BICYCLE STUFF YOU NEED TO KNOW

As a bike owner, you’ll probably find yourself locking it outside. Although no lock is unbreakable, there are many things you can do to deter thieves from trying to break your bike.

First and foremost, never – and I mean never – use a cable lock if there is a serious risk of your bike being stolen. Buy a quality U-lock with a steel shackle. Although U-locks are heavier than cables, they are many times safer. U-locks come in a variety of sizes, with the smallest ones being the safest but also the least versatile. A medium sized one should be fine for most people.

CABLE LOCK U LOCK PICTURES

The standard method of locking up a bike with a U-lock is to insert the shackle through the rear triangle of the bike, encompassing the rim of the wheel as well as an immovable object as shown below.

STANDARD U-LOCK METHOD

This method prevents the thief from being able to steal either the frame of the bike or the rear wheel, but it leave the front wheel vulnerable. If you have a big enough U-lock, you can take off the front wheel and include it in the steel shackle along with the rear wheel. Also, a flexible steel cable can be used to secure one or both wheels.

BOTH WHEELS IN A U-LOCK

My personal method of locking a bike uses a flexible steel cable to secure both of the wheels, and the cable is looped into the U-lock which secures the frame. This method allows you to carry a smaller (and safer) U-lock, and the combination of cable and U-lock is much harder for a thief to defeat than a cable or U-lock alone.