Bicycle mechanic for three decades Hal Ruzal shows you how to lock up your bike properly, so while the cops are using bait bikes to catch bike thieves, you can keep on riding high.

The key first is to check out the sturdiness of what you’re locking it to. Street signs with just one bolt can be easily removed and your bike slipped off from them. Wobbly poles and parking meters are no good either.

Then, remove anything that’s removable, like lights, water bottles, saddle bags. If you can get it in five seconds, so can thieves.

Finally, the locking. You’ll want to use a very strong U-lock and a cable lock. Put the U of the lock through the back tire and frame around the pole you’re locking it to. Lace a cable lock through the front tire onto the U-Lock, and then lock the U-Lock.

Hal also shows a few extra modifications you can make to thwart thieves trying to dismantle your bike by the nuts. His invention of the bike chain wrapped through the seat cushion to the frame to prevent seat theft is something I learned about at a bike shop (they learned it from him) and I’ve been doing to my bikes ever since the days when I was a bike messenger.(Thanks to Anne!)

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