WANTED: parking spot for my bike

my co-op board wont allow me to chain my bike in front of the building near the trash, so im looking for a place close to 8th avenue and 11th street. Willing to pay $40 a month for a secure place to lock up my covered bike from April - October that I can access when I need it.

Thanks for considering it!

If you pm me I might have a spot..but I am down on 9th street closer to 5th ave.

Since you sound willing to chain it up outside, how about any public fixture in front of your building? Co-op board can't forbid that. Though as someone who loves bikes, maybe you should do it a favor and bring it inside with you - they also can't forbid that. There are plenty of storage solutions to get it out of the way in even the tiniest of apartments.

Dominodo wrote: Since you sound willing to chain it up outside, how about any public fixture in front of your building? Co-op board can't forbid that. Though as someone who loves bikes, maybe you should do it a favor and bring it inside with you - they also can't forbid that. There are plenty of storage solutions to get it out of the way in even the tiniest of apartments.

I would second this- just bring it into your apartment!

Co-op boards in Park Slope... Ugh...

ChristinafromBklyn wrote: Co-op boards in Park Slope... Ugh...

Yep

thanks all! I would bring it inside but I really dont have the room unless I do the wall hanging mount or something like that and would love another solution.

if you are willing to lock it up outside why not just lock it to a pole or street sign?

Isn't a pole or street sign technically illegal??

dreamymo wrote: Isn't a pole or street sign technically illegal??

not at all. if you are willing to lock your bike outside in the elements just make sure you have a good lock to prevent theft. the only places where the city will take your bike is if you chain it to the subway entrances. do not pay someone to give you a space to lock your bike.

flynn wrote: [quote=dreamymo]Isn't a pole or street sign technically illegal??

not at all. if you are willing to lock your bike outside in the elements just make sure you have a good lock to prevent theft. the only places where the city will take your bike is if you chain it to the subway entrances. do not pay someone to give you a space to lock your bike.


and a good lock means not a u-lock

Carmen wrote: [quote=flynn][quote=dreamymo]Isn't a pole or street sign technically illegal??

not at all. if you are willing to lock your bike outside in the elements just make sure you have a good lock to prevent theft. the only places where the city will take your bike is if you chain it to the subway entrances. do not pay someone to give you a space to lock your bike.


and a good lock means not a u-lock

My bf did a bunch of research on bike locks and seems to now think that 2 or more u-locks is actually the most effective mode of locking. Why don't you trust them?

I actually toned down the post I was originally going to submit in favour of, you guessed it:

This thread sucks.

OpossumQueen wrote: My bf did a bunch of research on bike locks and seems to now think that 2 or more u-locks is actually the most effective mode of locking. Why don't you trust them?

There are some good U-locks, I think the problem is you can't get the frame, front tire and back tire with one of them. If you are using two though, obviously not an issue.

Personally I use one of these:

OpossumQueen wrote: [quote=Carmen][quote=flynn][quote=dreamymo]Isn't a pole or street sign technically illegal??

not at all. if you are willing to lock your bike outside in the elements just make sure you have a good lock to prevent theft. the only places where the city will take your bike is if you chain it to the subway entrances. do not pay someone to give you a space to lock your bike.


and a good lock means not a u-lock

My bf did a bunch of research on bike locks and seems to now think that 2 or more u-locks is actually the most effective mode of locking. Why don't you trust them?

http://www.wired.com/culture/lifestyle/news/2004/09/64987

My bf is a bike messenger and its pretty widely known that you should hang your bike somewhere high if you're going to lock it using a ulock for any length of time (this is probably why you see bikes hanging from scaffolding in the city.) With that said, I use a u-lock on my bike, but I rarely leave it outside for more than an hour or two (and I never leave it outside overnight.)
The boy's friends have been known to "liberate" abandoned bikes fairly easily by breaking ulocks with pens or, more easily, crowbars.

Its sort of like using "The Club" on your car- its a deterrent but if someone really wants it its easy enough to take off (with a hacksaw in less than 30 seconds, to be exact haha)

Carmen wrote: http://www.wired.com/culture/lifestyle/news/2004/09/64987

That's only with the older versions, no?

I thought the newer models had fixed that.

Mougar wrote: [quote=Carmen]http://www.wired.com/culture/lifestyle/news/2004/09/64987

That's only with the older versions, no?

I thought the newer models had fixed that.
As far as I know it's the new and old round-key type. There are other methods to cracking open the straight-key type. Using two locks helps...but really if someone wants your bike they're gonna steal it (or whatever parts they want off of it haha)

or theres this haha





point being...if you like your bike lock it up inside.

This has always made me feel secure locking up my bike





Also, heh: http://bikesnobnyc.blogspot.com/2008/08/lock-n-loaded-cracking-down-on-bike.html

with u-locks someone can easily steal your bike in under a minute with some cutters or a crowbar. if you value your bike get the krypto chain like mougar posted. it will cost you more but being cheap will get your bike stolen

And who can forget the bump key:

OpossumQueen wrote: [quote=Carmen][quote=flynn][quote=dreamymo]Isn't a pole or street sign technically illegal??

not at all. if you are willing to lock your bike outside in the elements just make sure you have a good lock to prevent theft. the only places where the city will take your bike is if you chain it to the subway entrances. do not pay someone to give you a space to lock your bike.


and a good lock means not a u-lock

My bf did a bunch of research on bike locks and seems to now think that 2 or more u-locks is actually the most effective mode of locking. Why don't you trust them?

your boyfriend has just been lucky. u locks suck,bottom line. they can easily be broken with a crowbar or cut with a cutter. whatever research he did was erroneous. get a long krypto chain and you will be able to lock up the frame and both wheels.

and i am curious as to how/why one would need any more than 2 u locks to lock a bike. one for frame and tire and one for the other tire. how does a third u lock come into this?

Alright, maybe I'm missing something but what is the difference between using a mini u-lock + krypto chain and just using a big u-lock? I didn't think the lock itself was any different, just bigger.

Mougar wrote: Alright, maybe I'm missing something but what is the difference between using a mini u-lock + krypto chain and just using a big u-lock? I didn't think the lock itself was any different, just bigger.

Most bike locks from the same brand and pricepoint are similar (IE a kryptonite ulock with a round key has a similar lock as a kryptonite chain lock with a round key) its more that most ulocks have similar locking mechanisms, while other types of locks dont necessarily. E uses a chain and a non-bike lock (just some big heavy lock from lowes) which has a different locking mechanism.

in my experience, the bigger U locks are usually made of less quality metal (easier to clip) and the U section is usually skinnier.

The main difference is kobalt. It is the reason the chains are slightly brass colored. Kobalt is harder to cut than steel.

The ubolts are made from some other metal, not kobalt.

Kobalt is harder to cut than steel. Should you ever need a drill bit, the kobalt one will last longer and be more expensive.

in re: to the pen unlocking and all that jazz. from wikipedia:

Vulnerability

Until 2004 Kryptonite locks used the tubular pin tumbler locking mechanism. In 2004, videos circulating on the Internet demonstrated that some tubular pin tumbler locks of the diameter used on Kryptonite locks could be easily opened with the shaft of an inexpensive ballpoint pen of matching diameter. Trade website BikeBiz.com revealed that the weaknesses of the tubular pin tumbler mechanism had first been described in 1992 by UK journalist John Stuart Clark[3]. For an article in New Cyclist magazine he teamed up with a bike thief to show how easy it was to break in to the majority of bicycle locks then on the market. One of the methods he revealed was the ballpoint pen method. His article led to follow-ups in bigger circulation bicycle magazines and a BBC TV consumer rights programme also carried a feature on the pen method. Some UK trade distributors of bicycle locks using the tumbler mechanism withdrew the products from the marketplace and introduced locks which were more pick-proof. Following BikeBiz.com's report about this 1992 knowledge of the pen method the lock-picking video received widespread attention by the mainstream media and after a few days of negative publicity the company responded with a lock exchange offer. However, lawyers in the US and Canada had already launched class actions against the Kryptonite Corporation, citing the 1992 revelations on BikeBiz.com Kryptonite Corporation later settled the claims out of court despite the fact the 1992 magazine article had not featured a Kryptonite lock and Kryptonite employees said they were unaware of the 1992 article.

so it seems that all locks post 2004 are ok...

whynot_31 wrote: The main difference is kobalt. It is the reason the chains are slightly brass colored. Kobalt is harder to cut than steel.

The ubolts are made from some other metal, not kobalt.

Kobalt is harder to cut than steel. Should you ever need a drill bit, the kobalt one will last longer and be more expensive.

It doesn't matter what the chain is made of if the lock itself is made of a weaker material. Just bust the lock.

Also kryptonite chains are boron manganese steel. Kobalt is a brand. Cobalt's use in steel alloys is mainly for high speed drill bits because of the heat resistance it adds.

The good chains also have flat sides to foil chain cutters (which are best suited for round chain links). I would guess that a chain + lock combo is better than the u-lock b/c the small lock is harder to break using a leverage attack.

I stand corrected: Please subsitute "boron manganese steel" where ever I wrote Kobalt above.

P.S. Yes, always go for the weaker spot. In the case of my old office, the theif wisely decided to break through the drywall as opposed to the steel door with three locks.

check out this site- it's short video stories of people talking about their Bike's being stolen...

http://someonestolemybike.com/