Locking gear bag?

Take the bag with you when you lock up. I've seen a few seat wedge bags
that are quick release and seem to work quite well. Also all bags are
canvas and 2 seconds with a box cutter and what ever is in there is
gone, doesn't matter how much you lock the zipper or padlock the bag to
the bike.
When I used to commute and locking my bike up for the day it was off
with the front light, off with computer, off with the rear light, off
with the tool bag and pump, off with the front wheel and lock it to the
back, off with the seatpost (quick release again) and lock that to the
back wheel too. Then lock the whole lot up to something sturdy making
sure the lock passes through both wheels and the frame.

Take easy

Marz

Is this really a problem? Over the years, I've had three bikes stolen that
i can recall (the first in1969, so that the time frame is set), but never
had anything taken out of my bike bags. What do I carry? - enough tools to
fix flats, a set of allyn wrenches, a couple extra tubes, CO2 cartridges, a
cheap raincoat, a reflector vest, a tail light, riding gloves, and a
carrying bag for stuff going to and from work. Nothing there that really
interests the average thief. On long trips, add clothing and toiletries,
and misc maps, camera, log book, sunscreen etc. Again, no problem.

When I carried traveler's checks years ago, I'd put those in a backpack I
also use on long trips. But with ATMs, that day has passed and so long as
my wallet isn't stolen, there really isn't much of value other than the bike
itself.

Have others on this NG had theft problems, other than having the whole bike
stolen?

"Adam Bender" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I'd like to carry some gear around on my commuter bike (lights, tools,
tube), so the natural solution is to buy a seat wedge bag and be done with
it. But I leave my bike locked up a lot, and don't want the stuff inside
(or the bag itself) stolen. Does anyone know of any solutions to this
problem? I'm thinking a luggage lock on the zippers, and cutting holes
for a large padlock that stays inside the bag but the clasp goes around
the seatpost. Any suggestions? Oh yeah, waterproof is a huge plus.

Thanks,

Adam

"Ron Wallenfang" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Is this really a problem? Over the years, I've had three bikes stolen
that i can recall (the first in1969, so that the time frame is set), but
never had anything taken out of my bike bags.

During my daughter's college career (luckily only 4 years!), she had the bag
underneath her seat with tube, patch kit, and levers emptied twice. They
didn't take the bag itself, so this was probably a quick crime of
convenience. The thief must have hoped for more than what they got. But then
again, she had 3 bikes stolen, all old ones. The best of the 3 bikes was an
old Specialized she paid $40 for.

I haven't had any problems, myself, but I think it's very much where you
park your bike. If you get too picky about where you are willing to park
your bike, you won't bike as many places.

As others have noted, there are a lot of bags that are easily detatchable.

Ron Wallenfang said:

Have others on this NG had theft problems, other than having the whole bike
stolen?

I've had pumps stolen. I've had attempts at removing my bike
bags, but they've always stopped at the point where the potential
thieves could see that they were locked to the bike with
mini-padlocks. Friends have had saddles and seat tubes stolen (I
also keep a saddle rail mini-padlocked to the frame with a steel
cable to frustrate that).
--
Ben Pfaff
email: [email hidden]
web: http://benpfaff.org

Ron Wallenfang said:

Is this really a problem?

It was for me back in London, you can't leave anything unlocked for
more than 30 seconds or someone will swipe it.

"Adam Bender" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I'd like to carry some gear around on my commuter bike (lights, tools,
tube), so the natural solution is to buy a seat wedge bag and be done with
it. But I leave my bike locked up a lot, and don't want the stuff inside
(or the bag itself) stolen. Does anyone know of any solutions to this
problem? I'm thinking a luggage lock on the zippers, and cutting holes
for a large padlock that stays inside the bag but the clasp goes around
the seatpost. Any suggestions? Oh yeah, waterproof is a huge plus.

A handlebar bag would solve your problems. They just snap on and off. It had
a shoulder strap, so it was a sort of make-shift purse when I was off the
bike. I used one for a long time, but found the bag got in the way of the
lamp on the handlebars. YMMV.

--
Warm Regards,

Claire Petersky
Personal page: http://www.geocities.com/cpetersky/
See the books I've set free at:
http://bookcrossing.com/referral/Cpetersky

"Ron Wallenfang" <[email hidden]> wrote in
news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

Is this really a problem? Over the years, I've had three bikes
stolen that i can recall (the first in1969, so that the time frame
is set), but never had anything taken out of my bike bags. What do
I carry? - enough tools to fix flats, a set of allyn wrenches, a
couple extra tubes, CO2 cartridges, a cheap raincoat, a reflector
vest, a tail light, riding gloves, and a carrying bag for stuff
going to and from work. Nothing there that really interests the
average thief. On long trips, add clothing and toiletries, and
misc maps, camera, log book, sunscreen etc. Again, no problem.

When I carried traveler's checks years ago, I'd put those in a
backpack I also use on long trips. But with ATMs, that day has
passed and so long as my wallet isn't stolen, there really isn't
much of value other than the bike itself.

Have others on this NG had theft problems, other than having the
whole bike stolen?

"Adam Bender" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I'd like to carry some gear around on my commuter bike (lights,
tools, tube), so the natural solution is to buy a seat wedge bag
and be done with it. But I leave my bike locked up a lot, and
don't want the stuff inside (or the bag itself) stolen. Does
anyone know of any solutions to this problem? I'm thinking a
luggage lock on the zippers, and cutting holes for a large padlock
that stays inside the bag but the clasp goes around the seatpost.
Any suggestions? Oh yeah, waterproof is a huge plus.

Thanks,

Adam

I park my bike in downtown Milwaukee. I used to leave a couple things in
my handlebar bag (50 cents and a roll of electrical tape - why? I don't
know). One day, the money and the roll of tape were gone.

That same week, a co-worker had $1.00 stolen from his seat bag, that he
used to keep for emergencies.

If it's there, they will steal it.

I pretty much take everything with me, now, excluding the handlebar bag,
rack and rear light (screwed on).

--
Eric Babula
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA

Am I missing something? If it is a cloth bag it can be easily cut. So
locking the zipper and or locking the bag to the bike is pretty
useless. I think that the posters who suggest simply removing the bag
and taking it with you have the right idea.

Adam Bender said:

I'd like to carry some gear around on my commuter bike (lights, tools,
tube), so the natural solution is to buy a seat wedge bag and be done
with it. But I leave my bike locked up a lot, and don't want the stuff
inside (or the bag itself) stolen. Does anyone know of any solutions to
this problem? I'm thinking a luggage lock on the zippers, and cutting
holes for a large padlock that stays inside the bag but the clasp goes
around the seatpost. Any suggestions? Oh yeah, waterproof is a huge plus.

Thanks,

Adam

I just keep everything that I don't want to lose in my backpack (except
for the bike and helmet, which are locked, obviously).

\\paul

gds said:

Am I missing something? If it is a cloth bag it can be easily cut. So
locking the zipper and or locking the bag to the bike is pretty
useless. [...]

I do both of these "useless" things. Several times I've come
back to my bike to find that someone has undone the bag's straps
to the point where my mini-padlocks were obviously visible. But
no one has ever cut the straps or broken a padlock. I conclude
that the locks do have deterrent value.
--
"Platonically Evil Monkey has been symbolically representing the darkest
fears of humanity since the dawn of literature and religion, and I think
I speak for everyone when I give it a sidelong glance of uneasy recognition
this evening." --Scrymarch

"Paul Hobson" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Adam Bender said:

I'd like to carry some gear around on my commuter bike (lights, tools,
tube), so the natural solution is to buy a seat wedge bag and be done
with it. But I leave my bike locked up a lot, and don't want the stuff
inside (or the bag itself) stolen. Does anyone know of any solutions to
this problem? I'm thinking a luggage lock on the zippers, and cutting
holes for a large padlock that stays inside the bag but the clasp goes
around the seatpost. Any suggestions? Oh yeah, waterproof is a huge
plus.

Thanks,

Adam

I just keep everything that I don't want to lose in my backpack (except
for the bike and helmet, which are locked, obviously).

\\paul

There is more security in a locked bag than an unlocked one, even though the
bag COULD be cut open. If a passerby can unzip the bag, they can empty it
without attracting any attention. A person cutting the bag is pretty
obviously a thief, so they risk being noticed and challenged. Besides,
they don't know what is in the bag until they have cut it.

However, I would not leave anything of great value even in a locked bag--why
take a chance?

Ben Pfaff said:

"gds" <[email hidden]> writes:

I do both of these "useless" things. Several times I've come
back to my bike to find that someone has undone the bag's straps
to the point where my mini-padlocks were obviously visible. But
no one has ever cut the straps or broken a padlock. I conclude
that the locks do have deterrent value.

Glad to hear that it worked for you. You must have lazy thieves in your
area ;-)
With all the threads about thieves cutting massive chains and picking
locks it seems that padlocking cloth bags can only be a deterrent to
the least dedicated end of the thieve spectrum.

gds said:

Glad to hear that it worked for you. You must have lazy thieves in your
area ;-)

I work on a college campus, so yes.
--
Ben Pfaff
email: [email hidden]
web: http://benpfaff.org

Palo Alto is pretty mellow. I was at Yale for years and whole bike
disappeared regularly.

Normally I just take the seat bag with me in my backpack. I have a
hunch that most people that hassle with bag contents are males under
the age of 14. However,
I do have a seat bag made out of chainmail and I've never had a problem
with it getting cut open. The only drawback is the weight. I think it
is called the New York seat bag by Jandd or Kryptonite or somebody like
that and it's guaranteed everyplace except Berkeley... ;-)

Quoted message said:

I do have a seat bag made out of chainmail and I've never had a problem
with it getting cut open.

Does it protect against crossbow attacks?

"gds" wrote: Does it protect against crossbow attacks?
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
It is used mainly by members of SCA*.
_________________
*Society of Creative Anachronism

Claire Petersky said:

A handlebar bag would solve your problems. They just snap on and off. It had
a shoulder strap, so it was a sort of make-shift purse when I was off the

Makeshift purse? You just ruined the idea for most of the guys around
here....

-Buck