Author Topic: Two dimensional bike security (Read 10563 times)

Basil · « **on:** 09 May, 2008, 10:32:33 pm »

Seen in B'ham City Centre today.

TimO · « **Reply #1 on:** 09 May, 2008, 10:47:44 pm »

Safe against theft by A. Square.

Basil · « **Reply #2 on:** 12 May, 2008, 10:52:42 am »

Blimey. It's there again today.
The mobile phone photo above does not do justice to how loose that cable is.

I wonder if it's going to be there tomorrow?

How long do we give it, chaps?

Regulator · « **Reply #3 on:** 12 May, 2008, 10:54:38 am »

Is it a 'sting bike' perchance?

andygates · « **Reply #4 on:** 12 May, 2008, 11:04:00 am »

I just cringe every time I see it. $:-\$

Pete · « **Reply #5 on:** 12 May, 2008, 11:47:27 am »

In the old days, when I was a kid, I was given one of those padlocks with a long 'U' shank, nothing else, no chain, no cable, no 'D' locks in those days. Told that, wherever I left the bike, simply to clamp it round the forks and a spoke, nothing else, perfectly secure, after all no-one would be able actually to ride the bike away...

The bike got nicked.

TimO · « **Reply #6 on:** 12 May, 2008, 12:04:11 pm »

My Mum's bike, from when she was a kid, just had a steering lock. Apparently she cycled it away more than once, forgetting to unlock it, with predictable crashing results!

RainOrShine · « **Reply #7 on:** 12 May, 2008, 12:20:24 pm »

In Bath on Friday I parked next to a bike which had been locked to the rack with ... a piece of string!

In deference to the fact that the string was thin and weak, the owner had looped it around several times for extra security...

Basil · « **Reply #8 on:** 13 May, 2008, 07:55:00 pm »

This just gets better and better.

Today, Tuesday, the cable lock is round the post but not round any part of the bike!

Wowbagger · « **Reply #9 on:** 13 May, 2008, 07:57:36 pm »

Is that the same bike? Or has the previous one been nicked?

"Lucky I didn't attach the lock to the bike else I'd have lost that as well!"

Polar Bear · « **Reply #10 on:** 13 May, 2008, 08:09:05 pm »

I'm visiting Brum soon to pick up a bike. Maybe I can get two for the price of one

Basil · « **Reply #11 on:** 13 May, 2008, 08:26:07 pm »

I'm going to put yours there with it, PB. You can just turn up when you like then.

Basil · « **Reply #12 on:** 13 May, 2008, 08:32:13 pm »

I've just realised what I should have done. I should have nicked the bike. (Well, taken it into my office)
And leave a note taped to the post that says "Bike? 0785*******"
When I get the call pop downstairs with the lock, ask for the relvant key as ID and then do a little good natured upskilling.

Unfortunately I am now away until Monday and I can't honestly see it lasting until then.

Cunobelin · « **Reply #13 on:** 13 May, 2008, 09:44:22 pm »

This is the one thing I hate......

The Police here did their bit and were knocking out "Sold Silver" OnGuard Pitbull locks at a fiver. Part of an anti Bike-Thft initiative

A girl at work bought one and locks her front wheel to the cycle ack with it. Despite being shown how easily I could nick her bike (QR wheels) she still insists it is adequate because it is a good lock!

We really need a national campaign on how to lock up a bike.

rower40 · « **Reply #14 on:** 13 May, 2008, 09:59:52 pm »

Today's picture suggests that the user has put the lock round the street furniture post and the bike's seatpost, and then some joker has just looped it over the saddle, liberating the bike but then just leaving it there. To point out to the user the error of his ways.

Basil · « **Reply #15 on:** 13 May, 2008, 10:10:46 pm »

Possibly, but rather unkind imo.
Infact I should have done the exact reverse of that. A casual glance and it may have looked locked.

aglet · « **Reply #16 on:** 14 May, 2008, 04:57:44 pm »

Quote from: Cunobelin on 13 May, 2008, 09:44:22 pm

[...]
We really need a national campaign on how to lock up a bike.

See if you can get her to watch this educational video

valkyrie · « **Reply #17 on:** 18 May, 2008, 10:19:29 pm »

You should steal the lock! See if they wise up after that!

MSeries · « **Reply #18 on:** 20 May, 2008, 10:07:35 pm »

That's good. I am pleased that at least that city is a safe place to park a bike. We should be celebrating this.

Basil · « **Reply #19 on:** 22 May, 2008, 09:57:08 pm »

Look, I'm sorry if this is in danger of becoming the most boringly repetetive thread ever, but it's doing my head in!

I finally managed to meet the owner earlier this week. Good detective work on my part, I thought. I asked our local b'issue seller to spot the bike being parked and to watch where the owner went. It turned out that he visits an agency next door but one to our place. I popped in and left a message with security that their visiting cyclist had left his bike unsecured. I hung around for ten minutes and out he came.

I spent several minutes with him pointing out the sheffield stands less than 100 metres in either direction. I showed him how to shorten his cable by wrapping several times round his top tube if he really wanted to lock to that bollard.
He grinned at me a lot.

Imagine my dismay when at lunch time today (Thursday) I see this.
The cable is round the bollard and then just hung over the top tube.

I move the cable to take another picture to show exactly what I mean.

I don't know what to do!
I've tried. I've really tried, haven't I?
The guy is obviously terminally thick and is going to loose his bike and it's not my fault. What more can I do?

I hate this situation. The cyclist inside me just cannot accept that I'm going to have to let this go, but I really don't know what more I can do.
HELP!

For God's sake, will someone please steal the bloody thing so that I can stop worrying about it.

RainOrShine · « **Reply #20 on:** 23 May, 2008, 07:59:22 am »

I think you've done as much as you can and, frankly, much more than most people would bother to do in the same circumstances.

I'm just astonished no one has nicked it yet.

aglet · « **Reply #21 on:** 23 May, 2008, 08:52:01 am »

Quote from: Basil W Brush on 22 May, 2008, 09:57:08 pm

[...] The guy is obviously terminally thick and is going to loose his bike [...]

I'm not sure how it could be any looser...

Wowbagger · « **Reply #22 on:** 23 May, 2008, 08:55:23 am »

Basil, I don't know what's the matter with you! The solution is obvious. Take it to a Sheffield stand and lock it up for him. With your lock of course...

Si · « **Reply #23 on:** 23 May, 2008, 01:21:33 pm »

I think that the guy is pretty clever. He knows that he doesn't have to lock it because there's this wierd Brummie with interesting facial hair that hangs around all day just watching the bike. With this cycle-stalker on hand he knows that his mount is safe.

Polar Bear · « **Reply #24 on:** 23 May, 2008, 01:24:58 pm »

Is it still there Basil? I'll be on the train shortly

Author Topic: Two dimensional bike security (Read 10563 times)

Pete

RainOrShine

aglet

RainOrShine

aglet