8 tips to prevent bicycle theft
- Double up your security by using two high-quality locks.
- Use your locks to keep your wheels from being stolen, too.
- Swap quick-release seat and wheel skewers for ones that require keys.
- Make your bike unique.
- Try out a smart lock.
- Always bring your bike inside at night.
Another very popular technique is to use one decent lock and a cable. Attach a u-lock or chain around the rear wheel, the frame and the bike rack as above. Then push one end of the cable through the front wheel, pass one loop through the other loop and secure the first loop to the main lock.
Push the bike into the rack so the front wheel is all the way through. Most racks will have it fairly clearly marked where each bike should be inserted into it. Hold the bike steady by the seat and push it in straight. Make sure to check that the rack is sturdy and doesn't have any holes in it.
ALWAYS lock the frame at the very least. Front tire is easier to steal but there's more money in the rear (as it has the cassette).
- Turn the bike upside down. Balance it on it's handlebars and seat.
- Sight down the wheel as it spins. Note which side is rubbing.
- Turn the lever or the knob on the quick release counterclockwise on the side that is rubbing.
- Sight down the wheel.
Hold the bike by handlebars in one hand, while the other hand should hold the wheel on the ground. Place the fork dropouts in line with the axle on the front wheel. Place the axle into the dropouts by pushing the bike down into the axle to ensure that the wheel is in alignment with the dropouts.
In order to change the axles in your front wheel, you need to get the right quick-release axle set for the hub on your wheel. Since hubs vary a lot, the best way to do this is to visit a bicycle shop with your wheel and tell them what you want to do. Then you can install the new quick release-compatible axle set.
It is better to have the QR slightly too tight than slightly too loose with disk brakes. Also, the QR lever should always point backwards as shown. That makes it less likely to catch on anything and be pulled open (or throw you off the bike).
A quick release skewer is a mechanism for attaching a wheel to a bicycle. Wheels equipped with quick release mechanisms can be removed from the bicycle frame and replaced without using tools by opening and closing the cam lever, thus more quickly than wheels with solid axles and nuts.
Open the Quick Release or Remove Axle: If your bike has a quick release, flip the lever into the open position. If the lever is tight, you can use a tire lever to pry it open. Holding the lever still, loosen the bolt on the other side of the axle, but DO NOT remove the bolt completely.
Shimano even recommends against turning the bicycle upside down. If the bicycle is turned upside down or on its side, the brake may not work correctly, and a serious accident could occur. Before riding the bicycle, be sure to operate the brake lever a few times to check that the brakes operate normally.
Carbon wheels that are substantial, i.e. the spoke nipples are mounted to the inside circumference of the carbon rim, are fine, generally. If your carbon rims flex like this, hang your bike another way, or switch out the wheel so you're hanging it by a rim that can't be damaged.
Hang In There: What's the best way to hang a bike?
- Bike Hooks. Just like the shops use, a few well-placed bike hooks will let you hang your whole fleet in the floorspace you'd normally devote to just one bike.
- Single-Bike Shelf. Need everything tucked a bit tighter against the wall?
- Double-Bike Shelf.
- Clug Bike Rack.
Never, never NEVER, lift your bike or hang it by the seat when the dropper is sagged below the upper position. By lifting or hanging your bike by the seat you are running the risk of having premature wear in the seals and internals which can also cause suspensioning of your dropper.
SRAM: Hydraulic brake levers can be stored any way that's convenient to you. Hanging from a wheel is totally acceptable. A brake will not fail or need service any faster or slower because of its storage position. We do not recommend hanging a bike with hydraulic brakes by the rear wheel or upside down.
Flip it Upside Down: When storing your bike for extended periods of time, whether indoors or outdoors, you should take the weight off of the tires. Over time, your tires can deflate. Hanging or flipping the bike will prevent wheel damage.
Here are 7 tips for storing your bike inside your apartment or small home.
- Hang it up. The simplest solution is to install hooks from the ceiling and hang your bike when you are not using it.
- Put in on the wall.
- Get a bike dock.
- Use a display shelf.
- Slide it out of sight.
- Go for a bike rack.
- Hide it under the stairs.
Hang the bike on the bike rack.If you're using a vertical bike rack, hang the bike by the front tire. If you're using a horizontal bike rack, place the top tube of your bike frame on the rack.
