Gocycle GS - Lock recommendations

[HarryT]

Good morning all,

This is my maiden post so thank you for taking the time to read it.

I have just joined the ebike community with the purchase of my Gocycle GS which I am enjoying very much.

The bike is safe and secure when at home and work however when I go to the gym in the City of London I would like to leave it locked outside locked up for an hour or so. The bike is insured with Yellow Jersey which has a condition for it to be locked with a Sold Secure lock. I have locked the wheels in place with the anti-theft screws provided and use the shock lock to lock the frame.

Does anyone have any recommendations of how they secure their gocycle for short periods of time? I'm leaning towards two Liteloks but after seeing a few youtube videos involving angle grinders im now a bit hesitant!

Also thinking of attaching a Tile to keep track of it, but again this could probably be easily removed.

Any recommendations are greatly appreciated, or tell me im being too stupid to leave it outside in the first place!

 

[anotherkiwi]

Welcome!

Nothing resists an angle grinder...

The advantage of a small bike like yours is that you should be able to find a spot inside. Talk with the gym manager would be my suggestion.

 

[Gubbins]

Small bike, easy to spirit away.. I agree with above.. ask about leaving it inside..

 

[HarryT]

Unfortunately the gym is attached to a hotel and doesn't accept bikes inside even if folded up.

I don't want to have to rely on insurance as a security measure but coupled with it being a high footfall area and heavily CCTV'd then I might have to

 

[rower]

Hi Harry welcome to the world of pedelecs.

Unfortunately while your bike certainly has the cool look like something from Tron, from a security locking up standpoint there are some serious problems. there arent any clear points over which you'd put a quality D lock. If you put it around the front of the frame a thief could just pop the forks off with the right tools - yes you've got security bolts but those are more to prevent opportunist nicking of components, they won't deter someone if they think the whole bike could be made off with. It's a serious design flaw from my view. Sorry I can't be more helpful but I think you need to talk with management, because I can't see any real choice other than to change gyms!

 

[Benjahmin]

A gym that doesn't want to encourage cyclists, now there's a thing.
A sold secure gold rated lock is about as good as it gets. Still not angle grinder proof though. The looks of that bike will attract attention so, yeh, change gyms.

 

[Paul Wrighton]

Realising this is a thread resurrection... But having just invested in a Gocycle myself this thread remains highly relevant to me.

I have one thing to add beyond what's already been discussed, there are a number of options for an alarm system, either integrated with a lock (ABUS have a Bordo model, even available in white too!) or as an independent item (Halfords and Dyas sell an alarm padlock for £10-£20, and I know these fit snugly around the Gocycle seat-post).

One would like to imagine the sounding of an alarm and the sparks flying from a grinder could alert people to a theft in progress and some sort of intervention could interrupt the thieves. I know it would still be a gamble, but if you're determined to lock the bike and can remain in earshot for 100Dba alarm sounds, then you can get to the thieves before they can make off, and shoo them away yourself. So this combined with smaller shops or a gym where you're near a window, say, could make it viable?

I do have some personal experience of this - last year my KTM macina 29 was secured to a tree at front of my place of work with a standard Bordo lock, Thieves targeted it and attacked with a grinder. They were about 75% through the lock when they were confronted by a neighbouring builder across the road. He had recently had tool stolen from his van and could not bear to see thieves at it again. So he saw them off and alerted me to the situation. I was very very grateful, needless to say, especially as they went as far as to threaten him with the angle grinder!

After this I bought the Bordo model with an alarm.

One last thought, for the O.P., could you not get a large anonymous bag and put the bike in that to take it into the hotel/gym?

 

[vfr400]

Best solution would be to to switch it off, ride it to the gym, then ride around a bit before riding it home. That'll keep you fit and save your gym noney too. Everything else you do at the gym can be done at home.

 

[MontyPAS]

Best solution would be to to switch it off, ride it to the gym, then ride around a bit before riding it home. That'll keep you fit and save your gym noney too. Everything else you do at the gym can be done at home.

Alternatively, as most proper high security locks and chains weigh a ton.
Put the high security chain/lock in a backpack, cycle to gym.
The workout given by carrying it, will mean a 50% reduction in time needed in the gym?
Less time in gym, less chance of a scrote nicking your bike?

 

[sjpt]

A gym that doesn't want to encourage cyclists, now there's a thing.

Of course they don't. Cyclists will very quickly see that cycling is enjoyable exercise and that money spent on a gym is money wasted.

 

[Deleted member 33385]

Unfortunately the gym is attached to a hotel and doesn't accept bikes inside even if folded up.

I don't want to have to rely on insurance as a security measure but coupled with it being a high footfall area and heavily CCTV'd then I might have to

Disguise it as luggage by stuffing into a 26" folding bike bag and stuffing the bag with inflatable armbands? It's a serious suggestion. They're programmed to ignore luggage. You could secure the luggage to the cycling machine.

 

[Paul Wrighton]

Ok, I have decided on my security, which will be the ASUS bordo 6000 complete with built in alarm. I've owned one of these before.

And for the price of the gocycle holster alone (which could hold one of these) I can afford to buy the lock and a natty bag to carry it on my gocycle pannier rack.

A. Bike shop told me insurers want you to spend ten percent of your bikes value on the lock.. anyone know of a lock that costs £450?!!!

 

[MontyPAS]

Ok, I have decided on my security, which will be the ASUS bordo 6000 complete with built in alarm. I've owned one of these before.

And for the price of the gocycle holster alone (which could hold one of these) I can afford to buy the lock and a natty bag to carry it on my gocycle pannier rack.

A. Bike shop told me insurers want you to spend ten percent of your bikes value on the lock.. anyone know of a lock that costs £450?!!!

The lock mech doesn't get a very good review https://thebestbikelock.com/folding-locks/abus-bordo-6000-review/
Been downgraded from silver to bronze.
5mm thick steel won't take a lot to circumvent

 

[Paul Wrighton]

I'm fully aware of what the locks capable of, but a gocycle gives you limited options.

An angle grinder will see off all locks inside a minute at the very very outside, many YouTube horrors show you this.

So this lock is best of a very small bunch and intended to be used with discretion in high footfall sites for timespans of minutes, never hours.

The alternative lock solution would maybe weigh more than my bike, with multiple chains u-locks and goodness knows what alarms!

Also a part of any lock for me is how speedy and handy it is to use, the bordo is tried and tested for me from prior ownership of a couple

 

[Nealh]

I have a feeling you might see your bike gone within weeks if locked up outside.

 

[Paul Wrighton]

No fool around this... Like I said it will only be locked in high visibility locations for minutes.not outside for days. At home it goes into a locked and alarmed coal hole.

But you may have a point and I may consider insurance, though I've been told I'll have to find a £450 lock for that!

 

[Nealh]

As you know it only takes a few secs for a lock to be corrupted, the Gocycle is a high risk great looking designed bike. I doubt it will stay put long once it gets noticed.

 

[Paul Wrighton]

Ok, if it's that bad it just comes with me everywhere. I'll still carry the lock for use where I'm in earshot because any thieving WILL sound the alarm. And if the thief's going to disable ME well, there's not a lot I can do then, is there?

/Me Google's to see if riders are ever dragged from their bikes by thieves who make off with the bike.... Scarry thought

 

[Nealh]

With a design icon like the GC, one can't be too careful. I would have thought even the coal bunker is very very risky.

 

[Paul Wrighton]

This will be my last post on the subject... The coal hole is directly outside the window of our living room, it has a closed locked door, the door is alarmed, the bikes inside are alarmed, and likely locked together.

I also sleep in that room.

I cannot think of any lower risk beyond bringing the bike in, which is not an option.

But I thank you for your cautions, which I'm sure are merited.