Bikes
Storing Your Bike
Do not lock your bike to any of the railings internally or externally, they will be removed.
The bike stands in the courtyards are proving popular, particularly at Besford House, which is great news. We’ve noticed that a couple of bikes have been victim to having certain parts stolen (saddles, wheels etc).
If your bicycle has had parts removed please either remove the bike or restore the missing parts. Many people use the communal bike stands on a daily basis and damaged bikes are taking up valuable space. In addition, neglected bikes make it look like we don’t care for our bikes and we may be seen as easy pickings.
Locks
Avoid using cable locks (such as ‘Kryptoflex’). These can be defeated with a pocket tool and provide little practical protection, especially for over-night locking. Likewise, never use ‘curly’ or combination locks.
Shop around online for the best price on locks as they can be about 40% cheaper than the high street.
Wheels
If your frame is well secured, the wheels, especially for road bikes/fixie/single-speed are vulnerable and desirable. Always lock your wheels. Replacing wheels can be costly, and it’s damn annoying.
Pit-Locks are a special bolt for which there are 250+ variants. London Fields Cycles stock them and can advise and fit. They’re not cheap but they’ll last well and you can remove them if you change bikes. Make sure you keep one of the two small special sockets on your keyring in case you get a puncture! For more information visit www.pitlock.com.
Saddle and Seatpost
If you have a nice racing saddle, fancy/carbon seatpost or leather Brooks saddle it’s wise to secure it. A version of Pit-Lock is also available for seat posts and saddles. Seat theft is a popular activity. There are some exciting things you can do with ball-bearings and super glue, or solder to block Allen bolt heads. A small chain/cable through the rails under the saddle to the frame is also an option.
