Yesterday I saw a few MPD officers at the Safeway helping a woman break her bike lock. I'm guessing she'd lost the key. It was a cable lock and they broke it with a hammer.
- At a meeting on 17th and 19th Streets SE this week, DDOT recommended narrowing 17th and adding a bike lane, while adding sharrows to 19th. This is for the section between East Capitol and Potomac Avenue. Project wouldn't be completed for 18 months though.
- Don't be this cyclist. Stick around, just as you'd expect a driver to.
- Work has begun on the New Hampshire Avenue project which will, among other things, add bike lanes in both directions between Dupont and Washington Circle
- Apparently, you can break a U lock by freezing it. My advice is to get a lock that has insurance - and enough to cover your bike, follow all the instructions that come with the lock to make the insurance valid and then pray that bike thieves leave the broken lock behind. [Bike thieves: if you leave the bike lock behind, more people will have money to buy bikes and that will mean more bikes to steal. Everybody wins.]
In indoor parking is about the only way to prevent bike thieves from taking an unattended bike. There should be more of indoor bike parking. One problem with tough locks is tumbler failure . This can result in your not being able to unlock your bike. This happens most often in the winter due to ice. Carrying your lock behind the seat post can expose the tumbler to dirt and water that is thrown off the back wheel resulting in lock failure. P.S. I understand that a car boot also can be broken by freezing.
Posted by: david | September 28, 2012 at 08:25 AM
I think this is still more urban myth than reality. As one poster noted, thieves are far more likely to use an angle grinder.
Posted by: Crikey7 | September 28, 2012 at 09:21 AM
At first I read that as angel grinder, which is now the title of Chapter 3 in my novel.
Posted by: washcycle | September 28, 2012 at 09:45 AM
the current mess on NH is from DC water, not DDOT.
In fact, I suspect this water project is what is delaying the M st bike lane projects. They are ripping that street up.
The two-way on NH is NOT good. It would have been perfect for a cycletrack. The real problem on that stretch is the buses perpetullly parked in front of the hotel.
Posted by: charlie | September 28, 2012 at 10:16 AM
The delay with the M Street cycletrack is that they haven't finished the design.
Posted by: washcycle | September 28, 2012 at 10:48 AM
Canned air won't chill quality locks enough to mess with the temper.
Only bike I've had stolen was from our basement garage. Thief snuck in,in the middle of the night,and used a grinder to cut an OnGuard chain and Krypto NYC U. There were camera's,but apt bldg contracts the monitoring out to a third party,who "couldn't find anything".
Only real ways to secure a bike are either hide it somewhere where it can't be found,or have it monitored by a human who cares.
Posted by: dynaryder | September 28, 2012 at 05:13 PM
i just had both my bikes stolen off my car on Pennsylvania, despite being locked to the frame with a steel cable. i took my wife on a day ride, and then for our anniversary dinner we went to fogo de chao. when we came out no bikes. BS.
Posted by: glenn | September 30, 2012 at 08:14 PM
What is the delay on the L street cycle trak. I don't see any work at all.
Posted by: Cap Hill Keith | October 01, 2012 at 10:24 AM
Of course, the lock must be in contact with a hard surface in order for the hammer blows to have any the intended effect. A u-lock that has to be held by hand while one employs this technique might prove to be a more difficult, if not impossible, victim (never mind that fact that the bike frame and/or wheel would likely end up damaged).
Agreed, though, that if someone wants your bike and the opportunity presents itself, kiss it goodbye.
Posted by: BlooEyedDevil | October 01, 2012 at 03:14 PM