The Practically Unstealable Bike
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- čas přidán 7. 05. 2021
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The absolute worst thing about owning a bike is having your beloved bike that you carefully saved up for months and meticulously researched and spec'd to be your perfect bike, stolen. Bike thieves are ruthless, and they'll do everything in their power to steal your bike if it means they can flip it on Craigslist for a couple hundred bucks. Preparing for having your bike stolen is just an unfortunate fact you have to deal with if you want to get into cycling. And that's where the beater bike comes in: bikes that are so shitty to the point that you either don't care if it's stolen, or it's not worth a bike thief's time and effort to steal and try to sell for $35. Bike thieves are why we can't have nice things.
And to deal with that downer of a reality, Adrian Verner from Munich, Germany, built up this mystery Italian frameset to be his beater. But it's not just any rickety old beater, but one that looks like enough of a junker to deter thieves but still rides nice enough to put a big ol' smile on the rider's face. So how do we strike that balance of having a fun bike without being a big billboard to bike thieves that reads: STEAL ME? Let's find out by taking a closer look at the practically unstealable bike in this fixed gear bike check.
Parts list:
Frameset:
Mystery Italian trekking frameset
Handlebars/Stem/Headset:
Cinelli Vai/Bontrager Elite
Saddle/Seatpost:
BLB Aero saddle/one that fits
Pedals:
Acros Flat MD/Cinelli foot straps
Cranks/Bottom Bracket/Chainring:
GRX 600/Shimano RS 500 bottom bracket/40t chainring
Cog/Lockring/Chain:
Dura Ace 15t/SRAM PC EX
Rims/Hubs/Spokes/Tires:
DT Swiss R460/Shutter Precision hub/DT Swiss Spokes/Continental GP 4 Seasons
DT Swiss R460/Surly New Ultra 135mm/DT Swiss/Continental GP 4 Seasons
Accessories:
Dia Compe BRS 202 brake
Busch&Müller Eyc T Senso Plus headlight
SON taillight
Diamant head badge
How to have your fixed gear featured:
1. Email me your extensive parts list: iam@zachgallardo.com with BIKE CHECK in subject line. Include your Instagram handle if you want to be tagged.
2. Tell me your bike's story. Bikes with cool stories are more likely to have bike checks made than bling but boring bikes without a story.
3. Send me your 1080p or 4k video files via Google Drive or Dropbox. Video files must be:
1) 10-15 seconds long each
2) have as little camera movement as possible (little camera shake, no pans/zooms, be horizontal DUH!)
3) 20-25 different shots with 3 shots of your complete bike is a good amount.
4. Keep in mind I'll run ads on the video to help cover the cost of producing the bike checks. Gotta stay fed.
5. Follow this carefully. Bike checks either get made the right way or not at all.
Fixie Famous Shoutout:
Brandon Black
Kelvin Ho
Zane Kolnik
OC Bike Crew
Ryan Witt
Stan Strong 108
Julian Corona
David Klippens
Ellie Lovelace
Justin Javier
Singlespeed Shoutout:
Chris
Javier Lopez
Justin Javier
M.
Martin Mohr
Nick
Scott Palangi
Todd Brannan
Epilektric
Michael Greif
Connect with me:
/ zachygallardo
#fixedgear #bikecheck
I had a beater bike, a Panasonic 10-speed, when I was a kid. It got stolen from my basement and a couple of months later it was returned.
So it was really just borrowed - without your consent.
Goood Idea!
I went the same path last month. Also in Germany.
but...
Despite your frame may say "don't steal me", the wheels are screaming "do it!" and the seat is actually begging for it.
I had a bike with a ripped up saddle, dirty chain, rust all over, mismatched wheels. It looked like trash and it rode like it too. It was stolen.
Congrats!
@@Deminutuv Thanks! A week later next paycheck I bought a new bike a kilo TT and 2 U locks I'm riding nice now. Maybe they did me a favor cause I legit could have died on it lol. But that goes to show any thing could be stolen no matter how trash it is because trash is subjective.
@@sonymicronin He saw himself in that bike, and made a connection with it on a spiritual level.
@@luigi55125 🤣. That's a good one. "This bike is trash... I'm trash... This was meant for me to steal"
Was in Brooklyn early AF getting coffee. Some courier bikers behind me. Another One comes running into the shop yelling a bikes being stolen.
Tldr owner booby trapped the bike with a 200 feet of deep sea fishing line tied off to the front so the thief could get up to fullspeed then yeet himself face first.
Thief was at full crackhead sprint when he went over the handlebars and landed facefirst
Bloody Awesome!
Then everyone clapped???
Things that never happened
This might be the coolest bike featured in a bike check i have seen!
I agree, this is a sick build!!!!
"Only the most supreme, and perfect, and patient bike mechanics..."
I tightened my bottom bracket with a philips screwdriver and hope
Get some sealed bearings...
I loosened mine with an angle grinder and mallet
someone should tell this mechanic that the majority of bikes are stolen for their parts...that generator hub is worth more than my beater bike, and the security skewers are only a temporary delay if they decide to take the whole thing.
Unfortunately thieves in Toronto would also go for that bicycle in a heartbeat, still looks way too good, thieves now have parts knowledge and there are improvised chop shops scattered all over the city. This bike still screams quality. Good effort though.
Ask me how I know... I had a Trek 820 ripped off from behind a Toronto hostel 3 years ago. I copied the surveillance video, and I had to admire how smooth the thief was...
Agreed. Way too good. Someone would steal the whole bike just for that hub.
Those handlebars alone are enough. I would use ripped bandages, bonus points if you use dirty ones.
Zach, just a suggestion:
Could you make a video about cycling accidents (ranging from "harmless" to near death ones) how to prevent them, and provide insight in your experiences (if you had any)?
Great suggestion, I’d want a video like this too.
I'm adding my vote!
yes! just got hit a few weeks ago
@@yorgerV95 Hope you're doing well
Could use a video like this tbh. Riding in my country is literal hell smdh.
Purple bike when
Instagram said he's received it, so video soon I reckon
I spent some time in Queens NYC and there was this one bike I saw ALL over the place. It was like this. From 10 feet it looked like total crap, but when you walk up to it, it had high end parts on it. It was never locked up and I even saw it sitting beside a much nicer bike that was locked up, when I came back about 2 hours later that nice bike was just a nice frame, and they had moved the beater out of the way to strip the nice bike. I feel bad for the guy with the nice bike.
When I don't want my bike stolen. I ride my bright red Tandem.
this makes me want a tandem to ride by myself
A family member dropped it off. First thing I did was look up the record for solo rides. I found quite a few funny stories. Some of people use them to train up. You will be seen on the road or off, Good excise, And when your friends need a lift and/or say they want to start riding. It is a whole lot of bike. Maybe one day I will have a CZcams video to show off it's glory. Seriously it cracks me up, and my grocery getter.
Fun fact. The front person is the Captain and the behind rider is the stoker.
You should have had one of your mates sneak in from off screen and carry off your bike.
Lmao i was thinking that on another vid, but when the bike is in the background he looks back says "hold on" and it cuts to the friend laying 'dead' in the grass XD
Ex-bike mechanic from Germany here. When it's unstealable, why ist the front wheel attached with a quick release skewer? The generator hub is a quite expensive one and may gain attention due to its colour. I would change to a Pitlock or Abus skewer. Also there is a thing called Pitlock Pitstopper. You can hammer these into the heads of hex screws. They block the Allen key and are only removable with a special screw. I own the same saddle. Quite comfy, although it doesn't look so. It's also possible to change the screws to Security Torx (the ones with the pin in the middle). Btw: everyone can brag about their spoke lacing, but only a real bike nerd knows his spoke tension!
Hey Chris. you`re absolutely right. Thats why i fitted red abus Nutfix bolts by now. And that saddle fun for 2 weeks. I now have the SQ Lab 612 Carbon on the bike :)
@Bebo Abus Nutfix is very effective, but only if you position the bike with them on the side of the railing you locked it to.
I have hexlox/hexnuts on my fixed gear wheels. They seem pretty secure, but I have no idea if they actually are. 😁
@Bebo anyone can damage a locked bike if he intends to. Especially if they come that prepared to bring plumbing gear. Thats a risk anything parked in public is exposed to. The trick to deter thieves is being a bit harder to crack than the competition.
@@wohnzimmerlampe2115 ,👍
Bro! Loved this. I found a late 80s Masi Grand Corsa at a thrift store for $50 U.S. I threw a tan Brooks saddle and bar tape on it and Japanese tan leather half cages on the pedals.
I just picked it back up from the local bike shop here in Tucson, Arizona. Had them strip it down to frame so I can clear coat it as it had some chips with a bit of rust. There didn’t seem to be a way to match the metallic paint or the specialized decal method that Masi used back then. So I figured I’ll just protect what’s there.Although very experienced, knowledgeable and professional, the mechanic did not have the tool to remove the bottom bracket.
Sometimes it isn't stolen. The Norse god Odin comes to throw it in a dumpster and set it on fire out of mercy.
A biking funeral, if you will.
I see similar motorbikes in the city. Tired, dirty paintwork, tatty and scraped up, but if you look closely some will have perfectly adjusted and lubed chains, spotlessly clean brake and clutch fluids and so on. Perfectly maintained and reliable commuter bikes that wont catch the eye of a theif.
I just had a great day!! This bike is perfect, although at my age, at least three speeds, necessary. I have a perfect frame to make my own, I just have to remove the paint, and let it rust some. I've built the "dream bike" of my life, last year, out of way old parts, (I'm sixty three, just back on, from 20 years off) found a bent frame, straightened and fixed, top gear from my youth, Campi Neuvo record, and built new wheels on old hubs, got twenty speeds, never knew existed, and it rides better than anything I've ever owned. Now I get to have one I can leave outside the store, and expect to still be there. I've got two boxes of parts not used, and wheels, frame, forks, brakes, was going to paint, but now going to rust, then preserve, "boiled linseed oil" on the frame as well, after the rust. Been using it on trucks, tractors, outdoor heavy equipment for years. I've let bikes go because of theft, and am really inspired by this idea. Thanks, maybe I can get featured someday!
That bike would be stolen in about 3 minutes in Vancouver.
sadly but someone remotely realizing what is son dynamo hub would cut of fork legs to free wheel from fork. wheels are too nice for beater and tires alone would attract attention.
Random bloke at Amsterdam Central railway station: "Mate, hold my blunt, I need a ride."
In some areas of Milano 1 minute is more than enough.
If i can't take my bike inside a store then I am not going inside. I NEVER leave my bike unattended.
This is the way
I find grocery stores have never cared if i brought my bike in to get a couple things. I walk in on the rear wheel.
In the process of fixing up bike but i splurged on powder coating and new wheels. The frame and fork had paint damage, discolouring and the chrome on the fork had ample 'rust worms'. Also swapping wheels from chromed steels (oof) unsealed to aluminum sealed.
EVEN THOUGH it was always stored indoors, i think in the garage there were too many harmful aerosol products which unfortunately messed it up. Would have loved to keep the chrome but i may try and simulate it with reflective tape or getting the section re-chromed down the line.
I got my beater stolen recently. It was a paint stripped miyata frame build.
I got quite hurt when it was stolen. Looking back at all those good memories riding it and building it is kinda sad.
I used to use an old stell road bike which was scratched and I used to use rust colour paind from a model shop. I used to rust the lugwork etc. Once it was finished the biked looks=ed as if it was dropping apart.
What’s the bag your wearing in the start of your video talking? Looks great.
There are two main groups of bike thieves: Professional and casual thieves.
A professional thief would not steal a beater bike because it's not worth the hassle. A casual thief doesn't have proper tools, so a good bike lock will usually stop them. Casual thieves will steal the shittiest bike, though. Drunk people who just want a bike to get home fall into that category as well.
I am also surprised that someone from Munich needs to take such drastic measures to not get their bike stolen. I am from Germany myself and apart from a few cities with relatively high crime rates (and Munich isn't among those), bike theft isn't such a big issue here. From what I've heard, bike theft is rampant in big cities in the US. But so is crime in general. I moved from Germany to Vienna a few years ago and use my bike a lot. It was never stolen. That said, I don't leave it outside over night. But that it mostly due to fear of rust.
You need to pass an exam to become anything* in Germany. There's a two-year training program to become a florist. You need to pass an exam (general education stuff, not flowers) to enroll. Then there are studies, you're getting a scholarship, you might be sent somewhere else in Europe for internship, then there's an exam of course to finish it. And it's all run by a chain of mass-market flower shops (so, I mean, that's how they train their potential staff, it's not some kind of exclusive design school with graduates making flower arrangements for celebrity weddings and royals etc).
*except if you wanna work in online marketing of course
AT 9:20 WHAT MUDGUARD IS THIS? COULD YOU PROVIDE A LINK TO PURCHASE IT, PLEASE? (ON YELLOW BIKE)
What is the item with a "tilde""on it on the strap of your bag above the cross strap?
O/W interesting vid.
I need paint that looks like rust
It kinds surprised me when he said it doesn't have "the standard hex key bolt", but that's probably cause all I own are beater bikes from the 70s and older😂 only time I've had to use hex key wrenches were on an 80s mountain bike I picked up
Bicycle parkades which are secure with cameras and alarms where one pays a minimal fee would be a good start . I have a beater with decent components and that's what I use for shopping . I do have nice bikes but never leave them only when in a washroom . Food and water can be purchased without leaving my bike .
Hub generator 💯👍🏽 sounds nice
Hi Zach. Can you help out please. I am looking for a steel bike equiped with rohloff and belt drive and has a frobt and rear rack and kick stand. I am based in the UK. I am having a hard time searching. Cheers
True about bike thieves is the reason why we CAN'T have nice things.
Wrong rusty bike with nice wheels, wheels can be stolen of a rusty frame.
That's everywhere with bike mechanic in united states. I may still do that bike mechanic classes because I always wanted to build me a dream bike with four tired and a steering wheel.
in germany, its 3,5 years of full time apprenticeship
Zach please make a video about buying bike tools. Where to buy. What to buy. What is a basic set to begin wrenching?
Nice video man! I love this channel! BTW, my fixed gear has a problem;the chainring is grinding against the frame, it's really hard to pedal because of the resistance, what should I do?
Your bottom bracket might be too short. You need to change it
@@rlfowndlc8319 thanks
Check your chain line before trying to change BB length. If chain line is fine, you need a smaller chainring and then a correspondingly smaller sprocket on your rear hub for the same gear ratio
@@tjay1305 thanks for your help.
A lot of bikes aren't really stolen to be sold, but rather simply to be ridden around for a while and discarded.
My LBS sucks! I literally watched them struggle putting on a inner tube and protector liner on a set of wheels. I literally only built 2 bikes and it’s disheartening that someone I should entrust my bike to fumbles at the easiest tasks.
Cinelli bar, GRX parts…that rusty fram wouldn‘t keep me from stealing that bike if I was a thief :D Really nice bike!
Thanks for being a great mechanic 😊
When I lived in nyc I only used beater bikes, and the first thing I would do is burn a hole in the seat to make it undesirable. Then I would wrap some inner tube over the logo on the frame, and if that wasn't enough some random swaths of spray paint would complete the wreckage. Even with a big chain and lock I lost 3 bikes in 10 years there.
Don't forget to get a custom paint job to make the stuff look even older and nastier, especially the seat saddle and whatnot.
Also install a GPS tracker, and get a Project 529 sticker and a Bike Index sticker.
In Seattle no store buys back bikes or parts. So thefts are joy rudes
The bull horns did not last very long. I felt like switching back to drops right away too when going with wide boys. im finna keep em on a bit longer then get on the drops when my endurance improves.
In my condo they had video of thieves bringing in a beater bike, getting into the bike locker room and then leaving with a premium ride lol They can and do need a steady supply of beater bikes.
whereabouts in munich? fancy a fixed biergarten run?
Pretty sweet ride, practical but fun.
My bicycle is un-stealable, it weighs 243kg.
It works , rides, looks good and fits the part. Ride and enjoy.
I use that seat binder bolt!!!
Around here, kids tend to steal just about anything they can, so a beater bike is still a target. What it seems they do, is ride them around for a few days, then just randomly ditch them on the side of the road. You see random bikes like this all the time, and people usually pull them up from the ditch, and lean them against a wall or something assuming someone will come get it, and then a few days later it randomly disappears.
it looks really nice and steal-able tho like what
The components make that bike a target.
I live in Japan and work on an American military base. I can leave a 10k bike alone in the city and the japanese won't touch it....I take it on base and it''ll get stolen in a day. A rusty stealth beater truly is a purposeful workhorse.
this reminds me of the Japanese culture call the respect. It also reminds me of the movie empire
How many lumens are those lights
wtf is that saddle at 2:29
Zach road to 100k
Hello Zack can i max my mtb ceat tension on my fixie? my cleats uncliped in a downhill I nearly died
MTB spd pedals have a screw you can tighten it with. I used to have them on my bike and tightened it as far as they would go, but after coming loose a few times I never felt a 100% sure my feet would stay fixed to the pedal if I skidded. It's so easy, if you're a clutz like me, to accidentally twist your foot a bit sideways and pop it comes loose.
I've since switched to flat pedals and straps, and they feel much more secure. The only downside with them is that they're bigger, so pedal strike is theoretically more of a risk, and crashing with them would likely be worse...but I haven't tried either yet. 😁
What is the name of his bike shop in Munich? Wanna go visit this dude 😍
whats that bag??
If I were a bike thief living in Muenchen, I would be sorely tempted to steal the unstealable bike.
I laughed the whole time watching this, swell idea man
have an old rusty Peugeot which was intended to be my beater until I stripped the cranks which cannot be replaced because the bottom bracket was seized inside the bike... now I've got a spare bike with one pedal....
Spray some derusting agent and then lots of wd-40 and use a hammer to knock out the stuck BB. And get a longer wrench. It should come undone.
The saddle alone might deter bike thieves from stealing that bike. Looks like it’s made of children’s playground metal flooring.
This frame is same as mine. 😍😍😍
I'm sure most bicycle mechanics in the US don't attend a bicycle mechanic school, but there are a few reputable schools and I'm sure ALL of them have tests for the students.
Is unstealable in Munich where I live, not in Milano where I came from.
Nicest beater I’ve ever seen
My Wabi is black with black components. It pretty much disappears at night, so much so, that people think I'm floating down the street when I ride it.
😂😂😂😂😂😂
I wouldn't be so sure that nobody would steal it. I had a wrecked bike stolen off my porch in college. Someone came and cut the cable lock in the middle of the night even though it wasn't even rideable.
What kind of saddle did he have on it?
Prost then (me so jealous af). U one lucky hmhmm!! :)
As a side note, my wife's electric bike was stolen just yesterday (in world's capital of bike thievery - The NL). Those thieves should be 💣on spot.
Cool bar tape
Wonder what bar tape are those
its Deda bar tape
20 airtags stuffed in my downtube
Be careful....don't poke Murphy bro!
Uff in Slovenia new or old it will go since its fixie/road bike.
The company, that has build this bike long ago, was founded by the brothers Nevoigt who have invented the bicycle chain like we know it totady. The company "Diamant" is now owned by Trek and still builds bikes in Chemnitz germany. Have a good one and thanks.
you would be right, but i got that Diamant Badge seperatly. It was lying arround and it fits the colour scheme quite well, so i put it on there :)
@@wohnzimmerlampe2115 i loved my Diamant, then it got stolen... Greetings from Dresden :)
@@jarifauti4586 sorry to hear about that! :)
I just smear mine with Human excrement every time i leave it alone for more than 5 minutes.
I WOULD get a wabi cycles bicycle if they did international shipping :(
how much did they pay you to promote their horrible overpriced heavy piece of shits?
@@jdv943 none, they look cool imo, can't seem to find any good steel frames with bottle bosses so they were my best bet. And almost all the good steel framesets don't ship internationally so there's that :/
@@eythanchoo2002 vendetta does, iirc.
they kinda have to since they are based in Lima. One of their frames was featured on the bike checks too
@@jjpoltergeist got a link to their store? cant seem to find it on google after half an hour of searching for some reason
hopefully you can get one. I got a 2020 classic and I love it. never looked back
I ride my beaters WAY more than I ride my nicer bikes due to the peace of mind that they're not going to get stolen.
"So I, er, found, this old junker bike, but I can at least sell the top notch saddle and the premium bar tape for 100 bucks! And check out this rad DT Swiss wheelset!"
well, can also clear coat the P A T I N A in place so they CAN save mons on a new frame whenever XD
Have you considered stabilizing the oxidation and then clearing? That way it looks like shit, but doesn’t deteriorate
Ive lived in college towns, and prettymuch any bike is stealable. What I found works best is to disconnect the rear brakes. Bike thieves are not smart, and they are not bike riders, and ive found my stolen bikes, usualy within a block, and often stuck in a bush, or just laying on the ground after they crash it. Ive never had a fancy or expensive bike, but my bikes have been stolen many times, even when locked up inside an apartment basement.
I think that bit at the end is the key, it's gotta be less attractive than the bikes it's parked next to.
I had a beater for two years, and then it got stolen, I didnt lock it (like usual) it was horrific to ride, unless you were me then it was imaculate, and it was taken, I'd say I didn't care but I did, i had it for so long and its sad to know somebody thinks that bike is worthless and is now rotting somewhere
How about importing wabi. 2021 and thats an issue is kind of mindblowing
Nah that bikes clean. I'd still steal it
Drop handlebar is just asking to be stolen
Bravo!!!
its not just an examen, its a 3 year traineeship with multiple exames, like for almost every job here
hi!
you have the name of that examen?
@@onegearxd8178 its called "Zweiradmechaniker" Two Wheel Mechanic, its for Motorcycles aswell as Bicycles combined.
berufenet.arbeitsagentur.de/berufenet/archiv/14446.pdf
And then you can specialise for either motorcycles or bicycles
That thing is awesome
Linseed oil is the way of the psychic mechanic
Generator hubs are really common in Germany and you won’t find them online in touring bicycles.
I have a rusty '85 Ritchey Ascent, it's running XT and Dura ace but still looks like crap so nobody gives it a second glance
My bike is an absolute gem and it looks like trash. It was stolen twice, and both times I found it futher down the road abandoned when the theif found a more attractive bike.
A lot of people who say their bike has bin stolen have just misplaced it somewhere in the city. Then they find it back after like a month and if their lucky they still have the keys for it.
Who forgets where you lock your bike up... Only seems plausible if you have Alzheimer's and short term memory loss. Doesn't really make sense
Wud still put clear coat rusty frame or wipe with oil regularly.
Fair point, but that clear coat would be something i would have to worry about not damaging. Going full raw gives you nothing to damage so you can bang it against stuff when locking up :)
I love my Beater more than my best bike now.
Don't underestimate what people will steal. Where I live people have stopped locking their cars because the drug addicts will break car windows for change and replacing the windows became too expensive. Your bike is still a target for a chop shop.
I like the strategy and try to do it myself.It's definitely a deterrent. Old looking bike, good lock, public places.I've never had a bike stolen yet.I think the best way to go is to use multiple strategies.
The payoff is too good, a minor investment in tools and the potiental $1000's in payoff.Craigslist, eBay.
My beater is a kent thruster fixie , not even a tweeker would steal it 😂😂😂