Avoiding bike theft: Making sure your bike is still there when you get back

It seems as if I hear about someone's bike getting stolen every few days now. Not only bikes, but wheels and seat posts too. I've started double locking my bike. I'm not thrilled about it, but I still have my bike -- even though it make take an extra minute or two to lock or unlock it.

When I started biking around Albany, I was just using a cable lock, but was warned by some fellow cyclists that it only was a matter of time until someone would try and steal my bike. I've since added a U-bolt to my routine, by using it to lock my rear wheel to the frame, then using my cable lock to secure my bike to whatever I can lock it up to.

I've also started using the U-bolt on my rear wheel and frame, when I put my bike on the bus. One night a CDTA driver decided to regail me with stories about the bikes that have been stolen off of the front of the bus. Some people were just getting off of the bus and helping themselves to the bikes on the front, when the original owners were not paying attention.

I also can be a bit obsessive about quick releases. My current bike has quick release wheels, stem and lights. Depending on where I'm at and how long I have to leave my bike out, I might take some or all of those parts with me.

Two good articles worth checking out are this one http://www.sfbike.org/?theft from the San Francisco Bike Coalition about avoiding bike theft, and this one http://www.slate.com/id/2140083/ from Slate that rates a lot of common locks.

Oh and one more thing, if you have a key lock store an extra key in a safe place. It is an awful feeling loosing your key and see your bike being held captive by your own lock.