good lock for commuting/supermarket bike?
 

Guys,

I've started to commute to work on my single speed bike this summer. So far I just roll the bike into my cubical at work and never have to worry about locking it outside. I plan to do grocery shopping and run errands with this bike too. So I'll need a reliable lock for it. My bike has 15mm lock nuts on both wheels. The seat post binder is bolt on, not quick release. So any shopping advice for a good lock and locking advice on the bike?

Thanks.

AX

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/lock-strategy.html

Saw that on a different thread, and this seems interesting.

I use the Sheldon method whenever possible. I bought this u lock:

http://www.kryptonitelock.com/Pages/...PNumber=001010

And I have a cable lock as well so I double lock with two different kinds of locks. Luckily I'm in a very low crime area by Los Angeles standards and not many people ride for commuting/errands here so my local Ralph's bike rack is probably not going to be targeted much by bike thieves

I just read SB's lock strategy. Good stuff. However I found not locking through the seat tube seems to go against the conventional wisdom. At least I've read it some years ago on Bicycling mag that you should lock it through the seat tube or the stays. The thieves can still take your bike sans the rear wheel, right?

A U-lock should go around the rear rim and tire, somewhere inside the rear triangle of the frame. There is no need to loop it around the seat tube as well, because the wheel cannot be pulled through the rear triangle.

It depends on where you are. In San Francisco, you have to do the very best you can. Where I currently live, any old thing is sufficient, as long as people can't just jump on it and go. I've even used a bungie cord. Seriously.

I'm looking at the Kryptonite Evolution Mini. I read a lot of reviews on Amazon. It seems to be the best combination of portability, security and value. Now if I want to loop it around a 700c 25mm road tire, standard low profile rim(not those deep v fixie rims), a 31.9mm seat tube AND still have room for a parking meter post?

http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=321854

Think about it...There is no need to loop it around the seat tube as well, because the wheel cannot be pulled through the rear triangle.

The would-be thief needs to cut through the wheel and tire to get it off the lock before the bike can be removed. I've never tried it, but I understand cutting through a wheel under the kind of tension that a bike wheel is under is a significant undertaking. I suppose one could cut through the frame, which would undoubtedly be easier than through the wheel, but the thief has then just ruined a significant portion of the bikes value. If the frame's being cut anyway, it doesn't matter how you lock it.

My advice might not apply if your grocery store is in a really, really sketchy place. Maybe it would help to have more security then...I'm not sure.

But mostly, I just recommend two things -
1. Use a u-lock, *never* a cable. Ulocks take a bit of time to cut, cables do not.
2. Lock the u-lock so that it goes through both the frame and the front tire.

I personally don't think it matters that much which ulock you use. The companies make a huge deal out of it, and yeah, if I was locking my bike outside overnight or in a high crime area like New York I might look into it more, but mostly it seems like you gain a huge advantage in security by using any ulock, from there the advantages in tougher models are small, but come with the drawback of carrying much heavier locks.

This is the lock I have -
http://www.amazon.com/Kryptonite-Kry...mbination+lock

EDIT: Oh, missed that you have lock nuts on both wheels. Probably don't need to lock the front wheel with the ulock then.

Most people I see lock their bikes up with this lock. I think it's the standard lock that people use when they have a decent bike that they don't want stolen. When it comes to locking up a bike the way that you want to lock up, I use a "standard-length" U-lock for that, not a "Mini." Specifically this guy: http://www.kryptonitelock.com/Publis...000952_218.jpg

Anyway, if your wheels are both "bolt-on," I think you'd be okay with just locking your frame if you can't fit the frame and the wheel with the lock. The important thing is to keep as little space for a jack to fit through, and as little space for leverage as possible.

Bay Area? Lock your wheels - not sure what you mean by lock nuts (most wheel security is Pitlock/other replacement QR skewers). Most secure would be a Kryptonite NY chain + a U-lock, but anything that makes your bike look like more of a pain in the ass to steal is good, even just a U-lock with a wheel leash or a cheap combination cable lock. I hate seeing bikes with a stolen wheel, and I would also hate trying to figure out how to get my bike home with just one wheel - it takes two to put it on a bus rack. Wheels are easy to steal, and easy to sell. And with a single-speed, popping off a rear wheel takes about the same amount of time as a front one.