Locking bikes - for the novices

[ColinOldnCranky]

I have noticed in my apartment underground parking a bike that is regularly locked there is now without front and rear wheels, apparently stolen.

If you have had wheels stolen then you will be wiser and know how to minimize the risk of losing a pair of expensive wheels. But it is an expensive way to learn. The following is for those who have not yet figured it out.

So, back to my apartment and the lonely frame still attached to the wall.

The owner had a reasonably solid cable securing his bike. That's still there - locked and immovable.

However the owner had only passed the cable through the top tube. Neither wheel was secured to anything other than the forks.

Wheels these days can be damned expensive and worth a thief's time to take them. It is a simple matter to a thief to remove a front wheel, especially if it has quick release hub. It is a little more effort to remove the rear wheel but still worth the effort if the wheel is worth a lot of money.

So, if you are fortunate enough to not have yet had wheels stolen, ensure that your chain goes through both the frame AND the rear wheel. Then flick the front quick release open and take the front wheel with you.

[am50em]

And the seatpost and saddle can be easily taken.