{"id":5359,"date":"2011-11-07T11:30:04","date_gmt":"2011-11-07T11:30:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.urban75.org\/blog\/?p=5359"},"modified":"2016-05-13T14:23:00","modified_gmt":"2016-05-13T13:23:00","slug":"heres-what-happens-when-you-dont-lock-your-bike-properly-outside-brixton-tube","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.urban75.org\/blog\/heres-what-happens-when-you-dont-lock-your-bike-properly-outside-brixton-tube\/","title":{"rendered":"Here’s what happens when you don’t lock your bike properly outside Brixton tube"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Here's<\/p>\n

Seen\u00a0clinging\u00a0lifelessly to one of the bike racks outside Brixton tube station\u00a0yesterday\u00a0was this heavily plundered bike, bereft of its wheels.<\/p>\n

The owner had made the foolish mistake of only locking the frame to the rack and not securing the wheels, so ne’er do wells had swiftly spirited them away.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"Here's<\/p>\n

Picking at the\u00a0skeleton<\/strong><\/p>\n

The bike looks quite new too, and although\u00a0the saddle and some fittings currently remain intact, I suspect that they’re not long for this world either.<\/p>\n

Read on for some useful tips about\u00a0protecting\u00a0your wheels o’ steel on the mean streets:<\/p>\n

Bike locking tips<\/strong><\/p>\n

First off, get\u00a0yourself a\u00a0good quality lock (preferably two) and make sure you lock it up in a well-lit area covered by CCTV.<\/p>\n

Don’t buy cheap locks or string-thin cable locks because they can be broken apart in seconds, and make sure that you’re locking your bike to something\u00a0immoveable (secure it to a short pole and they’ll simply lift the bike over the top).<\/p>\n

(There is a certain irony to the fact that when you shell out a ton of cash for a super lightweight speedy bike, you then have to weigh\u00a0yourself\u00a0down with ten ton locks).<\/p>\n

\"Here'sDon’t forget the wheels<\/strong><\/p>\n

Learn from the lesson of the Brixton bike, and make sure that the wheels are also secured to the rack and not just the frame.<\/p>\n

If you can, lock your bike up in busy areas where there’s outdoor dining areas, glass fronted cafes\/bars etc – that way the thief can’t be sure that you’re not watching them.<\/p>\n

Make it crappy<\/strong><\/p>\n

Like magpies, thieves generally go for nice shiny things, so the more you crapify your bike, the less chance there is of it being half-inched by ne’er do wells.<\/p>\n

One easy way is to wrap the frame in old inner tubes, or use\u00a0electrician’s tape to cover up the expensive brand name.<\/p>\n

If you’ve got an expensive saddle, take it with you, or secure it with a cable – and don’t forget your lights and speedo as the bastards will have those away in a jiffy too.<\/p>\n