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How do you secure your bike on your car bike rack?

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How do you secure your bike on your car bike rack?

Old 08-08-19, 11:40 AM
  #26  
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Originally Posted by mstateglfr
The OP is asking for suggestions on how others secure their bikes to their car bike rack. So telling the OP to store the bike in the car is off topic in that it doesnt answer the question. It may be the best advice, but it doesnt answer the question.
To a degree. Perhaps the OP could store the bike in the car, and will now consider that as an option, due to the warnings of theft.
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Old 08-08-19, 11:40 AM
  #27  
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Like one of the posters, I use a Saris Bones trunk mounted rack with a steel cable wound through the wheels, frame and rack, secured with a Master padlock. It might slow a thief down a bit, but if they really want the bike all they have to do is cut the straps holding the rack to the car and take the whole thing. 30 seconds and they're gone. At least they would have to carry it rather than just ride away!

I even pull the rack off the trunk when I leave the car at a trailhead because there is no practical way to secure it.

All a determined thief needs is a good bolt cutter and a couple minutes and almost any bike can be stolen. The best we can do is not make it real easy for them.
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Old 08-08-19, 01:04 PM
  #28  
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Originally Posted by indyfabz
+1. I had two Thule rack systems stolen off my car roof in the span of less than 6 months. They were both locked on. Checked on Craig's List after the second time. Found a post by someone else in the city who had it happen. It was a thing at the time. Likely sold the metal parts for scrap.

I now have a Forester. Problem solved.
The Forester is nice. Two of my kids drive Subarus and they love them.

Yes, the meth heads sell them for scrap.
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Old 08-08-19, 01:22 PM
  #29  
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Originally Posted by PastorJim
I look at my Bike rack as well as others and they don't seem secured from theft. Am I wrong? I would like to take my bike to work or store for a later in the day ride, but I don't want to find that my bike was stolen. Your feedback on this is appreciated.
All of my racks have built in locks. The fork mounts have lock cores that lock onto the fork and the hitch rack I have has a hasp mechanism that covers over the top tube and locks in place.

That said, a cable can be pretty effective. It worked well enough for these 4 bikes that fell off the back of an RV near Devil's Tower

image by Stuart Black, on Flickr

I couldn't get the bike loose or I'd taken them for what parts I could salvage.
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Old 08-08-19, 02:36 PM
  #30  
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Originally Posted by cyccommute
All of my racks have built in locks. The fork mounts have lock cores that lock onto the fork and the hitch rack I have has a hasp mechanism that covers over the top tube and locks in place.

That said, a cable can be pretty effective. It worked well enough for these 4 bikes that fell off the back of an RV near Devil's Tower


image by Stuart Black, on Flickr

I couldn't get the bike loose or I'd taken them for what parts I could salvage.
That's quite a bit of rust on those bikes on parts that theoretically shouldn't be rusting... I actually have that same rack as in the picture. I use a cable lock through the two loops on the bottom to lock it to the receiver and a combination of cable + u-lock to secure the bikes to the rack. I only trust that solution for a short period of time in non-seedy places.
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Old 08-08-19, 02:39 PM
  #31  
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My bikes are too valuable to me, to place on the car, always inside. KB.
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Old 08-08-19, 08:48 PM
  #32  
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Top Line UG-2500 rack in the bed of my truck with a couple of cable locks thru the tie down rings.
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Old 08-09-19, 12:49 AM
  #33  
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I have a Saris rack. I run a very thick 10ft. chain through the bike frames and the spoiler of my Fiesta ST. I also park it where I can see it. I do this about once a week after a ride when we are eating outside at a local brew pub. As with my Ducati, bikes are never out of my sight.
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Old 08-09-19, 01:28 AM
  #34  
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Old 08-09-19, 02:15 AM
  #35  
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Originally Posted by cyccommute
All of my racks have built in locks. The fork mounts have lock cores that lock onto the fork and the hitch rack I have has a hasp mechanism that covers over the top tube and locks in place.

That said, a cable can be pretty effective. It worked well enough for these 4 bikes that fell off the back of an RV near Devil's Tower


I couldn't get the bike loose or I'd taken them for what parts I could salvage.

Looks like someone forgot to secure the pin on the 2' receiver
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Old 08-09-19, 06:33 AM
  #36  
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I have two lengths of massive chain.

One short one (~12”) padlocks the tray rack to the hitch receiver,

The other is very long and wrapped with a 29er mtb inner-tube and locks the bike to the hitch.
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Old 08-09-19, 06:48 AM
  #37  
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No rack solution is totally secure. Usually I don’t think this a big problem and the risks are ones I am willing to take.

However, in your case it may be different The security issue in your case is that it sounds like you’re going to be leaving the bike on a rack in the same area often. That makes planning for a theft very easy. Along with already knowing exactly what tools they will need, they also know when the car is parked and for how long. Also, many racks with built and locks (such as with Yakima or Thule) the locks say right on them which key fits and anyone can order a new key.
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Old 08-09-19, 06:50 AM
  #38  
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Same as many others, I lock the bike to the hitch receiver with a kryptonite chain. If I'm leaving the bike on a parked car overnight, I'll put a cover over it which keeps the rain off as well as hiding the value of the bike.
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Old 08-09-19, 08:36 AM
  #39  
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Originally Posted by JoeTBM
Looks like someone forgot to secure the pin on the 2' receiver
Yup. I suspect it was on a car being towed by an RV. I imagine the conversation went something like

" Daaad! Where are the bikes?!"

"Watdcha mean where are the bikes?"

"They're gone!"

"What!!!!!!!"

Etc.
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Old 08-09-19, 09:25 AM
  #40  
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Originally Posted by eja_ bottecchia
Those built-in locks, such as the Thule, Saris, Kuat and similar racks are useless.

Your suggestion is the best, lock the bike inside the vehicle.

My Thule hitch rack was recently stolen right of the car, sans bike.

I now use a 1UP USA rack and I use enough chains and locks to put to shame any well equipped dungeon.
You just needed an excuse to get new stuff for your dungeon!
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Old 08-09-19, 10:50 AM
  #41  
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Originally Posted by teejaywhy
You just needed an excuse to get new stuff for your dungeon!
Just don’t let my neighbors in on the secret.
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Old 08-09-19, 10:57 AM
  #42  
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Another vote for keeping the bike(s) in the car. Having a bike on view is more likely to attract a thief's attention to it; if they don't know it's there they won't steal it.

Additionally most thieves will take an easy option - cutting a lock, lifting a bike off a rack and pedalling away takes seconds, whereas breaking into a car, pulling out a frame, then wheels, then putting it together takes a few minutes.

For what it's worth I drive a Volvo estate, so I can get two bikes in the boot easily, and if I've got to leave them in the car I park it backed up tight to a wall so the boot can't be opened.
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Old 08-09-19, 02:33 PM
  #43  
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As a retired cop and having had to take or review thousands of theft reports during my 30 year career, locking your bike in a car is better than nothing, but not as secure as a bike secured by good locks/cables mounted externally. “Smash and grab” thefts are far more common due to the ease of breaking a window, opening the car and splitting - it takes much more effort to defeat a good, metal lock/cable. Windows weren’t designed as a security device, it’s merely a secondary function. A couple ways to improve locking items in your vehicle is to keep them out of sight, dark window tinting or parking your car between two others so they can’t see it or extract it as easily will create a mild deterrent. It’s amazing how fast and quiet you can remove a car window with a spring-loaded nail punch and shelving paper.
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Old 08-09-19, 03:26 PM
  #44  
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The answer obviously depends on where you are and what kind of situation you're parking in.


If you are parking at a suburban office during the day, or for a short time while shopping in a store, I would think a U-lock/cable securing the bike to the roof rack would be sufficient, or putting the bike inside your car (which seems less secure but might also attract less attention). In this case, I'd probably be fine relying on the built-in locks on my Yakima roof rack. If I felt I needed some extra security, I'd use a cable lock through the frame around the tray of the roof rack.

In a city, overnight? If I had no other options I'd take the bike off the roof rack and find a well lit area around restaurants or businesses and lock it up to a street bike rack/pole/fence with two U-locks and hope for the best. There's no way I'd leave my bike inside a parked car in the city for more than a very short time, and leaving it on the roof rack (even if it's locked up to it) seems like it would attract a lot of attention. A thief needs nothing more than a rock and about 10 seconds to get your bike out of a parked car. It's a lot easier to bust a car window and pop the trunk than it is to cut through a pair of U-locks.
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Old 08-09-19, 03:36 PM
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Originally Posted by Dr.Lou
As a retired cop and having had to take or review thousands of theft reports during my 30 year career, locking your bike in a car is better than nothing, but not as secure as a bike secured by good locks/cables mounted externally. “Smash and grab” thefts are far more common due to the ease of breaking a window, opening the car and splitting - it takes much more effort to defeat a good, metal lock/cable. Windows weren’t designed as a security device, it’s merely a secondary function. A couple ways to improve locking items in your vehicle is to keep them out of sight, dark window tinting or parking your car between two others so they can’t see it or extract it as easily will create a mild deterrent. It’s amazing how fast and quiet you can remove a car window with a spring-loaded nail punch and shelving paper.
When I first moved to DC, I thought one of my new co-workers was messing with me when he told me he left his car unlocked every night parked in his alley.
This was a strategy to avoid replacing cut windows on his soft-top jeep.
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Old 08-09-19, 04:13 PM
  #46  
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Inside is nice, but when the car is loaded with family vacation crap, you have no choice. The Thule Apex hitch mount does include a cable lock, so that's what I use. But it doesn't protect the wheels, only the frame.
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Old 08-09-19, 04:44 PM
  #47  
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I've used a u-lock on the rails to the chainstay.
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Old 08-09-19, 10:52 PM
  #48  
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I've seen more than once in this thread the notion that it would take longer to get a bike out of the inside of a car than it would to cut through a lock/cable.

It must be nice to have lived such a quiet and undisturbed life, but that's simply not how it works.

An opportunistic thief with no planning or skills can be inside your car in a few seconds should they decide to.

A determined and prepared thief is going to steal whatever they want, no matter how well it's secured.

But trust me-- if there are two cars on the street, and one has a bike in the backseat, while the other is cabled and locked to a rack, the one in the backseat is likely to go first.

It's not a magic barrier-- it's glass. It keeps the environment and honest folk out in equal measure.
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Old 08-10-19, 06:27 AM
  #49  
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Originally Posted by msu2001la
When I first moved to DC, I thought one of my new co-workers was messing with me when he told me he left his car unlocked every night parked in his alley.
This was a strategy to avoid replacing cut windows on his soft-top jeep.
when i had a convertible i never locked the doors either. loosing whatever was inside of it was much cheaper than a convertible top.
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Old 08-10-19, 03:10 PM
  #50  
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How do you secure your bike on a car bike rack?

I appreciate everyone's answers. I did get some ideas from a few of you. Pretty much there seems to always be a risk. I guess do whatever we can to not make it easy for the thief.
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