Locking Bikes in Dublin

Warrior Monk

Hey folks,

My girlfriend got a new bike last week. She wants to cycle it to her employers' place but there doesn't seem to any good places to lock it.
The best place we could find is a signpost about 2 minutes walk away from her work.

As long as it is not obstructing any entrances or roads and it is not on private property, it should be ok to lock here on this signpost right?

Many thanks for your advice.
Kind regards,
Warrior Monk

CatFromHue

I'd be worried about it falling on the ground if it was just locked to a pole all day and then getting wrecked.

Can she bring it into her employers place? It'd be much safer and better for the bike too.

Warrior Monk

Thanks Cat,

I suggested that to her but she thinks that it's not an option.
I agree with you, she should ask at least.

Thanks again

basiragi

If you're locking it in a public place try get a railing and lock it with two expensive locks as a new bike will almost certainly be stolen if you use cheap locks. I've seen bikes getting stolen in broad daylight in town..guys snapping chains with bolt cutters etc..

Andy-Pandy

The carpark on Dury Street is the only place i would leave my bike all day in the city centre.

thebionicdude

Andy-Pandy wrote: »

The carpark on Dury Street is the only place i would leave my bike all day in the city centre.

second that!

Lumen

Find the nearest Sheffield stand and use a good d-lock for the rear (Sheldon method) and cable or pitlock skewer for the front.

Squidgy Black

I've used the carpark in Drury's street a few times, nice and secure alright, but even then I'd still be insistent on using 2 good U Locks, or at least one decent U lock and a chain.

DaveyDave

The car park on Drury St hands down. If it's not close to where she works, if she can cycle to her work there's no reason she can't walk 10-15 minutes if needed for peace of mind of locking the bike somewhere safe.

Unregistered.

+1 Drury Street.

OldBean

I know two people that had their bikes nicked from Drury St. In the past fortnight. Both well locked. I'm not sure if it's as safe/observed as it used to be.

birchtree

Wife's bike got stolen last night from Drumcondra Rd.
Any of you bikers made deals with some local businesses to hold the bike overnight? Coz it seems there isn't a spot in Dublin that your bike would be safe.

petethedrummer

Watch these before you start locking your bike in Dublin:

http://youtu.be/aTA3JsZWiec
http://youtu.be/_8UpUj_8tWI
http://youtu.be/FCbU83_G6nA

RyanAndrew

and the Irish version courtesy of Gareth in Rothar and Dublin Cycling Campaign

http://www.dublincycling.com/AvoidTheThief

MB Lacey

OldBean wrote: »

I know two people that had their bikes nicked from Drury St. In the past fortnight. Both well locked. I'm not sure if it's as safe/observed as it used to be.

That's a shame to hear, I often lock mine there - were they taken overnight do you know?

tomasrojo

I wouldn't be too bothered about leaving a bike of moderate value or less in Dublin for hours at a time, provided:

• You lock in an area that isn't a high-crime area
• You lock to a Sheffield stand or something else quite substantial
• You don't lock in exactly the same place every day
• You use one really good lock to secure the frame (indirectly Sheldon-style is ok, I think; I've certainly used it without any misfortune), and secure the wheels, through cables, special skewers, a second u-lock -- whatever combination works for you.

Qualitymark

tomasrojo wrote: »

I wouldn't be too bothered about leaving a bike of moderate value or less in Dublin for hours at a time, provided:

• You lock in an area that isn't a high-crime area

Where's a non-high-crime area?

What's moderate value?

And why shouldn't we be able to leave valuable bikes locked in the city? After all, you can happily leave your Porsche or Mercedes - considerably more costly - in Dublin without regarding it as bait for thieves.

Skrynesaver

Walked through Trinity yesterday lunch time and was frankly shocked at the quality of lock and locking technique on display, in the science end too where you'd expect a basic grasp of materials science and topology...

Someone should host a "How to lock your bike so that it's there when you come back" lecture as part of freshers week, is there a cycling club in Trinity these days?

tomasrojo

Qualitymark wrote: »

Where's a non-high-crime area?

What's moderate value?

And why shouldn't we be able to leave valuable bikes locked in the city? After all, you can happily leave your Porsche or Mercedes - considerably more costly - in Dublin without regarding it as bait for thieves.

I'd forgotten posting that. It was a few months ago!

In my case, moderate value is under €700 new, or under €1000 if it isn't a popular type of bike.

A non-high-crime area for me, among my usual places I go, is just about everywhere except Thomas Street. I still park there, but at night I'm a bit worried. I'm not worried anywhere else.

It's not that it can't or won't happen. It's just that decades have passed without it happening. It's not going to be a major repeating problem on the evidence so far.

Why we can't lock the equivalent of Porsches in the streets without fear is a fair question, but it's not something I think about all that often, because I don't have any bikes like that, and I don't intend to have any in the future. There are a limited number of things I can worry about. As far as I remember, when I wrote the post above, it was just addressing the practicalities of safely parking a bike in Dublin, rather than defending the status quo.

EDIT: can you leave a Porsche on Thomas Street at night?

BrianHenryIE

Skrynesaver wrote: »

Someone should host a "How to lock your bike so that it's there when you come back" lecture as part of freshers week

Orientation in DCU show CCTV footage of someone stealing a bike by combining the wheel and frame from two poorly locked bikes.

CycLok

We are going to be rolling out the first of our secure lockers very soon, so bike theft will slowly become less of an issue from now on.

traprunner

CycLok wrote: »

We are going to be rolling out the first of our secure lockers very soon, so bike theft will slowly become less of an issue from now on.

Is anything 100% secure? What happens if one is broken into or even hacked and a bike stolen? Will your company be covering the replacement cost?

Qualitymark

CycLok wrote: »

We are going to be rolling out the first of our secure lockers very soon, so bike theft will slowly become less of an issue from now on.

Will it be possible to hire a locker once-off, or will this be a subscription service like the current ones, which are useless to those of us who only occasionally visit town?

check_six

CycLok wrote: »

...so bike theft will slowly become less of an issue from now on.

Look, if you're trying to recruit members for a superhero-style lycra clad group of anti-bike thief vigilantes, you've come to the right place!

I only have one question, how many bike stealing perps can you cram into one of these fancy holding pens/lockers?

tomasrojo

check_six wrote: »

Look, if you're trying to recruit members for a superhero-style lycra clad group of anti-bike thief vigilantes, you've come to the right place!

Where's the Midnight Commando when you need him?

jusmeig

There would seem to be a business case for somoene renting a secure area to lock a bike in Dublin City! While the suggestions here are great, often its just not an option to bring the bike into the office.

Also the suggestion that we all get bangers is good, but most people do the bike to work scheme and spend 1k all in.
Its like the whole bike to work scheme was designed to service the scum that are making a fortune off the shiny new bikes.

If they can't rob it they will wreck it in trying, so its Catch 22.