A few days in a row I saw the same bike locked up in the same place outside of Workantile (the co-working space I belong to on Main Street). And it was always locked like this:
This is insecure as only the front wheel is locked to the post. A thief has only to open the quick release skewer and then carry off the bike, leaving the front wheel behind. It would take seconds.
After several days of walking past this, I wrote a short message on a yellow Post-It note. I didn’t want to draw attention to the target by putting the text out in the open, so rolled it up and tucked it into a gap on the handlebars.
Not knowing anything about the rider, I took care not to mansplain. I politely suggested that their bike could be locked much more securely if the lock passed through the frame, and signed off “Happy Riding! :)”
The next day, their bike was locked in the same place – but with textbook-quality locking technique. The U-lock passed through both the frame and the front wheel. It’s appeared that way each morning since.
Today I saw a sticky note fluttering from the bike’s seat. It was a reply to me:
Here’s to anonymous kindness and old-fashioned passing of notes.
2 replies on “Passing notes: on securing a bike lock”
This might sound silly, but one of the things stopping me from getting a cargo bike or bakfiet is figuring out how best to secure it here in Ann Arbor given that bike theft still happens around here.
Do you really find enough room to maneuver the bike around to get a through the frame and wheel combo with the cargo bike to a typical U shaped bike rack?
Thanks in advance
Good question. I don’t typically lock through the wheel myself, in part because I generally park in less-risky* situations (e.g., a few hours during the daytime) and don’t feel like the front wheel is at risk of theft. I do see other e-bike / cargo bike riders in Ann Arbor locking up with a combination of cable + U-lock. The cable secures the wheels and the U-lock goes through it and the frame. That would address maneuverability concerns since it’s easy to weave the cable however you need it.
* = or so I thought… just yesterday the battery was pried off of my Yuba Spicy Curry bike and stolen while it was parked in the 4th and Washington parking garage. I’d parked it there with the battery left on (the battery has its own lock) hundreds of times, I’m surprised and saddened that it was ripped off in broad daylight in such a conspicuous location.
That said, having a cargo bike is life-changing, and it would be a shame for security concerns to hold you back. I’d count a good lock toward the overall cost. If the overnight parking situation at one’s residence is not satisfactory, taking out an insurance policy could be an option.