Custom Tow-Hook Bike Rack

[that_guy]

Haha! Glad it got sorted out....I'm sure we've all given the glove box a good hard hit when we hear a rattle. This sounds like one of those annoying situations that would drive you nuts if never solved.

[Amcox]

Originally Posted by soundman98

what is that mount called? that would be perfect for me..

its the yakima boa style mount

[retrosmiths]

Well, someone tried to steal my bike today. Good thing I bought the 1UP lock fitted for the rack itself.

Funny thing is, it happened in the middle of my 30-minute run. They probably knew I sporadically run on mornings, so this time they waited for me to leave.

The car is behind an apartment building, hidden from street/public view, so they know that there is a bike there, they've been watching for a while.

Oh, I also have a dashcam pointed forward the car. Screenies of the goons attached.

And timeline:

8:41 Left the house for a quick jog, but I grabbed my sunglasses from the car first.

8:56 First guy showed up in a bike. Black guy with a sweater and backpack. Heard some shuffling noise.

9:02 Second guy appears in a bike, carrying some sort of tool.

9:13 I arrived back and saw one of the locks on the ground (the wire-type one). What a useless security device. Saw the bike misaligned out of the rack, as if they were trying to force it off the rack. The 1UP lock I have, they also tried to break it open but failed.

Lesson learnt. Never leave bikes outside, even if its hidden from public view.

Hell, it's not even one of those expensive bikes, lol.

[gabe0807]

People are scum bags. I'm glad your bike and car were ok. What 1Up lock do you have? Is it the wheel lock:

http://www.1upusa.com/product-wheellock.html

How do you mount it? I've been thinking about how to secure the bike and rack. I normally bike in Santa Cruz, CA and anything that is not secured is stolen and sold for meth. Sometimes even if it is secured.

[retrosmiths]

Yep, that's the one. The scumbags tried to force it open via the keyhole and by cutting the bolt itself but failed.

I actually saw one of the guys walking down the street an hour after the incident, on my way to work. Couldn't call the cops or something cause I'll be late for work, and they know where I live.

[gabe0807]

Originally Posted by retrosmiths

Yep, that's the one. The scumbags tried to force it open via the keyhole and by cutting the bolt itself but failed.

I actually saw one of the guys walking down the street an hour after the incident, on my way to work. Couldn't call the cops or something cause I'll be late for work, and they know where I live.

I would suggest filing a police report, giving them the video, and telling them that you saw the guy around, so he might be a regular. That being said, I would probably be too lazy to do that. It takes time, effort, and the PD probably does not have the capacity to pursue it. It can be frustrating though.

With respect to the lock, couldn't they have just removed the bike wheel? That's why I didn't pick one of those ones up. I'm not trying to discount your security method because obviously it worked. Just trying to figure out how it worked.

[retrosmiths]

Originally Posted by gabe0807

I would suggest filing a police report, giving them the video, and telling them that you saw the guy around, so he might be a regular. That being said, I would probably be too lazy to do that. It takes time, effort, and the PD probably does not have the capacity to pursue it. It can be frustrating though.

With respect to the lock, couldn't they have just removed the bike wheel? That's why I didn't pick one of those ones up. I'm not trying to discount your security method because obviously it worked. Just trying to figure out how it worked.

I locked the rear wheel, so that it will be harder to remove (compared to the front one) in case something like this happens, and I was right.

I would rather not report this to the police. The hassle of filing a report is a pain, and the fact that the guy is probably in the same neighborhood and knows where I live, it would make me feel less safe there. I would report this to the landlord though so they can (I hope) install some security camera or something, even fake ones, just to deter thieves.

They weren't able to take anything anyway, aside from the broken cable lock. If anything, this is a very good experience for me and I learned my lesson.

[retrosmiths]

Now, I'm contemplating on selling the bike rack and just switching over to foldables: http://www.montaguebikes.com/ and just keeping it in the car.

[soundman98]

simple solution, just don't keep the bike on the rack at your place..

[retrosmiths]

Originally Posted by soundman98

simple solution, just don't keep the bike on the rack at your place..

Seems simple, but there's not enough room in the apartment to keep a bike

[that_guy]

Originally Posted by retrosmiths

I locked the rear wheel, so that it will be harder to remove (compared to the front one) in case something like this happens, and I was right.

I would rather not report this to the police. The hassle of filing a report is a pain, and the fact that the guy is probably in the same neighborhood and knows where I live, it would make me feel less safe there. I would report this to the landlord though so they can (I hope) install some security camera or something, even fake ones, just to deter thieves.

They weren't able to take anything anyway, aside from the broken cable lock. If anything, this is a very good experience for me and I learned my lesson.

That's wild! I have the same wheel lock and I lock the same wheel on my bike under the assumption that it takes more work to get the rear wheel off than the front. That said, I have a lefty, so the front is actually annoying too.

Glad to hear everything held up and you still have a bike.

Can you not just turn your handle bars in and tuck the bike up against the wall in your apartment? I have a little wheel stand I put mine in and it hides in our den in our apartment now.

[retrosmiths]

It's a small apartment but I'm moving out anyway soon, so no worries about that.

Sent from my phone. Might have typos. Sorry.

[phobos512]

Originally Posted by retrosmiths

Seems simple, but there's not enough room in the apartment to keep a bike

Can't use a wall mount? I keep my roadie on my trainer flipped upwards. Sits in the empty space between the couch and the screen door.

[gabe0807]

As usual, I am a bit late to the show, but I wanted to post some pictures of that_guy's solution. I am using a 1-up rack like many of the other people. Everything went together perfectly. It feels very secure. I am quite happy with it. Once again, I want to thank that_guy for doing this for us. It saved me a lot of work and I'm sure several failed attempts at doing this myself. At any rate, here are the pictures.