I was down at Granville Island on the weekend and came across these bikes.

I hope they were still there when the owners returned.

Why is this a bad lock-up?

Look at what’s actually connected to the lock and the rack.

Only the tire. An intrepid thief with a spare front wheel, or even the brains to find another locked bike with an unlocked front wheel, could be riding away in less than a minute, simply by undoing the axle quick release, sliding the bike fork through the lock, and voila, one unlocked, AWOL bicycle, albeit in need of a front wheel. Here’s an even worse example.

Here’s an example of doing it right. The lock secures the frame and front wheel to the rack.

If you’re going somewhere for a while, or leaving your bike somewhere secluded, bring along a good plastic coated wire cable too, run it through your rear wheel and secure the end loops to your u-lock. Happy, safe riding everyone!

CK