Everything you always wanted to know about bike locking (*but were afraid to ask)

It recently came to my attention that the Guide to Locking Your Bike in Philadelphia that we wrote on this blog last month is a little too long to be accessible. If you are looking for comprehensive, understandable tips for keeping your bike safe, read the older article. For a quick list of tips, keep reading below.

Tips for Locking Your Bike in the City

What Locks To Get
-Buy the smallest lock that serves your purposes: Tight fitting locks make it harder for a thief to use their tools.

-U-locks: Buy a strong steel-alloy lock with a flat key (tubular keys are easy to pick). Register the lock if it comes with a warranty/insurance.

-Cables and chains: The thicker, the better.

How to Lock
-Using two different types of locks will make your bike a smaller target, because it will take two different tools to steal.

1. Use your U-lock to secure the frame and rear wheel to the rack.
2. Use a cable lock or cable loop to secure the front wheel to the frame, rack, and/or U-lock.
3. Alternatively, you can remove your front wheel and lock the frame and wheels to the rack.
4. Always make sure the frame (and at least one wheel) is locked! Otherwise you'll come back to a wheel with no bike attached.
   

-The tighter the lock up, the harder it will be for a thief to break it:

• Little or no space in the middle of your U-lock will help prevent prying it open.
• Leave as little slack as possible in your cable to chain to prevent lock being smashed open against wall or sidewalk.

Where to Lock To
-Lock your bike to a fixed, immovable object that cannot be broken or cut.

• Check to see if a sign pole can be pulled out of the ground, or if the sign can be easily removed from the top.
• Chain link fences can easily be cut, some cross-bars on scaffolding can be easily removed.
• Don't lock to a tree! Trees are our friends, and regular locking to a tree can hurt and eventually kill it.

-Use a well-lit area with a lot of foot traffic and where your bicycle can be seen easily. It's even better if you can see it!

-Lock where there are other bikes. Chances are pretty good that there will be a less secure bike right near yours, and thieves will go for the easiest target.

-Lock up your bike even in your garage, apartment building hallway, or college dorm. If you have a sense of security and become a little lax, that's when a thief will take advantage.

Other Tips
-Quick releases work for thieves too! Take quick-release components with you, switch out the quick-release, or find a way to lock them.

-Watch out for each other! If you see someone messing with a lock or bike, don't assume it's the owner. If you see something suspicious, look for and notify a local authority or store security guard.

-If your bike gets stolen: Write down the identifying marks and serial number of your bike. If your bike is found this will help you prove that it’s yours. For more on how to find your serial number, stolen bike registries, and where to look for your bike, check our earlier article.


Video tutorial: Hal Grades Your Bike Locking