Question about locking up/hydration.

[NicDiesel]

@creadinger 59196 wrote:

I guess I’ve been doing it all wrong the past few years on all of my solo rides with no lock and no one to keep an eye on my bikes

You’ve been very lucky.

[KLizotte]

Compared to Potomac Cyclist, I am a camel.

[eminva]

@Tim Kelley 59197 wrote:

When the sun finally came up I could feel exactly where the black trim on my white kit was. I felt bad for the guys I was riding with that were in all black.

I did wear a black kit, but much as I’d like to, I can’t blame that for my woes that day. I also drank a ton — didn’t keep track — had a water bottle and a camelbak. I even gave some of my water to a man who had run out between stops. It seemed like you couldn’t drink enough.

Liz

[KLizotte]

@creadinger 59196 wrote:

I guess I’ve been doing it all wrong the past few years on all of my solo rides with no lock and no one to keep an eye on my bikes. @KLizzotte – Do what you want and what you’re comfortable with obviously, but know that there are some people out there who do not carry locks on long day rides and feel pretty comfortable popping into a convenience store (or the Subway shop in Poolesville for example) for couple of minutes to buy food and drink.

On a few occasions I’ve gone unlocked; it depends on the location. For the most part though I’m very cautious. I’ve been pickpocketed four times (once in the US, three in the UK in very nice areas). My car has been broken into and my parents house in the middle of nowhere has been burglarized three times. In a previous job, a thief passed two security checkpoints and still walked out with a co-workers laptop in the middle of the day entirely unseen. A couple of years ago three bikes disappeared from the front of my workplace (on federal property) where there is security and surveillance 24/7. Even in our workplace gym people routinely steal the mini dumbbells, workout DVDs, and even the batteries in the automated shower cleaners. The lockers have been broken into as well. I used to keep my bike in my apartment building’s bike room till someone picked it clean. We’ve even had people’s laundry stolen (the thieves took the time to selectively choose what they wanted).

If it ain’t nailed down….

[Bilsko]

@CaseyKane50 59186 wrote:

For very short breaks, I weave the straps of my bike helmet through my rear wheel and then connect the clasp.

Ah yes, the poor-man’s bike lock. I do this too if I need a very quick solution in a low-probability-of-theft situation. If the would-be thief isn’t expecting it if they try to jump off and ride, they wont get far. You’d have to apply a lot of force to either break a spoke or pull the chinstraps out of the connector clips. On the other hand, it would only take about 5 seconds to unclip it and go.

Another thing you can do is this**:
When you’re arriving at your destination, put your rear derailleur in either the smallest or largest cog and then change gears so that the derailleur is positioned to change to the opposite cog (so if you’re in the smallest, it would jump to the largest) but *DONT* pedal. You can do the same with the front as well if you want.

So you have a bike that is primed to jump 8 or 9 or 10 gears all at once as soon as forward pressure is applied to the pedals. A thief trying to ride away on that will very likely end up with a dropped chain or a real jolt.

Caveat: you need to remember that you did it so when you get back on your bike you don’t end up nose-first on the pavement.

**SS/FG riders need not apply.

[Bilsko]

One more locking up tip:

If you’re using a U-Lock. put the crossbar next to the frame (as opposed to the thing you’re locking up to). If the thief is going to use leverage to pry/pop it off, they’ll likely need to apply force to the frame, bending it, which would make it less attractive of a haul.

[Tim Kelley]

@Bilsko 59202 wrote:

When you’re arriving at your destination, put your rear derailleur in either the smallest or largest cassete and then change gears so that the derailleur is positioned to change to the opposite ring (so if you’re in the smallest, it would jump to the largest) but *DONT* pedal. You can do the same with the front as well if you want.

So you have a bike that is primed to jump 8 or 9 or 10 gears all at once as soon as forward pressure is applied to the pedals. A thief trying to ride away on that will very likely end up with a dropped chain or a real jolt.

I did this today at lunch in Courthouse in front of California Tortilla and made it out safely to tell the story.

[Bilsko]

@Tim Kelley 59204 wrote:

I did this today at lunch in Courthouse in front of California Tortilla and made it out safely to tell the story.

That you made it out of California Tortilla safely could be interpreted in an entirely different way.

[Tim Kelley]

Yeah, some of their hot sauce is hot!!

[Rod Smith]

I’ve lost three bikes to theft. They were all locked, but I still use a lock. I guess I never learn from my mistakes. An unlocked bike tells potential thieves that your bike is not worth stealing. I’ve left a ten speed racing bike on my front porch for several years now, unlocked, and nobody will take it!

Carrying a small cable lock instead of the heavy U-lock on long day trips makes a lot of sense. I feel pretty safe leaning my bike against a port-a-potty while I’m inside peeing, but moving the shift levers as Bilsko recommends is a good way to keep your bike from going away faster than you can chase it down. I’ve done long rides without the U-lock but often will bring it with me just in case. It has come in handy for lunch stops.

[DaveK]

@eminva 59200 wrote:

I did wear a black kit, but much as I’d like to, I can’t blame that for my woes that day. I also drank a ton — didn’t keep track — had a water bottle and a camelbak. I even gave some of my water to a man who had run out between stops. It seemed like you couldn’t drink enough.

Liz

I remember noticing that you were wearing all black and thinking you were completely insane, but at mile 90 I wasn’t about to tell you that. You looked strong when you left our stop!

[eminva]

@DaveK 59241 wrote:

I remember noticing that you were wearing all black and thinking you were completely insane, but at mile 90 I wasn’t about to tell you that.

Well, I don’t have a white jersey (save for the BA jersey) — I just went with the one that fits the best. I am a bit OCD about that and figured tugging on my hem or whatever all day would drive me crazier than being in black on a hot day.

@DaveK 59241 wrote:

You looked strong when you left our stop!

What can I say . . .

Liz

[Mikey]

@CaseyKane50 59186 wrote:

For very short breaks, I weave the straps of my bike helmet through my rear wheel and then connect the clasp.

The other day at Jones Point, I saw someone take their bike right into the bathroom.

I do this – take my bike into the bathroom, especially the facilites at the Columbia Island Marina, when I have to go and am riding to the bus at the Pentagon. If I am on my way home, it is usually a good hour until I make it home, and nothing worse than being on a slow bus with my legs uncomfortably crossed. The bathroom is usually empty and there is plenty of room to bring the bike in and out.

[dasgeh]

@eminva 59259 wrote:

Well, I don’t have a white jersey (save for the BA jersey) — I just went with the one that fits the best.

I know a great team with white and blue kit if you or Hozn are looking to join one. Just saying.

As far as PotomacCyclist’s hydration habits. Wow. I drank 7 bottles of water yesterday at my desk. During the work day.

And to the topic of locking – having a bike stolen sucks, whether you left it out, locked it with a little cable or double-u-locked the sucker. It’s also not your fault, however you choose to leave the bike. Really, you’re just trying to deter those who would steal bikes. From the videos posted online of bikes being stolen, most of the time the thief takes some time — cases the bike, stands near it to make sure the owner isn’t just around the corner. So if you’re really going to be quick, you would defeat that thief. The other option would be a thief who just jumps on and rides away. If you use the helmet-strap-lock or Bilsko’s chain-drop formula, you’ll probably defeat that thief (at least temporarily).

It’s all a game of probability, right? And it’s context specific. I do like these discussions for new ideas (thanks, Bilsko!) to try.

Back in my backpacking days, I would keep something like this handy for times I was worried about my backpack on trains, in hostels, etc. I rarely used it, but just having it made me feel better. It might be a good solution for those not comfortable with the helmet strap lock, but don’t think a thief will have tools.

[vvill]

I definitely prefer to carry some kind of lock if I am riding around solo. My first ever new bike bought from a LBS (’90s rigid cromo Diamondback) was stolen years ago from a train station and that was enough for me.

With a group ride and the gas station stops in the countryside, the group is usually big enough that someone will be outside at any point, and the probability of would-be thieves daring to act is very small, especially when there’s more people. I do often use the helmet strap lock – a tiny deterrent but it makes it a lot more time consuming for a would-be thief since they can’t just grab and go.

[Author]

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