wilson_smyth

When i go for a cycle of any reasonable length, i dont want to carry a 1kg+ U lock, but i also occasionally need to grab a snack/coffee or use the facilities.
As i generally cycle alone, i cant leave my bike with a mate.

Does anyone have a recommendation for a reasonably light lock that would protect the bike for a minute or two from a casual thief?

GlennR

I have a ABUS cable lock.


It keeps honest people honest.

veganbikes

If I am needing to go somewhere solo and I cannot bring the bike in with me or the area is not safe, I will use one of my ABUS Bordo Light locks. It is decent security and also a great second level for when I need to lock up for some time. It is heavier than that ABUS brake cable listed above but not so ridiculous however I am rarely needing to stop anywhere and leave my bike outside. I usually will just go in and say, I don't have a lock and most places are OK with that and these days especially I don't really stop unless planned. It is short loop courses usually.

I went to dinner once after work and happened to have a bike packing bag on me but didn't bring a lock because I hadn't planned on dinner and they let me in and were wondering how far I traveled and all the typical touring questions and I laughed and said "oh about a mile and half, just came from work and will be riding home 9 miles or so"

Ogsarg

Hiplok Z-lok in center jersey pocket. A gerbil could probably gnaw through it in a couple of minutes so definitely not something where you want to leave it for more than a minute or two but I am also not willing to carry a 2 pound lock for a hundred miles cause I might need to run into a quick-mart for a half a minute so I accept the risk. They have a key version as well as the combo one.

https://hiplok.com/product/zlokcombo1/

NJgreyhead

I like the Kryptonite R2 retractor combo lock. Light (~4ozs) and easily packable, cable is 3' long. As said above, keeps honest people honest.

jaxgtr

you know....this is something that always worries me where I walk into the quickie mart and come back out and my bike is missing. Have I done anything about it........nope. I guess I have just been lucky, but I really need to rethink this issue. I honestly never even thought about this small light weight locks that I can just throw in my pocket. Great thread

pdlamb

Sometimes I carry a 1/4" cable with combination lock. TBH, I rarely use it. I'll either park the bike somewhere I can see it, or count on it being so ugly nobody thinks it's worth stealing. It helps that I spray painted the fork when I got a replacement frame, and it doesn't really match. It's worked so far.

WhyFi

I carry an Ottolock on long rides but, quite often, I don't use it. For grabbing snacks/drinks? No. For a pee break? Sure.

Reflector Guy

I think depending on where I was going, I'd just try to take the bike inside also. I've seen many other people do it so it seems at some places, anything goes. McDonald's, Subway, the gas station, sure, but at a fancy restaurant most likely not.

Of course, even indoors you have to keep an eye on it; just a few seconds of inattention at the cash register and someone can abscond with your bike.

redmandarin

I'm pretty paranoid so carry the kryptonite new york lock with me. i haven't found it to be too heavy since it's in my bike bag.

DangerousDanR

Any lock can be defeated with enough time and the correct tools. Nothing made of metal will resist a plasma cutter for very long. A portable angle grinder with the correct blade can go through most things in a couple minutes or less. "The Lock Picking Lawyer" and "Bosnian Bill" on YouTube demonstrate that locks can be opened by a skilled lock picker pretty convincingly. But if my bike has a secure lock and another doesn't, which one gets nicked?

I had a work colleague get his winter commuter stolen here in Fargo. It was locked with a cable lock, and he came back an hour later and it was gone. This is the reason for my choice of locks. He now has an Abus chain lock.

When I expect to make a stop I carry a Pewag 10 mm chain and a Viro Panzer lock. Yes, it weighs a few pounds, but it will keep a thief at bay for a minute or two. Touring, it fits in our paniers easily. Locally, it fits in a small fanny pack.

We toured rural Scotland several times with only crappy Master Lock cable locks with no issue. Most of the time we didn't lock the tandem. After the first tour in the Highlands we decided that Highland Scotts don't seem to steal stuff.

I got the Pewag / Viro setup for commuting, and it went with us to France. Wound up having a group of pickpockets unsuccessfully try to get my wallet in Paris, so I think the lock was merited there.

Drew Eckhardt 

TiGr which stows conveniently strapped to my top tube with the lock cylinder in my tool kit, although I've yet to use it on a long ride due to taking my bicycle inside stores and public restrooms.

GlennR

As I said in my post, a retractable cable lock will just keep honest people honest. It prevents 2 guys in a pickup track having the passenger to just toss a loose bike in the bed and drive off.

Now if they have wire cutters then the bike is gone.

I'd not for leaving the bike unattended for more than a quick "nature break" or run into the deli for water and a piece of fruit.

I was told the weight of the bike in inversely related to the weight of the bike. So a 40# bike needs a 4 ounce lock while a 15# bike needs a 20# lock.

WhyFi

You don't see the difference between the OP's "grabbing a coffee or a nature break" vs your colleague's commuter?

veganbikes

This was not a fancy restaurant but a very very very very well rated one since the late 70s at least. A really fancy one possibly not but they may have a spot, you never know however I probably may not bike to a really fancy place.

CAT7RDR

I ride solo 99% of the time. My bikes never leave me. I take 4 bottles and all the food I will need on my rides. I plan on refills at outdoor drinking fountains if needed. Bike goes into the restroom with me.
In my youth, I had my Schwinn Pea Picker and Varsity stolen using a medium weight chains and Master Locks.

Drago1010

Agreed that a light weight lock is only a deterrent against a casual theft. I use a homemade cheapo cable lock I made from leftover 1/8 plastic coated cable. With lock a whopping 4 oz. Does it's job.

Reflector Guy

On the other hand, I know where there is a completely unlocked 90s-era Trek mountain bike, seemingly abandoned in a bike rack near me. Been there a few weeks that I am aware of. Either it has flown under the radar of any thieves in the area, or perhaps it is one of those "bait" bikes and there is someone hiding behind a bush with a camera waiting for someone to ride away with the bike only for it to snap in half, or whatever.

Gresp15C

Combination padlock, piece of steel chain sold by the foot at hardware store, wrapped in an old innertube to protect my paint.

Size the lock and chain according to your own preferred security level.

It basically serves the same purpose as a cable lock, but slightly more secure against a wire cutter.

chaadster

It’s hard to beat the combo of security, portability, light weight, and convenience of TiGr, IMO.

DangerousDanR

I see a little difference, but not much. His bike was a beat up older 26" mountain bike and he locked it to the bike rack outside a friend's apartment. It was a place he visited frequently. There is more probability of it being stolen if it is outside for an hour than if it is outside for 5 minutes. More time for a thief to see it. But likely the thief had seen it there before they took it

Our office had security cameras that were visible, and windows that almost always had people looking out them. I would occasionally leave my bike in the rack unlocked, just because there was almost no risk.

But if I have to stop to eliminate bodily wastes I normally pick a park restroom and take my bike inside and leave it where I can see it. For a while we had some people who came to Fargo to "shop for bikes." They were caught with 15 bikes with an average value of $3000. When they saw a bike on their list they followed it to see where it was stored. They came back later to get it.

If you regularly rode the same loop and they wanted your bike, it could have been taken on a short break. Not likely, but possible.

WhyFi

I stopped here - it's not worth any further conversation.

canklecat

Kryptonite Mini-7 U-lock. It's not light but no heavier than a full water bottle. Fits in a jersey pocket, jeans back pocket, or stuffed inside my waistband at the back. I have a bike mount for it but never use it.

But I rarely carry a lock on road bike rides, solo or group, usually 20-50 miles. Any place I might stop allows cyclists to bring the bike inside if it's not crowded and doesn't block anything. We're only inside for a couple of minutes. I usually bring enough drinks and snacks that I don't need to stop anyway.

Occasionally I carry it on casual group rides when we plan to stop at a restaurant or longer stops on pub crawls.

wolfchild

One of the reasons why I ride with a small back pack is so I can carry everything I need and I don't have to stop along the way to buy anything.

Pop N Wood

That TiGr lock is probably one of the worst products on the market. Can be cut with a hack saw in under 30 seconds and a bolt cutter in a second.

Yeah, I know, no lock is perfect, layered security, honest man honest, but why pay $149 for something that has the same security level as GlennR's cheap and light cable lock?