Badly Locked Bikes & Bundles of Kit

Bike theft is a perennial problem and unfortunately, very lucrative given there is a ready market for stolen goods. Thieves lack mercy and compassion.

You and I have a bond with those frame tubes, a connection to those components and little, personal touches-freedom, fun, friendship.

The thief sees cash, another order met, others a fleeting hit of heroin to mute the spiralling misery of addiction and their steadily collapsing veins.

Those years spent living and riding in London’s seamier districts cultivated a belt n’ braces pragmatism. Given theft is in epidemic territory, I’m constantly staggered by the numbers of sitting ducks-easy pickings for the light fingered. Take this fixed gear Trek spotted in central Coventry.

Yes its parked in very public locale’ but only secured by the top tube using a modestly priced armoured chain…This might look the part but easily defeated in a matter of seconds with bolt cropper, which the owner has thoughtfully left ample space for…

How about this no-name fixer and rather fetching flat bar Charge spotted outside Birmingham’s symphony hall... Again; tethered to an immovable object via a U lock, in a very public spot by their top tubes…Roomy enough for a brute force attack, wheels and other components are vulnerable to anyone of a dishonest mindset, equipped with a run-of-the mill multi-tool/set of Allen keys. 

These could then be broken for spares, sold on online auction sites, or built into a bike using a stolen frame, making its heritage much harder for rightful owners to spot (in the unlikely event they were recovered). Rule of thumb says buying the best locks you can afford- 10% of the bikes rrp is a good yardstick.

Some can defeat on looks alone but generally speaking, all decent locks buy us is time; time for a thief to be discovered or get frustrated and move on. Most work on the basis of sixty seconds. Longer and they’ll look elsewhere. The most professional will use vans and have various tools for defeating armoured cable, chain and shackle designs.

However, many simply use one system-combining a U lock and armoured cable/chain of similar quality can be enough to make a thief move on. Make it as awkward for them as possible. Fill the lock; keep the mechanism clean, lightly oiled and difficult for them to access. If it’s a pain for you, it’s all the more difficult for them and ultimately; the better your chances of remaining the rightful owner.

Expect a decent lock to weigh around the kilo mark- fine for carrying over the shoulder for a few miles but on longer commutes, these become decidedly uncomfortable, so best sitting in a pannier, or riding on their own frame or rack mounted bracket.

Sold secure are the benchmark most insurers go by and have three standards- Bronze, Silver and Gold. This denotes the time and sophistication required to defeat them. Bronze is ok for low crime areas but can be obliterated in sixty seconds using very primitive tools. 

Often regular commuters will leave their locks chained to bike stands and other street furniture-don’t. This makes thieves lives easier still, they note the lock, come back with the right tools-a row of bikes... gone.

Organised criminals often drive around in vans looking for and ultimately stealing bicycles/motorcycles. Takes six big men to lift a relatively small Harley Davidson but once inside, alarms and other security are instantly muted. Studies have also shown that even when crimes are being committed, members of the public tend to turn a blind eye...

Inspect potential hosts for weakness. Rusty railings are easier to cut through and gaffer/similar tape can hide evidence of cutting/tampering. Oh and make sure structures, such as parking meters can’t be unbolted, bikes lifted atop...Trees and other wooden structures should only be considered when your bladder is screaming defcon1.

Defeated by locks, the light fingered also take a shine to expensive components-stems, forks, derailleurs, saddlers etc. Arguably a commuter/daily driver shouldn’t be so exotic but hub dynamos and similar equipment is ultra practical. Replacement Allen bolts (Not the cheap as chips quick cam type) with unique keys are a wise investment, making “locusting” unlikely. 

Public service announcement served. Along with the Univega’s 2x9 transmission update, I’ve upgraded the front stopper in favour of these Avid shorty 4 cantilevers and compression less cables.

Setting up the Avids proved remarkably straightforward and this configuration offers improved modulation and feel with Microshift brifters compared with the TRP predecessors. Timely too; since I’m due to take delivery of a free parable design T2 trailer to compliment their Gorilla and Monkii cages. 

The latter has enabled resurrection of this Ibera stainless steel thermos bottle; consigned to my cupboard when it’s sprung cage bracket expired and replacement proved unavailable. Kindly Supplied by www.cyclemiles.co.uk to be reviewed in www.sevendaycyclist.com

Lord of the Rings

Cyclo cross’s renewed popularity over the past decade, has given rise to a more civilian sub genre with additional bottle mounts, carrier fittings mudguard/eyelets. Gearing has also been tweaked to cover most bases, including the occasional, muddy race.

My ‘cross bikes are of the more traditional flavour, although I’m very fond of the gravel/adventure bike concept such as Genesis Croix De Fer. This; coupled with some recent mixed terrain blasting and John Moss’s recent Mango revisions got me thinking about my tubby tourer’s gear range.

Having plumped for 11-32 Tiagra cassettes last time round, the 22 tooth inner ring is pretty much redundant. Even hauling a trailer full of kit along forest trails and unlit roads. 44 and 32 teeth provides ample bombing, cruising and winching prowess.

Given the mix of road and mtb drivetrain, persuading its STX mech to behave impeccably across the range; let alone year round has always been a chore. Pleased to report its much happier skipping between a 44 and 32. Super crisp shifting and I’ve saved a few precious grams.Removal proved very straightforward and cost nothing; aside from ten minutes and a   few turns of the front mech’s adjuster screw to restrict travel.  

Pruning triples comes in and out of fashion. The late 80’s mtb explosion saw many experienced riders removing the big ring on their protégé’s bikes to prevent knee damage, especially in grass roots competition.

This concept was later advocated by some sections of the British mtb press in 1990/91 and one I embraced. Off came my trail hack’s biggest bio-pace, the middle and granny rings rotated for improved pedaling efficiency.

Ironic, given Bio-pace and its procession of elliptical imitators supposedly dismissed the dreaded dead-spot. We all slowly reverted to round; bio-pace, bio-strong et al became the stuff of ridicule and bike shop bargain bins.

Fast forward a few years and the dispatch mob were charging through the capital on mtbs with skinny slicks, single rings and closely spaced cassettes...

Talking of which, the 90s weren’t all about dodgy concepts and race frames passed off as trainers. One of my small but significant favourites was Kona’s spatter effect colour schemes, which meant riders could unobtrusively retouch those inevitable chips and scratches accumulated on the trail. Any enamel paint (or nail varnish) would do and over time, became a unique, customised pattern-no more fretting about precise matches.

  

Said strip was performed almost exclusively using The Full Windsor’s Breaker multi tool and captured relatively late in the evening, on a Sony Cybershot WX350.

I acquired this long zoom point n’ shoot primarily for capturing impromptu stuff while out riding; aside from the slightly pedestrian write to card speeds (common to most compact and bridge models) overall image quality; especially in lower light is surprisingly good.

Most chain breakers are fairly effective for occasional tweaks-I used a Specialized EMT around the workshop for several years before the pin and spreader slots eventually crumbled. However, the breaker puts this function and sheer leverage first.

It’s made from high quality loss cast and heat-treated stainless steel. Loss cast refers to a very old fashioned, though extremely precise manufacturing process where molten metal is poured into a wax mould.

Seven inches long and complete with a retro-looking leather pouch, designed to be hung from the saddle rails, top tube, or stem. There’s breathing space in here for tube and some mini pumps for a clutter-free effect.

Plug in 3,4,5,6 and 8mm Allen keys, T25 torx, spoke wrench, bottle opener and an extension bar for improved leverage sit in a terrace made from recycled butyl. Last but by no means least; a Phillips for taming those temperamental mechs, cantilever balance screws and sloppy brackets.

Racers needing to make very slight, split second tweaks will prefer the quick draw, flip-out simplicity of folding tools. However, that additional torque is welcomed on day rides and rough stuff/touring where efficiency trumps convenience.

Fettling also proved an excellent opportunity degrease the LX rings, purge some oily frame preserve and add a colour coat to the Univega’s previously primed chainstay chip. Now, you’ll have to excuse me; sounds like the courier has brought us some free parable goodies from Cycle miles www.cyclemiles.co.uk for review in Seven Day Cyclist. (www.sevendaycyclist.com)