Cycling-related trauma
Someone nicked my new bike from the racks at the side of Steve's house some time between Saturday evening and Sunday morning. It was a terrible crash since I'd been having a nice weekend for the first time in a long while. And given how emotionally attached I get to my bikes (not to mention how much I depend on them as my sole means of independent transportation), I'm still feeling upset and paranoid.
I'm not completely stupid, it was locked up. The "not completely" part is because I didn't realize a 1/2 inch cable lock isn't a sufficient deterrent against thieves with bolt cutters.
Anyway I'm borrowing Steve's Trek 820 hybrid for now to get to work (this link is to the 2008 model; his is much older and looks substantially different). Working on fixing the direct-pull brakes was a good way to calm down emotionally. I also bought a big U-lock but was having trouble figuring out where to put the mounting bracket: 
Seriously, it wouldn't go anywhere else on the bike. The top tube and seat tube have shifter and brake cables running along them, the down tube is too fat to screw the bracket down and the lock flopped to the side when I tried clipping it on there anyway, and trying to mount it horizontally behind the seatpost was a disaster - the lock flopped onto the wheel and acted as a "spoon brake". This way, it's resting on the side of the seat stay and chainstay and doesn't go anywhere. I was a bit worried that the bracket would get in the way of the wheel spokes but there's about half a cm of clearance. 
(Which may not sound like much but if that distance changes for some reason, I've got more to worry about than the mounting bracket, i.e. a severely bent wheel.)
If I catch the bastard who took my Fuji I'm going to beat them over the head with the U-lock.
Labels: bicycle
posted by xenobiologista @ 00:07
4 Comments:
“Locks are meant to keep honest men honest."
Even with a U-bolt, a dedicated thief could probably hacksaw their way through it given enough time. It would probably be more conspicuous carrying around a hacksaw though, as well as the time necessary. If I were that invested in my "business", I'd carry an acetylene torch. :P
I keep wondering when my TabletPC or PowerBook will share the same fate. I use cable locks to lock them to the desk when I'm away, but I'm aware of how ridiculously easy they are to circumvent. Locking computer equipment is to prevent crimes of opportunity, not to prevent a committed thief.
I'm sorry to hear about your bike. Hopefully your next bike remains a much more constant friend.
I am so sorry to hear about the loss of your bike. I do know (and remember) how attached you get to bikes. This was a $400 brand new bike even!! I have resorted to bringing my bike into the office when I bike to school, since I'm a little wary about locking it up at the same location where my old bike was stolen – clean cut, no debris from the cable lock even.
hey ran across this random blog...i'm thinking about mounting my u-lock in a similar way except on the chainstay itself (horizontal so the "U" also hits and rests against the seat tube. i also have limited clearance b/t the bracket and the spokes. do you think there is any chance of flex in the spokes or something when going over a bump that would hit the bracket?
Re the mounting bracket: Mounted this way, it stayed on for a few miles and then eventually kept sliding down and hitting the spokes due to vibration. So...I guess this wasn't such a great idea.
I ended up simply putting the mounting bracket on the handlebars, so when it was mounted the U-lock would swing freely, which is a slight improvement from hanging the lock itself on the handlebars and having it rattle and bang around as you ride.
Anyway I got a used-but-nice Schwinn World for myself and am going to buy a mini U-lock plus a cable lock for it. This is for the "Sheldon Brown" method of locking: http://www.sheldonbrown.com/lock-strategy.html
If your bike's not all that awesome-looking (i.e. not thief bait), I'd suggest going to the hardware store and just getting a length of chain and a padlock - about the same price but harder to cut than one of those skinny cable locks.
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