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Hi from Kansai

AccomplishedRub9n

Warming-Up
May 19, 2019
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I mostly registered just to discuss HOW DO I NOT GET BIKE STOLEN

Cause yesterday my road bike got stolen at Aeon Mall in the Inaka.

The person biked it to the closest train station and the police picked it up for me and returned it to me because I had it registered properly.

In this case, my lock and key had arrived yet... and obviously locking it will deter certain thieves, but now being the state of paranoia I'm in, how thoroughly do I got to lock this thing?

Generally speaking I use a Kyrptonite U-Lock with a cable so that the U-lock has the rear wheel and frame covered with the cable securing the front wheel and possibly the seat if the situation allows.

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Proper introduction:

Clydesdale+ here, biked in the US when commuting to college. First it was on some kind of hybrid bike until I crashed into an inexperienced cyclist on a rent-a-bike who didn't really do much of anything to indicate they're turning (change in speed, arm, anything really). Then I got a used roadbike which came with clipless pedals... I wasn't a fan of wearing bike shoes around campus so, unfortunately, that roadbike didn't really encourage me to keep riding.

Now, I'm back, with a road bike with regular pedals. I might consider clipless if I keep it up, lose the weight, and get to the point where I can long-distance rides.

Area I live in is not Tokyo and very hilly, so... I'm gonna just have to get gud at hills.
 
Yeah, that sucks. I'm glad you got it back. Did they pick the lock then?

Edit - Ah, you didn't lock it, right? No lock kind of makes it fair game here. I'd imagine you could get away with a fairly cheap lock on a cheap bike in the inaka.
 
Not locking a bike is normally OK for a brief conbini stop. If I go shopping in Tokyo, I'll always lock my bike.

Clipless pedals might act as a slight deterrent for casual thieves who are just too lazy to walk home. For that target group it doesn't matter if you use a heavy U-lock or a 980 yen cable lock as they'll simply go for the unlocked bike.

I often leave my helmet on the bike, with the light on the rear set to flashing, to encourage the idea that I might be back any moment.
 
One emergency tactic I've occasionally employed when I find myself needing to leave my bike without a lock: screw the brake cable adjusters full-on so that the wheels won't rotate, or come out. It doesn't stop someone from picking up the bike and stealing it, but if they're just lazy/drunk looking for a joyride, they won't get anywhere and move on to the next potential target.
 
Check out the new and improved Shimano PD-EH500 - flat (with pins!) on one side and SPD clipless on the other.

When I first tried SPD, I also got combined flat / clipless pedals on the theory that it would give me the option of riding with non-SPD shoes, but I practically never used that option. So instead I found myself hunting for the side with the cleats on every traffic light start, which was a distraction I could do without. So eventually I switched to pedals with SPD on both sides.

I do all my shopping and other errands on the bike in SPD shoes (MTB shoes). They work so well for walking, unless you're planning a serious hike up a mountain from where you park the bike that in my opinion there's really not much point in flat pedals. Maybe if you commute and don't want to change shoes at the office it makes some sense, but it didn't make sense for me.
 
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Welcome to the forum btw, sorry your bike got stolen, but good to have it back I'm sure. I have the same lock as you. If I'm going on a ride where I know I'll be stopping and leaving my bike, I carry the U part in my backpack. There are also bike storage places all over Japan including at every Aeon mall I've ever been too. These places charge a small fee per hour, just go in, put your bike there, and then it will lock it into the storage rack. Just follow the locals. Good luck on the hills out there. Where do you live?
 
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