So... I have now been living in London for over 6 months, and I can't live without my bike any longer! After a long thought, I have decided to bring my newly custom built singlespeed that took all summer to build.
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(looks about the same, except now with RS Reba Team's!)
Does anybody have some tips, like using electric tape around the frame / other bits to make it look more... naff? 🙂 I want to make sure it comes off without staining the frame or leaving marks. What is the reflective tape called that I saw a couple of weeks ago floating around singletract?
Also looking for a few decent U / D locks, abus extreme seems a good option.
Any tips welcome!
In the same vein that you cant polish a turd I think youll find it hard to get that under the local scrotes and tea leaves radar no matter what you do, stupidity and lack of moral fibre dont necessarily go hand in hand.
You could try putting really ropey parts on it and changing the frame 😀
Way too nice to leave on the streets in that there Lahndan. Wheels (olympics?), frame and forks will make it a magnet for scrotes. Buy a hack to bimble around on.
Don't just wrap it in electrical tape - skoolbwoy error.
If you just 'tape' certain parts of the frame people know you're trying to 'hide' a good bike.
Collect stickers. anything. Those little Stickers off apples, bananas, magazines, electrical warning stickers, no smoking stickers, those stickers charities give you when you give 'em a £1. I even put a glow-in -the-dark spongebob squarepants band-aid on my steed
These will start peeling and scuffing soon enough as they can't take the wear and random, messy, scuffed, worn assortment of stickers makes your bike look ugly and will protect the frame. You'll still be able to peel it all off with a heatgun/hairdryer and a lot of patience
A tidy 'tape up' is a nice bike that someones trying to 'hide'.
EDIT: I kept a £2k Cove Handjob as my 'runaround' for 3 years. Locked in central London (just off Oxford Street) 5 days a week, 9 hrs a day. I then fitted mudguards, cheap rigid fork, and 'hack wheels and it spent another 6 months on Victoria Station platform he he. (2 locks mind)
As for locks.
Bulky chain, (think Abus £100) wrapped high and tight is hard to cut without powertools and something to holding it steady. Good for the frame, get a 2nd cheapy flexi or something (separate lock) for wheels
Blob of wax in the top cap nut makes it slightly harder for someone to disassemble your front end, but can still dig out with something pointy for maintainance
Get rid of QR's and change for at least Allen Bolts
Heavy D lock low and full to capacity is also tricky, but also use 2nd cheapy lock.
Don't lock to cast iron railings, or low parking restriction sign poles. Sheffield stands or proper 2 storey lamp posts only.
This has actually got some handy videos on it if you're new to 'high security bike parking'
http://www.bikerevolution.org/bike-security.html