captronk

I need to make sure no one will steal my baby. I'd like a "U" style lock and a cable lock. I'd like to know what the opinion is of the users on this forum so I can make a decision.

CliffordK

A lot depends on where you are, theft, and the value of the bike.

At the moment, I'm using a Kryptonite NY Lock. It is about a $100 lock (although I snagged it second hand for a bit less than that). And it is beastly HEAVY. My bike also catches people's eye.

For a more moderate bike, in a low risk community, then just about any U-Lock will be a big deterrent.

I can usually snag my frame, wheel, and something solid with the U-Lock, without a separate cable.

Oh, and the bike is rarely left unattended late at night.

fietsbob

See My and other replies to this FAQ "locks"

Bike Forums - Search Results

Security chain is better than cables since its not easy to cut it with common Bolt cutters.


'Lighter the Bike the Heavier the locks you Need, to Keep It'..


the German made Abus Bordo folding link locks are much easier to carry (than U locks)
because they fold in 6 links* with secure riveted pivots, and stows in a pouch that fits on your bottle

Mount bosses (or included straps)

* Mod. 6000 - 120 is 8 link for further reacharound.




./.

jefnvk

All depends on where and how long you need the bike secured, and how desirable it is to thieves in that area. A simple search will result in MANY threads, including one more active one in this same subforum.

Many will disagree, but taking those three things into consideration, I use a cheap cable lock. It works for ME. It may or may not work for you.

Maelochs

If you care enough to buy a U-lock, don't get a cable, get a chain. A cable can be cut with a pocket-sized set of diagonal wire cutters---it is slow but inconspicuous, so a person can spend four minutes and then steal your front wheel.

Otherwise .... buy whatever makes you feel safe. U-Locks only work if yo are locking to a relatively narrow object, so if you don't regularly park by a street sign or bike rack, you might want to consider chains.

There is already a thread here, a couple of threads down (https://www.bikeforums.net/general-cy...e-locks-4.html) about locks and chains. That on me might be related?

jade408

I really take it for granted we have so many bike racks around here. I am ready to get up in arms if I need to go more than 2 storefronts over.

There are a few places with lots of bike parking, and high demand. So you may have to walk a little further, but that is rare. We have been adding a lot of bike corrals all over town to add more spaces.

Maelochs

Must be nice to live in civilization. People around here are just learning not to yell "Get off the road" when they roll up behind a rider in their cars and blare the horns. (Waste of breath, you see; can't hear the shouting over the car horns.)

Even the public library doesn't have a bike rack.

wolfchild

There is no guarantee that your bike won't get stolen no matter how expensive and good the lock is...Good quality locks make it a bit more difficult to steal a bike and may discourage an amateur opportunistic thief...but a pro thief will have all the tools necessary to get the job done...if you're worried about loosing your bike then buy a cheap old pos beater and ride it instead of riding a nice expensive bike.

captronk

Wow wolfchild your an *******.

General Geoff

U-lock is a good idea, just make sure that where you're going has a secure object thin enough to get the U-lock around.

chaadster

Some U locks are quite easy to defeat, and no deterrent whatsoever, so buy wisely.

The deal with the bike lock game is, in my mind, simply deciding how far you're willing to go to to feel comfortable with the risk odds.

And there is always a risk, no matter what.

rekmeyata

Some people use two different type of locks that would take two different tools to defeat. I did find a lock that is a new design and it was given a gold rating which is the highest rating given to a lock, see: LITELOK® | Lightweight Bike Lock | Light Bike Lock | LiteLok It's a lot lighter than a U lock and seemingly a lot stronger having beat off an angle grinder whereas the best U lock took 70 seconds for the angle grinder to eat it.

Maelochs

I'd like to see a video of Not the manufacturers trying to defeat it ... but I really like this lock. Very pricey, but not too heavy for the level of security it offers, and not hard to pack on a bike.

I'd like a lot more specific information about it, and I'd like to see some independent tests.

indyfabz

How long do I have to wait for someone to steal my bike while it's locked up outside? I have been locking bikes outside for more than 30 years and I it still hasn't happened. I feel left out, especially since I now often lock my LHT with $420 worth of racks on it outside my office building in the 5th largest city in the U.S. In fact, the only place I have ever had a bike stolen is from inside my house, while I was home, awake.

jefnvk

Meh, like anything it is a crapshoot. I park in not particularly nice areas of Detroit regularly, never had a car broken into there, yet at the same time it has been broken into twice in far safer cities.

I generally agree with you, though, I don't think that most of us ever have anywhere near the issues we worry about with locks. Unless you have something super nice (and while a LHT is, it doesn't exactly scream it the way carbon wheels or titanium frame does), I'm a firm believer that you would rarely need anything more substantial than what would stop a snatch and ride.

indyfabz

Don't know about all that. A few years ago I rode to an indoor farm market type place in town. Lots of people ride there. I locked up my LHT with a Kryptonite and thick cable. Next to me was a woman who was locking her aluminum Trek road bike up with a cheap chain. It was an older Trek, but not a beater. I went down the street to a c-store for a paper. Maybe five min. later, as I was walking back to the market, I saw some tweeker looking dude riding away on the Trek. He had a small duffel bag, which probably contained his tools. I found the woman in the market and asked her if she had leant her bike to anyone. She said she hadn't. I told her someone stole it. She said she was going to bring her good lock but didn't bother. In general, she was really concerned about the theft, which puzzled me.

jefnvk

Yeah, that is a bit odd indeed, if she had the better lock and was worried, why not bring it?

If only we could talk to the thief, I'd generally be interested in knowing why he chose the bike he did: was it because her chain was easier to defeat, was it because Trek has better name recognition than Surly, was it because he was stealing it for his girlfriend and she liked that color better, maybe he just thought it would be harder for the owner to track a stolen, older Trek than a LHT?

Dave Cutter

I think you're mistaken! And you have no reason for the name calling. The emotion you direct towards wolfchild is misplaced.

The same applies to bike thieves. Don't assign to thieves a passion for bicycles. Although I am sure some thieves have a soft spot in their hearts for fine bikes..... they could probably convention in a single booth at a coffee shop.

Often modern bike thieves have found a quick and easy way to pick up a few bucks (period). Bicycles all pretty much look alike in many ways. And police seem to often care little about their recovery. So there is low risk in stealing your bike. Or... if not the whole bike... the bicycles parts and pieces.

Saddles have value! Don't forget to lock it. Wheels, tires, bags, racks, handlebars. And don't expect anyone to jump in to defend your bicycle from a thief. It ain't gone' a happen. And if you're a bike thief and you've got this great battery powered side-grinder anyway. If cutting away the locks are too much work... why not cut the bike away from the locks. Then sort out the pieces later.

A couple years ago..... a local man refused to turn his pricey bicycle over to a thief. The thief shot him and left him to breed to death. How do you prevent that?

jefnvk

A British news agency did a piece including this a few years back. They locked up their own bikes in public places, and had a "thief" steal them, doing his best to give people time to notice and intervene, and people just took a glance and kept walking.


Or, if you are more crafty, my favorite bike theft story I heard from a guy the first time I went to Amsterdam: one of his bikes was stolen when a couple thieves got uniforms and a truck that looked like the city department responsible for removing illegally chained bikes, and went down the road picking and choosing what they wanted with all the power tools usage they needed.

Dave Cutter

A large percentage of criminals are so drugged and/or inebriated as to not be imprinting memories at the time they commit their crimes. They often are barely functioning.

So why didn't he take the better bike next to the Trek? Maybe for the same reason he didn't take the unattended cash register he walked right by. It just didn't occur to him. You can't out-smart a meth-head because there isn't a intelligence contest involved. These are often just random acts.

rekmeyata

I gave it once, but be warned this video may contain nudity...just kidding, but it was done by the manufacture however the gold rating it got was done independently by the same organization that rates all locks; see:

There's several videos on You Tube about it just type in Litelok you tube in google search.

locolobo13 

I carry a $30 U-lock and cheaper cable lock. While chain might be more secure, it's too bulky and heavy. The last time my bike was stolen they cut the lock itself not the cable. I had a U-lock but it wasn't on my bike that day. I was only in the convenience store for 2 min.

In 2010 I was taking night classes at a local community college. I had a 15 yr old Raleigh Mtn Bike worth less than $200. At the time I was using just a cheap cable and lock. I had parked all over with that and no problems. It went thru most of the semester just fine. Then one night after class it was gone. In that case the cable was cut.

As to the likeliness of your bike being stolen. It's always a low probability each time you lock it. But there is no such thing as certainty. Nowadays I try to park my bike where I can see it. If I can't I think about it. Sometimes I go to another business where I feel my bike is safer.

Dave Cutter

I like to stop for a (somewhat gourmet) coffee shop on my way home from a ride. The place I stop is not far from home in a excellent business area with no crime. There are plenty of security cameras. I see plenty of other (often very nice bikes) leaned against a wall or in a bike rack... rarely is one locked. I believe this is a safe location.

I still use a lock when go inside to buy my coffee. Then I return to the outdoor seating area to drink my coffee. My cheap (and light weight) cable would never stop a thief who wanted to steal my bike. But it will stop the neighborhood 14 year old boy... who would take it on an impulse.

And that is how locks work. That is how locks have always worked. Locks have never stopped crime. Locks merely keep honest people honest.

jefnvk

I did this for a week and a half in Belgium and especially the Netherlands, which has a reputation for bike theft.

In all the hours of sitting at cafes and such with packed panniers on the bike, I was left with one striking remembrance: not a single dang person ever took any interest in our bikes or our bags. The only people that even got close were other cyclists looking for space for their bikes, and no one even took a passing interest in the oddball touring bike sitting amongst the upright city townies. I was actually sad that my beautiful to me bike didn't even turn a head

All anecdotal, I know, but it has really relaxed me on the whole probability of anything happening. It does ease fears quite effectively, though.

Spoakland

No one has mentioned it in the post, so I'll go out and say I'm a fan of Pinheads on top of a solid U-lock. Everything is hackable if given the time and knowhow. In that sense, everything is more a deterrent than anything else (or an incentive for the thief to pinch the wheels of the bloke next to you). I'm not a fan of cable locks unless they're pretty thick but that's a pain to haul...