Korean Job Discussion Forums

OneWayTraffic · Joined: 14 Mar 2005

My wife had her bike stolen from outside our apartment yesterday. It was immobilised with a standard combination cable lock, but that obviously didn't deter the thief much. How do you guys secure your bikes?

It was a pretty cheap steel ladies bike with a basket and baby seat. Guess I'm in the market for another.

bluelake · Joined: 01 Dec 2005

Unfortunately, bicycle theft in Korea is all too common; we've had a couple ripped off (years ago) and they were pretty nice bikes (one was just bought at the time).

How did you wrap the cable lock? Some people just go through the wheel rim, which will often result in one wheel being left behind (there's one here at the university that's been attached to a bike rack for a couple months). You need to make sure it's also wrapped through the bike frame itself; to take it, a thief would have to sever the cable (or know the combination).

OneWayTraffic · Joined: 14 Mar 2005

We're pretty sure he either picked it or cut it. I've seen youtube videos on how to pick a combo lock.

bluelake · Joined: 01 Dec 2005

In that case, probably not much could be done preventatively.

OneWayTraffic · Joined: 14 Mar 2005

toonchoon · Joined: 06 Feb 2009 Location: Gangnam

sorry to hear about the bike theft! i always just think it's such a safe country, where stuff doesn't get stolen.

i don't even lock up my scooter, but I probably should put a lock on the wheel, just to deter any possible thief. then again, who wants to steal an old ugly daelim scooter? maybe...

yoja · Joined: 30 May 2008

When I I had friends who lived in the "ghettos" around Newark, New Jersey, they would wrap the bike frame in duct tape, or something so that it looked trashy. Their cushy bike seat would still get stolen sometimes, though. Evil or Very Mad

giraffe · Joined: 07 Apr 2009

My gf got one of those portable bikes she can fold and bring into the apt. That could be a good option for you.

OneWayTraffic · Joined: 14 Mar 2005

There's a parking area in the basement. Not secure, but out of sight. Just getting lazy I guess.

OneWayTraffic · Joined: 14 Mar 2005

Snowflake · Joined: 12 Dec 2006 Location: Seoul

harlowethrombey · Joined: 17 Mar 2009 Location: Seoul

It's common in Japan, too. Although you often just find your bike trashed in one of the 'mega lots' at a train station a month later (these places are like a post-apocalyptic bike wasteland).

I have no idea if this is true but my friends told me that its usually teenagers who just steal the bike either because A) they're late for a train/academy or B) they just feel too lazy to walk.

On the other side of this, before I left Japan I tried to get my bike stolen. The da*n thing had tried to kill me half a dozen times so it was either that or flip it into the river while I laughed maniacally from the bridge.

Of course no one stole it.

OhioPBJ · Joined: 09 Oct 2008 Location: Gangnam

I've had a bicycle seat stolen and an entire bicycle stolen in the past 4 months.

After I got my bicycle seat stolen I decided to always bring my bicycle into my apartment. However, the first time I left it outside in 3 months, it got stolen. I'm pretty sure they cut through the lock with some bolt cutters, because it is fairly easy to cut through the locks that curl up into spirals. The best kind of lock to get is a U-lock, and always try to secure your bike through one of the tires.

If possible, always try to bring your bicycle in doors.

Cohiba · Joined: 01 Feb 2005

If your wife had a bike she kept outdoors, then it probably wasn't
much of a bike anyway. Korean locks, all made in China, are crap.
A good blow with a hammer will open the mechanism. Which is just
cast tin.

To keep your bike:

1/ Put it in your home at night.
2/ Use a Bulldog or Kryptonite lock.

I have a Bulldog "D" lock and I lock my bike's frame to anything
substantial before I leave it. (and I never leave it longer than an hour)

OneWayTraffic · Joined: 14 Mar 2005

It wasn't locked to a solid object. So it's possible someone put it in a cart or something.

Buying a Kryptonite would cost more than the bike. We'll take it inside in future.

The bike cost 130,000won. Not the end of the world. It's just damn annoying.

Even two cheap locks can be better than one good one. A Ulock and a cable lock (especially the steel encased cables) is good as it takes different tools and methods to defeat each. But locking to a solid object is a must if it's gonna be outside. Learned our lesson.

The problem is that our parking garage is out of sight, but not locked. Someone could walk in at night though this hasn't happened yet. Carrying a bike up the stairs into our apt isn't really an option.