Hal Grades Your Bike Locking 3: The Final Warning!
It's Bike Month - which means there are scads of neophytes out there nationwide giving cycling a try. Oh goody! But, oh baddy - it also means more improper locking - and we all know there are predators just licking their chops at the thought of stealing all or part of your bike. So we want to do all we can to preach good locking technique and thwart thieves.
We need a sage in these times to remind us how easy it is to roll your bike. Once again enter the immortal, Bicycle Habitat mechanic Hal Ruzal to give us the straight dope in what he's calling "your final warning" in this last chapter of our exclusive trilogy. Let's hope the third time is a charm!
This time around Hal's not only grading bike locking ability of anonymous locker-uppers, but he also shows you how he secures his bike so you too can score an "A" (or at least have a decent shot at an A- or B+.) And if you love the humorous anecdotes and musings here, don't miss our first two chapters: "Hal Grades Your Bike Locking" and "Hal (and Kerri) Grade Your Bike Locking".
I could watch ten episodes of Hal in action.
I want to watch this every morning to be happier.
I'll bite... what's wrong with locking to a parking meter?
Actually it all depends on what type of parking meter, some probably are okay but it isn't worth the 30 seconds we used up in the video and we cut it in favor of the on-screen text warning.
NYC has many different varieties, as do other cities. If you lock to a typical single head parking meter and say you use a kryptonite chain lock to lock up - then it is possible to lift the entire bike over the parking meter head, if you use a little moxie. The bike would still be locked to itself, but you could carry the bike away. To be honest in the past, I have locked to a single head parking meter and have locked up really, really tight with no room to spare and have felt I was safe. But a few years ago, my friend swears he did the same and the thief got his bike, so I stopped doing that.
Double headed parking meters are probably a much safer bet cause the chain can't go over both, but better to stay away from them altogether if you can.
Instant classic, especially the ending sequence with Hal rhapsodizing on the green bike lane!
Happy Bike Month!
This may be the best Streetfilm ever. I am not going to admit to what grade Hal might have given me, though.
But I do promise to improve my locking technique!
Love it. Send Hal out to Portland for a field trip of bike lock job grading...
does anyone know more about that ball bearing in the handlebar post? I've never seen that before, how do you remove it when you need to work on your bike?
I love you HAL!
You must use a torch, turn the bike upside down and heat the glue till the bearing falls out, most thieves don't carry torches around in order to steal handlebars, thanks, Hal
Nice tip on the ballbearing Hal! I thought about putting glue on the threads of bolts and then screwing them in but that method looks way better.
Regarding the anti-theft seat device - was that an old chain with recycled innertubes you used?
Thank you so much Hal! My last bike got stolen and now I know everything to do to make sure that never happens again!
Hal referred to a long-shackle Kryptonite lock as "garbage" in the video. As I have one, I have to ask, what's wrong with them?
I think I'll be looking for a couple of auxilary cables and maybe some old chain and tube sections to copy Hal's seat anti-theft measures...
Very good primer on theft reduction. Definitely second the comment regarding cable; AVOID cable at all costs. Don't forget about registry for recovery, just in case.....
I really like that seat lock idea, I've never seen it in Toronto, are they DIY, or do you have to purchase them?
hal: check out copenhagen sometime. everyone bikes, you'll love it, but they have a bit of a bike theft problem---most barely lock their very expensive bikes, it's kinda tragic. that said, there are so many bikes and comparatively fewer thefts you can sorta see why.
most common locking? just a bar that clicks through the rear wheel so you can't drive it away, but you can pick it up.
Hal referred to a long-shackle Kryptonite lock as "garbage" in the video. As I have one, I have to ask, what's wrong with them?
It looked like it could have been one of the ye olde Kryps that you can crack with a Bic pen plus it was fairly dainty to the point that some bolt cutters could have gone through it.
Hal sounds like Christopher Walken
It's nice to live in a place where I can park my bike without having to worry about carrying so much lock, chain and cable. Hal would probably give me a D-, but where I park my bike, I probably don't have to lock it at all.
Im in love with Hal, can you get him to do a cooking series? or anything else for that matter...
Agree with the above comment someone get this man his own show.