Bike Locks

[lolipop808]

Hi everybody,

Just wondering what type of locks you all had. I am looking for one at the moment but the best ones seem heavy and expensive but I don't mind as long as they work well.

I know some of the cheaper ones are easy to break and snap, so I don't mind paying more if it works.

Do any of you lock your bikes up regularly. How have you got on? Anyone had a bike stolen from a public place?

Thanks

 

[Poolepete]

I have recently installed frame/ring locks on both our bikes. They are really easy to use and you never forget the key, as unless it is locked, the key stays in the lock. On its own, not much use as someone could just pick up the bike and stuff it in a van, but with a dedicated chain that plugs into the lock, you can secure the bike to an immovable object in seconds.

My lock is the AXA Defender, you have to purchase the bespoke chain separately. It has a Sold Secure Silver rating.

We both love these locks as they are so user friendly, quick to use and don't damage the paintwork on the bike.

With all that said, if I am leaving the bike somewhere more risky and for an extended period of time, I will secure it with one or two additional D locks (Kryptonite long and short shackles).

 

[Nealh]

All locks can be removed in one way or another just depends on the lengths someone goes to and where/how the bike is locked.
A nice bike locked in the same place regularly for long spells will eventually attract attention.
Use two locks, one for each wheel as a deterrent, I use one D lock to secure the rear wheel and a snake lock with roatating out sheath to make cutting a little harder.
End of the day none will resist a small cordless angle grinder even the best gold star ones, a recent vid on another forum showed how rubbish any lock is against one of them. The only difference is a cheap lock takes less then 10 secs to cut, a good average one about 25 secs and a gold one 40- 60 secs.

 

[Andy-Mat]

Hi everybody,

Just wondering what type of locks you all had. I am looking for one at the moment but the best ones seem heavy and expensive but I don't mind as long as they work well.

I know some of the cheaper ones are easy to break and snap, so I don't mind paying more if it works.

Do any of you lock your bikes up regularly. How have you got on? Anyone had a bike stolen from a public place?

Thanks

Some good advice already, to which I would add two points:-
1) two locks, one frame and front wheel, second to frame and rear wheel and a solid object.
2) an alarm that is not obvious, but very loud. I use one that looks (and IS!) like a rear light, goes under the saddle, has a remote control (that can be copied to a cheap ebay remote control, like having a second key!), is very loud.
Someone here uses two alarms on his bike, but I forget who it was, one obvious and one not!
This is the alarm I use:-

Bicycle Bike Security Lock Alarm LED Tail Light Anti-theft Remote Control | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Bicycle Bike Security Lock Alarm LED Tail Light Anti-theft Remote Control at the best online prices at eBay! Free delivery for many products.

www.ebay.co.uk

But there are a great many different ones on ebay:-

Bike Alarm for sale | eBay

Find great deals on eBay for Bike Alarm. Shop with confidence.

www.ebay.co.uk

Best of luck.
Andy

 

[Ocsid]

I have recently installed frame/ring locks on both our bikes. They are really easy to use and you never forget the key, as unless it is locked, the key stays in the lock.

I noticed one of these on an e-bike that was also chained to some railings, but it had the pair of keys as delivered dangling from the AXA Defender!!!!

The devil in me thought, I could lock it and be off with both keys, that will cause a bit of "fun", well of course I would, not but I don't doubt some might.
Left me thinking, they were not the brightest in the pack, but also my Trelock where the key is removable, and in my case one is on my house key ring, makes sense.

 

[jarob10]

US $1.77 37％ Off | Type 28 Universal Cycling Safety Bike U Lock Steel MTB Road Bikes Bicycle Cable Anti-theft Heavy Duty Lock 2019 New

1.91US $ 37% OFF|Type 28 Universal Cycling Safety Bike U Lock Steel MTB Road Bikes Bicycle Cable Anti theft Heavy Duty Lock 2019 New|Bicycle Lock| - AliExpress

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a.aliexpress.com

In conjunction with a kryptonite flexframe carrier

£20 ish all in

 

[vfr400]

I use one similar to this. I carry it on my handlebars all the time. You need 1.2 meters length.

Master Lock Motorbike Cable Lock [Key] [1.2 m Cable - Armoured Steel] [Outdoor] 8115EURDPS - Ideal for Motorbikes and Bicycles: Amazon.co.uk: DIY & Tools

Master Lock Motorbike Cable Lock [Key] [1.2 m Cable - Armoured Steel] [Outdoor] 8115EURDPS - Ideal for Motorbikes and Bicycles: Amazon.co.uk: DIY & Tools

www.amazon.co.uk

It's enough to resist the tools that the casual bike thieves carry, so OK for shopping, pubs, doctor, dentist, hospital or any similar types of stop. At 1kg, it's not too heavy, and it allows you to lock your bike to trees, railings, drain pipes and just about any similar immobile object. I haven't seen a wheel nicked off a bike for donkeys years, but if that worries you, it's long enough to put through a QR wheel, the frame and around the immovable object.

There are many stronger locks that are harder to defeat, but none can resist the professional thieves, so you're wasting your money on such a lock. Leaving your bike in the same place overnight or while at work will get it nicked whatever you have.

I tried other more secure locks, but found them too awkward to use, too heavy and limited in what you can lock to. Considering the risks, I'm happy with the armoured cable lock, which I've been mainly using on my electric bikes and motorbikes for 40 years without incident. They give a nice balance between convenience and security.

Here's how I carry the lock:

 

[Peddlin' Pedro]

Similar to others we use multiple locks: framelock on rear wheel/triangle with plugin 8mm noose-chain, gold rated Kryptonite chainlock, Pitlock skewers all round and Abus Alarmbox mounted in front of the battery. The alarm's deliberately obvious in order to deter anyone thinking they'll just have the battery away. If left for an extended period or somewhere really dodgy I chuck an old Hiplok chain on as an extra visual deterrent. Where I can I try to secure each lock to a different fixed anchor-point. If a thief wants your bike badly enough they'll have it. All you can do is make it as difficult as possible in the hope that opportunists won't bother or the really dedicated scumbags give up because it's taking too long and/or attracting too much attention. The weight of all the hardware isn't really an issue because it's for a cargo bike. The bigger challenge is when I get back to the bike and forget the alarm's armed and have a mad scramble for the the keys before I deafen myself any anyone else within 30 meters!

 

[jarob10]

I use one similar to this. I carry it on my handlebars all the time. You need 1.2 meters length.

Master Lock Motorbike Cable Lock [Key] [1.2 m Cable - Armoured Steel] [Outdoor] 8115EURDPS - Ideal for Motorbikes and Bicycles: Amazon.co.uk: DIY & Tools

Master Lock Motorbike Cable Lock [Key] [1.2 m Cable - Armoured Steel] [Outdoor] 8115EURDPS - Ideal for Motorbikes and Bicycles: Amazon.co.uk: DIY & Tools

www.amazon.co.uk

It's enough to resist the tools that the casual bike thieves carry, so OK for shopping, pubs, doctor, dentist, hospital or any similar types of stop. At 1kg, it's not too heavy, and it allows you to lock your bike to trees, railings, drain pipes and just about any similar immobile object. I haven't seen a wheel nicked off a bike for donkeys years, but if that worries you, it's long enough to put through a QR wheel, the frame and around the immovable object.

There are many stronger locks that are harder to defeat, but none can resist the professional thieves, so you're wasting your money on such a lock. Leaving your bike in the same place overnight or while at work will get it nicked whatever you have.

I tried other more secure locks, but found them too awkward to use, too heavy and limited in what you can lock to. Considering the risks, I'm happy with the armoured cable lock, which I've been mainly using on my electric bikes and motorbikes for 40 years without incident. They give a nice balance between convenience and security.

Here's how I carry the lock:
View attachment 38712

I had a bike stolen from central Manchester on a busy Saturday afternoon. It was locked up with an armoured cable lock.

I’ve used cheap / small / light D-locks since with no problems.

 

[Bobajob]

I bought a pit bull D lock which looks substantial but is heavy. It came with an armoured cable so you can lock a wheel aswell. I have a suspension seat post that I have to lock too which involves more hardware. Bike comes in at around 2tonnes with all this on lol.
determined thieves will get it off easily with bolt croppers and a battery angle grinder which is easily concealed.
I feel it’s secured for insurance purposes and it does make it time consuming to remove by said thieves which might make them move on to a different bike if not secured so well. One of the you tube videos they demonstrated how thieves can steal your bike in broad daylight with loads of people around, even to the point of removing a lock with an angle grinder.
this demonstrated how normal people will ignore what’s happening as they Do not want to get involved.

 

[vfr400]

I had a bike stolen from central Manchester on a busy Saturday afternoon. It was locked up with an armoured cable lock.

I’ve used cheap / small / light D-locks since with no problems.

Specifically, which lock?

 

[Nealh]

One is better then none, just boils down to how many to carry. I use two so that a wheel doesn't go walkabout.

 

[Peddlin' Pedro]

Problem with any cable lock - armoured or not - is they're incredibly easy to cut with even the compact cutters that your average toerag will have in their pocket, let alone the bigger telescopic cutters they like to hide in a sleeve or backpack:

To adequately protect the internal cable you need enough material of sufficient hardness that you're approaching the weight of a decent quality chain lock. A good chain lock - preferably an integrated one - is far harder to cut and even with a cordless grinder is difficult to brace firmly enough to get through in a reasonable time. And that's why a good chain is better than a d-lock or shackle. Always going to be a tradeoff between how much you're willing to carry and the relative risk. Important thing is to be able to make an informed decision.

 

[BazP]

My first lock to go on the bike is a motorbike disk lock. It’s almost if not impossible to get an angle grinder blade into the bolt, I’ve tried. You could possibly cut a section out of the disk. For when the bike is very close to me I use a rim lock as mentioned above. This is very quick to lock and always has the key. It just stops anyone jumping on and taking off.

 

[RossG]

There's a 'D' lock on the market that's new and a bit different in that the curved D tubing is square instead of the usual rounded. On tests I believe it took 15 min or more to cut through, the only drawback is it cost the earth.

 

[PP100]

My first lock to go on the bike is a motorbike disk lock. It’s almost if not impossible to get an angle grinder blade into the bolt, I’ve tried. You could possibly cut a section out of the disk. For when the bike is very close to me I use a rim lock as mentioned above. This is very quick to lock and always has the key. It just stops anyone jumping on and taking off.

How would you fit the disk lock on an ebike? Do you need to have disk brakes?

 

[Wicky]

Previous thread on how easy a bike can be stolen

Custom bike stolen

Hello, I've unfortunately got my bike stolen. The thieve did that on day light and CCTV has captured his face so I'm hoping that maybe we can someday catch him. And the bike is so unique it can only be sold to DIY enthusiasts... so it'll probably someday come back here as well. Here's what my...

www.pedelecs.co.uk

Some useful pointers here on locks and where best to secure a bike.

Check out Lock Picking Lawyer's series on how to defeat Bike Locks.

LPL Picking Bike Locks

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content and share it all with friends, family and the world on YouTube.

www.youtube.com

 

[jarob10]

Specifically, which lock?

It was this Oxford one

 

[Wicky]

Oxford barrier locks gets poor reviews

Visual deterrent only

"This lock was destroyed in just three seconds with our croppers; it may only cost £20 but that performance is unacceptable for something that calls itself a lock. Spend £20 on something like this and you’ll soon be spending a whole heap more replacing your bike."

Oxford Barrier cable lock review

Visual deterrent only

www.bikeradar.com

 

[Wicky]

This just cropped up - scuse pun - on one of my M/c forums and shows what lowlifes can do when they want to be away with something locked up in this case a rather ratty Honda Fireblade...

"Parked in his front garden, granite disc lock, huge chain & lock on the rear wheel, It's been parked there, the past 18 months, no rear access so he has always parked his bikes there....

He recons they must have frozen the disc lock & chain & snapped them, as there was no noise & the bits of chain on the floor were clean breaks rather than cut... "

Here's the principle of Shattering Frozen Locks