Sufficient bike security for Vancouver?

[Claire Petersky]

A friend of mine is going to ride up to Vancouver from Seattle. He believes
that bike thievery is a more organized and professional operation in
Vancouver. He's concerned that just his U-lock will be insufficient to
protect his bike. He's got an Independent Fabrications frame -- the frame,
and then all other high-end parts he's slowly found on eBay for cheap and
built the whole thing up, so he's got time and money invested in his beloved
bike.

If he's going to ride around town, what would be his best strategy for
locking up the bike while he's out at the Museum of Anthropology, Granville
Island, and all the other tourist spots?

[smn]

The best way would be to lock it up in a skytrain bike locker and go places
by bus. Or leave it in Surrey in my apartment. The places you mentioned
are easy by bus. B-line is fast too. If you want I can apply for a locker
for you. You pay 3 months in advance $10/ month. Deposit on the key also.
Details here http://translink.bc.ca/ Skytrain from my place takes 35
minutes to downtown Vancouver which would be central to every where you want
to go. Lockers are in a few places around the lower mainland now. Do not
know how long the waiting list is though.
On the other hand I have a New Yorker kryptonite for heavy crime areas,
weighs 4 lbs, bomb proof. They may still have them for cheap at
biketiresdirect.com a US website. You may want to skip traffic on a bike in
Vancouver anyway. But if you do go by bike take the bike ways like 8th ave
and Ontario St. More biker friendly by far and off the main drag. All
buses have bike racks now practically.
What ever you decide. Ride safe.

Post by Claire Petersky
A friend of mine is going to ride up to Vancouver from Seattle. He believes
that bike thievery is a more organized and professional operation in
Vancouver. He's concerned that just his U-lock will be insufficient to
protect his bike. He's got an Independent Fabrications frame -- the frame,
and then all other high-end parts he's slowly found on eBay for cheap and
built the whole thing up, so he's got time and money invested in his
beloved bike.
If he's going to ride around town, what would be his best strategy for
locking up the bike while he's out at the Museum of Anthropology,
Granville Island, and all the other tourist spots?
--
Warm Regards,
Claire Petersky
http://www.bicyclemeditations.org/
See the books I've set free at: http://bookcrossing.com/referral/Cpetersky

[Bock]

Post by Claire Petersky
A friend of mine is going to ride up to Vancouver from Seattle. He believes
that bike thievery is a more organized and professional operation in
Vancouver. He's concerned that just his U-lock will be insufficient to
protect his bike. He's got an Independent Fabrications frame -- the frame,
and then all other high-end parts he's slowly found on eBay for cheap and
built the whole thing up, so he's got time and money invested in his beloved
bike.
If he's going to ride around town, what would be his best strategy for
locking up the bike while he's out at the Museum of Anthropology, Granville
Island, and all the other tourist spots?
--
Warm Regards,
Claire Petersky
http://www.bicyclemeditations.org/
See the books I've set free at: http://bookcrossing.com/referral/Cpetersky

Each location/area of Vancouver is unique.

1. theft
2. dismantling
3. damage

Dismantling is mostly done downtown in alleys after the bike has been
stolen.

Valuable mikes are stolen or dismantled as much as possible and
sometimes in frustration damages.

Perhaps one of the hightest crime areas in Vancouver is near the No. 5
Orange Bar (a strip bar). There I used 1 U-lock for the frame/tire, and
5 regular strong cable locks and went outside the bar every 20 minutes
to check the bicycle. It was a modest valued bike with no accessories.
All was fine.

Conversely, a fellow had a 3,000 dollar bike stolen while in MEC similar
to REI monitored by cameras. Sadly, he used a cable lock which was
snaped in seconds on camera watched minutes after the reported theft.

Specifically, to answer your question, lock the bike well with several
locks, check on it often and remove all accessories.

Familiar people roam the airport, universities and just about everywhere
looking for stuff to steal for drugs. They are so desperate that the
even steal telephone cable and power line cable etc. and sell it to
scrap metal places. Also plastic drain pipe on houses have been known
to have been stolen.