In article <[email hidden]>,
Jacobe Hazzard said:I've always wondered about messengers and locking bikes.
Do they lock up the wheels, or just the frame? I can see
that a lot of messenger bikes will have good strong
wheels, and some of them will want QR skewers, but I can't
see taking the time to pull off a wheel or use a separate
cable lock at each stop, so what's the deal? I seem to
remember you're in Toronto, so maybe you can give me the
local persepctive?
It's important to note that the dynamics of bike use for
messengers and
- let's say for arguments sake - for commuters, are
different. A messenger will leave his bike briefly
unattended dozens of times daily in different locales
while a commuter's bike will generally remain unattended
for an extended period time, often at the same location.
Furthermore, the environs of your working messenger are
daytime city centers; crowded and active. They along with
a hectic schedule usually conspire to limit the means to
positively secure a messenger's bike against theft.
Consequently, preventing a theft through impregnable
security (if such a thing exists) is troublesome at best.
Fortunately, IMHO, it isn't required. It's only necessary to
complicate a theft in order to thwart it because the
constraints of time and conspicuousness are major deterrents
in of themselves.
While working, I aimed at discouraging the impulsive and
opportunistic thief - your typical crackhead or alcoholic
looking for funds for the next high - not the patient,
knowledgeable pro who knows that Phil is a hub - not a
doctor with a TV show. If he wants your bike he'll get it.
But, as it impacted me, the threat by the first category was
by far the greater.
I'm uncertain what you mean by a 'local perspective.' I
assume my perspective to apply to other localities as well
as Toronto, but I did add an URL that applies to the city
specifically. Anyway, here are few observations from an ex-
messenger.
Firstly: Always lock your bike. "Duh!," you say. Well,
surprisingly, through laziness, haste or perceived lack of
threat, many couriers don't always follow that golden rule.
I know of 3 messengers who had their bikes ripped off (at
King and Bay) last summer. All the bikes were left
unattended for less than 5 minutes in crowded areas in broad
daylight. All the bikes were not locked.
Incidentally, once the routine is refined, locking your bike
requires minimal time and effort. Most couriers have the key
to their bike lock fastened to a retractable cord (wrapped
round the wrist) or an elastic bracelet. Once off the bike,
the key is literally in your hands: No fumbling in pockets
or bags. (I still employ this method when using my bike to
tend to errands.) And the lock (in my case) was kept in a
large pocket of my 'cargo' pants, located on the side of my
thigh, or an external loop located on my messenger bag. I
only mention this because the entire process of dismounting
and locking the bike rarely took more than 10 or so seconds.
It was not a significant cost in time. So there's no excuse
for leaving a bike unlocked.
How you lock your bicycle falls into two categories; "Free
Locking" and locking your bike to an immovable object
(utility pole, bike posts). The optimal situation is a
passing a lock through the frame and perhaps a wheel to a
bike post/pole. It's the method a typical cyclist employs.
But, by far, the most common was "free locking" This
involves passing the lock through the frame or chain/seat
stays as well as one of the wheels - but NOT securing the
bike to an immovable object (because none are conveniently
available.) If a thief wants to make off with the bike he
would literally have to carry it away. And those that tried
would often find themselves surrounded by couriers who knew
the bike was pilfered or accosted by the bike owner himself
chasing him down on foot. This was most typically done at
the First Can Place, TD Center etc... within the city core
in business hours. Of course, there are bike racks available
in the area but if your drop required the use of a service
or remote entrance then free locking was generally
preferred.
I would generally leave the bike as far as practicable from
Subway entrances or underground parking areas. If this was
not possible I'd lock it to the actual Subway stair railing
(I did this North east corner of Yonge and Carlton). Another
example: North side of TD tower (55 King St. W) rather than
Wellington St side: If free locked your bike could be taken
down to the rear underground parking.
The object was to A) avoid leaving the bike unattended in an
area where one could be alone with it and B) limiting the
escape options of a thief.
The type of lock - chain or U - is a matter of personal
taste. I've used both, but prefer U-Locks because they are
stored and handled more easily. As far as the security
provided by the two designs; both were adequate enough *for
the purpose*. That is, it would require a thief tools, time
and a *conspicuous* effort (bystanders would know he was
stealing) to liberate the bicycle.
As far as individually locking easily detachable components:
Again, IMO this wasn't really an issue because of the
duration of time that the bicycle was left unattended. Even
so, those with QRs would often clamp them closed (using a
hose clamp readily available at a hardware store for 50
cents) This, at least required the thief to possess a
screwdriver and a few minutes to make off with a QR wheel. I
never resorted to this when working, but frequently did
remove my front (QR) wheel when locking the bike off hours.
My rear wheels employed fixed gear hubs; they were bolted
on. Also, my wheels were not your boutique beauties: 3x 36
spoke with single walled rims. Utilitarian, durable and
unpretentious.
On the topic: most of the messengers, including myself, did
not ride exotic machinery. It has a tendency to attract
unwanted attention. In fact some of the bikes were *looked
like* - as opposed to were - beaters. No Trek OCLVs,
Lightspeeds with Ksyrium wheelsets etc...
Occasionally, a theft did occur. And the bike courier
community is tight knit and nothing infuriates more than
a theft; it's tantamount to stealing food from someone's
plate. Word of a stolen bicycle spreads like wildfire
and most messengers know their colleagues' bicycles by
sight. There have been instances of thieves being
apprehended by messengers (one was careless enough to
ride right by epicenter of courier culture: Spreads @
Yonge and Temperance) and suffering pummellings they'll
not soon forget.
Adhering to the preceding proved successfull for me (for the
2+ years I rode). You'll note that none of the methods
outlined are exceptional. It's important to reiterate that
the circumstances of an impulsive, opportunistic theft are
different from those involving a patient and determined
thief. And because of the quality of messenger bicycle use,
a casual or commuting cyclist is often more vulnerable to
the latter.
So, the working messenger's rationale in securing a bicycle
obviously does NOT apply to the majority of cyclists. It is
needlessly risky when it's applied to the security of casual
and commuter bicycles.
Not surprisingly, MOST OF THE THEFTS I KNOW OF INVOLVING THE
BIKES OF COURIERS OCCURRED *AFTER* WORKING HOURS. And the
dynamics of those thefts mirror exactly the circumstances of
bike thefts that occur in the greater cycling community. ie.
Leaving a bike unlocked on a friend's veranda (Riverdale),
locking of a bike in the evening while attending a BBQ (with
a cheap U-lock that was jimmied with a 2x4 @
Bathurst/Bloor)...
Here the general precautions for the city apply.
- Always lock the bike using a GOOD lock in well lighted,
well traversed areas.
- Take the bike indoors whenever possible. Always
overnight.
- If you must leave the bike outside overnight then use a
POS (Piece of Sh_t)
- Better yet, use the beater in all high risk areas
etc...
For more of the same, a while back I (pseudonym=linguinee)
posted at <tbn.on.cacgiOpen ↗
bin/wwwthreads/showpost.pl?Board=10tbngeneral&Numb
er=487&page=0&view=expanded&sb=5#Post487>
Hope that helped Jacobe. Keep riding :-) luke
