Pop N Wood

They already exist. Lots of DIY solutions that not only have GPS trackers but cameras and speakers so you can converse with the crook attempting to boost your bike.

I wanted to build something for my ebike that would text a cell phone if the bike is moved. The complication for me is I did not want to rely on cell coverage but instead link it through an in store wifi. Some areas are pretty remote, but if a store is any size at all it should have wifi.

Speaking of ebikes, I pull the battery and take that into the store along with the trunk bag full of valuables. I always lock the bike to picnic table or something when I camp. Just a simple cable lock.

CargoDane

At home, I use this:



Kryptonite Evolution Series 4 Integrated Chain


And this for touring:


Axa 600

I try to always lock my bike to something so it can't simply be carried away.

Brett A

The bike isn't the only concern. If people only knew the value of what's in the panniers and how easily Orliebs lift right off the racks. I will usually at least buckle to cross strap over the rack rail so you can't just pull them off.
I try to never have the bike out of my sight. But that's impossible when grocery shopping. In cases like that, I lock it and try not to worry. I sprung for a TiGr Lock. At $100, it was expensive, but it provides a lot of security for its less-tan-a-pound weight.

One lesson I learned on my first tour is, if you're entering a populated area, go to the first grocery store that feels safe. I made the mistake of thinking I'd shop on my way out of Las Vegas, but didn't realize until too late in the day that I actually entered the good part of the city, passing all the opportunities (came in from Red Rock Campground) But after several hours hanging out on the strip, left through the sketchy part of town (on my way down to the Hoover Dam). I ended up not stopping at all.

ChrisWagner

Googling lojack for bicycle returns 57.5k hits.

Pop N Wood

Whew, unfortunate choice. Takes less than 30 seconds to saw through that particular lock.

shoulda got a $6 cable lock

JohnJ80

This actually works pretty well in conjunction with a real lock. If you cut the cord or jostle it, it goes off and it's loud. You can't fiddle with the combination long enough to get it open without the jostling setting it off.

Brett A

That's a bit hyperbolic.

Pop N Wood

Hyperbolic?

I have a different word for paying $149 for a lock that gives the same level of protection as a $6 cable lock. I mean the titanium is cool and weight is small, but as for protecting your bike it was a poor choice.

Brett A

Like I said. You're begin hyperbolic. It's not helpful

Pop N Wood

I'm trying to keep people from making the same mistake you did.

That is a terrible lock.

14:15 for the hacksaw (20 seconds) and 16:15 for the under 1 second bolt cutters

mstateglfr 

Hopefully he can avoid people looking to steal a bike that are walking around with hacksaws and bolt cutters.
Many on here have a lot more touring miles than me, but I have somehow managed to avoid the hacksaw and bolt cutter folk up to now.

Happy Feet

I think you have to look at theft deterrence in two ways.

1. Against the opportunistic person who steals a bike just because it's easy and available.
2. The determined crook who comes prepared with lock breaking tools.

Just a basic cable lock (and common sense) tends to work against the opportunistic thief.

I think it's almost impossible to safe guard against the determined thief with just locks, if you neglect other means such as keeping the bike within sight, alarms etc... Battery operated angle grinders and bolt cutters are too darned good now. At some point, the weight of a truly strong lock becomes onerous for the rider to carry. One trick, if commuting to the same location (not touring) is to leave the lock at the destination so you don't carry it back and forth. Some people at work do this with their U bolt locks.

I do think the titanium lock falls into the category of very expensive opportunistic theft deterrent. The hacksaw test in the link above was telling. No better than mild steel.

Tourist in MSN

Decades ago when I went to college, a friend of mine had a small wheel childs bike. It was in terrible shape, very rusty, nobody would want it. And that is why he rode it, he did not bother to lock up the bike anywhere, and this was on a large college campus that had a bad bike theft problem. Even an opportunist thief would pass it by.

He rode that bike on campus for over a year. Needed a new tire for it, put on the new tire and ... that made the bike more valuable, someone stole it within a few days because of the new tire.

Very well said.


That was a concern of mine when I bought a titanium bike. The lock that I bought for it weighs 1050 grams and cost over $100 USD.

The rule is that the weight of your lock is inversely proportional to the weight of the bike.

JohnJ80

Our two kids, between undergraduate degrees and grad school, have a total of 13 years at major urban universities that have had serious and continuous issues with bike theft on and around campus. The bikes they use are my old racing bikes of '80s vintage - they're nice bikes with hand built wheels and decent components (for the day), nice saddles. In all that time, none of their bikes were stolen or even attempted to be stolen despite being stored outside for years and spending significant time locked in various places in and around campus.

What we did is follow a strategy to require multiple tool sets to defeat the locks. Bike thieves either seem to carry bolt cutters or battery power saws/grinders but they don't/can't often carry both. So what we did was to lock the bikes with U-locks around the rear wheel and seat tube and then a cable lock from the lock point through the frame and front wheel. All the skewers, seat bolts etc... had the Pitlock attachments. When they just went to class, they usually just took the U lock and locked the top tube to a bike rack next to other bikes that were a lot easier to steal following our guidance to them park their bike, where possible, next to a better bike or one that looked better/newer.

The Pitlocks make it more difficult to steal a wheel or a saddle and make it a bigger PITA for the thief to break the bike down into parts later - it's just easier to move on, in a target rich environment, and find a better target to steal.

The locks we used were a Kryptonite middle level U-lock - not the best but a decent compromise between weight and security and a cable lock with about a 10mm cable. The U-lock needed a saw or grinder to defeat, the cable lock needed a bolt cutter. That's a lot of stuff for some bike thief to procure much less carry incognito and it makes our bikes a giant PITA compared to other bikes in proximity.

This followed several strategies:
1. Require more than a single set of tools to steal it.
2. Make it look like a bigger hassle to steal than other bikes.
3. Make sure there are better, more attractive and easier bikes to steal close by yours.
4. Follow the Bear/Sneaker analogy - the two guys surprised by a bear. One stops to put on running shoes. The other asks why he's doing that and the reply is "I don't have to be faster than the bear, I just have to be faster than you."

Any lock can pretty much be defeated by the right thief in about 30 seconds with the right tools. Doubling that and giving them an incentive to steal someone else's bike first adds geometrically to the safety of your bike. I think our record with our bikes in a terrible environment supports that pretty well.

djb

great points John. Living in a high bike theft city, Montreal, one learns early on (some don't learn) that multiple locks and being very situational aware of where, and for how long (ie, not overnight) one locks up a bike makes a huge difference.

As you say, its about doing what we can to reduce the likelihood of Mr bike thief spotting and assessing the risk/time spent to have a go at your bike.

Tmsn, great story about how even a new tire will naturally draw the eye and interest of ye ol bike thief. We have a donated bike that I fixed up as a commuter, and specifically left the goofy spray painted front tire and spokes as is, knowing that it adds to the piece of crap image. I'm actually hesitant to put new tires on it....

Tourist in MSN

Nothing against the Pitlocks, I have never used one. But I am quite sure I would lose the special keys.

Instead I assume that the thief won't have a 5mm allen wrench, thus I just use bolt on skewers when touring. And around home, use them on my wheels that are fitted with dynohubs.

And even if the thief had a 5mm allen wrench, it does take more time than a quick release. Maybe they will decide that additional time is not worth it. I also pack a 5mm allen wrench with my spare tube to make sure that I can pull the wheel off when I need it.

JohnJ80

I take your point. Bear in mind this is for my college age kids. I expect them to lose stuff and screw up on things like that. So I bought an additional key and put it in my bike tool box for the day when they did lose it and needed it and hoping that inconvenience would teach a lesson. Amazingly and happily that never happened and I was pleasantly surprised and pleased to see my kids step up that way (proud dad moment).

The alternative is to glue a BB into the allen bolt head. You can easily dig it out when necessary but it frustrates someone trying to quickly steal your wheel because the allen wrench won't fit. Others have suggested that a dab of grease will hold it in too. I haven't tried it, but with my new bike and when I take it out on tour this next summer, I'll look into doing that with my thru-axle skewers.

As for locks, my locking strategy when touring is to go with a secure cable (or 50" otto lock) and a medium security chain long enough to get two bikes locked (I usually go with my son or wife so there's always two of us each carries one of the above) and the alarm cable lock above. That gives me the hassle factor with two sets of tools plus alarm and each lock is of decent security and none of it is heavy.

J.

BikeLite

https://www.sheldonbrown.com/lock-strategy.html