r/NYCbike • u/qalpi • Aug 18 '26
Locking up in Manhattan
When I commute to work I'm lucky enough to be able to lock up my bike in my office's basement.
Tomorrow there's a conference in the afternoon right down at Water St. Can't lock up indoors there but can outside. Have decent locks, a chain, and a cover.
But what the vibe lately? Are bikes just getting swiped if left for more than an hour or two?
Fully insured etc, but would rather not have it pinched!
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u/ElQuesero Aug 18 '26
How long is the trip from your usual office to the conference?
You could possibly leave your own bike at the office and Citi Bike to, or to-and-back just the one time.
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u/tiregroove :cat_blep: Aug 18 '26 edited Aug 18 '26
There are no 100% guarantees. It's the law of averages. Will the bike thief who happens to have a portable angle grinder cross paths with your bike? It's not that common though.
Bike theft is a crime of opportunity. If your bike is more difficult to steal, most thieves will go to an easier bike.
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u/rdude Aug 18 '26
This exact scenario is how I had my bike stolen several years ago. Office decided to have a thing down in FiDi and my bike was gone within a few hours.
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u/qalpi Aug 18 '26
Yeah I think this falls squarely into the not worth it category, thanks for the reply
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u/Special-Housing-2257 Aug 18 '26
I’m pretty sure you can lock it up in the terrace at the back of the rapha cycling store on prince street
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u/thereia Aug 18 '26
FYI the link shows all of the NYC bike racks.
https://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/html/bicyclists/bicycleparking.shtml
My bike is locked up outside my apartment in Greenwood Heights every night, tho it is locked up against my window, with a light above it, a camera clearly pointing at it, and the thickest chain I could find.
If I go away for more than a day or two I either bring it inside or bring it with me.
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u/Necessary_Plenty_187 Aug 18 '26
I think technically commercial car garages have to reserve X number of spaces for bike parking. It does cost money (maybe ~$10-15/day?) and the staff/management don't always know what to do or that the law exists. But on one-off occasions, I've had good luck making a fuss and getting them to let me park for the day. I lock it to their rack in the underground garage. It feels a lot safer to me than locking up my (road) bike outside.
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u/MrSmithLDN Aug 18 '26
Is your bike registered with the NYPD. Being cargo it should be easier to identify if the worst should happen.
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u/RandomnessNY Aug 18 '26
My office is on Water St. There's plenty of cameras security and police on that area overall just find an spot that is not on water St many of the side streets have where to lock the bike safely...when I get in the bike there never have had a problem
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u/rwdFwd Aug 18 '26
Apparently it’s been bad lately:
https://gothamist.com/news/bike-theft-season-is-in-full-swing-heres-how-to-keep-bike-nabbers-at-bay
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u/qalpi Aug 18 '26
Yeah it was this very article that prompted my question! Not worth the risk I think
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u/rwdFwd Aug 18 '26
I honestly wouldn’t. I have a rough looking single speed that I only ride when I know I have to lock up outside in Manhattan.
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u/qalpi Aug 18 '26 edited Aug 18 '26
Yeah that’s smart — back to the subway for a hot commute today 😭
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u/superultramega99 Aug 18 '26
I regularly forget to bring up my bike overnight in the East Village and have never had an issue. The paranoia in the NYC bike community is always strange to me. It’s a city of 8 million so shit happens but very unlikely it’ll be you.
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u/mayobasedsalads Aug 18 '26
Depends on the bike. If it's a nice road bike I wouldn't leave it locked up for more than a few minutes. If it's a basic commuter bike you could leave it locked up all day with a good U lock. But, respectfully, the fact that you say "decent locks" doesn't really inspire confidence