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Comment by bsaul | Hacker News Reader

Has any city or bike maker found a solution to bike theft ?

I used to bike in Paris until my bike got stolen. It got me so furious i stopped.

I live in bicycle heavy Malmö and a part of growing street wise here is to know how and where to secure your bike. It's really risk mitigation since portable bike locks have limited security. But it works for me and my 2014 Specialized Awol daily driver for everything from city to camping.

But a hugely important factor are well designed bike racks. My favorite is the steel loop that comes up from the ground, like a long U.[1] There are tons of variations but the point is to have a solid point to anchor the bike with your lock. In my case I mostly want to save the frame, but a longer chain and I could probably save a wheel. Gotta balance comfort and security too tho

1. https://maps.app.goo.gl/iDK4CUx853oxoKhz6

>But a hugely important factor are well designed bike racks. My favorite is the steel loop that comes up from the ground, like a long U.

I believe they are called Sheffield Racks.

I believe cities that have attempted some form of bicycle registration system has had good success with reducing bicycle theft, but that does require the local police to actually give a damn about bicycles, which is very uncommon.

Vanmoofs have a built in alarm, are trackable, and the company sells theft insurance.

Japan has very little theft, but it’s cultural and not something you can implement with policy. Maybe widespread bike registration helps?

My solution is to ride a junky bike, but it definitely does not work for everyone

Some friends of the family have been buying expensive top-of-the-line MTBs for decades. They said the first thing they do when they buy a new bike is go to the store and pick up a couple of spray cans with suitably horrible colors, and then spray paint the bike until it looks totally janky.

Worked for them so far, none of their bikes have been stolen.

That strategy worked for me in Toronto until the pandemic hit. Dunno if it’s the culture of some people or genuine parts shortage, but had a not-exactly-true wheel stolen (and the bolts loosened on the other that was locked…), a saddle with a crack covered with tape (found the tape on the ground!), and someone tried to tear off my dollar-store bell and destroyed it (my anti-theft screw was a Robertson :) ).

I live in Utrecht, we have tons of guarded bike garages in the inner city, including the biggest bicycle parking garage in the world at the central station with room for 10k bikes (look it up, it’s amazing!). I park my €2.5k bike at home and at the station and have 0 worries. When going to other places I often bring a crappy bike, or park it for short bits.

Fun fact, the signs that show how many parking spaces are left run NixOS!

That is a fun fact! Do you have any more public information you can share?

It is built by https://lumi.guide/portfolio-items/p-route-bicycle-utrecht/, I just happen to know some people who worked there. The Haskell community is pretty small :)

Cool! The numbers are not that accurate though :’) That’s probably an issue with the sensors and not the software.

I ride a Brompton; folds up and I take it into the shops with me.

Electrified bikeshares. Overcomes their tank like structure and performance.

Some cities do have badge access bike rooms, but you have to subscribe to those.

I just have a rusty 12spd that performs well, U-lock rear wheel within the triangle, minimal chain for the front wheel, and an old bike chain looped on the saddle.

I refuse to deal with bike locking rooms, paid or not. Lock outside and oil frequently and I can lock up precisely at my destination.

Maybe a long sturdy chain + good lock to wrap around both wheels of the bike and the frame. When I lived in Holland and used to buy second-hand bikes for like 120 euros, they used to say to buy a chain of equivalent value :-)

I've had many bikes stolen over my life and the total costs are still a fraction of what it would cost to have used public transport instead.

I have one of these but haven't put it to the test. Combined with another type of lock for the front wheel (+frame), I'd say you're in a good place.

https://hiplok.com/product/hiplok-d1000/

In big cities bikes get stolen, it’s always been that way. Of course it would be nice if it were different but it’s sad if that stops you from riding!

The Dutch approach in cities has been to drive something old and or cheap that you can afford to get stolen. It works because the country is pretty flat so you don’t need a fancy light bike with many gears. Paris is pretty flat too.

Lately subscription services like swapfiets have become popular that include maintenance and theft insurance. Through economies of scale, I think it’s competitive with ownership especially for city dwellers without a garage with tools.

I now live in a city with more hills, so I needed a bit more capable bike–I bought a cheap second hand bike with 21 gears. I put some permanantly attached bags on the back which are practical and make the bike look less desireable. I use an axa lock attached to the frame and a separate chain. From day one I accepted it would get stolen at some point—so I feel like I’ve been on a six year lucky streak.

Defeatist? Sure! But I bike without worries.

> Paris is pretty flat too

someone here never tried to climb Montmartre (e.g, there are many steep hills inside and around Paris)

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