Alarm Lock at Aldi - Sunday23rd Jan

[CeeGee]

May be worth considering:
ALDI - Sunday Special Buys 23rd January 2011

Colin

 

[Scimitar]

I got one of these yesterday and had a play with it today. It's loud, very loud, and penetrating. Only real problem is, the sound exit hole is easily muffled by a thumb and the lock barrel looks like it could be smashed off with a good blow from a hammer.
Having said that, a brace of them would give a thief a bit of an earache and would provide some peace of mind for the owner.

 

[LeonardYoung]

I got one of these yesterday and had a play with it today. It's loud, very loud, and penetrating. Only real problem is, the sound exit hole is easily muffled by a thumb and the lock barrel looks like it could be smashed off with a good blow from a hammer.
Having said that, a brace of them would give a thief a bit of an earache and would provide some peace of mind for the owner.

I have ambivalent feelings, as do many others, about alarms. Maybe cycles are different, but how many times have we heard car alarms blaring at 3 million decibels and no-one takes the slightest bit of notice?

I removed my car alarm long ago. It used to go off at the wrong time and just proved a menace for those wanting a peaceful life. The problem with alarms is that there is little evidence they deter theft, whereas good quality immobilisers, trackers and locks sometimes do.

Noise pollution is a little recognised phenomenon of contemporary life. Just one trip to Asda will convince: car alarms going off at random in the car park, false alarms going off every 30 seconds in the store, over-loud staff announcements, infernal and over-loud "blips" at the checkout, Asda local radio blaring at every aisle (ugh!!), screaming kids, lorries in reverse with their infernal bleeps, police, ambulance and fire vehicles with over-the-top screaming sirens.

The list goes on!

Leonard

 

[tillson]

You can only rely on this type of alarm if you are close by. I tend to use mine in conjunction with an Axa wheel lock when calling in at a shop or other similar situation. They give you a bit of advance warning that someone may be trying to have your bike away, allowing you to intervene and stop the theif.

I would think that an alarm adds very little to your bike's security if you are out of range of the siren.

 

[Scimitar]

Good points, all.
I wouldn't rely on this for primary security, only as an alerter and possible deterrent. I would think if it's fastened around a wheel rim it might make enough of a racket to have you running out of the shop to catch the tealeaf in time - and he wouldn't be rolling the bike very far

 

[RoadieRoger]

Cycle Lock

I bought a nice lock in Wilko`s today for £7.99 . It`a 1 metre x 22mm armoured cable lock .The twisted steel inner cable is protected by steel links which are swathed in vinyl . Up until now I have used a heavier Motorcycle armoured cable which is difficult to bend and therefore carry . My thinner curly wurly cable is a pain to stretch out . This one packs up fairly small is reasonably substantial and doesn`t take up too much space in my Ebike rack bag .

 

[CeeGee]

I bought a nice lock in Wilko`s today for £7.99 . It`a 1 metre x 22mm armoured cable lock .The twisted steel inner cable is protected by steel links which are swathed in vinyl . Up until now I have used a heavier Motorcycle armoured cable which is difficult to bend and therefore carry . My thinner curly wurly cable is a pain to stretch out . This one packs up fairly small is reasonably substantial and doesn`t take up too much space in my Ebike rack bag .

Unfortunately, it won't take a lot of effort or time to cut through it, and I would only use it as a secondary lock.
I always use two methods of locking the bike: a good "D" lock, or a heavyweight Abus chain lock, with a 1m Yale cable lock - different types giving different problems for the thief. I have now also fitted an alarm as a further deterrent. That still doesn't make the bike thief-proof but is just about enough to put off the casual thief.

Colin

 

[Streethawk]

I'm pretty confident in my Kryptonite New York Fahgettaboudit D-lock. It's a thick mini shackles, so no room to fit a jack in it. Sure, it's not infallible, but I've not come across a single report of a bike locked with one of these being stolen. Expensive, but less expensive than replacing a stolen bike.

 

[CeeGee]

I'm pretty confident in my Kryptonite New York Fahgettaboudit D-lock. It's a thick mini shackles, so no room to fit a jack in it. Sure, it's not infallible, but I've not come across a single report of a bike locked with one of these being stolen. Expensive, but less expensive than replacing a stolen bike.

How much does it weigh? My Abus is so heavy I have trouble picking it up,
You don't have anything to secure the front wheel though - that is what I use the cable lock for: front wheel, saddle and through the battery handle and frame.

Colin

 

[Streethawk]

It's 2kg, so fairly heavy, but I don't find that too bad. Also I don't need a cable for the seat and front wheel because I replaced the quick release skewers with security skewers that need a special key to open.

All chains short of 16mm link diameter can be bolt cropped. I've only heard of Almax chains withstanding independent bolt cropper attacks for any length ot time. Almax are too heavy though, even for motorcycle use in my opinion. Their short 70cm chain is 3kg without the padlock even!

 

[CeeGee]

It's 2kg, so fairly heavy, but I don't find that too bad. Also I don't need a cable for the seat and front wheel because I replaced the quick release skewers with security skewers that need a special key to open.

All chains short of 16mm link diameter can be bolt cropped. I've only heard of Almax chains withstanding independent bolt cropper attacks for any length ot time. Almax are too heavy though, even for motorcycle use in my opinion. Their short 70cm chain is 3kg without the padlock even!

Does anybody actually use the quick release skewers any more? My Wisper had one for the seat post that lasted about two minutes when I first got it home. Had I left it on then that is also about the same time it would have lasted when I parked the bike somewhere.
The problem I find with D Locks is getting one that is a snug fit round any post etc., a couple of places I visit the securing point is too large for most of them, or just too far away, but the chain I have is a lot more versatile and I can always get a tight fit. It is 2.75kg with the lock though, and can be cut if the thief has enough time (minutes apparently) and the right equipment.
Nothing is perfect, but you do have to pay for decent security, and if you consider it sensibly then to pay around 10% of the value of the bike would seem quite reasonable to keep that bike yours.

Colin

 

[flecc]

Does anybody actually use the quick release skewers any more?

Colin

I must be very lucky. I have always kept quick release skewers on any bikes I've owned with them on seatposts and wheels, parking them in various places including the central area of my London Borough of Croydon. That includes my Giant Lafree Lite e-bike which I owned for four and a half years and which had QR skewers on the front wheel and seatpost. I always used a cheap thin-cable lock with it too, only using a heavy duty replacement with my Torq because one came free with it.

In fact with up to 65 years of cycling, motorcycling and driving, I've never had a vehicle stolen, any part stolen from a vehicle or anything stolen out of a vehicle I've owned or used.

Whenever the police say peoples fear of crime is greater than the incidence of crime, from my experience I naturally tend to agree.
.

 

[CeeGee]

In fact with up to 65 years of cycling, motorcycling and driving, I've never had a vehicle stolen, any part stolen from a vehicle or anything stolen out of a vehicle I've owned or used.

.

That statement is tempting fate.

I have only ever had one incident and that was when somebody set fire to my motorbikes and stupidly stole the helmet and some tools from the top-box one night. It was easy for the police to spot him walking along a road half an hour or so later. Didn't help the bikes though.

I frequently visit Kingston and that is a very high bike crime area and I see no point in making things easy for any thief.
Also a lot of insurance policies designate the standard of lock you must use - two of mine meet the requirements, and I am sure any insurance company would happily take Streethawk's money with his lock.

Colin

 

[Streethawk]

I am sure any insurance company would happily take Streethawk's money with his lock.

Colin

The lock comes with an offer of up to £2500 compensation if your lock is broken and bike stolen. There are conditions of course, I think it excludes power tool attack, as obviously an angle grinder would cut it.