I almost lost my bike to a thief recently, and the whole experience rattled me into re-examining how I can conveniently use my bike for every trip I need, while still keeping things safe and (mostly) stress-free
A big thanks to Phil Marmet, and to Abus Security for sponsoring the channel. The locks mentioned in this video:
My everyday go-to lock, the Abus Bordo 6500K: https://www.abus.com/ca_en/Products/Bicycle-locks/Folding-Locks/BORDO-GRANIT-6500K
A solid U-lock, the Abus Ultimate 420K: https://www.abus.com/int/Consumer/Bicycle-locks/U-Shackle-Locks-Bike/Ultimate-420K
A high-security lock that’s great for e-bikes, theAbus Granit Super Extreme 2500: https://www.abus.com/ca_en/Products/Motorbike/U-Shackle-Locks-Motorbike/GRANIT-Super-Extreme-2500
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The Ultimate Guide to Bike Commuting and Urban Cycling, A Shifter Course is designed to give newbies the knowledge and confidence to make the bike a bigger part of their lives: https://shiftercourses.thinkific.com/
A huge thanks to my sponsors this year. They support this channel, so please support them. They also make amazing products that I use every day and endorse without hesitation.
I’ve been riding Priority bikes for a number of years. I love their low-maintenance, belt-drive design, and they offer good quality at a decent price. They signed on as a sponsor for my YouTube channel several years after I started riding them.
My daily summertime bike is the zippy and fun Priority Eight: https://alnk.to/1XWoxFO
With its fenders, hub dynamo lights and durable Enviolo internal hub gearing system, I’ve happily ridden the Priority Continuum Onyx through many Canadian winters: https://alnk.to/gKS5Jlw
My book Frostbike: The Joy, Pain and Numbness of Winter Cycling: https://amzn.to/42EBzO6
Here is some of the gear I’m currently using. Some of these are affiliate links.
Bike Lights: I love dynamo lights that are built into a bike and powered by your pedalling or the wheel’s movement, but if you need aftermarket lights, Lumos offers a number of great options. Their Firefly lights are simple and bright: https://collabs.shop/3uodbz
Helmet: If I’m riding for sports, such as mountain biking or road bike, I like Lumos helmets because they are comfortable and well-built, and you can also easily attach lights to stay as visible as possible on roads: https://collabs.shop/prkigy
Bell: I love the sound and quality of the Japanese-made Crane Bells: https://www.cranebellusa.com/
Saddle: Yes, they can be pricey, but I’ve joined the ranks of people who think the extra cost for the quality of a Brooks Saddle is worth it, in both durability and comfort: https://www.brooksengland.com/
Panniers: My everyday workhorse pannier is Two Wheel Gear’s Pannier Backpack Convertible 2.0: https://twowheelgear.com/collections/pannier-backpacks?srsltid=AfmBOop6XPOZUjmjf4-Nr1MVwSivDO7igNWhL6Y3PzWOzkqtraTAS-D5
Pedals: I’ve not experienced high-performance pedals adding much extra value to my daily riding experience, but these light-up pedals from Redshift are bright, keep me visible at night and grab lots of attention: https://redshiftsports.com?aff=40
Phone mount: I use Peak Design’s mobile system, including the Universal Bar Mount on my handlebars every day, which I also bring it with me when I travel for bike rentals and bike-share bicycles: https://peak-design.pxf.io/c/5749368/1664050/18669
Buff: Keeps your face, neck and head warm in the winter, and keeps the sun off in the summer: https://peak-design.pxf.io/c/5749368/1664050/18669
Sunglasses: If you’re going to wear sunglasses, why not use a pair that has built-in mirrors so you can see behind you while you ride?: https://collabs.shop/f9hvof
Don’t forget to register your bike with an online database.
My favourite is 529 Garage https://project529.com/garage
Bike Index is also good: https://bikeindex.org/
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0:00 How my bike was nearly stolen
1:21 My wake-up call
1:41 The expert weighs in
3:30 How to think about securing your bike
4:54 Coming up with my own bike security framework
6:29 The importance of bike registries
8:20 Use your bike without losing perspective
10:00 Thanks to members!
#cycling #bike #commuting
46 Comments
Put an alarm with remote control on the bike, the alarm should be hidden where it is difficult / impossible to reach without trigger the alarm…
Ok. So the plan is to find a bike you want. But, its chained to an object.
No problem. Just throw YOUR lock on it as well. Then go tell a cop that it is your bike and take YOUR lock off in his presence. He will then cut the actual lock off, and wave you goodbye as you ride off on your newly acquired bike!!
You can register your bikes with the cops, but that won't make them care when it's stolen.
There's a very simple solution a good couple of decades in prison for bike theft will do the trick kinda like horse theft in the old days
I zip tie an alarm plus two locks. I don't mind the weight because I'd rather keep my bike safe. The alarm give a warning sound at first then a continuous alarm if tampering continues.
You make some interesting points and, you are providing meaningful security tips to your viewers. You can provide an additional service to your viewers by always wearing a helmet when you are riding. Use your influence to help your viewers avoid serious injuries and/or lessen their injuries if they do have an accident.
Where I live, our bikes are licensed. Someone locked my friend’s bike to the rack it was parked in… right next to her lock. This also happened to be next to a police station so we just asked them to come cut it 😅
I'd call police or ask a friend to come with cutter
If I am going to the city and I am going to leave my bike I lock frame and wheels and I take my old tattey looking bike and park it near nicer looking if I am doing a ride on my nice bike I don’t leave it and if I can I go with my mate and we always take in tarn to pop in to the shop
I'm so glad I know how to pick and decode locks.
4:21 The story about the bear? The one were the bear forces the hunter to fellate him and he comes back the next day with a bigger gun?
If it's a good bike the only safe method is not parking in public areas, as even if you secure the frame you can still lose expensive parts including wheels.
Where I live, people will just steal any part of your bike that isn't locked up.
Steal a man's horse, back in the day, and it was a hanging offense. We seem, inevitably, to be returning to those times.
It would be much better to just buy affordable bike if it gets stolen just buy another one the same version also NEVER leave your bike of more than 15 minutes you're asking for trouble double your locking device
Try adding more anti-theft tools other than your bike locks such as a motion alarm bell, the noise should annoy the f*ck off the thief when he's grinding away the lock 😂.
You should also buy a tracker and put it on your bike in case it gets stolen, this should help you recover it back after a police report.
😮 Use good bike lock to lock one wheel to the safety pole & another to lock the other wheel to the frame of our own bike in case they wanted to steal the wheel & take out the detachable front & back lights & the seat , ( bike signal bell can stay if it was screwed on the handlebar ) & put them in a another small lite backpack we can carry over our regular backpack to our work or when running errands. 🙏🕯️🌍⚖️♻️🌿🕊️
Abus is owned by terrible people.
A stun gun seat
An Abus Bordo can be cut in under a minute. The only Abus lock worth using is the ABUS Granit 2500 U-lock.
Thank you #shifter This was informative.
Folks there is another method that is 100% stress free and effective every time. It is called no lock – I am a cycle enthusiast all my bikes over the years are custom built , fixie , road , mtb , bmx. Where ever I go the bike comes with me – it is always three feet away. If I cannot bring the bike where ever I go (which is hardly , after I explain the cost of the custom build) I leave it at home..I HAVE NEVER HAD A BIKE STOLEN FROM ME..
That's a new one I hadn't heard about. Thankyou for the headsup! 3:51 Also looks like the thief going for a e-bike in broad daylight. I just bought one!
me i put a remote control grenade so that if my bike is missing i just click a button and boom the bikes gone and the thief as well.
Just cut it and throw there bike on the ground to be stolen. Who cares. Cops dont see squat. That why criminals get away with it. Cops are never around. Only innocent people believe they will be seen and caught. When the last time you heard a car alarm and wanted to help by calling cops across a parking lot. … really NOBODY pays attention. Just cut things.
Change your steering to one of the bikes with the reverse steering🤣 (aka. SmarterEveryDay or Berm Peak). You might not even need a lock.
Solution – Middle Eastern style punishment for thieves.
I assume you had to give your details to the officer? If not, that's another way you could steal a bike… Put a second lock on a bike and claim it's yours and have the officer cut off the owner's lock.
Folding lock is a waste of money. It will eventually get your bike stolen
So true i take less bike trips solely because of the fear of theft. Even tho my bike has built in gps and alarm system where wheels lock up if u try to move it. Theives got thru my ulock during a trip to the grocery store and that alarm system saved my bike from being stolen. (after a mini panic attack)I found it like 6ft away from where I had locked it.
best security is to ride a piece of junk
Honestly all this advice ignores that cycling safety in almost all forms is a collective action problem. The best option is to spend your time and money on pushing for better cycling infrastructure like secure bike parking, designated bike lanes and routes, electrification of vehicles, bike spaces on public transport etc. The amazing cycling infrastructure in cities like Amsterdam didn't just happen magically, it came through public action with a heavy focus on child safety. There's a good video on it here here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnFYOvcOn_E
Also add GPS tracking
We need to bring back Cutting peoples hands off for stealing to teach them and other a lesson
Exactly why I always carry a spare crappy bike, I leave the crappy one unlocked next to my good one. My nephew got his BMX bike back after someone stole it 15 years later. My brother got a call from police one day telling them someone turned it in.
Hmm, maybe we should call for governments that take crime seriously.
If no one is around to watch the bikes, they are not locked…
Brought my beloved Trek mtb to college, made the whole experience 5x better. Locked it in the gated housing area. Thief followed a car through the gate and stole it in broad daylight. Among the students that witnessed him, there was a girl who held the door for him as he wheeled my bike away. This guy was obviously a fent zombie thief, not a student. I saw the security cam footage. It was stolen within a week of bringing it there. I hate Riverside, CA. 10 bike thefts that semester from the same location. Some car thefts too.
So based on the videos shown as examples, it doesn’t seem to matter that bikes are locked in a well lit place with lots of people. The thieves were literally seen by a bunch of people and being filmed using angle grinders and they didn’t give a crap….
A noise alarm works great. Thieves get surprised and move to the next rack
There's something really depressing about this problem, and how widespread it is. To me, the bike itself is not the real issue.
I rent an electric bike but always take the battery out and since it’s from a well known brand (swappie) thieves know that there is a chip in it and I never worry about it getting stolen🎉
Thanks for your videos, they really are great information! May I ask why you aren't wearing a helmet? As an influencer ypu are also a role model and showing yourself wearing a helmet is a good reminder for everyone that personal safety matters as much as security.
I’ve never had a bike stolen, but I’ve had stuff taken off my bike , lights etc..we need dash cams on bikes..
Most of my bikes are absolute heaps. And very inexpensive. I avoid quick release wheels, always double lock. One usually though the rear triangle and rear wheel, then another through the front wheel.
I have a couple of nice bikes but my bum never leaves the saddle on those.
I parked a Decathlon Rockrider in front of the police station and it was stolen.
On a saturday afternoon when it was well animated and full of people.