come up with

Mr Plum

I've just done the survey - there are a few questions that aren't great though, such as the value of the bikes, the value of the locks, and the pictures that you've used to show how people lock their bikes up; if both wheels and frame are locked with a D-Lock and cable the lock should be going through the back wheel and frame.

The bottom line with any 'anti-theft' device is to make it as much of a hassle as possible to the thief, i.e. what Kryptonite have done with their 15mm toughened steel NYC D-Locks, or to get a whole bunch of cheaper locks; both making the act of thieving laborious and time consuming and hopefully a deterrent to even attempt it.

Personally, I go with the 15mm toughened steel Kryptonite lock every time because not only is it a good deterrent in itself, it will also take power tools to break. Obviously it's not unbreakable, as per youtube vids, but it's pretty tough. The weight of the thing is a pain, but I guess there's not a lot that anyone can do about that...

Pufftmw

Done

Well thought out survey, with sensible and pertinent questions, good job.

ride_whenever

Done, unfortunately i doubt a lock that i'd be happy with can be made!!! (Don't care about weight, purely security!)

also check this out! That, i want!

Agent57

ride_whenever wrote:

also check this out! That, i want!

I've just locked my bike up the same pole, but underneath yours. Now you're stuck until I get back and move mine.

deptfordmarmoset

Done. I dream of a bike stand-cum-locking facility that's key-operated and situated at commuting centres - so, in London it would be tagged onto the cycle hire scheme bays. Same key, small charge, electronic feedback to control centre when a lock gets broken - time used by which keyholder, when lock ceased functioning and maybe triggering a CCTV photo/footage.

No more locks to carry around for a great number of journeys.

jeremyrundle

Surely it is also a lot to do with where you lock it.

I use a good cable lock, not a weighty D lock, but then I am either at a cafe in Tavistock, the local indoor market or Morrisons, not leaving it all day at a station etc.

Horses for courses.

If I were taking one of my bikes, only about £800, so nothing great, into London I would have a strong D lock on each wheel and the frame, if I were in Bleadon Weston Super Mare possibly a chain would do :!:

Though second level security that is simple such as well installed pinheads are also a good idea which all my bikes have.

lost_in_thought

Alas, I fear you can have all the anti-theft systems in all the world, and still have your bike stolen.

Quite a good survey though - further clarification of just exactly what you mean by 'anti-theft systems' might be helpful - my lock is my only anti-theft system at the moment!

James Phillips

Just a quick thanks to everyone who has filled it out so far- 60 responses in 48 hours is pretty good as far as I'm concerned! Some brilliant responses on the more open questions too.

I can see that this is very much about inconveniencing the thief as much much as protecting the bike- I am in the process of organising a meeting through the police with a prolific cycle thief in my home town at the moment- see what the other side of the fence has to say on the matter!

Thanks again

James

MichaelW

You also have to secure wheels, seatpost etc when leaving the bike all day.
Ive had really rubishy stuff stolen from my bike eg manky water bottles.

The bike registration schemes are a mess, there are zillions of them and the police only check one or two. The commercial ones seem to fade away after a few years of operation.

dilemna

The AK 47 has already been designed .

u05harrisb

ive got an idea, you know that cable locks take key/number and has one cable that plugs into on slot mabye have multipull cables and mulitpull slots so that you can put the main section in the middle of the frame one cable for front wheel to frame cable 2 rear wheel to frame cable 3 frame to object, just a though sorry not explaind very well PM again if you have any questions/want a better explanation lol
Ben

u05harrisb

car alarm style thing built into above lock or D lock, imobilise it with a pipper keyring thing then unlock like normal, the alarm goes off if moved more than an acidental nuge from fellow bike locker upers, possible message to phone or pipper keyring depending on technologie being small enough otherwise works like a car alarm and goes off then stops after a given time that might be able to to be set by the user via the pipper mabye/computer interface possibly but mabye thats over kill
Ben

GyatsoLa

James, one point about your survey - you ask how many times the respondent has ridden 'in the past week'. I think you'll find that different people will interpret 'the past week' differently - some will think 'the last seven days', some will think 'since the weekend', etc. Its a very common error in surveys!

u05harrisb

mabye you should also ask about where the riding takes place i.e. i ride 4-6 times per week although this is off road rural bridlways so no need for locks that sort of thing, urban riders locks should be present all the time

Oddjob62

GyatsoLa wrote:

James, one point about your survey - you ask how many times the respondent has ridden 'in the past week'. I think you'll find that different people will interpret 'the past week' differently - some will think 'the last seven days', some will think 'since the weekend', etc. Its a very common error in surveys!

Also wording it this way when we've just had a large amount of snow might show considerably lower numbers.

simonc2806

i think lost in thought has a point look at exspensive cars they have made the security so good they just pull you out at traffic lights or car parks. this would happen with bikes if they can't nick it from an object they will knock you off to get it. you won't stop a determined thief.

langster

Just had and idea, if you had a lock that was part of the frame, if you broke the lock, the bike would not be rideable

NGale

Perhaps a squad of these guys...

http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTM5zkMZl9lIILCLJ-FJ8F4CRZoVQaQu4B3J43zxwH1quk0rsgj3w

Portable within themselves and a great anti theft device, a bargain at just £20k each per year

EKE_38BPM

Survey done.
An integrated alarmed lock that if broken imobilises the bike would be a good idea.
The alarm should just beep though as alarms are just ignored. It should say something along the lines of "This bike is being stolen. Call the Police".
Also an integrated paint bomb to make the thief easy for the Police to spot.

MichaelW

How many times have you ridden in the last week:
you mean the snowy, frozen one we've just had or a normal one?

James Phillips

Cheers again for your input!

In response to some of the questions I have been asked-

- Unfortunately it just so happens that this last week or so has been pretty snowy! The survey will be running up until the beginning of jan though so any anomolies should even out.

- Also, I will be making sure that all solutions will not merely displace the risk of theft to when the rider is on it, in effect 'bikejacked' (New phrase there maybe!?). Obviously that is always going to be a risk but due to the nature of a bicycle its also something that is impossible to prevent- luckily they seem to be quite rare!

Keep the questions and suggestions coming!

James