DIY Life

I was surprised when, after gifting my husband with a new bike for his birthday, he hung on to his old one. He explained he kept it around for days when he had to park his bike outside, because he didn't want the new one to get stolen.

It's a problem that bicycle commuters and bike enthusiasts everywhere have to deal with. Bikes are easy to steal and hard to track.

So what do you do when you have a nice ride that you risk losing every time you park it? According to MAKE, you ugly it. A little paint, some faux techniques to make it look rusty... suddenly you have a junker bike that still rides like a dream. Tear out the seat, replace the screws, and even the most savvy of bike thieves might not know that that beast is really a beauty underneath.

Would someone really do this? I don't know. When I showed it to my husband, I expected him to gasp in horror. But after reading it over, he said thoughtfully, "I wouldn't tear my seat apart." I'm not sure if that means he would trash the rest of his bike, but it was definitely not the reaction I was expecting.

Commenters over at Lifehacker are quick to point out that "uglying" your bike won't necessarily protect it, and that even their junker bikes get stolen. Instead, they recommend getting a decent lock or, better yet, taking your bike into your office or home with you. That seems to make more sense to me... what about you?

(via Lifehacker)