Pick a good bike lock so thieves won’t
The current energy crises has
brought a lot of bikes out into the
open, and a lot of bicycle thieves.
And while it’s almost impossible to
protect a bike against a profes
sional, the right kind of locking de
vice will discourage the typical bike
thief who is usually an amateur look
ing for a joy ride.
U-LOCKS
Shaped like a horseshoe, the
U-Lock proved to be the most resis
tant lock to breaking and picking. All
locks tested were covered with a
tough plastic to prevent scratching
of the bike. U-Locks secure the seat
tube, rear tire and front, quick-
release tire to a stationary vertical
object. The shape and size allows
for easy storage while riding. The
top of the U hangs securely from the
rear of the saddle.
However, because of their rigid
ity, U-locks won’t stretch to fit
around a telephone pole or a tree
trunk. They’re also relatively high.
PADLOCKS
Most padlocks today have a case
hardened steel body which makes
the outside metal tougher than the
inside metal. This not only helps re
sist sawing or cutting, but makes
the lock shatterproof; a lock which
has been hardened all the way
through becomes brittle when
smashed.
The padlock which hides a good
portion of the shackle provides
maximum security from cutting.
Also, a “heel and toe” lock works
best as it secures both sides of the
shackle when in a locked position.
CABLE AND COIL LOCKS
Cables are convenient — they
wrap around poles, posts and tree
trunks of various sizes. Weight and
cost are reasonable. Cutting into
the thicker cables or coils requires
several attempts with medium cut
ters. It’s like cutting into metal rope.
Length is particularly important
with self-coiling cables. Although
The best advice is to lock a bike, that way it can’t “walk away.”
they compact tightly for easy stor
age they do not extend fully when
locking a bike. About a foot of length
is lost in the curls. Also, the curls
make it difficult to thread a coil
through the spokes of the wheel,
particularly when it’s extended
around the length of the bike.
All these locks are patterned with
twisted steel wires. The thicker the
diameter, the greater the number of
metal threads and the heavier the
guage. Loops formed at the ends
accomodate a padlock. A vinyl cov
ering prevents damage to the bike.
ONE-UNIT CABLELOCKS
AND CHAINLOCKS
This type is more convenient
than carrying two separate pieces.
The problem, is that they aren’t very
strong.
The links which attach the chain
to the lock were made of inferior
material which is softer than the
chain locks themselves.
If you use this type of fastener
keep the lock area away from the
bicycle’s frame and also from the
object to which it is being locked.
This safeguards any possibility of
smashing the lock by hammering it
against a hard, immovable object.
CHAINS
The heavier the chain, the more
protection. The best padlock in the
world is only as good as the
weakest link in the chain.
Chain links should be case-
hardened and welded together.
Avoid those with links that are
merely twisted closed as these can
be forced open. Six feet is the ideal
length so that the wheels and frame
can be locked at the uppermost por
tion of the bike. Avoid leaving slack
in the chain when it’s locked as the
closer it is to the ground, the better
leverage thieves have with bolt cut
ters.
Give a used
Continued from cover.
— Has the bike been in a
frame-bending accident?
The most common accident
damage is a front fork
bent slightly rearward. If you
spot this damage look
elsewhere. Even if the fork
looks okay, double-check
them by inspecting the
headset (steering) bear
ings. There are two sets,
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bike close inspection
'ii': ■
one at the top and one at the
bottom of the frame head
tube, and a collision will
knock them out of allign-
ment and ruin the bike’s
handling and stability.
— The wheels are the
next most likely source of
expensive trouble. Hold the
bike so one wheel is an inch
or two off the ground and
spin the wheel slowly,
watching it pass between
the brake and shoes. Does
the wheel wobble or have
dents? Smooth side-to-side
wobbles can be competely
fixed (another $5 bike shop
repair) but not dents in the
rim. You’ll have to replace
the rim at $20 or more per
wheel.
— Check the crankset.
Put the bike in L-5 gear, spin
the cranks backward and
inspect the chainwheels for
roundness. Are any parts
obviously bent or mangled?
Try to wobble the cran-
karms both sideways and
within their customary plane
of rotation. Wobble and
looseness can come from a
number of sources within
the crankset assembly and
cost $5 to $10 to fix, assum
ing you don’t need re
placement parts. Parts will
cost between a few cents
and a few dollars unless a
cotterless crankarm needs
replacing. That will cost you
more than $10.
— Inspect the cable and
brake shoes. Every one
that’s badly worn means
another dollar out of your
pocket.
— Inspect the tire for
badly worn spots, cuts or
sidewall bulges. New tires
cost about $7 to $10, plus a
few dollars for labor.
— Do the brakes and de-
railleurs work as they’re
supposed to? An overhaul
for either system costs $10
or so. If a mechanism if bent
out of shape or broken,
you’ll need new brakes or i
derailleurs at $10 to $15 i
each, plus a few dollars
labor.
— If the chain is worn out
and rusty, get another $5 bill
ready.
— Inspect the frame
where the seatpost enters
the seat tube. Some cyclists
tighten the binder bolt too
much and damage the seat
lug. Make sure this bolt
loosens and tightens as it
should.
— Test ride the bike. It
should feel stable (no
hands riding is a good stabil
ity test) and have no unex
plained noises or quirks.
Add up the cost of mainte
nance you’ll need to make
the bike ride like new, then
haggle over the price.