I just recently got into using a bike for commuting and I was wondering if this is a good way to secure my bike? I know, previously, people would recommend only needing to lock the back tire to a solid object, but I’ve seen videos of people easily cutting the back tire, breaking it and taking the frame/front tire. My method of locking is sort of similar, except I do lock around the splash guard. If this isn’t very secure, I’d have to get a longer ulock or chain, because there doesn’t appear to be an easy way for me to lock around the back tire, frame and solid object with my current ulock. Any suggestions are appreciated.
Why would it be fantastically difficult? Wheels aren’t that strong.
The hardened lock actually helps the thieves to damage the wheel. All they need to do is find a way to get the lock to distort the wheel a little bit. E.g by standing on the lock or pulling the bike away from the rail. All the force is going through that part of the wheel.
Once they’ve distorted they can just stand on the wheel to crush it.
It certainly isn’t fully secure if they could steal all of the bike apart from the wheels with only a spanner.
Also saying they’d only end up with a partial bike shows you don’t understand bike theft at all. They will take as much as they can as quickly and easily as they can. If you give them 75% of a bike without having to deal with the hardened lock they will take that opportunity. If it’s the most attractive one there. The goal is to make the time and noise of getting anything from your bike as unappealing as possible.
Although if they target it to no bike is fully secure. I’ve seen the bike rail cut, D locks in pieces and most bizarrely a frame and two wheels left attached to a rack with every other bolt and component removed from the bike. That was totally baffling because the tools and time needed to do that seemed enormous to do insitu.
Next time I see a crushed wheel attached to a post I’ll take a picture.
Are you arguing on a theoretical basis or a practical basis because frankly, yes, with “the right tools and information” any bike can be stolen in theory, but in practice OP’s lock job is plenty sufficient to deter theft.
I gotta ask: do you even take your bike out or do you leave it in the underground bunker to prevent theft?
I do take it out but the first rule of bike security is make sure you’re doing more than the next bike next to you.
If I was more cynical I would want other people locking their bikes up badly because it makes them more of a target than mine. However I’d rather everyone made it as difficult as possible for these f***ers.
You are seriously arguing that getting the wheel through the frame without seriously damaging the frame is easier than taking an angle grinder to a lock? The discussion isn’t about what is theoretically possible, it’s about what will actually be done by a thief and whether it’s worthwhile to them.
Are you sure it’s not you who doesn’t understand? I’ve spoken to local cops on the topic, and most bike theft is opportunistic, and the key requirement is making quick money. Expensive bikes are a particular sort of specialist target that are in some ways more difficult to sell on, and are more likely to be actively pursued and traced by the former owner and law enforcement. Basic inexpensive complete bikes are a high theft target because they sell almost immediately, no questions asked, for enough money to get some drugs right now.
The chop shops taking partial bikes and parting them out are the exception, not the rule. Most thefts are an easy-to get whole bike that is ridden away. All bike security is partial and aims to just make your bike harder to steal than other options. This is a basic bike with cheap parts that would not be very appealing to part-out.
You seem to be a bit confused. You say most bike theft is opportunistic. Securing through the wheel only decreases the tools and effort needed to get something of value. Increasing the chance of opportunistic theft.
Never said it was easier than an angle grinder to the lock. That requires tools and a lot more noise. If they are going to do that they will, but put the thieves in the situation where they have to make as much noise and do as much work as possible.
If they can just trash a wheel and make off with most of a bike quickly and with little noise that suits the opportunistic thief more than anyone else.
If they have an angle grinder and are going to attack the D lock with it. Then it almost doesn’t matter what you do. They will get the bike. All you can do is make it a harder and less appealing target than the next bike they see.
It’s f’ing hilarious that you keep pretending that crushing a wheel and forcing it through the rear triangle while locked to a lamppost without cutting tools and without serious frame damage is reasonably easy.