How should I lock my bike in a public front wheel bike stand
The same racks were installed &quot;temporarily&quot; at my local station at the beginning of the year. This is somewhere where a bike with only a cable lock is unlikely to last a week of commuting before being stolen.
It's often possible to put your back wheel in these racks, being careful of the rear derailleur (you may need to select a very high gear). Then a long D-lock can reach to the chainstay, possibly even through the wheel to the opposite chainstay. My kryptonite series 2 won't go through the wheel as well, but my masterlock will. I also use a cable to the front wheel. I considered using 2 D-locks, one locking the wheel to the rack, and the other locking the frame to the first, but didn't do it in the end.
Putting the back wheel in makes things a little awkward for other users - but so does overlapping handlebars when every space has a bike parked forwards. So try not to park right next to someone.