How Safe is a Bike In a MARTA Bike Rack?
Decatur Metro | September 22, 2009I submit this question to the masses.
Sam writes in…
Do you know a good way of finding out how safe the bike racks at the Marta stations are? Particularly the East Lake Station? I wouldn’t leave my bike overnight, and I would use a chain on both wheels. Anything else I should do? Thanks.
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I park at Avondale all the time. I don’t like the rack because it is not protected from the rain. But I think it is plenty safe from theft. The key is to use a good locking strategy. Don’t use a chain, get a U-Lock, the shortest one that will fit your frame. Bicycle South will sell you a good one. I have a locking skewer on the front and a quick release on the back. With the locking skewer no one will get the wheel off without a key. The brand I use is a Pitlock, but there are others. With the locking skewer you can get away with only one small U-lock on the rear wheel. You can lock the wheel directly to the rack. So long as the lock is on that part of the rear wheel that is inside the rear frame triangle there is no need to also lock the frame because it is impossible to pull the locked wheel through the frame.
If you don’t have a locking skewer you can use a cable to lock the front wheel.
My bike got nicked (almost!) from the East Lake Marta station but they caught the guy in the act and I got it back. Apparently, he was just trying all the locks to see which would give, and mine did, sigh. I have a U-lock now and it works pretty darn well. So basically, just get a lock that won’t get snapped off or cut. Not sure about leaving it overnight though – wheel or something ridiculous might get taken.
I would not park anything that I was not willing to lose. Not so hard, I have collected two great bikes that were out for garbage collection over the past two weeks. If that fails, go to SOPO, http://www.sopobikes.org/
If it could be stolen, it probably will. U-lock frame/wheel, cable lock the seat/frame/wheel/etc. Take everything off (lights/bags/tools/water bottle/etc) I would not leave any bike out in public overnight. During the day/evening it should be fine. We caught a guy cutting a cable on the square during book fest!! 4pm!! The nerve…..the U-lock is the bomb
It seems like the rack in front of the Old Courthouse near the Marta station is very safe. There has been a abandoned bike (complete with helmet!) parked there for weeks. Some days it falls over but passers by straighten it in the rack fairly quickly.
In addition to locking both wheels to the frame with a U-lock (and, obviously) to something sunk into the ground), I’d suggest securing the seat-tube to the frame with a plumbers clamp. It isn’t going to prevent a truly industrious vandal, but it should be good to stop your average larcenous prowler.