Recently, a friend of mine had the grips stolen from his bicycle handlebars while it was locked up in Guelph, Ontario. He thought it a petty theft, and wrote it off mentally as just one of those things. However, I know something about Guelph (and Kitchener-Waterloo-Cambridge as well) and that is this: the meth trade and increased meth use has increased bicycle theft in these communities to a ridiculous level. This is not me just theorizing, this is something that has been confirmed by the local police services in multiple news articles.
In fact, there are local organized chop shops which buy dubious bicycle parts and build new bikes from them to sell for a buck. They don't care about the origin of the parts, and buy bits and pieces for enough to fuel someone's meth addiction.
So, what can one do to protect one's bike? I will address this with the thought of a transport cyclist in mind. If you are a road rider with a tendency to leave $12000 race bikes outside coffee shops unattended while you watch it from inside whilst drinking expensive coffee, then this guide is not for you. You have already decided that your bicycle is cheaper than your coffee, and clearly can afford to throw your machine away.
So for you transportation cyclists, here are my ideas.
First, don't lock it up outside. Whenever possible, store the bicycle inside your place of work. Ideally, store it in your office or work space. This is not always possible, but it is the best defence against theft. I would suggest lobbying for proper indoor bicycle storage with your employer as a means of promoting employee wellness and as a way to increase productivity and decrease sick days. Fit, happy, and healthy employees produce more than those who are not, and you may be able to convince a boss to create a safe space to store bicycles. If you work in a larger place, lock it up in there.
Friends of mine, working in retail, the tech sector, education, and other industries have all managed to arrange this for their places of employ. I recognize that this is not always possible, but it is the best theft deterant I can think of.
However, should you be forced to lock the bicycle up all day outside, or are using your bicycle as most North Americans use cars, indoor parking is not going to work well for you.
I suggest that you park your bicycle in a very open and visible place where there are lots of other bicycle parked. Tucking it into an alley out of sight may seem like a good idea, but in reality what it does it give a thief a quiet out of the way spot to work on your bike undisturbed. Bolted down bike racks on your city's main streets are better than a back alley.
Do not buy a cable lock. Doing so is giving a thief a gift. It is possible to cut through one in seconds with basic bolt cutters or simple wire side cutters. Yes, cable locks are light, and yes, they don't cost much, but no, they are not good security. A sign saying, "Please don't steal me" is about as effective at stopping someone who wants your bicycle if you use a cable lock.
Instead, use a locking system. I suggest two locks as a minimum if the bicycle is going to sit outside for an extended amount of time. Lock the front wheel to the frame using a u-lock. Don't cheap out - use the most expensive Kryptonite one you can find with the smallest opening which will serve. Remember, the idea is to lock the wheel to the frame only. Large opening u-locks are actually easy to bust off of a bicycle with the correct tools. Small opening ones are harder to break. Use a frame mounted lock (Dutch bicycle style, Abus makes them) to secure the back wheel. Even if a thief undoes it from the frame, it does no good as the wheel cannot be removed with the lock done up. Lastly, use an Abus Bordo lock to secure the bicycle itself to something solid. None of these locks are exactly light, but they are good. As an alternative, you can get a TiGrr lock which is made of titanium and is very tough to break. It is lighter, and surprisingly not much more expensive than a tough Kryptonite u-lock. As an added bonus, a power grinder sets off a virtual fireworks display in sparks and bolt cutters have enough flex in them that they bend and don't do much more than dent the lock. I would use the TiGrr to replace the Bordo lock in the above system.
When doing up locks, put them on the bicycle so that the key hole is facing the ground and, ideally, cannot be rotated so it is facing up. This makes them harder to pick.
I have heard people complain about the cost of good locks and make the argument that if the bicycle does not cost much, why would I spend a lot on a lock to protect it? I have argued, successfully, that this rather misses the point. A $600 commuter bicycle deserves about $300 in locks if it is going to be left around outside. Why? The piss off factor. Yes, the bicycle is not expensive, but, in the case of a commuter or transport cyclist, it is their way around. Therefore, it needs to be protected. Therefore, a lot of good and effective locks are appropriate to not only protect the bicycle itself, but to protect the integrity of a daily schedule.
So far, I have talked about how to protect the bicycle itself, but none of that really addresses the issue my friend had where someone stole parts from it. Here are some ideas on how to protect yourself from that.
Suggestion 1: remove and get rid of any and all quick release skewers on the bicycle. Pinhead makes some very good very strong key locked replacements for wheel skewers, wheel bolts, head set top caps, and seat post bolts. They also make some specifically to secure a Brooks leather saddle to the seat post. Count on spending about $100 on a set to do up the bicycle. If that seems expensive, remember that a front wheel, tyre, tube, rim tape, and skewer cost more than the pinheads to lock the whole bike down. The steel they use is so hard that cutting one bolt will wear out a Dremel cutting tool.
Suggestion 2: a tight length of bicycle chain looped through the seat rails and the frame will slow a thief who wants to snatch your seat and post. Wrap the frame / chain bits in an old inner tube to prevent paint wear. Bolt cutters will slice through this like a knife through butter, but this will stop a smash and grab thief.
Suggestion 3: using rubber cement (or super glue if you don't mind dealing with dissolving it later) and snug ball bearings and glue a ball bearing into every single Allan Key bolt on the bicycle. Get all of them. Every one. Just remember to remove them before taking the bicycle in for service or you will be roundly cursed. If you do your own work on the bicycle, you can curse yourself if you like. Why do this? It stops the insertion of tools into a bolt head for a quick and dirty parts grab.
Suggestion 4: don't ride a flashy bicycle. Very pretty bikes are very pretty yes, but they also appeal to people who want to sell it for more cash. So let it get dirty, let it get grubby. Take care of the mechanical stuff so it is perfect in operation, but make it look like a total piece of crap. Eyes might slide onto the next bicycle in the rack if you do that.
None of these things will stop someone who really wants to take your bicycle or the things on it. However, that is not really the goal of this guide or of locking the bicycle up in public for that matter. The goal is to make your bike less appealing to a thief than the bicycle parked next to yours. Secure locks, and installed anti-theft deterrents may well cause a thief to move to the bicycle less well secured parked next to yours. It also won't stop the thief from destroying your bicycle in a fit of rage, or filling your lock key holes up with contact cement in a "fuck you" when they realize that they will need several different distinct tools to get your bike free and leave with it.
For the record, I have never once had a bicycle stolen when it was secured properly. Take the time, spend the money, and your machine should serve you for years to come.
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