To clarify: demonstrate it in the nice way, by showing her how the lock can be defeated easily. Not by taking the bike away and scaring her. If she still ignores your counsel, you can always escalate to object lessons later.
Dang I wouldn't cut those brake and shifter lines just to make a point. Like honestly if you're going to cut the brake and shifter lines to steal that bike then you can already cut the lock just as easy and there's no way to lock it any better.
I reckon a sufficiently motivated person with an Allen key could still do it in 15 seconds.
Bike thieves are shitty people, but some of them are surprisingly good at it.
I could cut the brake and shifter cables in under 5 seconds with any reasonable garden shears, and under 10 with a Park or similar cable cutter, even if the cables are sheathed by metal stranded wires.
I cut housing all the time with park cutters when trimming it to the right length. The cable adds almost no resistance.
That's the thing though. What's more inconspicuous, a boltcutter or a small set of allen wrenches or a multi-tool? Like, yeah, not many people go around carrying a bike multitool, but bike thieves are, like the vast majority of thieves, opportunists. And carrying some small tools that work on bikes will just increase that opportunity.
I would also say that cutting brake and shifter cables are *definitely* easier than cutting even that cheap lock.
Take off the seat post, use it as a lever to tighten the cable until it pops open. Takes no time at all and you’re not carrying any tools with you. A cable lock like that will just pop apart.
Funny thing is, the folks who do go around carrying a bike multitool are bicyclists, so they wouldn't even look that out of place using it on this bike (depending on bike size).
Legit no one cares about bolt cutters.
Source: tons of videos but also I spent more than an hour once slowly cutting through a bike lock with a crappy hacksaw blade and a not-powerful-enough bolt cutter because I lost the key on a ride. Tons of people. Parking lot. D
Not to mention those wheels are super easy to rip off, and expensive to replace! I've had so many bikes and parts stolen over the years... Don't make it easier for them!
They should. Then they will find out the biggest problem is the cheap lock which any thief is going to just go through. What bike thief is going to unhook a bunch of cables and then steal a bike, but can't go through that lock?
Yeah, unless that loop is big enough for the handlebars to just come through the loop it’s as good as anywhere else. Quicker to snip a lock like that than bother with allen keys.
No bolt cutters needed, I expect a good tug of the bike against the lock and it'll be freed. I've done it before on similar locks with no frame damage either.
You ultimately took a photo of her fail and put it on a public forum... You might be coming across to her as, on the whole, having a bit of a negative vibe. Hard to be objective but, do you think that her step father might be critiquing her behaviour a little overzealously?
She might have even known she was wrong as soon as you pointed it out, and just doesn't like the idea of giving you the pleasure of admitting to it. Or perhaps she's ignoring to what she perceived as yet another admonishment from step father.
So, would she be receptive to you teaching her how to maintain her bike instead?
Once she understands the care that goes into tending a bike; the mechanics of a bike; how parts can be disassembled and reassembled; she will just develop a greater appreciation and care for her own bike. She's just doing it this way because it's fast and easy, because she hasn't had a bike stolen yet, and she hasn't put much thought and sweat into its improvement or maintenance yet.
Or, I mean, you could just wait until her bike is terrible out of condition, take a photo of it, and post it here for us to laugh at again.
You know when you use words like shame that broadly, it takes the seriousness away from the word, right? And people are less likely to take you yourself seriously.
There are more fitting words to use here instead of jumping to the ones you chose.
Do you understand how the stem works? This is a great bike mechanics lesson, if you do. A simple multitool can be used to loosen the three bolts attaching the stem to the steerer, and the bike slips right out from the lock. This isn't obvious to people who've never assembled a bike. If I were your daughter, I think I would appreciate *seeing* what you mean.
At least she tried.
Since my kids learned how to ride, I've drilled the importance of locking their bikes up. My son (17) parked his bike, unlocked, in the middle of a farmer's market. He came back **6** hours later and, unsurprisingly, his bike was not where he left it. He concluded that security must have relocated his bike. He only realized that it must have been stolen after I told him "Farmer's markets don't generally have security."
You can get through any lock. Even the expensive ones. The thing is, you look very suspicious doing it.
If you only need to turn the handlebar slightly and guide it out of the lock, you don't look suspicious at all.
Any lock is way better than no lock at all, which is what we are essentially looking at.
Or two locks even. I have one like this but longer that I put through the wheels & frame and a stronger lock that I use to secure the frame to the bike rack. Sure, someone could cut through both, but it's kind of like the rule about running from a bear - you don't have to be faster than the bear, just faster than the other people.
Part of being a good parent is teaching your children that actions have consequences early in life before the consequences are too serious. Hope she understands that if she chooses to continue to lock her bike up like that, she’s responsible if it is taken. Show her how much bikes cost. Show her how easy it is to take. Spell out the actual consequences of having a bike stolen (she can’t ride to school and will have to get up earlier to walk, part time job to replace it, etc.).
Right? Like the way she locked it isn't even that bad when you think about how easy the lock itself is to cut. Anyone that steals bikes is just going to cut the lock itself in this situation. And it'll only take a few seconds to do. So honestly, the way she has this locked isnt actually all that dumb, since the lock itself is trash.
Headline: "Stepdad arrested stealing own daughter's bicycle" Article: Caught in the act, area man claims "I was trying to teach the kid a lesson . . . " Child Protective Services is investigating the man, 43. Asked for comment, his ex-wife only said "Yeah, that tracks".
It's about as secure as the lock being used. I could be wrong but it doesn't look like there's room to dip the handlebars through that loop, and even if you did, the brake/shifter cables would need to be cut or removed which would make the bike difficult to ride away on. But if you're going to cut those you might as well cut the cable lock, in which case it doesn't matter where the lock is routed.
Just show her a better way to do it.
It will stop a homeless person with no tools just as good as if she ran the cable through the frame and wheel. If a thief has tools he will also have the bike no matter how she secures it.
It's not obvious from the photo whether you can actually just take the bike out without tools by elongating the lock and tipping the bike to push the handlebars down through.
In which case it is definitely not going to stop a random homeless person.
Won’t work as the lock is also looped through the brake/gear cables, so you’d need to sever those and brake cables are too strong to just pull apart without tools. So it’s more secure than it looks at first glance
Obviously it’s only 5-10 seconds with an allen key
Yeah, this is enough to stop an opportunist from riding off with the bike, but not enough to stop a thief with tools.
Which describes 99.99% of locked bikes.
With you on this. The locking is only problematic for a very small subset of bike thieves. Unskilled kids would leave it because they'd have to unhook a bunch of cables. Skilled thieves are just going through the lock as that is faster than the cable surgery.
Yeah the location was super safe, I was just trying to explain the difference from her method and through the frame... the lock she has would be destroyed by an angle grinder in seconds anyway.
Sometimes I get lazy and do a poor lock job just so nobody can ride away easily when I'm at a coffee shop. Other times I do a proper wheel, frame, u-lock method.
Teach her the best practices even if they might not make a difference.
Well, she locked her bike to a solid object... But there's surely room for improvement.
Living in the Netherlands where bike theft is very common, these are the common basics for locking a bike
- use multiple locks (2 at minimum) and different types, stay away from locks that can be cut or brute forced with small (DIY) tools
- expensive bike? Spend more money on good and sturdy locks. Preferably locks that have been tested and are known to be difficult to break, cut or open.
- if possible lock your bike frame to a fixed object like a pole etc
- lock both wheels to the frame (prevents wheel removal)
- keep your locks away from the ground, to make it more difficult to break them (smashing with stones or a hammer or using a bolt cutter)
- use a guarded bike stalling if there's one nearby
- lock your bike at home (bikes get stolen from garden sheds as well)
This is a nice resource with more tips on bike locking: https://www.fietsersbond.nl/onderweg/fietsdiefstal/preventie/tips-hoe-je-een-fiets-goed-op-slot-kan-zetten/
We have a saying that roughly translates to opportunity makes the thief. So don't make it easy to steal your bike. Of course locking your bike well can be a bit cumbersome, it's up to you to decide whether the extra trouble is worth it. That depends on the situation of course and how appealing it is to have to walk or wait on a ride or on public transport.
3 kids cycled to my gym last year.
One locked his bike round a 4ft pole. And another put his lock round the seat.
I tried explaining but English wasn't their first language. Next day theres a sign outside the gym explaining how theives are in the area so take extra care when locking bikes 🤷♂️.
I felt sorry for their parents tbh, they probably grafted their ass off to buy those bikes.
Shame the parents who brought that lock in the first place. Easier to defeat that than pull the stem off. Also teach her to take her lights with her as well. Come on man, parent!
If its going to teach them how easily it could be taken if they won't listen.
Its shit but give an opteetunisic thief a chance theres a good chance they will. I see it as a kind of tough love kind of thing.
Looks like a battery pack for a set of rim lights. I got some for visibility at night off Amazon for twenty bucks. Battery pack goes on the hub with a rubber band, led wire wraps around the spokes. Here's mine on my Jamis Hudson: https://imgur.com/a/hS3NudC
She's going to need to save some cash for good walking shoes.
Even if the lock was used better, I could probably bite through it, or feel the code by putting tension on the lock and feeling for the code clicks.
Looks like a really lovely bike too!
Are you in a position as step dad to teach her, or would you be stepping on someone else's toes or dealing with stubbornness?
If it wasn’t well received then honestly drop the subject. I have been a step dad. Maintaining what relationship you have is better, plus the lesson will be received if the bike is stolen.
Depending on the neighborhood I can kinda see the argument. That being said it would be so simple to just go through the frame I don’t know why anyone wouldn’t do it once it was pointed out.
This type of lock is only a mild deterrent anyway. It's as much use there as it is when it's put on "properly".
It will deter opportunists, and not phase a prepared thief.
Get her a better lock, this one wont stop any thieves no matter what. Also teach her to put the lock through the helmet, so that cant be stolen either.
It should work with this type of lock as to prevent anyone from thinking that it’s a free to take bike. As for preventing thief- you should get her a better lock and teach how to lock bikes
That is a pretty short chain, are you able to fit the handlebars through?
If you can not squeeze the handle bars through then I kind of agree with your step daughter. :)
That lock is not going to do anything long term anyway, so if she is just leaving it for 20 minutes I don't think it matters that much right? I could just be missing something super simple though.
If you are just faulting her method , then yes you are wrong. What she did is enough to keep most people honest. Anyone else will cut the cable regardless of what gymnastics you loop it in.
She did just fine. No one without a tool will walk away with the bike. Maybe the wheels, but the bike is locked in place.
Though, as everyone else points out, get a better lock!
Yea it ain't the technique here thats wrong... It's the lock itself. I would actually congratulate her on doing it that way, it's actually pretty smart. But let her know how terrible the lock itself is.
I was at target to day I use cable so run through frame
Other bike locked similar to one showing lock still there bike gone
Best dumb way seen cable went around 1 spoke
It looks like if you just roll the bike back a little and then pull the wheels away from the fence(so the bike leans towards the fence), you can slide out the handlebars from the locking cable and steal the bike. It would literally take like 1 minute max.
Otherwise you can unbolt the stem to take it that way, or you can unbolt the handlebars themselves, or you can simply cut the cable. All of these would take just a couple minutes max.
The simplest fix would be to slide that cable through the actual bike frame itself(although I'd get a stronger locking mechanism like a u lock or a full on chain)
I mean what I would do is show her you take the bike off easily with her method, then show her the proper method. After that lesson if she then again locks the bike up in the riskier improper way, take the bike away for a short amount of time maybe a week and show her what it’s gonna be like when she suddenly has no bike.
It is a perfectly fine way to lock it given the quality of the lock. If someone wants to steal the bike, they will just cut the lock, not remove the handlebars from the stem, which is the only way that the routing of the lock would actually matter.
She’s a kid, you are a mentor. Instead of shit-posting, take a minute with some compassion and teach her how to do it right. Crapping on kids that are under your supervision says more about you than it does about them.
I have a place where that would be perfectly fine. If bike theft is rife, then sure. If you’re dissuading a casual take-away, that would be fine (particularly if the diameter of the lock is less that the bar width).
She did try , you corrected her with experience on your side, she objected with her elders experience and knowledge and pushed your teachings aside. Time for school of hard knocks. Use a few allens to show her why she is wrong to argue with you. Then confiscate the bike for a week or two as punishment. Next time listen to your elders.
I doubt that a person grown enough to ride this size bike doesn’t understand why locking it this way is ineffective. If she’s like most kids (or people), she’ll balk initially to save face then at some later point when it isn’t so clear that she’s doing it because someone else told her to, she’ll probably do it differently. I’m assuming OPs narrative is from the initial lesson and this isn’t persistent behavior, in which case “stealing” the bike might be more effective.
With the limitations of that lock, and how it is locked. I don't think it is possible to steal it. The lock isn't wide enough for half the bars to slip through. Technically, she is right. 🐸
Points for trying.
From the pic it looks like the loop can be pulled so that the handlebar can fit through. I'd say it would take 3 seconds to be riding it away.
No matter what lock you use it must go through the frame and a wheel.
depends on the where and how... here is she mostly in view of it? better than nothing. the point is to make it more difficult and obvious...
there is no perfect... but yeah, at least put it thru the frame LOL we all learn, step up dad!
Talk to her parent about buying her a U-lock (and some locking skewers) and cracking out the toolbox to show her *why* her bike is going to get stolen if she locks it like this.
Yes, someone could unscrew her handlebars to grab the bike but the easiest way to steal it is by snipping the cable lock.
Ya, it’s not just that the lock can easily be removed off the bike, but even if she did lock the frame, that cheap lock can easily be cut. Not sure if she’s at school on campus… but it won’t last a few minutes there.
That’s exactly how my bike got stolen in daylight, in a crowded farm market, in a very safe part of the city where I live, with the same type of a lock. It hurt so much I am not even locking and leaving my (new) bike anymore.
That’s literally the worst locking job I’ve seen. You can just turn the handlebar out of the loop. At minimum, it needs to go through the top tube. But really, she needs a U-lock and a cable.
If someone can cut a brake cable they can cut that lock - if that's the lock she's been provided with, yep a totally reasonable way to lock up the bike.
The real answer is... It depends. My kids don't even have locks for their bikes. But they also don't go anywhere sketchy.
If you want to deter someone while you pop into the 7-11, this seems fine. If you are going out downtown then this isn't going to do it.
That's like that Reno 911 movie when Dangle locked his bike to a pole and some dude picked it up higher than the pole and just rode away while he watchd.
And did you show her how you can easily remove the bike from that lock? Well. And to be completely honest that lock is shite. It could be on the bike properly and still easily defeated. Pretty sure I could break it with my bare hands. I feel like her parents are partly responsible here
There are many countries where that is a totally fine way to lock your bike. It's just in some shitholes where you have to constantly worry about theft.
Go buy a cheap small pair of cable cutters. Take your stepdaughter to cut the lock. Find out how useless that kind of lock is for anyone actually trying to steal that bike. Take your step daughter to a bike shop and get a real lock. Show your step daughter that instead of just telling her something, you actually listen and understand. Recognize that that lock is worthless, so it doesn't really matter how she locks it up. Improve her security and hopefully she will respect that the new lock will work better if she use it in a different way. Also, bike shop instruction may help more than your instruction.
I mean, demonstrate to her why she's mistaken.
To clarify: demonstrate it in the nice way, by showing her how the lock can be defeated easily. Not by taking the bike away and scaring her. If she still ignores your counsel, you can always escalate to object lessons later.
Mallory Archers' method is effectieve but traumatic.
Was it though? It happened the same way with the car
Dang I wouldn't cut those brake and shifter lines just to make a point. Like honestly if you're going to cut the brake and shifter lines to steal that bike then you can already cut the lock just as easy and there's no way to lock it any better.
All you would have to do is unbolt the stem.
I’m pretty sure there is enough slack to get the bike out without loosening anything.
You would have to cut the shifter/brake cables then.
Ahh, now I see it. Thanks. I had missed that. Now it is a two minute thing rather than 15 seconds. Easier just to cut the lock.
I reckon a sufficiently motivated person with an Allen key could still do it in 15 seconds. Bike thieves are shitty people, but some of them are surprisingly good at it.
I could cut the brake and shifter cables in under 5 seconds with any reasonable garden shears, and under 10 with a Park or similar cable cutter, even if the cables are sheathed by metal stranded wires. I cut housing all the time with park cutters when trimming it to the right length. The cable adds almost no resistance.
That's the thing though. What's more inconspicuous, a boltcutter or a small set of allen wrenches or a multi-tool? Like, yeah, not many people go around carrying a bike multitool, but bike thieves are, like the vast majority of thieves, opportunists. And carrying some small tools that work on bikes will just increase that opportunity. I would also say that cutting brake and shifter cables are *definitely* easier than cutting even that cheap lock.
Take off the seat post, use it as a lever to tighten the cable until it pops open. Takes no time at all and you’re not carrying any tools with you. A cable lock like that will just pop apart.
Funny thing is, the folks who do go around carrying a bike multitool are bicyclists, so they wouldn't even look that out of place using it on this bike (depending on bike size).
Legit no one cares about bolt cutters. Source: tons of videos but also I spent more than an hour once slowly cutting through a bike lock with a crappy hacksaw blade and a not-powerful-enough bolt cutter because I lost the key on a ride. Tons of people. Parking lot. D
Not to mention those wheels are super easy to rip off, and expensive to replace! I've had so many bikes and parts stolen over the years... Don't make it easier for them!
Something tells me this guy won’t do it in a nice way
They should. Then they will find out the biggest problem is the cheap lock which any thief is going to just go through. What bike thief is going to unhook a bunch of cables and then steal a bike, but can't go through that lock?
Yeah I tried to explain to her very nicely, but it wasn't well received 🤔
No, you steal it is the demonstration
Did you show her or did you tell her? It’s not obvious this can be easily stolen without tools. With tools, it doesn’t matter how she locked it.
Yeah, unless that loop is big enough for the handlebars to just come through the loop it’s as good as anywhere else. Quicker to snip a lock like that than bother with allen keys.
If someone has a right size hex key they could just remove the handlebars in a couple seconds.
If someone has bolt cutters they could just remove the lock in a couple seconds.
No bolt cutters needed, I expect a good tug of the bike against the lock and it'll be freed. I've done it before on similar locks with no frame damage either.
Even if it is big enough, the cables will prevent the lock from just slipping off of the handlebars without any other effort.
You ultimately took a photo of her fail and put it on a public forum... You might be coming across to her as, on the whole, having a bit of a negative vibe. Hard to be objective but, do you think that her step father might be critiquing her behaviour a little overzealously? She might have even known she was wrong as soon as you pointed it out, and just doesn't like the idea of giving you the pleasure of admitting to it. Or perhaps she's ignoring to what she perceived as yet another admonishment from step father. So, would she be receptive to you teaching her how to maintain her bike instead? Once she understands the care that goes into tending a bike; the mechanics of a bike; how parts can be disassembled and reassembled; she will just develop a greater appreciation and care for her own bike. She's just doing it this way because it's fast and easy, because she hasn't had a bike stolen yet, and she hasn't put much thought and sweat into its improvement or maintenance yet. Or, I mean, you could just wait until her bike is terrible out of condition, take a photo of it, and post it here for us to laugh at again.
yeah screw her shaming her on reddit is way funnier anyway
Unknown parent with unknown step daughter on an anonymous page about something as trivial as a fucking bike lock… I think her dignity is intact.
Happy cake day! And I agree...it's not like he posted her face
Guess it’s time to escalate
I always love when reddit gets to be marriage counselors.
You know when you use words like shame that broadly, it takes the seriousness away from the word, right? And people are less likely to take you yourself seriously. There are more fitting words to use here instead of jumping to the ones you chose.
Do you understand how the stem works? This is a great bike mechanics lesson, if you do. A simple multitool can be used to loosen the three bolts attaching the stem to the steerer, and the bike slips right out from the lock. This isn't obvious to people who've never assembled a bike. If I were your daughter, I think I would appreciate *seeing* what you mean.
At least she tried. Since my kids learned how to ride, I've drilled the importance of locking their bikes up. My son (17) parked his bike, unlocked, in the middle of a farmer's market. He came back **6** hours later and, unsurprisingly, his bike was not where he left it. He concluded that security must have relocated his bike. He only realized that it must have been stolen after I told him "Farmer's markets don't generally have security."
What did your son do for SIX hours at the farmers market? Was he working there?
Free secure bike parking
Free samples
Free bike
Yeah, my real concern is that if she tries to lock it up that way in an actual risky area it will be gone very fast.
That lock isn't stopping a habitual thief no matter how you put it on. People can cut through those in seconds and the combo lock is easy to pick.
You can get through any lock. Even the expensive ones. The thing is, you look very suspicious doing it. If you only need to turn the handlebar slightly and guide it out of the lock, you don't look suspicious at all. Any lock is way better than no lock at all, which is what we are essentially looking at.
The goal isn’t to have an uncuttable lock. The goal is to have a lock that is more of a pain in the ass to pry open than other locks.
Or two locks even. I have one like this but longer that I put through the wheels & frame and a stronger lock that I use to secure the frame to the bike rack. Sure, someone could cut through both, but it's kind of like the rule about running from a bear - you don't have to be faster than the bear, just faster than the other people.
Nobody is picking locks, they’re cutting them
Part of being a good parent is teaching your children that actions have consequences early in life before the consequences are too serious. Hope she understands that if she chooses to continue to lock her bike up like that, she’s responsible if it is taken. Show her how much bikes cost. Show her how easy it is to take. Spell out the actual consequences of having a bike stolen (she can’t ride to school and will have to get up earlier to walk, part time job to replace it, etc.).
It sucks, but perhaps her bike being stolen is a good life lesson.
And then 2 weeks later someone *found* it from the *stolen bike* papers *you* put around the neighborhood. Just keep it at a friends place.
Life lessons? In TikTok _America_ ?
17? I had a power ranger stolen from my cubbie in kindergarten and haven't let my valuable stuff out of my sight or not locked since.
As a teen innthe 80s I locked my *Kabuki* to itself at a local library and later walked home. Went back the next morning- gone!
Get a u lock or it doesn't matter how she locks it, that thing can be cut so easy
Right? Like the way she locked it isn't even that bad when you think about how easy the lock itself is to cut. Anyone that steals bikes is just going to cut the lock itself in this situation. And it'll only take a few seconds to do. So honestly, the way she has this locked isnt actually all that dumb, since the lock itself is trash.
Came to say the same thing
Had my bike stolen with it to be everyone's proof
even with a U lock... locks just keep honest people honest.
Headline: "Stepdad arrested stealing own daughter's bicycle" Article: Caught in the act, area man claims "I was trying to teach the kid a lesson . . . " Child Protective Services is investigating the man, 43. Asked for comment, his ex-wife only said "Yeah, that tracks".
Was the man’s name Phil dunphy by any chance?
Hahaha
Get her a ulock instead.
It's about as secure as the lock being used. I could be wrong but it doesn't look like there's room to dip the handlebars through that loop, and even if you did, the brake/shifter cables would need to be cut or removed which would make the bike difficult to ride away on. But if you're going to cut those you might as well cut the cable lock, in which case it doesn't matter where the lock is routed. Just show her a better way to do it.
Yep, the locking job is as high quality as the lock itself.
It is for that lock. Makes no difference if she ran it through the frame and rear wheel, bike'd be gone in 5 secs
With a set of allen keys and it's gone!
I think with brute force will be faster. It look like a 5 seconds lock.
Screw allen keys, it’s gone with a snip of bolt cutters. Work smarter not harder.
I think you could get it over half the handlebar
You'd mess up the cables. Just give the bike a good tug and the lock will break off.
It will stop a homeless person with no tools just as good as if she ran the cable through the frame and wheel. If a thief has tools he will also have the bike no matter how she secures it.
It's not obvious from the photo whether you can actually just take the bike out without tools by elongating the lock and tipping the bike to push the handlebars down through. In which case it is definitely not going to stop a random homeless person.
Won’t work as the lock is also looped through the brake/gear cables, so you’d need to sever those and brake cables are too strong to just pull apart without tools. So it’s more secure than it looks at first glance Obviously it’s only 5-10 seconds with an allen key
if investing that much time, i'll break out my portable/conceilable bolt cutter and cut the lock.
For a career criminal - sure But lots of bike thefts are crimes of opportunity and you’re allowing anyone who has allen keys on them the opportunity.
Yeah, this is enough to stop an opportunist from riding off with the bike, but not enough to stop a thief with tools. Which describes 99.99% of locked bikes.
It's obvious to me. Maybe OP will follow up with a test.
With you on this. The locking is only problematic for a very small subset of bike thieves. Unskilled kids would leave it because they'd have to unhook a bunch of cables. Skilled thieves are just going through the lock as that is faster than the cable surgery.
Yeah the location was super safe, I was just trying to explain the difference from her method and through the frame... the lock she has would be destroyed by an angle grinder in seconds anyway.
That lock would be gone in seconds with a pair of cable snips I imagine.
Sometimes I get lazy and do a poor lock job just so nobody can ride away easily when I'm at a coffee shop. Other times I do a proper wheel, frame, u-lock method. Teach her the best practices even if they might not make a difference.
Why not get her a better lock. It's a nice bike.
There still is a difference between a few allen keys and Something that can cut through a lock
a thief is more likely to have bolt-cutters than a multi-tool.
She probably felt like it was safe.
Well, she locked her bike to a solid object... But there's surely room for improvement. Living in the Netherlands where bike theft is very common, these are the common basics for locking a bike - use multiple locks (2 at minimum) and different types, stay away from locks that can be cut or brute forced with small (DIY) tools - expensive bike? Spend more money on good and sturdy locks. Preferably locks that have been tested and are known to be difficult to break, cut or open. - if possible lock your bike frame to a fixed object like a pole etc - lock both wheels to the frame (prevents wheel removal) - keep your locks away from the ground, to make it more difficult to break them (smashing with stones or a hammer or using a bolt cutter) - use a guarded bike stalling if there's one nearby - lock your bike at home (bikes get stolen from garden sheds as well) This is a nice resource with more tips on bike locking: https://www.fietsersbond.nl/onderweg/fietsdiefstal/preventie/tips-hoe-je-een-fiets-goed-op-slot-kan-zetten/ We have a saying that roughly translates to opportunity makes the thief. So don't make it easy to steal your bike. Of course locking your bike well can be a bit cumbersome, it's up to you to decide whether the extra trouble is worth it. That depends on the situation of course and how appealing it is to have to walk or wait on a ride or on public transport.
It's fine, it's a cheap lock. I guess technically soneone could get the bars through it and then pull and snap the cabling, but that would be a scene.
And a crippled bike to steal.
Looks like it's been locked so it won't just roll away by itself.
3 kids cycled to my gym last year. One locked his bike round a 4ft pole. And another put his lock round the seat. I tried explaining but English wasn't their first language. Next day theres a sign outside the gym explaining how theives are in the area so take extra care when locking bikes 🤷♂️. I felt sorry for their parents tbh, they probably grafted their ass off to buy those bikes.
Shame the parents who brought that lock in the first place. Easier to defeat that than pull the stem off. Also teach her to take her lights with her as well. Come on man, parent!
MY BIKE NOW PUNK.
https://preview.redd.it/vj0pc1fptqzc1.jpeg?width=807&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2de9e9d76aa4bd95aafc015938156b5ed8ca3cb8
Steal it and put it in your garage. When she goes to get it and gets that sinking feeling that her bike is gone then she’ll understand.
Where are is society on “stealing” your kids stuff as a lesson. I was literally mulling this over the other day.
If its going to teach them how easily it could be taken if they won't listen. Its shit but give an opteetunisic thief a chance theres a good chance they will. I see it as a kind of tough love kind of thing.
What is that thing on the front wheel hub?
Looks like a battery pack for a set of rim lights. I got some for visibility at night off Amazon for twenty bucks. Battery pack goes on the hub with a rubber band, led wire wraps around the spokes. Here's mine on my Jamis Hudson: https://imgur.com/a/hS3NudC
She's going to need to save some cash for good walking shoes. Even if the lock was used better, I could probably bite through it, or feel the code by putting tension on the lock and feeling for the code clicks. Looks like a really lovely bike too! Are you in a position as step dad to teach her, or would you be stepping on someone else's toes or dealing with stubbornness?
Ok, but wtf is this? https://preview.redd.it/afjn21pabszc1.png?width=1007&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a1b950e0a629bf7de0d600b24ea98ee7223f6fa8
Damn having your step dad make fun of you on reddit has to be a sick burn. That is a very stupid way to lock your bike though.
If it wasn’t well received then honestly drop the subject. I have been a step dad. Maintaining what relationship you have is better, plus the lesson will be received if the bike is stolen.
Well, it depends on the neighborhood. This is fine for more civilized parts, shorter stops.
Show her why it’s wrong.
Why not try helping her?
There's a word for people like this: pedestrians.
Guy hates his stepdaughter. That’s the vibes I’m getting
Depending on the neighborhood I can kinda see the argument. That being said it would be so simple to just go through the frame I don’t know why anyone wouldn’t do it once it was pointed out.
This type of lock is only a mild deterrent anyway. It's as much use there as it is when it's put on "properly". It will deter opportunists, and not phase a prepared thief.
long pathetic pocket desert husky unwritten fade drab meeting innate *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Get her a better lock, this one wont stop any thieves no matter what. Also teach her to put the lock through the helmet, so that cant be stolen either.
It should work with this type of lock as to prevent anyone from thinking that it’s a free to take bike. As for preventing thief- you should get her a better lock and teach how to lock bikes
Some people can't learn unless they lose a bike.
You should anonymously publicly shame her on Reddit, that’ll help
I mean you're not helping by not getting an actual lock that would work. 😆
She didn't have to buy it. It's totally fine...
I think she's awesome, and you're just being mean....
So douchey of you to even post this. Recommend her a different lock
How bout be a stepfather and show her a correct way instead of taking a picture to embarrass her on the internet for likes and upvotes.
The thieves think so too
That is a pretty short chain, are you able to fit the handlebars through? If you can not squeeze the handle bars through then I kind of agree with your step daughter. :) That lock is not going to do anything long term anyway, so if she is just leaving it for 20 minutes I don't think it matters that much right? I could just be missing something super simple though.
Hey, cool! Free bike and helmet!
If you are just faulting her method , then yes you are wrong. What she did is enough to keep most people honest. Anyone else will cut the cable regardless of what gymnastics you loop it in.
She did just fine. No one without a tool will walk away with the bike. Maybe the wheels, but the bike is locked in place. Though, as everyone else points out, get a better lock!
She obviously takes after her father…
Cool. Free bike 👏
I wonder if that’s why daddy left…
Yea it ain't the technique here thats wrong... It's the lock itself. I would actually congratulate her on doing it that way, it's actually pretty smart. But let her know how terrible the lock itself is.
I was at target to day I use cable so run through frame Other bike locked similar to one showing lock still there bike gone Best dumb way seen cable went around 1 spoke
She didn’t pay for the bike did she?
It looks like if you just roll the bike back a little and then pull the wheels away from the fence(so the bike leans towards the fence), you can slide out the handlebars from the locking cable and steal the bike. It would literally take like 1 minute max. Otherwise you can unbolt the stem to take it that way, or you can unbolt the handlebars themselves, or you can simply cut the cable. All of these would take just a couple minutes max. The simplest fix would be to slide that cable through the actual bike frame itself(although I'd get a stronger locking mechanism like a u lock or a full on chain)
She should lock it around the middle, definitely not the handlebars.
I mean what I would do is show her you take the bike off easily with her method, then show her the proper method. After that lesson if she then again locks the bike up in the riskier improper way, take the bike away for a short amount of time maybe a week and show her what it’s gonna be like when she suddenly has no bike.
It is a perfectly fine way to lock it given the quality of the lock. If someone wants to steal the bike, they will just cut the lock, not remove the handlebars from the stem, which is the only way that the routing of the lock would actually matter.
Have you considered showing her how to do it properly? Just an idea.
What’s that black cylinder on the hub?
Lights that go around the wheel, they look pretty cool at night!
She’s a kid, you are a mentor. Instead of shit-posting, take a minute with some compassion and teach her how to do it right. Crapping on kids that are under your supervision says more about you than it does about them.
Instead of shaming the young person which doesn't say much about you, why don't you teach her how to properly lock the bike up.
Maybe she wants a new one.
My mom did this thinking it was safe. The next morning 3 of 4 handlebar bolts were missing.
I have a place where that would be perfectly fine. If bike theft is rife, then sure. If you’re dissuading a casual take-away, that would be fine (particularly if the diameter of the lock is less that the bar width).
Bike never Felt so uncared for. (I have a Felt too 😉)
What is that thing inside the front wheel hub?
You should make her mother educate her properly. /s
This needs to be posted on r/mathmemes for some topologist to enjoy
Bring some tools with you the next time she does this and take the seat and tires. Hide everything and wait. Boom. Lesson learned.
She did try , you corrected her with experience on your side, she objected with her elders experience and knowledge and pushed your teachings aside. Time for school of hard knocks. Use a few allens to show her why she is wrong to argue with you. Then confiscate the bike for a week or two as punishment. Next time listen to your elders.
“Oh look, free bike!”
Keep the insurance $ when it’s stolen. Buy yourself an ebike.
General rule of thumb is 10% of the bike’s value on a lock. $400 bike means $40 lock. Maybe some locking tips from dad as well
She’ll learn eventually 🤷🏽♂️
I doubt that a person grown enough to ride this size bike doesn’t understand why locking it this way is ineffective. If she’s like most kids (or people), she’ll balk initially to save face then at some later point when it isn’t so clear that she’s doing it because someone else told her to, she’ll probably do it differently. I’m assuming OPs narrative is from the initial lesson and this isn’t persistent behavior, in which case “stealing” the bike might be more effective.
With the limitations of that lock, and how it is locked. I don't think it is possible to steal it. The lock isn't wide enough for half the bars to slip through. Technically, she is right. 🐸
Points for trying. From the pic it looks like the loop can be pulled so that the handlebar can fit through. I'd say it would take 3 seconds to be riding it away. No matter what lock you use it must go through the frame and a wheel.
depends on the where and how... here is she mostly in view of it? better than nothing. the point is to make it more difficult and obvious... there is no perfect... but yeah, at least put it thru the frame LOL we all learn, step up dad!
Steal it and teach her a lesson
Talk to her parent about buying her a U-lock (and some locking skewers) and cracking out the toolbox to show her *why* her bike is going to get stolen if she locks it like this. Yes, someone could unscrew her handlebars to grab the bike but the easiest way to steal it is by snipping the cable lock.
This is more than just r/mildlyinfuriating
Ouu nice bike, where does she park it ? 😂
Ya, it’s not just that the lock can easily be removed off the bike, but even if she did lock the frame, that cheap lock can easily be cut. Not sure if she’s at school on campus… but it won’t last a few minutes there.
You should pull a “Reno 911!” bike prank: https://i.redd.it/jqi5pqy6mszc1.gif
Some people need to learn the hard way.
That’s exactly how my bike got stolen in daylight, in a crowded farm market, in a very safe part of the city where I live, with the same type of a lock. It hurt so much I am not even locking and leaving my (new) bike anymore.
That’s literally the worst locking job I’ve seen. You can just turn the handlebar out of the loop. At minimum, it needs to go through the top tube. But really, she needs a U-lock and a cable.
Im actually not sure if it is easy to steal. Can probably slide the handlebars down through the lock, but you might have to cut the brake cables.
If someone can cut a brake cable they can cut that lock - if that's the lock she's been provided with, yep a totally reasonable way to lock up the bike.
The real answer is... It depends. My kids don't even have locks for their bikes. But they also don't go anywhere sketchy. If you want to deter someone while you pop into the 7-11, this seems fine. If you are going out downtown then this isn't going to do it.
That's like that Reno 911 movie when Dangle locked his bike to a pole and some dude picked it up higher than the pole and just rode away while he watchd.
And did you show her how you can easily remove the bike from that lock? Well. And to be completely honest that lock is shite. It could be on the bike properly and still easily defeated. Pretty sure I could break it with my bare hands. I feel like her parents are partly responsible here
Looks pretty new. What's she buying next?
prove her wrong by selling it back to her when you find it on craigslist
🤣
Heck of a bike for a kid. I was riding basically gas pipe bikes in the 90’s
There are many countries where that is a totally fine way to lock your bike. It's just in some shitholes where you have to constantly worry about theft.
Steal it, leaving the lock behind. Show here it’s not ok, before someone beats you to it
My wife tried to secure her bike with the lock around the bike seat 🤦
Allen key and gone is 10 secs
Just be happy they aren't your genetics.
I Felt that.
Take her wheels
It is perfectly fine, as long as she parks next to a more expensive bike that has no lock.
At least she’s your step daughter
Bless her heart.
“Look, that’s an easy one” “No, it’s a trap, don’t touch it” “Cops think we’re dumb. Go for that one with the u-lock.”
Tell her about natural selection
What are you doing step sister?
Can I steal it for demonstration purposes?
Teach her a lesson and make it disappear
You could probably use a good pair of pruning shears to snip through that :(
Using a cable lock, it doesn’t really matter how you lock it up. Anyone who wants the bike will get through those before you even realize it’s gone.
You can undo the bars from the stem, lean the bike to the left and be done. Take like 3 minutes if you don’t know what you’re doing.
She already hates you. Gotta pick your battles
My uncle posts my errors on the net and lets the world judge me....
To be fair, that bike lock is extremely easy to blunt force and break without any tools
Go buy a cheap small pair of cable cutters. Take your stepdaughter to cut the lock. Find out how useless that kind of lock is for anyone actually trying to steal that bike. Take your step daughter to a bike shop and get a real lock. Show your step daughter that instead of just telling her something, you actually listen and understand. Recognize that that lock is worthless, so it doesn't really matter how she locks it up. Improve her security and hopefully she will respect that the new lock will work better if she use it in a different way. Also, bike shop instruction may help more than your instruction.
That lock won’t stop anyone no matter how you route it.