megacoupe

I live in NYC (specifically, Queens). I recently purchased a Raleigh Detour 4.0 for $150 (a little over the $120 I had budgeted for myself to get my first hybrid). I'll be using it to run errands, have fun and possibly commute to college in the fall.

I expected to buy myself a U-Lock for around $30 but reading these forums has made me realize that it just isn't enough. Assessing my lock situation and my limited budget is really difficult because:

1. I live in NYC
2. I might be parking this bike on a college campus
3. The bike is in great condition (nearly new-looking)

I've come to accept that I'll need to get 2 different kinds of locks. To lock the front wheel to the frame, I'm going to get a Kryptonite Evolution Mini (wish it was double-bracketed like the Series 4, but you can't beat the weight and size). To lock the bike frame and back wheel to an anchor, I'm going to buy a 3/8" Security Chain with the Abus 82/70 Monobloc Padlock from BikeRegistry.com. This combination of U-Lock and chain is costing me $80 on just security (more than half of what I paid for the bike itself!).

As if it isn't bad enough that I've spent days agonizing over what locks to get, I'm now wondering if I should upgrade to the Abus 92W65 Monobloc Padlock instead. It'll add another $19 to my security costs. On the one hand, it seems ridiculous to spend nearly $100 to secure a $150 bike, but on the other hand, I don't want to regret not having bought the bigger, better lock.

Does anyone have experience with these locks? Any big differences? Is it worth the extra cash? Which is easier to use? Will it make me even more upset about the unanticipated costs of bike ownership? (hey, being unemployed makes you count your pennies).

Or maybe the most important question I can ask is: how much more will the 92W65 deter a bike thief as opposed to the standard 82/70?

americanlt2

I'm interested in that Bikeregistry chain also. It seems to me the chain is hard too cut so the lock itself is the weak point. Thieves could "pick" the lock so the upgrade lock is a wise choice. You live in NYC so they have pro bike thieves. I live in Chicago & we have folks that roam the streets in vans with grinders & chainsaws stealing bikes! I have a NewYork Kryptronite Lock that seems to be good. Your Kryptonite Mini U Lock is a good choice. Kryptonite is much better than the cheaper OnGuard Locks.

oneeyedhobbit

Dude, unless you leave your bike for days at a time you're stressing way too much about this. I've commuted exclusively by bike for the last 2 years, and locked up all over Minneapolis with a standard Kryptonite U lock. This includes the U of M campus, work, downtown for shows, outside bars, on trees next to hiking/snowshoeing trails/everywhere else you can probably imagine. Some cool neighborhoods with a lot of traffic, others not so much. Maybe I'm lucky, but I've never had any problems.

Personally I don't buy into the "college campuses are super sketch" hype. A decent u lock will need pretty noisy/attention grabbing tools (dremel and such). Most bike theft is a crime of opportunity, aka "oh sweet this dude locked up a spendy bike with a cable lock and I have wire cutters on me." Professional bike thieves are probably not scouting campuses for the cheap hybrid bikes locked up between classes. Just don't leave your bike for days at a time, because then its obvious no one is looking for it.

If you're tires are quick release in a pinch just take the front tire off, buy a longer u lock, and lock the front/rear/frame to a bike rack, pole, or similar. Otherwise ride your bike and enjoy it.

oneeyedhobbit

See, that whole "professional bike thief" mentality has you both too worried. 99% of bike theft is opportunity, not being prepared with crazy tools. Sure, I'll grant that it happens. But if you're on a college campus there are a lot of people around to see it and make things complicated. Keep your bike in your apartment, invest in a u lock and read sheldon brown to learn how to use it and win.

americanlt2

We live in NewYorkCity and Chicago the top two cities of bike theft. Yes pro bike thieves are out there. I have known whole bike racks of 5-6 bikes at a time being stolen during the day.

oneeyedhobbit

My 4 years of undergrad where done on the south side of chicago with an old hybrid schwinn sierra and an "ACE" hardware u lock that my stepdad gave me. Zing!

Just kidding, but I hope my point stands. Bike thieves in Chicago or New York don't have "cutting edge" tools that the ones in Portland, Seattle, San Francisco, San Antonio, or Minneapolis don't have. Let me re-stress my point: 99% of bike theft is a crime of opportunity. Be intelligent, keep your bike in your apartment, and don't keep it locked for days at a time (i.e. bring it home when you get drunk like a newb). The rest of it is buy a decent u lock and stop stressing. Why would a professional bike thief waste his time on your $100 hybrid when there are 4 figure Cinelli's to be had.

Edit: If you really believe New York and Chicago are SOOOO much more dangerous, you've probably fallen victim to clever marketing. If thats the case waste as much money as you like. Or read Sheldon Brown et al and know wtf you're doing.

MK313

I watched a video from the TED conference once about how people's minds adapt so that no matter what choice they make, in the future, they always decide that it was the right one. 6 months from now, whichever lock you choose, your mind will justify that one as being the correct choice. The only exception I can think of to this is if the bike is stolen, then you'll obviously wish you had gone with the better lock. I say spring for the better one.

americanlt2

ChicagoStolenBike.org is a site where you can report stolen bikes in Chicago. 80% of bikes reported are locked with a cable. However, about 20% are locked with a U-Lock. Up to 5 bikes a day are currently being reported on that website. IMO the downtown area is the worst spot for bike theft. I don't understand people who want to save $20-$40 on a cheaper lock. I spent $56 for my NY Krptonite U-lock on amazon. I know it can still be defeated but at least I know I did the best I could to prevent my bike from being stolen.

fietsbob

CYA, Take out a Renter's Insurance policy, that covers bike theft.

SouthFLpix

I think the standard lock for the bikeregistry.com chain is enough, but the upgrade price is not unreasonable if it will give you some peace of mind.

exile

Personally I wouldn't spend for the upgrade. A good mini, and a good chain should work fine for your bike. Also think about the saddle leash and locking skewers.

Without knowing your campus its hard to gauge. I went to Fordham University for a semester (evening class) at the Rose Hill campus and didn't feel like locking a bike there would be a problem. However when visiting NYU one of the things that concerned me was the lack of any security.

Commando303

You spent $150.00 on your bike; do you really feel it would be a good idea to put down so much more (don't forget the tax) just to lock it up? I think it would be ridiculous, unless your bike were worth much more than you actually paid for it (which I don't believe it is).

I'm not suggesting you secure your bicycle with just a 99-cent cable, but the set-up you have in mind is, to my mind, ridiculously exorbitant for someone who claims to be on a narrow budget. How you lock is more important than what you lock with, and you should be fine with just one U-lock, accepting you'll remove the front wheel and secure it with the rear. If you're reluctant to remove said wheel every time, you could pick up a U-lock and a cable; neither has to be the most expensive option available.

Will you primarily be securing the bike on your college's campus? What's the crime-rate (specifically, the rate of bicycle-theft), there? Will a guard be nearby? Is there a security camera?

There's something in between foolishness and paranoia, and I think you're leaning unreasonably toward the latter, about this.

*I would recommend you take the precaution of securing your saddle. The aforementioned 99-cent cable ought to be perfectly fine for this.