Tracking device for a bicycle

armyknife

Nebulous2 wrote: »

Not necessarily a crap bike, but a less desirable bike is a good idea. People on cycling forums sometimes talk about having a pub bike.

I have a 1980s steel framed road bike which is quite enjoyable to ride but would only fetch about £70 or £80 on ebay. A lot of bikes would be ahead of that one in the queue to be stolen.

Yes, I meant crap in relation to some of the bike purchases advocated or publicized on this forum.

My 'pub bike' is a heavy Raleigh with steel rack and large tyres, gets left locked up at stations, hospital and shops in the knowledge that it's not the end of the earth if it gets nicked.

Somewhat distressingly, it's often not the worst bike there when I lock it up at racks; need to make it look uglier still.

Marco_Panettone

Weird_Nev wrote: »

Doesn't stop it being shifted around the corner though, and if you can't find it where you left it, it's as good as stolen to you.

My misgiving with that kind of lock is that they breed complacency, and people don't actually immobilise their bike by locking it to something solid.

People don't do that now! The lock immobilises the rear wheel, and the front and frame if used with the cable too. It also doesn't stop you from using other locks as well. I'd be quite impressed if someone managed to carry my bike any distance at all anyway, although I do lock to immovable objects.


Nothing is perfect, but this is just another string in the bow.

Mids_Costcutter

Some bike thieves (organised ones?) will carry bikes, as I saw on a Channel 4 documentary on bike theft in Oxford and London. They had a van parked on a side street which they were filling up! Another common tactic seemed to be making up complete mountain bikes where either the front or the back wheel only was locked up. Similarly I've read reports on motorbikes being loaded into vans. I guess then that back in the lock up you can work in peace on any locks with any angle grinder?

armyknife

What about one of those extremely long self-winding dog leads?

dandelionclock30

armyknife wrote: »

What about one of those extremely long self-winding dog leads?

Are you having a laugh? Even if you could secure it together, it would be snipped off in seconds.

Richard53

Mids_Costcutter wrote: »

Some bike thieves (organised ones?) will carry bikes, as I saw on a Channel 4 documentary on bike theft in Oxford and London. They had a van parked on a side street which they were filling up! Another common tactic seemed to be making up complete mountain bikes where either the front or the back wheel only was locked up. Similarly I've read reports on motorbikes being loaded into vans. I guess then that back in the lock up you can work in peace on any locks with any angle grinder?

The trick in London as I remember was a white van with 'Mike's Motorcycle Repairs' or similar on the side. The thieves simply lifted bikes into the back, and no one batted an eyelid. Once back at the lockup, there is nothing that will defeat them. Angle grinder to all the security devices, and even liquid nitrogen to freeze padlocks so they can be smashed with a hammer.

As others have said, you can't stop a determined thief. All you can do is make it harder for them to tilt the odds in your favour. Front and rear wheels locked to the frame, and the frame locked to an immoveable object. The 90% of thieves who are opportunistic will move on to something easier. The other 10% are like death and taxes - you can't avoid them, but you can take steps to delay them as long as possible.

armyknife

dandelionclock30 wrote: »

Are you having a laugh? Even if you could secure it together, it would be snipped off in seconds.

Whoosh.....

Marco_Panettone

armyknife wrote: »

What about one of those extremely long self-winding dog leads?

You'd have to stay within about 25m of the bike at all times though. Now if they made 5km long leads you might be on to something!

HurdyGurdy

brat wrote: »

I use virtually no outdoor security for my best bike, a £6,000 Cannondale. It's simply never out of my sight!

Seriously, I haven't stopped thinking about this post since I read it :rotfl:

I don't mean this in a sarcastic way, but I genuinely cannot imagine - what makes a bike worth £6,000? What can you do on your £6,000 that I won't be able to do on my new £315 bike? I am guessing yours will be very lightweight? But I honestly, genuinely would like to know. My eyes are still watering at the thought of paying more for a bike than I did for my 7 seater car :rotfl:

Richard53

Well, a £315 bike is very much at the budget end, and a £6k bike is in the realms of fantasy, so I would expect some difference. Quality of components and finish, certainly, but I imagine the bulk of the extra is in the frame and forks.


I had two bikes, a cheap Raleigh MTB and a Dawes Galaxy tourer. The Dawes had been in the shed for years unused, and I decided to sell it. I took it out for a brief spin while I was cleaning it up, having ridden the MTB for probably the last 5 years. What a difference! Yes, the components were better, but the main difference was the Dawes frame, which was light and responsive, where the MTB is dull and heavy. It wasn't like a better bike, it was like a different form of transport altogether.


At current prices, the Raleigh would probably cost £2-300 and the Dawes £1200, and if you rode the two you would say the difference was a) noticeable and b) worth it.


£6000, though? I am scratching my head over that as well.