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BIKE TO WORK BOOK
friendly ‘bike thieves’ at work: Mr Y could open shackles with his bottle jack when the conditions were right, but had to give up when the shackle couldn’t be jiggled into an accessible position.
BIKE RACKS
‘Novelty’ bike locking racks can sometimes offer effective attaching options. This rack in Malta allows for good, down-low lock attaching and the spokes would fill up a standard u-lock, leaving less room for stubby bottle-jacks.
Look for bike parking racks that make the above locking tactics easier. The best Sheffield stands are those in an ‘M’ shape not a ‘U’. Lock at the lowest point of the ‘M’. It’s best not to ‘fly lock’ your bike to post with a small sign on the top, the kind of posts advertising parking restrictions and the like. Bike thieves can wriggle locked bikes up and over these
posts. However, a young designer called Anthony Lau has created the Cyclehoop, a fitting that can turn these posts – and pretty much any slim lamp-post – into secure stands for placing your locks down low. These could be mass-produced and dotted all over cities. London is currently trialling Cyclehoops in some boroughs, with Camden rolling them out borough-wide. Bikes should also be locked when at home, especially if left in communal or easily accessible areas. The best wall storage racks – such as the one below from Maxxraxx – have tamper-proof screws and integral security cables: supplement this with your own u-locks around wheels and frame.