What do you hate about locking your bike?

tableg

I'm a 3rd year design student, trying to design a better way to store bikes when away from home; so either when you're at work, in town, or simply stopping for a break and have to lock up the bike. It would be great to hear your opinions on both locks and racks, things you hate and things you love. Or even if you just want a good rant about a particular experience. I'll read it all!

Thank you so much

slowbike

I hate having to lock my bike. Why can't people just leave stuff alone that doesn't belong to them?

Kendoddsdadsdeaddog

Something lightweight and easy to carry.

I have a Petzl headtorch where the headband is a wire that retracts into the torch, very clever.

Something unobtrusive like that which you could fix permanently onto your bike would be cool.

CitizenLee

tableg wrote:

I'm a 3rd year design student, trying to design a better way to store bikes when away from home; so either when you're at work, in town, or simply stopping for a break and have to lock up the bike. It would be great to hear your opinions on both locks and racks, things you hate and things you love. Or even if you just want a good rant about a particular experience. I'll read it all!

Thank you so much

I keep a lock at work and a lock at home as I hate having to carry them and don't like things attached to my bike, but that restricts where I can go on the bike so it would be good if locks came incorporated into inner city bike racks. You could then unlock them via SMS/RFID like the NextBikes in Glasgow (I'm sure Boris Bikes are similar) to avoid the hassle of keys.

Kendoddsdadsdeaddog wrote:

Something lightweight and easy to carry.

I have a Petzl headtorch where the headband is a wire that retracts into the torch, very clever.

Something unobtrusive like that which you could fix permanently onto your bike would be cool.

That already exists in various forms. A couple of examples:

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/knog-milkman-re ... able-lock/
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Squire-Retracta ... B00518TSTU

Rather your bike than mine though

The Rookie

Two hates
1/ having to use a heavy lock with extra cable to be reasonably sure my bike will be there when I return
2/ Lightweight portable locks where you always worry the bike won't be there when I return

whoof

Slowbike wrote:

I hate having to lock my bike. Why can't people just leave stuff alone that doesn't belong to them?

This ++++.
I leave home and have to check I've shut and locked the windows, turn on the burglar alarm and double bolt the front door. If I park my bike I need to D lock the frame and rear wheel to a suitable stand (choosen not to be somewhere tucked away out of sight) and lock the front wheel with a cable. I need to remove the lights, computer and bag. At work doors are locked with keys, pins numbers or swipe cards. If I buy something in a shop I need to shield my pin number.
There are a couple of % of the population who are either stealing from the rest or causing them to spend a great deal of time and money to take measures to prevent them stealing from them.
The current (many previous) criminal justice systems does not seem to be tackling this whether it's detection, sentancing, rehabilitation, drug treatment....

thistle_

Poor quality and non standard size/shaped bike racks.

OK if I was trying to lock my bike to a tree or a lamp post I'd understand that I can't get my D lock around it and through the rear triangle, but why are local authorities/workplaces allowed to install anything other than Sheffield stands concreted into the ground?

andrewc3142

As someone said above, having to.

When we cycle camp/tour in Brittany in the summer we don't bother even taking a lock and never had any problem or the slightest concern.

Missybiker

As a recent rider I have so far simply riden in circuits, trying to build up my fitness and experience and so have never had to actually lock up my bike. The first has pain was actually choosing a lock. Did tonnes of research and in the end it was the weight of the lock that made me choose. I did my first ride into town earlier this week and had to park my bike at the hospital. I was actually nervous (would I find a place to park, would I be able to get my super dooper kryponite lock to attach to anything. Anyway, got there. Found a place and managed (after 2 or 3) goes to get the d lock around the back wheel and the Sheffield stand. I then started on the front wheel using one of those coiled locks. Real pain in the bum, it kept springing back and I struggled to drag it through the spokes and around the bar on the stand. I then seemed to have 46 inches all coiled and 3 inches through the stand. I must say I was hot and bothered and my ruck sack kept banking me in the blimmin head so I tood the damn thing off, which made me realise that although my bike was safe anyone could have done a runner with all my goodies. Get the picture....

The Rookie

andrewc3142 wrote:

As someone said above, having to.

When we cycle camp/tour in Brittany in the summer we don't bother even taking a lock and never had any problem or the slightest concern.

We had four rental bikes stolen in the Loire valley......

Daz555

andrewc3142 wrote:

As someone said above, having to.

When we cycle camp/tour in Brittany in the summer we don't bother even taking a lock and never had any problem or the slightest concern.

You have been lucky I'd say.