Bike Stealing needs to Stop

MikeVDS · Post by **MikeVDS** » Thu Oct 12, 2006 6:26 pm

Locks I've used are also a pain. Maybe I'm just lazt but when I see something happening I just want to drop my bike and join in. Chains or even the hoop locks (what I used this year) take too much concentration, especally after a few drinks.

Booker · Post by **Booker** » Fri Oct 13, 2006 11:11 am

My bike disappeared for a while & then reappeared this year, the first time I've had a problem. It's barely functional, and I've always assumed that protected it from theft.

Lots of the rusty beater bikes in Amsterdam have a sweet little lock that clamps through the rear wheel, just enough to prevent someone from riding off when the opportunity presents itself. Can't find a source, but this looks like it'd come close:

http://tinyurl.com/w2htg

unjonharley · Post by **unjonharley** » Sat Oct 14, 2006 12:11 am

The news is out. If you do not lock your bike "you" expect it to be taken. By not locking your bike you can have your own crisis. You can run around and complain to people that do not give a rats ass. All the time appearing a dumb ass for not locking your bike. Some like you will whine for a full year. Most likely wont bring a lock the following year.

MikeVDS · Post by **MikeVDS** » Sat Oct 14, 2006 8:05 pm

I'm thinking of adding a curved bar on a hinge to my handel bars with a latch or two. So I can just flip it down through my spokes. I'm trying to think of the easiest way to latch this, but it may be effective enough without a latch. I have a crappy old bike that I didn't lock this year at all because I didn't care much. My brother lost his bike (looked like an accidental switch of bikes actually) and I figure I'd rather have a deturant than walk next year. Locks are overkill IMO. The scum who'll take something like that just want an easy target. If they see a bar through the spokes I'm guessing they'll just move to the next one without even checking how it "unlocks". Same thing applies even off the playa.

ibdave · Post by **ibdave** » Sat Oct 14, 2006 9:29 pm

we just wrap a bungie cord around and through the spokes. Then just sit back and watch someone try to ride off about 2 feet and they go to the ground hard...

unjonharley · Post by **unjonharley** » Sun Oct 15, 2006 8:00 am

Years ago I rode a BSA in Ca. Two metal bar would match up when you turned the fork to the side. You could slip a lock thruogh the holes.

On my Musical Moop Mobile I have a log chain and a 3lb padalock.

MikeVDS · Post by **MikeVDS** » Sun Oct 15, 2006 8:04 am

That's actually a great idea about turning the wheel and matching up bars. I'll have to consider a varient of that.

unjonharley · Post by **unjonharley** » Sun Oct 15, 2006 8:15 am

MikeVDS wrote:That's actually a great idea about turning the wheel and matching up bars. I'll have to consider a varient of that.

/
Just a clevis pin in the holes would cut the "oops my bad" syndrome. Which IMHO is a bunch of crap.

Ron · Post by **Ron** » Sun Oct 15, 2006 9:26 am

Random_Cola wrote:...e. Another thing was, domino effect, "someone stole my bike so I'll steal another, and in the end it works out..." ....

I've been told in Amsterdam there is a saying, "Once your bike is stolen you too will become a bike thief."

Told to me by a native of Amsterdam, right before he taught me to piss in the street like everyone else did, back then in the early 1990s. :)

Ron

unjonharley · Post by **unjonharley** » Sun Oct 15, 2006 9:57 am

MikeVDS wrote:That's actually a great idea about turning the wheel and matching up bars. I'll have to consider a varient of that.

/

I believe I have seen a pin with a combiunation lock. It was in a spots and RV store. WAs designed to hold a ball hitch in its reciever. Or to lock the trailer at the hitch in the safty keeper.

Brendan · Post by **Brendan** » Tue Jun 12, 2007 2:21 am

My first time to burning man this year, thought id read through some threads so whats goin on, I was planning on an art project bike/ camera rig, where it would be faithfully returned to camp each night. I was going to get away from the real world of locking bikes and wondering of its safety. anyway not gonna read anymore, just gonna party hard and see what happens.

i'll probably end up stealing someones bike searching for smokes or somethin'! :)

laters....

Lassen Forge · Post by **Lassen Forge** » Tue Jun 12, 2007 3:02 am

Brendan wrote:My first time to burning man this year,...

...i'll probably end up stealing someones bike searching for smokes or somethin'! :)

laters....

That could be a very dangerous thing to do, depending on the bike, the owner, and how it's rigged to booby trap...

Just saying, something about 24,000 volts across the seat, well...

It's yer balls. heh heh heh...

(BTW - I like the art idea - ya may want to put some kind of tracker on it to make sure it doesn't end up lost and gone forever. BUt it'd be kewl to see what people snap...)

bb

LeChatNoir · Post by **LeChatNoir** » Tue Jun 12, 2007 7:12 am

Tristan wrote:
Tiara wrote:Expecting the Gate to register all large vehicles carrying multiple bikes isn't feasible, though.
really?

i think all we need is to write the license place and number of bikes on a ruggedÄ±zed laptop.

and check the license plate at the exit, and see if the number of bikes quite matches.

That's an interesting concept, and I like the idea of it. But in '05 we hauled out an additional MOOP bike that got left in our camp with no contact info. And in '06 we were "gifted" two pretty nice cruiser bikes by a couple of Danes. I say "gifted" because they did in fact give them to us, but it felt a little bit like they were dumping the stuff on us that they couldn't take on a plane.

Either way, I would have been stuck there explaining under that scenario. I'll just stick with my lock I suppose.

helitack · Post by **helitack** » Tue Jun 12, 2007 7:15 am

...I have a free playa bike that needs to go this year if anyone wants to come and get it...

pinemom · Post by **pinemom** » Tue Jun 12, 2007 7:24 am

hehheeee

and Heli, will there be a man's ass attached to it as well, one of those take the whoile kit and kaboodle, or nuttin at all?

helitack · Post by **helitack** » Tue Jun 12, 2007 7:46 am

...I was kinda just trying to get rid of this bike but if you have some other suggestion, I am open to that

robotland · Post by **robotland** » Wed Jun 13, 2007 4:07 pm

If like me, you carry a crescent wrench around with you all week, you can just loosen the handlebars and "see what happens".
I have a Special Notebook of custom seat designs guaranteed to provide a Learning Experience, non of which I've had the guts and/or energy to implement...Among them:
-"Reupholstered" model, made from plywood with many deck screws pointing up and covered with a hunk of foam rubber and then fabric.
-The "....And Cough!" model, a dildo with appropriately-sized mounting coupler. (Might actually INCREASE chance of theft.)
-Black fabric-covered dense OPEN-pore foam, soaked in India ink.

LeChatNoir · Post by **LeChatNoir** » Wed Jun 13, 2007 4:31 pm

robotland wrote:If like me, you carry a crescent wrench around with you all week, you can just loosen the handlebars and "see what happens".
I have a Special Notebook of custom seat designs guaranteed to provide a Learning Experience, non of which I've had the guts and/or energy to implement...Among them:
-"Reupholstered" model, made from plywood with many deck screws pointing up and covered with a hunk of foam rubber and then fabric.
-The "....And Cough!" model, a dildo with appropriately-sized mounting coupler. (Might actually INCREASE chance of theft.)
-Black fabric-covered dense OPEN-pore foam, soaked in India ink.

Perhaps this could birth a whole new "Anti-Bike Stealing Measures Should Start" thread.

MWHAAA HAA HAAA

emotion_sickness · Post by **emotion_sickness** » Wed Jun 13, 2007 8:21 pm

just an fyi on those kryptonite locks (the u-shaped ones with the round key?)...its been proven that those are by far the easiest locks to crack, as even a novice can unlock them with nothing more than a plastic Bic pen in under a minute. my bike lock is one of those thick braided-wire-covered-in-plastic-tubing numbers with a combination lock...i think it is pretty convenient as you can just wrap it around the handlebars

LeChatNoir · Post by **LeChatNoir** » Wed Jun 13, 2007 8:47 pm

Still decent playa protection I'd say. Most bike "borrowers" wouldn't spend a whole minute worrying with it when there are 15 others laying in a pile without locks.

I also use one of those cables and a combination locks. Just because I thought it would be the easiest to store in my bike basket while riding. I lock my bike up most of the time, but I honestly try to devote as little time to worrying about such things as possible out there.

LeChatNoir · Post by **LeChatNoir** » Wed Jun 13, 2007 8:49 pm

Another handy thing about the cable and combo lock is that everyone in a group can have their bikes locked up and each can have the combination. That way nobody's forced to stay â€˜til the person with the key shows back up.

DoctorIknow · Post by **DoctorIknow** » Thu Jun 14, 2007 1:48 am

I bring (and prepare) about 6 bikes for our small group.

I get eight cheap Master padlocks (2 extra) that are all keyed the same. I get extra keys made and each one goes on a 30" piece of 1/8inch day-glo string/rope, which becomes a necklace that can easily go over the head/headgear. If someone loses a key, at least there aren't 6 different cut keys to have extras of! Even the most fashion "aware" will accept this necklace after an initial look of dismay....

Yes, it can take up to 20 seconds to lock the bike, which can be a lot of time when something incredible needs you, but thinking "I'll just do this/watch this BM moment for a second and keep my eye on the bike" is a rationale that only those who've never had a bike stolen would invent.

If you can, even with locks being faithfully used (and the hardest part if you are loaning a bike is to impress upon the borrower the necessity of locking) bring an extra bike. I passed by a bike repair camp last year that had a line that looked like exodus Monday afternoon! The people running the camp were saints!

robotland · Post by **robotland** » Thu Jun 14, 2007 5:18 am

And don't forget that those who are seriously out to steal bikes want to turn them over in the default world...Make it less of a target by decorating the crap out of it, including a new crazy paint job. And....HELLO?!? Don't Take Your Good Bike Out There. A friend of mine was worrying about finances for the burn, and happened to mention how much that THOUSAND BUCKS for a new bike was gonna hurt. I immediately administered Emergency Dope Slaps.
All right....If you REALLY want to take your good bike out there, GO AHEAD. Just don't come cryin'. Lock it up, and have a nice ride.

capjbadger · Post by **capjbadger** » Thu Jun 14, 2007 1:14 pm

Need to take a quick pee and have nothing to lock the bike to? Lock it to itself. Thread the cable between the frame and the wheels. It's not going anywhere unless the carry it.

I'm also thinking of an "ingintion" switch where if you try riding the bike without the key switch turned off, the bike screams "Stop this bike theft!!" as they try to ride away. mwahahaha

Badger

motskyroonmatick · Post by **motskyroonmatick** » Thu Jun 14, 2007 8:30 pm

I will be using hand cuffs to lock my bike up. Cheap and fringe(for the moment). I will be a dedicated bike locker now since a camp mate had his bike stolen last year.

frenchblue1 · Post by **frenchblue1** » Thu Jun 14, 2007 9:04 pm

the lightest weight option is to buy a master lock trailer pin lock. This can be kept in your pocket and you can run it through the front sprocket area to prohibit pedaling...they can still run away with it but if they want it that bad they are going to take it. Pretty inexpensive.

LeChatNoir · Post by **LeChatNoir** » Thu Jun 14, 2007 9:51 pm

frenchblue1 wrote:the lightest weight option is to buy a master lock trailer pin lock. This can be kept in your pocket and you can run it through the front sprocket area to prohibit pedaling...they can still run away with it but if they want it that bad they are going to take it. Pretty inexpensive.

Nice tip!

LeChatNoir · Post by **LeChatNoir** » Thu Jun 14, 2007 9:53 pm

motskyroonmatick wrote:I will be using hand cuffs to lock my bike up.

Even better tip!!!

Man... I may just do that myself.

robotland · Post by **robotland** » Fri Jun 15, 2007 5:06 am

A simple alarm system consists of one playing card, stuck in the spokes. More volume can be had by using a stiff plastic "clapper", and I'm going to experiment with rim-mounted widgets to make even more noise. NOT a theft-preventer, but you'd at least know when to yank up your drawers and leave the JOTS running.
Also on the workbench- Adapting a piezo-spark grill lighter to a bike seat...SNAP!
If I were one of those Playabillies that can spend all day fishing for ravers with glowsticks, I'd consider setting up a bike rigged to a solar -powered fence charger and waiting for action.

Lassen Forge · Post by **Lassen Forge** » Fri Jun 15, 2007 9:17 am

low voltage oil furnace ignitor (basically a car coil and set of vibrator points so it sparks constantly, not just once), which is powered by a small 12 volt gel cell. The master switch is keyed to turn on and off, the other switch (in line) for the power is a weight-activated contact on the seat (think horn strip on a car steering wheel), the 2 leads from the ignitor side to wires weaved into either sde of the seat cover.

Get off the bike, turn on the key switch to energize the hellmaker on, and walk away. WHen someone sits on the seat to ride... the contact switch in the seat completes the circuit... the buzzer coil energizes... the woven into the seat bare copper wire "points" come alive, with just a tushie (or even more sensitive dangly bits) to complete that spark gap of 24,000 volts. Wheee!!

Think they'll steal a bike again?? Think not!

bb

Bike Stealing needs to Stop

Bike locks