Thief-friendly bike racks

mediamonkey
mediamonkey Posts: 128
edited August 2013 in Commuting general
So which rocket scientist designed these racks, as used at my workplace?

I see plenty of v expensive bikes, secured by two or even three gold-standard locks... all to the same bit of rack that any scrote with an adjustable spanner could have away in about 30 seconds. Genius.

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I make sure I loop a lock round two of the bars, and have a D-lock through the front wheel and the top horizontal bar to which all the bars are bolted. But nobody else seems to bother. Give me 20 minutes, a spanner and a large van and I reckon I could have about a hundred grand's worth of bikes! :idea:

Comments

  • redvee
    redvee Posts: 11,922
    Needs a welder to put some spot welds on the bolts and joins or to flare the bolt ends or another nut tightened against the first.
    I've added a signature to prove it is still possible.
  • monkimark
    monkimark Posts: 1,928
    Take a hammer (or brick) & smash the end of the bolt down so that it bends a bit & ruins the threads.
  • MichaelW
    MichaelW Posts: 2,164
    As long as ignorant corporate facilities managers keep buying this kind of trash from ignorant metal-bashers we will have Bad Bike Racks. Once the money is spent, it is too late to do anything about Bad Bicycle Racks

    My local library replaces some perfectly nice stainless steel Sheffield Stands with plastic and galvanized steel over-designed POS whose main selling point was that they didn't require digging (ground works) to install. But they had to dig out the old racks anyway.
    My local Sainsbury installed some complex hinged style long term parking in its short term bike rack, then added even more parking by filling in the gap between them with wheel-benders so there was no room for any bikes ! Their latest effort is a group of wheel-benders under cover, which are always empty, even in the rain.
  • Mr.Duck
    Mr.Duck Posts: 174
    You could push your bike around the supermarket so you can keep it with you at all times. It would look unusual, but I can't think of any problems with it.
  • The Rookie
    The Rookie Posts: 27,812
    The staff will tell you that can't for the elves mate.....
    Currently riding a Whyte T130C, X0 drivetrain, Magura Trail brakes converted to mixed wheel size (homebuilt wheels) with 140mm Fox 34 Rhythm and RP23 suspension. 12.2Kg.
  • bails87
    bails87 Posts: 12,998
    I occasionally wheel mine around our local Sainsburys if i pop in on the way home from work.

    The tyres are no dirtier than a shopping trolley or a wheelchair, and if they don't provide anywhere decent to lock up (not that I have a lock with me) then I'll take it in.
    MTB/CX

    "As I said last time, it won't happen again."
  • chris_bass
    chris_bass Posts: 4,913
    Mr.Duck wrote:
    You could push your bike around the supermarket so you can keep it with you at all times. It would look unusual, but I can't think of any problems with it.

    maybe its because dragons den i starting this weekend but you just gave me an idea, a trolly that docks around a bike! effectively in two bits that clips around the cross bar (or some otherway to take into account bike with either drop cross bars or full suspension) and has wheels on each piece, then you could push that round :-)i'm surely going to be a millionaire!!
    www.conjunctivitis.com - a site for sore eyes
  • Mr.Duck
    Mr.Duck Posts: 174
    ¬.¬ lol
  • Headhuunter
    Headhuunter Posts: 6,494
    bails87 wrote:
    I occasionally wheel mine around our local Sainsburys if i pop in on the way home from work.

    The tyres are no dirtier than a shopping trolley or a wheelchair, and if they don't provide anywhere decent to lock up (not that I have a lock with me) then I'll take it in.

    None of the supermarkets near me will allow you to take bikes in, there's Asda, Sainsbury's, Tesco and Tesco Metro - none of them allow bikes inside...
    Do not write below this line. Office use only.
  • Mr.Duck
    Mr.Duck Posts: 174
    Do they say why?
  • Headhuunter
    Headhuunter Posts: 6,494
    Mr.Duck wrote:
    Do they say why?
    No but as soon as you try to walk in the doors with a bike, security guys jump all over you telling you to take the bike out
    Do not write below this line. Office use only.
  • Mr.Duck
    Mr.Duck Posts: 174
    Bah! I'm used to Waitrose. No security guard by the door there. None that I've notice anyway. I'm sure they wouldn't treat me so shoddily in any case.
  • Dandelionclock30
    Dandelionclock30 Posts: 306
    My experience is that supermarkets are not really interested in the needs of cyclists.One of my bikes was stolen from outside one. It was my fault in a way for using a cable lock.Lesson learned.
    At Sainsburys they have some loops outside for dogs or cyclists and they are always putting the trolleys in front of the loops.Last week I asked the customer service lady to ask the trolley men not to do this.What happens is that I ended up having to move trolleys whilst hold ing onto my bike and they were going all over.
    At Asda, theres no provison for bikes so I take it inside and lock it in the Foyer on on of those metal bars that runs just off the ground.Nobody ever says anything.
    Where I worked last I used to lock it to a radiator, after a lot of quibbling from them.It was initially suggested that Ieave it outside :roll: . By itself in the street next to the dole office for 8 hours a day!.
    I think if a workplace is being unhelpfull just a get a folder and stick it under the desk.
    I personally think that leaving a bike for longer than a few minutes outside is a no no because it will end up getting stolen.Even the good locks can be taken off with an angle grinder and you can get battery operated ones now. So even if the stand is secure the bike can still very easily be stolen.

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