clubman 

You flat out don't like them but a long shackle EVO2000 with a thin lightweight cable does the job for heavy touring. Your bike frame is paramount. Cables help in the day with packs and at night attached to your tent.

Groasters

I agree with the strategy of avoiding areas where there is an increased likelihood of having your bike stolen.

Many moons ago a friend and I toured Western Europe for three months, carrying with us a heavy D-lock that was long enough to lock both bikes to a post. My bike was very stealable so I thought it'd be worth the weight penalty to have a good lock.

We spent many weeks in rural locations with no threat of crime but as soon as we camped in the South of France (St Tropez), staying at a busy site in a heavily-populated area, the bikes were stolen. One nght, under the cover of noisy rain falling, a van came into the site and stole several touring bikes, cutting their locks with some sort of heavy duty cutting device. The dream trip was over. We got the train all the way back to England.

andrewclaus

Three simple methods I use for casual theft prevention are a velcro strap around the front brake lever, helmet straps through the wheel, and riding an unattractive bike. The secured brake also serves double duty to stabilize the bike.

staehpj1

Something seemed really wrong about that and it didn't right away click why. Any way I decided to dig out my old master cable lock and tinker with "cracking the combo". I then realized why the 10,000 possible combinations is WAY off. There are only digits from 1-6 on each ring.so that comes out to something way less than 10,000. My math is pretty rusty, but I think it is a matter of taking the number 6666 and converting it from base 7 to base 10. That gives 2400 possible combinations if I am not mistaken.

So, yeah I don't think any of these cable locks have 10 digit rings (or 9) , at least not the ones I have seen. I think six is the norm. Am I correct? The one I currently have is that way.

I figure I can do about one combination per second and on average hit it in 1200 combinations, but the range would be anywhere from 1-2400. So I figure 20 minutes on average and 40 minutes tops and not even need to be paying much attention. I'd generally do it while watching the bird feeders, watching TV, listening to music, or something.

tcs

Yes, theoretically an 8 y.o. with an above-average attention span can open a combination lock without issue. The issue for a bike thief is spending 20+ minutes trying to steal a bike.

FWIW: the Squire Hammerhead combination D-lock with 10 x 10 x 10 x 10 x 10 x 10 possible combinations

staehpj1

Since I bothered to dig it out... This is the lock I have used on some recent tours when I have taken a lock (I sometimes have not taken any). I am not sure, but I think it is a little lighter duty model than the one indyfabz uses. Any way the cable measures 42" and it weighs 5.5 ounces. The cable measures a bit shy of 5/16" (7mm?) including the vinyl coating. It is ligher duty than some of the similar ones and definitely an honest people lock. I doubt the fact that it is a little more flimsy makes much difference securitywise on tour. A casual passer by isn't likely to be tempted to just hop on and ride and a determined thief with get the bike either way. The short cable length can be a bit of a disadvantage at times, but I accept that for the weight savings. iI you want to lock both wheels and get around a pole or something, you have to take the front wheel off. I figure if I need that much security I won't leave my bike unattended there. The lock is just so someone just can't hop on and ride off or quickly throw it in the back of a pickup. Places where I am worried that someone will cut the cable I take the bike in with me. I have wheeled it up and down the aisles of quite a few stores and parked it in the front by the registers a few times.

staehpj1

Yeah, Sorry to bring up the combination thing to start with. I mainly meant it as an aside for when if the combination was forgotten. I know that i have have more than one combo lock passed around among family and friends and lost/forgottten combos have happened quite a few times and it was useful to be able to open them.

I doubt a thief will ever steal a bike by sequentailly going through all the combinations. That said, after reading plamb's post I tried putting tension on the mechanism and found that on ring would bind and you could find the right number, find the next ring that would bind and so on. It took about a minute to open with a little practice. So using that method it would be pretty easy. Again we are back to the determined thief gettin the bike.

tcs

A thief isn't going to try the combinations. They'll just cut the cable with a pair of pliers.

I was going to link the youtube 'Breaking locks with Hal Ruzal' but that video is age-restricted. Hmm. Ah, here's a different one:

tcs

Well, that sucks.

Next on Bike Forums: Touring, "tents with vestibules large enough for your bike".

mev

The lock in the photo doesn't have a "0", so each wheel has 6 combinations and the total combinations are 6x6x6x6 = 1296.

I think I have the same lock and might be able to get a slight feel for each ring letting things move slightly - in which case it is much quicker...

tcs

6 x 6 x 6 x 6 = 1296 .....and Mev for the win as I typed my reply!

Why aren't the 'lock' parts of bike locks 'better'? In the real world, they aren't picked or decoded - they're physically compromised by cutting, prying, jacking, etc.

PedalingWalrus

just wanted to wish you good lock

ClydeClydeson

I tour with a group and any place where there is any likelihood of theft, someone stays with the bikes while others go in, or we get a table on a patio and leave the bikes right next to us.

In reality, any type of lock will be fine if the bike is not left for long, and a loaded touring bike has the added security feature of weighing as much as three unloaded bikes that thieves are used to stealing.

Last summer my chum had his bike packed with 100% of his heavy load on the rear rack, and if you weren't aware of the balance issues this would cause, the bike behaved like a booby trap if you tried to move it.

Tourist in MSN

I just looked at my Bordo 6100, digits 0 through 9, thus 10,000 combinations. That said, no thief is going to say - oh good, this lock is only 1296 possible combinations. I will steal this bike instead of that one.

There are 10 kinds of people, those that understand binary math and those that don't.

Jwhite_00

Has anyone seen the N-Lock? It disengages the stem from the steerer tube and locks the handlebars parallel to the top tube. Nobody is riding it away like that.
There is even an optional cable to use for a little extra insurance. Kind of a novel idea.

GamblerGORD53

My keyed Abus 3.5 lb granite folding lock worked great on both my tours. The second tour to Oregon, I had a medium chain a bit longer and key lock for backup. I trust key locks more for sure. I made a CF holder and put it behind the seat tube. Too heavy to put anywhere else. LOL.
Cables are 100% useless.

pdlamb

I have to disagree with this blanket statement. I'd agree if we were talking about a professional bike thief. But what professional bike thief wants to steal a loaded touring bike? Mine might cost $2,000 to replace, but a pro can resell the fancy new gravel grinder over there a lot quicker, and for a lot more money, than he can sell my tourer -- and he knows it!

A cable still has some value in keeping a mostly honest person from joy-riding off with your bike.

Tourist in MSN

Presumably we are talking about bike cable locks and not skier locks. Such cables will stop the mostly dishonest ones too.

The only ones that a bike cable lock won't stop are those that have their bike stealing tools with them and are out on the prowl. And often such thieves would likely carry the tools that are good enough for most other kinds of locks too.

The skier type lock I showed in a photo in a previous post, any pliers with a wire cutter on it will probably cut that, but I only use that lock when I will only be away from the bike for a few minutes, that is only intended to stop the casual tool-less thief.

ADDENDUM:

Added a photo of my Bordo 6100 and the bracket that holds it on the bike. I also use a velcro strap, it was a bit loose and noisy on bumps before I added the Velcro. Other than the Velcro, it is very quick and convenient.

tcs

EDC multitool

tcs

My goodness, one should hope!

A modern equipment survey indicates an ultralight cycletourist could carry a tent, sleeping pad and backpacking quilt total under three and a half pounds.

DangerousDanR

My wife and I have toured The Outer Hebrides, Skye, and Shetland and we either used a cheap Masterlock ritual cable or we didn't lock it at all. I had read that people in those parts of the world aren't much into stealing. In Glasgow we mostly put it in our room and took a bus/subway.

When we toured Burgundy, we used a 7 mm Peweg hardened chain and Viro "Blocca Catena" lock. Yes, the LPL and Bosnian Bill have picked that particular lock, but not real quickly. Sure, a grinder can go through it, but so far it has been good enough. Here at home in Fargo ND, I use a bigger Peweg chain and a Viro Panzer lock.

jkbrooks

I've done a couple thousand miles of touring with a TiGr Lock. It's made of Titanium so it's light and pretty flexible. Really only works for one bike & frame + rear wheel mostly. I dont camp but I go solo and self supported so mostly I use it to run into a store or to lock in the basement or garage if that's my option at a hotel or B&B.
I like it actually. I wear the key on a lanyard around my neck (and under my jersey.) Often when I'm out rolling sans bags, I stuff it in my middle jersey pocket and it's quite comfortable there.

These things depend on your use case & risk tolerance. As has been mentioned, anything can be stolen. I'm mostly just trying to make the stealing harder than it's worth

here's a link to the company;
https://tigrlock.com/