I was working along the Thames towpath between Richmond and Teddington, just cutting back overhanging scrub etc. My bike was locked up in the car park nearby with a big D lock securing back wheel and frame to railing and a cable looped through front wheel and attached to D lock.
About 10 - 15 mins later I see two lads cycling towards where I was cutting back a fallen shrub so I quickly clear away the stuff I cut from the path to let them pass. "That's a coincidence" I think, "those forks they are carrying are just like mine." Brain engages too late, they are bombing off towards Teddington Lock. I run back to the car park but I know what I will see :-o
If only I had looped the cable through the forks too (they were suspension forks). If only I had challenged those lads - I had a bloody great bow-saw in my hand, I am sure I could have at least retrieved the forks.
To make matters worse the forks were on loan from the shop as mine were returned for repair as they were faulty!
Like the time I put 3 bikes on the back of the car the night before an early ferry and forgot the multiple locks i had prepared to make them one big lump attached to a bigger lump.
If only I had looped the cable through the forks too (they were suspension forks).
Probably a silly question... How do you loop through the forks? (question posed from the point of view that I think I've taken all reasonable precautions by looping through both wheels and looping through saddle; never thought about the forks being detached)
If only I had looped the cable through the forks too (they were suspension forks). ...
Hmm, I would have thought they'd need a toolkit to remove the forks, and said toolkit would likely have included something capable of cutting the cable anyway... I wouldn't beat yourself up over it. In my experience locking a bike effectively in these sort of situations just ends up with the bike being vandalised out of frustration. The most effective solution seems to be to use a hack- a bike that doesn't engender envy. Even then there's a small minority that will try and wreck it because they think it'll be funny to make you walk home. I don't think there's anything much you can do, in the long run, except to avoid the situation as far as possible.
If only I had looped the cable through the forks too (they were suspension forks).
Probably a silly question... How do you loop through the forks?
Typical suspension forks have a bracing arch above the brakes (or where rim brakes would be) that makes a crescent shaped closed hole with the actual top of the forks. At least it does until the forks are dismantled, which someone with enough tools to take the forks out of the frame might do.
In article <[email hidden]>, [email hidden] says...
Quoted message said:
On 20 Jun, 16:19, icogs <[email hidden]> wrote:
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Quoted message said:
If only I had looped the cable through the forks too (they were suspension forks). ...
Hmm, I would have thought they'd need a toolkit to remove the forks, and said toolkit would likely have included something capable of cutting the cable anyway...
An allen key or two is all you need to remove the forks from many bikes.
In article <[email hidden]>, [email hidden] says...
Quoted message said:
Hmm, I would have thought they'd need a toolkit to remove the forks, and said toolkit would likely have included something capable of cutting the cable anyway...
An allen key or two is all you need to remove the forks from many bikes.
Really? Wow, Isn't progress wonderful. I think virtually every bike I've had has needed an allen key or spanner, a hammer and at least one oversized spanner to detach the forks from the frame, plus whatever tools are needed to detach the brakes and (usually) mudguards, though I suppose in a few cases those could leave with the forks.
Ya lives and ya learns... my sympathies to icogs. Can I recommend fettling up a £50 fixie from eBay to use for this sort of excursion!
[email hidden] said the following on 21/06/2007 13:09:
Quoted message said:
Hmm, I would have thought they'd need a toolkit to remove the forks, and said toolkit would likely have included something capable of cutting the cable anyway...
My forks can be removed with nothing more than an Allen key...
