Over at Quickrelease.tv, they have a great (definitive?) article on the best ways to lock your bike and foil bike thieves, called “Lock It or Lose It.” The videos showing public apathy are especially eye-opening.
Here is one tip from the article:
A bottle jack can only be used on a u-lock where there’s space to squeeze in. Fill that space with frame, spokes and security post and the bike thief will choose to breach a u-lock with space.
I found this little tidbit to be a bit saddening:
Cycle theft is a serious disincentive to cycling. According to a French study, only 25 per cent of cyclists re-buy a new bike after a theft, and of these 10 per cent buy a cheaper bike than they had before (20 per cent cheaper on average). A further 23 per cent won’t return to cycling at all.
Lock up your bikes!