Question about theft

killermike said:

You know how sometimes at a shopping center or similar there are loads of
locks attached to bike stands which are not occupied by bikes? Does that
mean that loads of bikes were stolen from those births? Or is there another
explanation?*

Often people will leave a heavy lock at their regular parking places
rather than carry it around with them.

--
Dave...

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

Quoted message said:

This is a question that will probably show me up as a newb but...

You know how sometimes at a shopping center or similar there are loads of
locks attached to bike stands which are not occupied by bikes? Does that
mean that loads of bikes were stolen from those births? Or is there
another
explanation?*

*don't be sarcastic when you reply.

To prevent the bike stands being stolen? (or does this fail your other
criterion? :-) )

cheers,
clive

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

Quoted message said:

This is a question that will probably show me up as a newb but...

You know how sometimes at a shopping center or similar there are loads of
locks attached to bike stands which are not occupied by bikes? Does that
mean that loads of bikes were stolen from those births? Or is there
another
explanation?*

As Dave says, some people just leave the lock at their regular destination
to save carrying it. It would be quite difficult to steal a bike without
opening the lock somehow.

in message <[email hidden]>, killermike

(') said:

This is a question that will probably show me up as a newb but...

You know how sometimes at a shopping center or similar there are loads
of locks attached to bike stands which are not occupied by bikes? Does
that mean that loads of bikes were stolen from those births? Or is
there another explanation?*

It depends.

Experienced urban cyclists may leave locks at their regular destinations
in order not to have to carry one with them (good locks being very heavy
and awkward). On arrival, they can simply unlock their own lock, and use
it to lock their bike.

However, such locks will be extremely heavy ones and will typically be in
good condition. If there are cheap, tatty, broken locks on your local
bike stands, avoid.

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

;; L'etat c'est moi -- Louis XVI
;; I... we... the Government -- Tony Blair

Dave Kahn said:

killermike said:

You know how sometimes at a shopping center or similar there are
loads of locks attached to bike stands which are not occupied by
bikes? Does that mean that loads of bikes were stolen from those
births? Or is there another explanation?*

Often people will leave a heavy lock at their regular parking places
rather than carry it around with them.

People do that at the Nut Mines. My take on the matter, however, is that
bikes bag spaces, not locks. Bit like towels & sunbeds, really...

I always take my lock with me in case something goes irreparably wrong while
commuting and the bike has to be left somewhere for subsequent collection by
motorcar.

--
Dave Larrington - <http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk/>
Here, take these cheese-shaped stilts. You'll know when to use them.

Dave Larrington said:

I always take my lock with me in case something goes irreparably wrong
while commuting and the bike has to be left somewhere for subsequent
collection by motorcar.

For information, and for filing to back of mind for an emergency,
London black taxis will transport bikes and rider.
(I have done this)
I suspect that a bicycle of an unusual and long shape may somewhat flummox
the driver.

"Dave Larrington" <[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

I always take my lock with me in case something goes irreparably wrong
while commuting and the bike has to be left somewhere for subsequent
collection by motorcar.

I always carry a couple of small light cable locks for such occasions and
popping into shops.
The heavy lock stays at home unless I expect to need it.

"Simon Brooke" <[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

If there are cheap, tatty, broken locks on your local
bike stands, avoid.

True, but I'd worry even more about broken expensive locks.

There was a review of bike locks in yesterday's Guardian.
Can't find it on the web site yet, but it only really stated the obvious.

POHB said:

"Dave Larrington" <[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

I always take my lock with me in case something goes irreparably wrong
while commuting and the bike has to be left somewhere for subsequent
collection by motorcar.

I always carry a couple of small light cable locks for such occasions and
popping into shops.
The heavy lock stays at home unless I expect to need it.

When training, I carry a six foot chain and two padlocks incase I need
to lock trainees bicycles up. I can't think of an occasion when I
might have to use the chain - but I carry it nevertheless.

Simon Brooke said:

in message <[email hidden]>, killermike

(') said:

This is a question that will probably show me up as a newb but...

You know how sometimes at a shopping center or similar there are loads
of locks attached to bike stands which are not occupied by bikes? Does
that mean that loads of bikes were stolen from those births? Or is
there another explanation?*

It depends.

Experienced urban cyclists may leave locks at their regular destinations
in order not to have to carry one with them (good locks being very heavy
and awkward). On arrival, they can simply unlock their own lock, and use
it to lock their bike.

However, such locks will be extremely heavy ones and will typically be in
good condition. If there are cheap, tatty, broken locks on your local
bike stands, avoid.

I've seen children lock their bikes by the seatpost. A theft of a
bicycle locked in such a way could result in a lock left on a bike
stand.

Dave Larrington said:

Dave Kahn said:

killermike said:

You know how sometimes at a shopping center or similar there are
loads of locks attached to bike stands which are not occupied

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Often people will leave a heavy lock at their regular parking places
rather than carry it around with them.

People do that at the Nut Mines. My take on the matter, however, is that
bikes bag spaces, not locks. Bit like towels & sunbeds, really...

I always take my lock with me in case something goes irreparably wrong

I don't expect my locks at work to to reserve my stand (although I am
please when they do have this effect). I leave them there becaue they
are Too Heavy. I carry enough with me For Emergencies but I leave
enough at work to ensure that my bike is always locked up Better Than
My Colleagues' which seemed to pay dividens during a recent breach of
security at the office's Secure Parking Facility. If I am venturing
into Unknown Territory I will sometimes take one or more of the work
locks with me. When I was on jury service for a fortnight or so I left
one of my locks on the public sheffield stand opposite the court for
the duration (and rode my wife's bike which is more uncool looking)

best wishes
james

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

Quoted message said:

Dave Larrington said:

Dave Kahn said:

killermike wrote:

> You know how sometimes at a shopping center or similar there are
> loads of locks attached to bike stands which are not occupied

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Often people will leave a heavy lock at their regular parking places
rather than carry it around with them.

People do that at the Nut Mines. My take on the matter, however, is that
bikes bag spaces, not locks. Bit like towels & sunbeds, really...

I always take my lock with me in case something goes irreparably wrong

I don't expect my locks at work to to reserve my stand (although I am
please when they do have this effect). I leave them there becaue they
are Too Heavy. I carry enough with me For Emergencies but I leave
enough at work to ensure that my bike is always locked up Better Than
My Colleagues' which seemed to pay dividens during a recent breach of
security at the office's Secure Parking Facility. If I am venturing
into Unknown Territory I will sometimes take one or more of the work
locks with me. When I was on jury service for a fortnight or so I left
one of my locks on the public sheffield stand opposite the court for
the duration (and rode my wife's bike which is more uncool looking)

Very wise. Loads of criminals hanging around where you do your jury
service....

Bertie Wiggins said:

When training, I carry a six foot chain and two padlocks incase I need
to lock trainees bicycles up. I can't think of an occasion when I
might have to use the chain - but I carry it nevertheless.

I just read that as "in case I have to lock trainees up". I was
wondering how extreme your training was! :-)

Jon

ian henden said:

Very wise. Loads of criminals hanging around where you do your jury
service....

I rode my bike to jury service every day. One day, I forgot my keys, so
needed to make a detour to a bike shop to buy a spare lock (quicker than
going home for the keys) and of course, on the way to the bike shop I
got a puncture, then one of my tyre levers snapped while I was busting a
gut trying to remove the tyre, which seemed to have shrunk in the rain.

I ended up a little late for my jury service but rather the cost of a
new lock and the risk of a fine than leave my bike unlocked in a place
where criminals are known to gather!

d.

elyob said:

It would be quite difficult to steal a bike without
opening the lock somehow.

I always used to wonder why people would leave just the front wheel
chained to a railing and take the rest of the bike with them.

d.

Simon Brooke said:

However, such locks will be extremely heavy ones and will typically be in
good condition. If there are cheap, tatty, broken locks on your local
bike stands, avoid.

I gave up leaving my bike at my home station after I came back to it one
day to find the back wheel had been well and truly stomped on.
Fortunately, I had invested in a big MF of a cable lock so there was no
way the thieves were taking the bike away. But to add insult to injury,
they had put their own lock on the bike, with the intention of
preventing me from taking it away myself.

Well, you can imagine how amused I was by that. Fortunately, their lock
was one of those crappy £2.99 jobs made of cheese. So I went home to
retrieve a suitable tool - the most suitable tool I could find being a
set of long-handled garden shears - and chopped their lock into many
tiny pieces, which I left for them to discover on their return. Tbh, it
was so weedy, I could probably have ripped it apart with my bare hands.

So, yeah, cheapo locks are not even worth £2.99, but expensive locks pay
for themselves many times over during the course of a bike's lifetime.

d.

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

Quoted message said:

elyob said:

It would be quite difficult to steal a bike without opening the lock
somehow.

I always used to wonder why people would leave just the front wheel
chained to a railing and take the rest of the bike with them.

I don't think I've every seen this, but I have certainly seen people who
have locked their bike via the front wheel.

Someone I know recently bought locking skewers etc for their bike. These
things rely on the fact that someone else doesn't carry a 6 edged allen key.
Well, that's the impression I got. Any decent bike stripper would just buy a
similar kit.

Okay, I guess they are to stop petty theft, but by locking my wheels and
frame everytime I get *no* theft. I also have to remove my saddle, but
that's not such a hassle.

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

Quoted message said:

Simon Brooke said:

However, such locks will be extremely heavy ones and will typically be in
good condition. If there are cheap, tatty, broken locks on your local
bike stands, avoid.

I gave up leaving my bike at my home station after I came back to it one
day to find the back wheel had been well and truly stomped on.
Fortunately, I had invested in a big MF of a cable lock so there was no
way the thieves were taking the bike away. But to add insult to injury,
they had put their own lock on the bike, with the intention of preventing
me from taking it away myself.

Well, you can imagine how amused I was by that. Fortunately, their lock
was one of those crappy £2.99 jobs made of cheese. So I went home to
retrieve a suitable tool - the most suitable tool I could find being a set
of long-handled garden shears - and chopped their lock into many tiny
pieces, which I left for them to discover on their return. Tbh, it was so
weedy, I could probably have ripped it apart with my bare hands.

So, yeah, cheapo locks are not even worth £2.99, but expensive locks pay
for themselves many times over during the course of a bike's lifetime.

Is it a nice bike? You see for the station run I was considering doing, a
crappy old bike with a basket on the front would've done the trick.

elyob said:

Is it a nice bike?

It was my /only/ bike at the time.

You see for the station run I was considering doing, a

Quoted message said:

crappy old bike with a basket on the front would've done the trick.

Yes, a sensible idea.

d.