Theft prevention

[ourclarioncall]

Yeah, no way would I be locking up against any bike stand

It would have to be an immovable object far tougher than the chain. Lamppost is ideal .

Again , the main thinking behind the chain is mainly for being in a situation when I would be wild camping in the middle of nowhere and would have to leave my bike outside the tent overnight , or even leave it while going for a walk for whatever length of time.

I love walking and could go off for hours at a time

In some places the only thing you might get is a tree, so a chain is your only option . And then , if it’s a flimsy one , it could be cut down, so a longer length for a sturdy tree would be required. Not sure I can see locals out with a chainsaw while I’ve went for an hours hike but who knows what can happen in this mad world. Paranoid ? Absolutely lol. Got to cover every base. Just my analytical mind having fun.

Peace of mind really ,

that your bike has the highest chance of not getting stolen

I don’t think I would enjoy travelling if I couldn’t relax because in the back of my mind there’s still a chance some guy could grind through my D lock or thinner chain in 1 minute , instead of having a chain that will fight back to the death of either itself or the death of a couple of grinder batteries and discs

An alarm is a considerable option but in the middle of nowhere some thieves might not bat an eyelid, and as I’ve heard pointed out, the grinder may be as loud as the alarm anyway. Also with alarms your relying on technology which had the potential to break or for batteries to die , especially in colder weather.

I like the ring lock, but somebody can just pick your bike up onto their shoulder and walk away or Chuck it in the back of a van. Even ring lock with chain attached to an object- if it’s a wimpy chain your still only getting a minute or so grinder time.

I’m looking for a no fuss, universal solution  for all scenarios . A chain seems to fit the Bill , can go around objects in every part of the world. Weight doesn’t bother me at all. I appreciate a chain does eat into my weight allowance, bus as I hear everyone tell me , a nomad can pretty much carry anything, and I’ve accepted its going to be a slow accelerating heavy bike.

So would I actually carry around with me a heavy chain? ..... 🤔 hmmm, good question. maybe , maybe not

[ourclarioncall]

Thanks for sharing that link Steve

I learned a wee bit of German in school but a picture paints a thousand words as you say

That pretty much shows why I consider a chain so much , as I would anticipate thieves doing things like that !

Pipe cutter sales will be going up in Berlin then haha.

[Andre Jute]

...you, me, all of us don't know what works.

If we knew everything that works, we wouldn't require a discussion this long. If we don't know anything, why, we wouldn't require a discussion this long, either.

All the evidence we have is anecdotal

We know a great deal about the motivational psychology of people in general, more about the psychology of psychopaths (about one in 200 people in the UK, one in 100 in the US, much higher in jails, virtually 100% on Death Row). We can apply that knowledge to bicycle thieves and by our collected wisdom discover over time what works.

...the idea that we have prevented a theft, or facilitated one, assumes we know all the other circumstances that might have contributed and we don't.

Scientific investigation is a method of formalising repeat anecdotes into hypotheses which can be tested and turned into more or less reliable statistics. Several forum contributors weigh, literally, security hardware against a psychological expectation they have of bicycle thieves. It works for us. That isn't to imply though that we have perfect knowledge, or even believe that we can ever have perfect knowledge, but that when enough anecdotes have been gathered to distinguish a trend, cyclists can act on partial knowledge; that is part of the purpose of cycling fora, and your own post demonstrates a method of formalising knowledge (for instance by speaking to the police), acknowledgement that the knowledge isn't complete, and demonstrations of the method of sharing knowledge, building it past the anecdotal stage to critical actionable mass, and acting on substantial but never complete knowledge.

Here endeth the Karl Popper Memorial Reading. The barmaid will now recharge all glasses and we'll raise a tankard to the uncertainty over the next hill.

[Matt2matt2002]

Thanks Andre.
Good points raised and I like your thinking.

A smile crossed my lips while reading your thoughts as I recalled a quote from some years back:

There are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns — the ones we don't know we don't know.

I'll refrain from identifying the author.

Matt, who loves a good quote.

[JohnR]

that is part of the purpose of cycling fora

Thus spoke a man whom, I presume, was taught Latin (ie the plural of forum is not forums but fora).

[martinf]

One possibility for making multi-lock use easier is to have a single key for several locks.

This is possible with the Abus YourPlus system:
https://www.abus.com/be_fr/Securite-en-deplacement/Velo/Antivols/YourPlus

All my frame locks, my U-lock and the (relatively new) padlock for my old chain have the same key.

My lightweight cable lock from the 1970's is the odd one out with a different key.

The padlock is:
https://www.abus.com/be_fr/content/view/full/47961

[Danneaux]

This older thread may still be relevant to those concerned about parts theft while a bike is parked and locked...
http://thorncyclesforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=4823.msg24349#msg24349
Best,

Dan.

[Danneaux]

This too...about whether and how to take a U-lock on a world tour...
http://thorncyclesforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=3721.msg15895#msg15895

Best,

Dan.

[UKTony]

Just thought I’d check what  a world tourer did in 1963. Dervla Murphy’s kit list in her book “Full Tilt - Ireland to India by bicycle”makes no mention of a bike lock but does include one .25 automatic pistol and 4 rounds of ammunition.
Of course I’m not suggesting..........

[Danneaux]

I have that book! As I recall, the pistol and ammo came in handy when she was chased by wolves in a forest, too.

It is a corker of a book, gripping from cover to cover.

Best,

Dan.

[ourclarioncall]

Thanks Dan for the links 👍

[UKTony]

Yes. It’s ten or more years since I read it and am thinking I might pick it up again.  She set off in January 1963 in the middle of one of the worst winters on record with lots of woolly clothing, no high tech stuff then. We’ve got a dramatic change for the good in the weather here in SW England toady - dry, sunny but cold - hoping the temperature might just rise by mid morning enough to deal with any slippery roads and I’ve got no excuse to go out to get out on the Nomad!
The other lady who was prolific in the 1980s with many  epic rides  and writing was Bettina Selby. Start with “ Riding the mountains down “ pub about 1984.
Cheers, have a good day.
T.

[FaustoCoppi]

I had to hurtle out of a rather upmarket patisserie in Anger (France) I was angry! In order to recover a bidon from our tandem that was parked up outside, as I was standing at the til a group of youths walked past and lifted said bidon , bidon duly recovered much to amusement of patisserie owner and surprise of would be thief!

[ourclarioncall]

How is this possible?

Almax V (22mm) cut in about 1 minute 15 seconds (on the floor , not in vice, with cordless grinder)

https://youtu.be/78HBNfzSGQ8

[Danneaux]

How is this possible?

Because angle grinder.

Imagine how quickly one could cut through a steel frame tube measuring 0.6mm wall thickness between the butts. That's the method preferred by thieves here. They then take the frame halves to "chop shops" where they remove components at their leisure to sell on Craigslist (our Gumtree) and eBay 'cos no serial numbers on parts. Frames are then discarded or taken to the metal recyclers.

By coincidence, I spent this afternoon using an angle grinder to cut through 1/2in hardened steel bolts to salvage some steel fencing during a restaurant's parking lot renovation. Owner said I could have it if I removed it. Okay. Job simply made for this tool. I'd estimate about 45 seconds per bolt for a through-cut. Changed discs about every 4th bolt.

Removing the 110lb panels was a different story. Urrrrgh! Not so heavy as awkward 'cos 8ft tall.

Best,

Dan.