joey buzzard

I like the bordo lite folding locks. They dissuade most thieves and are more comfortable (more compact/lighter) to tote around with me than a clumsy u-lock.

Mostly I need something to lock my bike for relatively short periods of time while I'm in a shop, etc. I'm careful about where I leave my bike and for how long. I try not to leave it locked in one place for hours. I'd hesitate to leave it all day unattended outside a metro station.

Montreal has invested heavily in making the city bike and pedestrian friendly in recent years. Their Bixi bike scheme is the best and most popularly utilized urban bike share systems I've ever seen anywhere. The city pedestrianised the formerly nightmarishly car clogged Rue Ste Catherine for several kilometers through downtown, which is actually an incredible feat for a North American city. My last visit to Montreal was very pleasant as I had my Swift with me.. I found myself blasting through the park and up over the mountain from the Plateaux to NDG then onto Monkland Village where I was staying with an old friend. I did this back and forth at least a couple times every day. I occasionally rode the metro with the bike, but mostly I pedaled around the island and a little bit further beyond South of the River.

Athough I'd be sympathetic I'm not sure if I'd be as interested if this theft had occurred in Chicago or Tampa or Albuquerque. I simply love what Montreal has done and it tears at my heart when I hear someone say that they're giving up on having a nice small wheeler because of theft there. With all the investment that's already gone into transforming Montreal into a cycling city perhaps secure places to lock up around commuting points should become a priority? And/or let folding bikes on the metro during rush hour periods. Obviously there's room for improving things even further.