Take extra care to protect your bicycle from thieves
Andy Hoffman's bike was stolen April 15 on Utica Street in Boston's Leather District. The former bike messenger and bike mechanic from Somerville said he "free-locked" his $1,700 Kona Paddy Wagon using a small U-lock to secure the front wheel to the bike's frame, making it unridable. But the bike vanished within 15 minutes. Lesson learned, Hoffman said.
Veteran urban bicyclists have plenty of stolen bike tales to tell. My friend Ted has had two bikes stolen, both in Harvard Square on weekend nights on busy streets. I had two bikes stolen, though not in Boston. In Montreal, thieves nabbed not only the two mountain bikes chained to the bed of my then-girlfriend's pickup truck, but her entire
Philly, Chicago, and New York came in at 1-2-3 on lock maker Kryptonite's most recent "Top 10 Worst Cities for Bike Theft" list. But our fair city of Cambridge ranked number 9, knocking Boston off the list. Beware.
In the Boston area, insufficient bicycle parking is part of the problem. The secure "bike cage" the MBTA is building at the Alewife T station, and plans to add more racks at T stations, will help, as will the city's efforts to put in 250 racks throughout Boston by year's end.
With bike racks in short supply, cyclists will lock up to anything: trees, parking meters, and wooden fences. Reader Frank O'Dette of Kenmore Square wrote to report he'd seen young trees lopped off in the Fenway neighborhood, likely by bike burglars armed with saws. Worse still, the perpetrators aren't always thieves. In May, during work on Commonwealth Avenue, Boston University and McCourt Construction began removing bikes locked to parking meters, causing an uproar among cyclists.
Similarly, you can't always trust your devices: In a 2004 scandal some called "Bic Gate," it was revealed that several of Kryptonite's U-lock models could be popped open with a ball point pen. Canton-based Kryptonite redesigned the products.
Even with the best protection, there's no guarantee your bike won't be nicked. But good equipment helps. Loren Mooney, executive editor of Bicycling magazine, chatted with me about the three main lock types: the U-lock; the chain and padlock style; and the cable lock.
As standard equipment for low-theft situations, the cable lock comes in various lengths and thicknesses from "not thicker than a computer cord to thicker than your index finger," Mooney said. A cable lock is good "if you feel pretty secure about your bike or if you're going out to do errands and run into a coffee shop for five minutes." Used in conjunction with a U-lock, they can also be a good secondary lock to secure the front wheel to the bike frame, though they are vulnerable to anyone with cable cutters. Mooney recommends the Master Lock Quantum series++, which have built-in combination or keyed locks and cost $10 to $20.
Chain and padlock combos, Mooney said, "are solid options for medium and high security areas." Her pick is the OnGuard Beast chain lock, which retails for $60 to $90.
Similarly substantial are U-locks. "Some come in medium security and others [offer] the highest level of security." Her U-lock choices include Kryptonite's New York Lock STD, for about $70, large enough to lock a frame and rear wheel to a parking meter, Mooney said. She also likes Kryptonite's Evolution Mini (about $55). It can fit in your back pocket, but isn't ideal for long-term lock-ups, nor can it connect around thick posts.
The weak link of any system can be the lock mechanism itself. Any product with a standard house key-type lock is easy to pick. Plus, cheap padlocks can be snapped with bolt cutters. Mooney recommended locks that have been highly rated by independent testing agencies such as Sold Secure and ART.
The overall dilemma, Mooney explained, boils down to "convenience versus security." Cable locks are lightweight and easy to carry with you. Chain and padlocks are bulky and can weigh 15 pounds. "Security is heavier, but the tradeoff is you get to ride home at the end of the day because your bike is still there."
Securing your bike frame isn't the only goal, Mooney added. A wheel that's not locked can be removed in seconds; same with a seat. So use that secondary or tertiary lock to thwart thieves. "They see it right away and they'll say, "That's too much trouble,' " said Mooney. "They're going to need multiple tools to take your bike." Alternately, take your seat or front wheel with you, making your bike less attractive to thieves.
As a general rule, riders need to think like thieves. Some bicyclists might camouflage bikes with dull paint or wrap the frame in electrical tape. But savvy thieves know what an expensive bike looks like. Mooney suggests owning a cheap bike for everyday riding. "Save the fancy bike for the long weekend ride where you don't need to lock up."
Remember the bears chasing the hunters rule: You don't need to be faster than the bear, just faster than your fellow hunter. "It sounds kind of mercenary but it's true," said Jonathan Niehof, a BU grad student and League of American Bicyclists certified instructor who commutes by bike. "The immediate concern is to make [your bike] less worth a thief's effort than the guy's next to you, he said. "Your bike is trashier or your lock is better."
After his bike losses (one a prized Cannondale), my friend Ted has gone the route of the cheap bike, nothing over $300. So far, so good. Knock on wood. Just don't chain your bike to a tree.
(Note: locking-up strategies can be found at the late-great local bike guru Sheldon Brown's site sheldonbrown.com/lock-strategy.html; an amusing movie on Manhattan cyclists' locking techniques can be found at streetfilms.org/archives/hal-grades-your-bike-locking.)
Events and news
June 15: Blue Hills Mountain Bike Day, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Houghton's Pond, Blue Hills Reservation, Hillside Street, Milton. Skills clinics to learn and practice riding techniques and bike repairs, for adults and kids; vendors showcase of bikes and gear. semassnemba.org, 617-698-1802.
Add Willow Avenue from Elm to Highland to Somerville's bike lane tally. The city has now increased the total length of its bike lanes by tenfold. Ah, the smell of fresh paint!
Send comments, bike news and events, and ideas for future columns to shiftinggears@globe.com.
