Bike Security

A number of cyclists raise the issue of secure bike parking, more than I expected to be honest. There will never be enough lockers for all 1000 cyclists on campus, so lockers are not likely to ever be free. If you would be interested in hiring a locker, it would be a good idea to let security know, so that they will be encouraged to make it happen. Having said that, they are already actively pursuing bike locker options but it is quite difficult to get the space at UNSW.

Organising lockers is not really something that a student club is equipped to do. However, one practical thing we can do to make our bikes more secure is to use this page to share information with each other. If you have ever had your bike stolen or vandalised, especially on campus, please comment below. Write down where this has happened, what kind of bike and what time of day/night. Of course reporting an incident on this page is not equivalent to reporting incidents to security or the police, and you report it to security as well. Even though this isn’t necessarily going to result in getting your bike back, hopefully we can start to get an idea of how bikes get stolen. If you have some tips about keeping your bike safe, please put them down. I can start the ball rolling..

• Get a good lock. Security sells high quality (self proclaimed) D-locks for $29
• Choice Magazine found that all of the chain locks they tested were broken incredibly easy using manual tools, even the ones with a metal sheath.They recommended two D-locks that couldn’t be broken with manual tools:

  TRELOCK BS400 ($89 RRP)
  ABUS Sinero ($80 RRP) (found in many bikes stores in Sydney)
  Get one of these locks!!

• Get a crap bike or hide the brand of your bike with electrical tape
• Make your bike look unique so that it is harder to sell - bright stickers, custom paint
• You may want to engrave your email address onto your bike. We can arrange to get this done through security.
• If your bike gets stolen, list it on the internet or list it here so that others can look out for it.

- Maurice

Julien has had some stuff to add about not losing your bike:

Here are some tricks to keep your bike.

How to keep your bike.

1- Personalise your bike
a. Put stickers
b. Special paint
c. Electric tape to protect the frame
d. Personalise it enough for friends to recognise your bike easily.

2- Make your bike look old and cheap

3- Cover all parts with names with electric tape that can easily be removed when needed
a. Shimano 105 derailleur means the bike is worth at least a couple 100$
b. Cover with tape all the brands such as: Hubs, brand, shop, brakes, derailleur, crank set, shocks and crank set.

4- Lock your bike

5- Make your lock look mean:
a. Put inner tube around the chain and pad lock
b. Cover the brand of your lock. The brand can tell a thief how easy it will be to pick or break the lock.

6- Lock your bike properly
a. Try to lift the post, some can be lifted thus leaving you bike lock to nothing.
b. Lock your front wheel to the frame and post
c. Lock in a well lit area
d. Don’t leave it outside at night

7- Get a good lock
a. No wire lock (6 seconds to cut)
b. No cheap u lock that can be twisted (30 seconds to brake)
c. No light chains and padlocks that could easily be cut by bolt cutters. (6 seconds to cut)

Taking pictures of your bike helps if it gets stolen; take the serial number underneath the cranks (pedals and gear area)

Where you bought your bike also keeps track of the serial number when you bought your bike, they should have it in their files.

I have kept my bike in high theft areas such as Montreal, Canada, New York, Mexico, Mexico and have been lucky. Common sense and some luck helps.

Have fun riding,

Julien Radcliffe

Ps: I have not tested the suggested lock but can tell you this: if it locks on only one side of the U shape it is a bad lock, if you can twist it with some force it is not worth it.

Locking your helmet to you bike only uses your helmet faster and means that in a crash it may fail. Simplly because it has been knocked previously by something else that cause cracks in the inside.