Cycling and Security

Ultimately, cycling can improve our national security by ending addiction to oil and the violent regimes that control it but we've got several million converts to win over before we get to that. And those folks need to know how to hang onto their ride.

Cycling as serious transport in a country without a commitment to it requires a lot of guts and a lot of great gear. Over the last year, I've gone through a lot of money and strife finding that gear. What follows is one of a series of posts (see visibility, rain/wind protection) sharing my experience with gear and the need it fills. This entry is about security. Namely, it's about how to minimize theft and vandalism while maximizing convenience. With that in mind, I'm highlighting  the systems and tools that help me do that.

There have been some very positive developments for bike security with the proliferation of bike lockers, parking garages, and valets; not to mention, the cool "low-jack-style" GPS/RF bike tracking tools. But first, here are a few quick points about the obvious bike security tool.

Locks
Ever since my brand new Schwinn Continental was stolen outside a bowling alley back in the 70s, I've been searching for a lock I trust. The one I used that time was foolishly feeble: a 1 cm chain with a 3 digit combination lock. I was just a kid. I learned, after the fact, even I could pick this in a couple of minutes.

U-Lock

Today, folks (myself included) often favor the "U-Lock". The 2+ cm steel U-shaped bar can be as strong as chains but a tad lighter, and easier to pack. Still, there are issues.

1. Not all U-Locks are created equal. See Slate.com's great profile on U-Locks to learn about the differences. 
2. Though lighter than a chain, the better U-Locks are still a lot to carry. Riders often leave them locked to a rack to avoid the weight issue. 
3. The U-Lock's fixed shape means it has limited reach. It can't reach around thick posts or around both wheels.

There's not much to be done about the reach issue. Cables come to mind but they can be cut through easily. Chains come to mind but the good ones are really heavy. Neither option leaves you much better off than with a U-Lock. The reaction to this seems to be to use a tiny U-Lock. At least then, you are not lugging much weight and the bits you lock are secure.

This picture in front the Berkeley Bowl shows a classic example. You could remove your front wheel and lock everything around the back wheel but that means you spend time realigning your wheel with your brakes every time you make a stop which is a sure fire way to discourage bike use. To avoid this, I sometimes use a cable to loop through the back wheel but that boosts the weight and space again.

Steel-encased Cable Lock
There is one other option: the steel-encased cable. It's lighter than a chain, stronger than a cable and has the reach the U-Lock doesn't. It still won't thread both wheels but it does go around large posts. The one I use is by ABUS: a great German lock company that makes the Diskus padlock that's been very popular for years. Knock on wood, I have not lost anything so far while using the steel-encased cable.

There's a lot of video on youtube showing the big bolt cutters breaking just about every lock on the market, this lock included. However, it is hard to tell just what they are cutting and the bolt cutting scenario is hopefully an unlikely one if you've picked a good high-profile spot. Other sources say this lock is relatively tough to break. Although, they say it still only takes 3 minutes to get through without bolt cutters. For this reason, I still treat this as a lighter option.

No matter what lock you use, the old saying is still true "if they really want to take it, no lock is going to stop them".  Consequently, securing your bike is really about completely hiding or completely exposing your bike to others. Hiding your bike is great (because noone knows to steal it) but tough to achieve in public so the other strategy is more popular.

Few thieves like witnesses to their crimes. If you can find a well-populated place, then all the lock has to do is keep honest people honest by removing the basic ability/temptation to ride off with your bike. With an ideal parking spot, almost any lock will do. Still, if the bike is facing hours of seclusion, I try to avert thieves with as much armor as I can stand to carry: the U-Lock and a cable.

Locks may deter thieves but they don't do a thing about vandalism. If some jackass wants to turn your rims into pretzels, there's little you can do. One exciting trend in bike commuting that addresses vandalism and the other limitations of locks is the proliferation of bike lockers, parking garages, and valets.

Bike Lockers
Subway stations in my region and my work place don't supply full-service bike parking but they do provide bike lockers like you see here. These are great: at least for day parking. Again, if someone is determined to axe or saw their way into these lockers, there is not much to stop them. Still, even this would take time and make a lot of noise and that would hopefully prompt a witness to call the cops.

Regardless, the beauty of lockers is that they:

1. hide the bike completely
   (i.e. out of sight, out of criminal minds)
2. only require you to carry a sturdy padlock
3. provide some protection from vandalism

I find these very satisfying to use. It is literally a huge load off your mind and your back to have your bike hidden from view in a sturdy container and locked with something not much heavier than your shoes. At work, I use the ABUS Diskus padlock. I even leave this locked to a fence so I have 0 weight to lug around if I want.

Bike Garages and Valets

The ultimate in bike theft prevention, of course, are the attended bike garages or bike valets. The San Francisco Bicycle Coalition, provides free bike valet service at ATT Park for ballgames and at the SF Ferry Building during farmer's market on Saturdays.  I can't say enough about the positive effect this has on a cycling experience. It relieves a ton of stress that you typically have when you just lock your bike and it allows you to carry more cargo because you are no longer lugging your own security system around with you. It really is a very profound difference.

To some, it might sound excessive to have structures built to house bikes but cities are littered with parking garages for cars. If bike commuting is ever going mainstream, the same will have to be true. Here's a nice one in Vancouver during the 2010 Winter Olympics.


These bike parking services are increasingly common in bike-friendly cities like San Francisco and Vancouver. However, even in those places the hours of operation are limited. The bike parking garage shown here by the SF CalTrain station is closed on weekends. To really support cycling as serious transport, you need to count on these services being available virtually 24/7 so that you can go out as you normally would: without concern that access to you're ride is going to disappear at the stroke of midnight.

Personal Security

Locks and bike parking provide security for the bike while it is stationary but what about security for you while you are moving? Protection from cars and the elements are best left to infrastructure but there are tools to protect you from other people and animals: for instance, the 9mm  Beretta (just kidding).

Seriously, though.  Lots of cyclists report having things thrown at them. I've personally had people try to block my way and hassle me. I've also had dogs literally nipping at my heels. The latter instance happened while riding in Texas. That experience caused me to buy some pepper spray. It's not much but it's a non-lethal device that can buy you some time to pedal out of harm's way. The pepper spray I've got has a really nice strap with a velcro release. I've mounted it on my pack in a readily accessible spot. Naturally, now that I have it I never have cause to use it. That's fine with me.

Cycling amongst roads and drivers that don't want you there can be stressful enough. The tools and services profiled above have helped me mitigate that stress by maximizing convenience and piece of mind.

UPDATE: Low Jack Option
Although I try to only post about stuff I've actually experienced or tested, one thing on the horizon of bike security that is too promising to ignore is the use of GPS and radio transmitters to have your bike broadcast where it is if it ever gets stolen. Currently, this only appears to be used by law enforcement as bait, e.g. UOP is fighting a bike theft epidemic with such a system. Nevertheless, if a consumer product ever becomes available at a reasonable price, it could be a great thing. How satisfying to end forever that horrible feeling you will never see your bike again or know anything about where it went. Given the escalating prices of high end bikes, I am betting we'll be hearing a lot more about this option.

Another Bike Commuter is Born

This week saw the maiden ride of another convert. Bryan, one of my co-workers, has entered the bike commuter fold.

Bryan has biked sporadically all his life. One of his fondest memories was riding in the rain in Maryland as a kid. Most cyclists don't like the rain but I can actually relate. If you've got the right gear, riding in weather is down right fun. That bodes well for Bryan's perseverance as we enter the rainy season.

He says he's decided to start bike commuting because it "just makes so much sense". He lives less than 10 miles away from his job. With that short of a distance, he can beat a bus because of all the stops they make. He also leaves when he wants like he would if he drove. The fitness and smaller gasoline bill are a nice bonus as well.

I am particularly proud of Bryan's conversion because my donation of a crankset helped make it possible. The FSA crank from my Cannondale was just lying around and his Bianchi needed one so I donated it to him in accordance with the PlanBike mission.

Several weeks later he's gliding next to me using the crankset. Too cool.  He's already on his 5th consecutive day. I was pretty saddle sore when I started and had to take a break. Between his love of rain and his strong start, Bryan's in danger of being a hardcore bike commuter.

Here's a picture of Bryan, Ed, and I on our first lunch trip. Check out Ed's cool folding Bike Friday "Tickit to Ride". Turns out Ed is also a recent convert. Just 16 months. Having a mobile posse greatly expands our lunch options. This time we only went about a mile out. Still, the ride made me feel better about chowing down.

Just five days in and he's already bought clipless pedals and Sidi shoes and loves them. This guy has got the bug. Right on. We need more like him.

Welcome aboard, Bryan. I can't wait for us to pedal out to all the new lunch possibilities.

Cycling Squaw Valley and North Lake Tahoe

My friend and I just took a bike-oriented weekend mini-break in Squaw Valley. She doesn't cycle very often so this was more cycle tour than Tour de Tahoe high speed race. We're avid skiers and go often in winter but Lake Tahoe, and even Squaw Valley, have a lot to offer in summer.

Weather: Be Prepared For Anything
Things were made a little interesting when the weather report predicted thunder storms for the weekend we booked. That's nothing to scare me off but it could make cycling more challenging if the wind kicks up above 20 MPH, which it can easily in the High Sierra. I've also had it snow in June while running Squaw Valley's Mountain Run.

Weather Equals Even Better Scenery
Despite all the Donner Party paranoia about weather, we knew we made the right choice to head up to Squaw when we saw this double rainbow while out for a stroll along the Squaw Valley floor when we first got there.

Rainbow Close Encounter
This was a full rainbow: a complete 180 degrees. With another echoing in the background. So beautiful. It is one thing to see pictures or see these in the distance. It is another to have this vaulting over your head.

Cornice Cantina Had Front Row Seat
We saw the Cornice Cantina under this rainbow so we decided it was a sign that we should stop for a drink. After grabbing my Don Julio and my friend's Pabst Blue Ribbon (she's a cheap date, bless her heart), we sat outside on the deck to watch the rainbow and more.

Close Encounters-Style Clouds
Unbelievably, there was even more stuff happening: cloud formations like I have never seen. We thought we were watching the end of Close Encounters of the Third Kind. This got everyone in the bar outside photographing, even the really drunk ones. Maybe it was the alcohol, maybe it was the amazing scenery but everyone was talking like they had known each other for years. Everyone seemed to liken the cloud formations to different human body parts. I'll let you decide.

Finding this magical sky action and super warm people that first night out got us really amped about the next day. The weekend was off to a great start.

Blue Bird Skies

Like a dream, all the clouds and wind and rain were gone the next morning. We found blue sky and dry path. Here's the bike path on the north edge of the Squaw Valley.

The bike path in Squaw Valley is really a C shape around the meadow that just follows the road. It doesn't complete a circle but, as I'll explain later, there are ways to get around this. The path basically takes you out to another bike path that parallels the highway.

Gorgeous, Fragrant, Dedicated Bike Path 

Once you leave Squaw Valley, a bike path continues south through the canyon that leads to Tahoe City. It is completely separate from the highway. The path does not separate pedestrian and bicycle traffic but it is still far better than a simple bike lane on the road. Regardless, this one is unbelievably gorgeous.

On this path, on a blue bird sky day, at least 2 out of 5 senses will be blown away by a parade of technicolor scenery and fabulous fragrances from the warm pine trees, flowers, and eventually the lake. It is hard to be in anything but a great mood.

Cars Not Seen But Still Heard
One detractor to all the sights and smells is the sound of the highway. The bike path is completely separate from the highway but it still runs just feet away from it so the sound of cars is omnipresent as you pass through the scenery.

Once we got to Tahoe City, we proceeded south down the west side of the Lake Tahoe.

Nice Bathroom Facilities
One thing about these lanes that was a great relief, literally, was the bathroom facilities. Unlike Monterey's 17 mile drive, there is a wealth of both public and private spots. Here's my friend pictured outside one of the public ones right on the bike path.

Bike Paths End Before Homewood
We took it pretty easy on this first ride: just 30 miles from Squaw to Homewood and back. Part of the reason for this was that the bike path suddenly stopped about a half mile north of Homewood. My friend wasn't too psyched to ride beside the cars but I was curious to see Homewood in the summer time so we split for a bit and I darted down right quick. Here's a pic of the main lift. If I know Homewood, they would still call these ski conditions good to excellent.

Totally Different Views On The Way Back

At first, doubling back on the same path didn't seem too fun but the scenery really varies by direction so we saw plenty we had missed on the way down. Shots like this one with the boats is classic Lake Tahoe. It also shows how perfectly situated the bike path is to the Lake. Scenery like this makes up for a lot of car noise.

River Ranch Patio On Truckee River

On the way home, we stopped off at the River Ranch: a Tahoe icon right on the Truckee river and the highway. It has a beautiful patio that is right where all the rafters disembark. The "5 degree" rum punch is not bad either. It starts great and gets better with every sip.

Comfortingly, the River Ranch is a short distance from Squaw in case we got too sluggish or tipsy while wining and dining. We sat out on the patio enjoying the smell of the trees, the grill, the rum punch, and the rafter mayhem, then got back on the path for the last mile.

Squaw Valley's South Bike Path

Once we turned off the highway from Tahoe City back into Squaw Valley, my friend wanted to take a different path back across the Squaw Valley meadow. On our way out, we had seen this path and it looked more interesting than the path that shadows the road. The only problem was I knew from previous experience that no public path crosses the south side of the meadow. Nevertheless, I was in a mood for exploring and in no mood for arguing so I agreed to follow my friend up the path. Besides, I had a plan.

Poaching Pavement
Crossing the south side of the meadow on a paved path is actually pretty easy provided you don't have any scruples about trespassing for a couple of hundred yards. The golf course has paths for golf carts that start up exactly where the public path leaves off. Consequently, it is very tempting to just continue on across the meadow by using this path for a bit. We did and none of the golfers seemed to mind.

Just A Bit Of Touring...For Now

Safely off the golf course and back to our lodge, we felt very satified with our first Squaw Valley and North Lake Tahoe experience. It was clear we barely scratched the surface. For instance, Squaw Valley Ski Resort has lift service for mountain bikes in the summer so that you can ride down their ski trails. And my friends speak highly of a full tour around the lake. I didn't get around to any of that this time but I'll be back. However, I might fire up the iPod to drown out the car noise.