Bicycle Locking In New York City It is possible to retain ownership of a bicycle in New York. Bike theft is unbelievably bold and common, but with a little care, you can eat your cake and have it too. I myself have kept a strictly outdoor bike for years and I see many others consistently locked outside. In addition to keeping a little grease on all steel parts, I have my seat clamp bolted and I use a unique security skewer in my front axle. These skewers are an excellent design, very secure and look it. Commonly called "locking skewers", they have nuts with three holes in hundreds of different configurations and a special wrench. They usually come in a 3 piece set to eliminate all quick releases (but I often use the nuts for other purposes like locking on my fork). Eliminating quick releases should take care of most stripping. However, the priority is to prevent the entire bike from getting stolen. Best method: two gigantic locks, second best: heavy ass hardened square link chain with the proper tiny u-lock. The most usable method: a mini u-lock, best place: rear wheel inside the frame triangle. This final method is easiest, least expensive, and lightest weight; it offers very high protection. The big chains are unnecessary (if you use a padlock, worthless). All locks will fall to a power tool; a battery powered drill with a little grinding wheel will cut thru the thickest u-lock or hardened chain. In reality, most thieves just jump out of a van with a long pry bar and keep a bolt cutter close by. The big u-locks can be pried apart, all padlocks can be cut, all cables cut. This goes quickly. By the simple laws of leverage, the mini u-lock is difficult to pry open; it is much stronger than longer u-locks. Additionally, a u-lock that locks both ends of the shackle is far superior to ones where you hook a foot in one end of the u, and lock the other. Also, the pen trick in the round keyhole is just not used by thieves. It is too delicate and time consuming. Really one of the best methods to secure your bike is to use two locks, a thief is likely to walk past that bike. What you lock your bike to is worth considering. Well built and observable bike racks are good. Parking meters are bad for chains but very good for u-locks. Unfortunately they provide a very strong brace against which to pry. In certain circumstances, like a bike locked to a meter with a long u-lock in the middle of the frame, a thief can use the bike as a pry bar. Just pick it up and twist until the lock breaks. A bolt-on-sign post eliminates that possibility as it will bend when pried against. These are good to lock to, but do offer the unlikely yet possible project of someone climbing the post, unbolting the sign, and sliding your bike and lock up over the top. Building repair scaffolding is common in NY. Sometimes it is a good place to lock up. However I have heard of thieves unbolting the bars, foregoing the risk of thousands of pounds of steel falling down, and taking a bike off. Check out the spot first. Riding a dull looking bike that a thief would not notice is good security also. It is reasonably easy to put together a high performance bike which gets overlooked by thieves but noticed by other connoisseurs. Additionally a combination of these tips often works best. Such as using the sign post next to the street lamp seen from your apartment window. There you could keep your second heavy lock permanently.
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