Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Zanniati]

I've been here for a few weeks and just bought my bike yesterday. I bought a lock to go with it. I have talked to a couple people who have had their bikes stolen and I would like to avoid that if possible. If anyone else out there have had your bikes stolen, what did you do wrong and what's the best way for me to avoid it?

[McGenghis]

I used to haul mine up the elevator and lock it in the stairwell. I suppose that was not fire marshall-approved but I was never warned and I saw lots of other folks doing it.

When I bought a half-decent bike two summers ago I kept it inside my apartment until I realized that was too much of a pain. Now it is locked in the little bike shed in the parking lot.

[shifty]

Religiously keep it parked in your apartment!!! Can't stress it enough.

It will make the apartment smell like a bike shop, but you'll grow used to that. You get the chance to admire it and to and fro from the bathroom you can give it a quick pat.

If you're on a high floor with no elevator you've got trouble on your hands, b/c hauling up the steps is such a shlep. Sooner or later you'll succumb to finding a convenient spot.

The time I found my convenient spot the bike only lasted 2 days before going AWOL.

The other time I don't want to talk about b/c I haven't got over it yet.

[climber159]

Keep it in your apartment. Plus, because you'll want to keep your bike from dirtying your apartment you'll keep your bike cleaner and in better shape.

I suggest getting a cheap yoga mat to protect the floor from any dirt and/or grease that might fall from the bike while in your apartment.

[hwa jang shil]

I had a bike stolen, stupidly I left it unlocked outside a Homeplus in Geubandari for 15 minutes. CCTV revealed a little shit of a kid aged about 11 riding off on it about 3 minutes before I came out.
The new bike is always locked, but seems safe enough left on the street.

[FDNY]

Get a decent lock. Those crappy Korean locks made of cable can be opened with the tap of a hammer in about a second. I have a "Bulldog" "D" shaped bike lock. I have to leave my bike outside of apartments everyday. I don't take any chances. My bike is worth about 3,000,000 KRW. Also leave your bike in busy, open places. Never try and hide it. And yes, keep it inside. It doesn't matter so much with cheap pieces of Korean crap, but with a real bike, it should be indoors when not in use.

[SeoulNate]

[Zanniati]

Thanks for the advice. At the moment I am keeping my bike in my apartment. I'm also lucky in that my director lets me take my bike up to our 5th floor office and keep it there while I'm at work so the only times I'll ever need to lock it up is if I'm going out or something with it.

At the moment I have one of those "crappy 10,000 won combination locks that you can get anywhere". lol Where should I go to get a better lock? Is it possible to get a good lock that has a combination, not a key? I would really prefer to not have a key because it would be a huge pain in the butt to carry around since I don't have other keys.

I'm also thinking of buying a friend's bike when he leaves for 20,000won. It's a total piece of crap but I was thinking of just using that when I go out. It looks like crap so I figure no one will want to waste the time to steal it. The bike that I bought actually looks very nice so I'm concerned that it would be more of a target.

[shifty]

[hallazgo]

I had mine locked in the stairwell but that didn't keep a thief who knew he saw a good bike and waited for me to go to bring his clippers and take it. The dumba$$ tried to sell it to the one place that knows me and does work on my bike so I got it back within 48hrs - I'm lucky. I now keep it religiously in the apartment. Pain in the butt, but worth the freedom of mind.

I also recently lost the key to the lock I take when I want to tide somewhere else and lock it while I shop/eat/etc. Most of those locks can be broken in about 2 sec

[furtakk]

i keep mine in the hallway of my officetel. we have cctv in the building and that's a pretty good deterrent. a few other residents do the same. i only use mine for exercise rather than travel so i never leave it outside of the apartment.

[atwood]

Put some hooks in either the wall of ceiling and hang your bike. Saves space, can be decorative, and is better for the wheels and tires.

[The Great Toad]

It all is dependent on the Bicycle you purchased...

if you are one of the super rich just teaching in Korea for the kim chee and pleasure of happy kids and your great wealth purchased you a 12,000 dollar carbon / ti / 2bl butted fey dreams like this:


http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/227803_10150185826554069_578924068_7065856_3088447_n.jpg




or if you are a poor person in a lesser nation and come to Corea and get a heavy garbage cruise worthy bike like this :

http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/182026_10150098250839069_578924068_6387491_4984542_n.jpg



If you have a high-ten steel monkey crasher then just keep it outside and put a lock on it- you can get some sheeting and shelter it if you like too...

but yeah like the guys said if you are super cool like me and have a mansion apt just keep it inside - this is more easy for me since my bike is sub twenty pounds... mmm maybe around 16 or 17 not sure...?

You should try to have two bikes in Korea one for going from a-b and locking at your school and another that is for your touring / exercise I am going to by another 2-3 million won mtb bike if my Persian Gulf job does not come through and I resign here - in which case FEAR MINE MTB MADDNESS OF AIRS AND GREEN GRASS TEARING POWERSLIDES the Park Lawn men will surely curse me and my shredding. God grant I do not harm myself again - oh here is me riding --- well almost---

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z19zFlPah-o

[Geumchondave]

Coming from south london I more or less accept getting your bike pinched as part of life - but a few sensible precautions you can follow.

1. use a good lock - preferably use 2 - back home i would always use 2 chains.
2. wherever possible keep your bike inside
3. if you have to leave your bike outside...
a) safety in numbers - chain your bike up with other bikes - even if the nearest stand is a couple of blocks from your apartment
b) make sure when you leave it over night it is in a well lit and well traveled area
4. if you leave your bike anywhere else make it less desirable, remove the saddle and take that with you - very quick and easy to do and significantly makes it less likely that someone will take it - same goes for tires but thats a bit extreme for korea!

[Greekfreak]

All else fails, trash it to the point where people would be scared to touch it. You can get it professionally re-painted later on, but if it looks like crap, nobody in the ROK will even look at it.