[Quince]

Hello! This is the first time I’ve made a plea for the road.cc forum’s collective wisdom, so I’m sorry if I’ve done someone silly – but I have a bike problem I’d like advice on ASAP. Namely, what sort of lock to use for short stops on longer rides in which you don’t want to drag along a 10 tonne Lock of Doom (and a pannier in which to hold it)?

I do a fair amount of riding on my own, and on the longer rides it’s nice to have the assurance of being able to disappear inside a shop for a minute to top up on supplies without leaving the bike naked and vulnerable in the street. I’ll own a relatively expensive race bike within the next few weeks, and I’m struggling with the paradox of either; not taking a lock and being limited in how far I can cycle by my inability to stock up of supplies; OR by taking my ultra chunky lock and having the entire point of my racy speed machine cruely nullified. My current solution is to get some sort of lighter, flimsier lock to stick in a jersey pocket (I have a pretty large ‘ballast pocket’ in which to stick it) and hope it offers enough protection to deter people for the minute or so I may be away.

I’d like to hear how other people manage refuelling stops outside of sportiness or having watchful riding partners, and if there are any lighter, portable locks to recommend that aren’t completely awful.

Thank you.

Topic

[PhilRuss]

truffy wrote:AWP wrote:You

truffy wrote:

[quote=AWP]You could try one of these.

I use it along with a fairly light weight coil/combination lock. It’s loud enough to make you aware somebody is messing with your bike. It has both motion sensor and cable tamper. It’ll sit in a jersey pocket along with your gels or whatever.

Is that anything like this? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SITYhXlE8GQ%5B/quote%5D
[[[[[ So—avoid avoid avoid the “Targus-Defcon Anti- PA400Etheft….see YouTube demonstration. Ridiculous!

[step-hent]

Otis Bragg wrote:As an

Otis Bragg wrote:

As an additional back up measure when using a lock you aren’t fully happy with, why not unship the chain as well? This will give you an extra bit of time if someone does try to jump and pedal away-just remember to put it back on before you try to pedal off as well though!

That’s a great idea. Could also try winding out the brake barrel adjusters to lock the brakes on. Only takes a few seconds to put right afterwards.

[Noelieboy]

Those Defcon locks look like
Those Defcon locks look like they’re good fun & compact.
I think I’ll check those out.
Cheers

[AWP]

truffy wrote:AWP wrote:You

truffy wrote:

[quote=AWP]You could try one of these.

I use it along with a fairly light weight coil/combination lock. It’s loud enough to make you aware somebody is messing with your bike. It has both motion sensor and cable tamper. It’ll sit in a jersey pocket along with your gels or whatever.

Is that anything like this? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SITYhXlE8GQ%5B/quote%5D

That’s an earlier version. I’ve double checked mine and that hack does not work.

Thanks for pointing it out though.

[kennethsross]

wakou wrote:I use one of

wakou wrote:

I use one of these. the cables and the lock fit in a jersey, or the cables can be wound around the steerer tube, or seat post.

https://www.kryptonitelock.com/Pages/ProductInformation.aspx?PNumber=000440

Certainly NOT secure for overnight locking in the Bronx!

+1 for the Defcon 1 if out for a ‘fast’ run. Enough security for a quick run into a shop / cafe / toilet. Plenty noise if someone so much as touches it. Very sensitive!

Would only be my tourer I would be leaving locked in town / station for anything up to a few hours, and use a heavy shackle + armoured steel cable then.

[MartyMcCann]

As an additional back up
As an additional back up measure when using a lock you aren’t fully happy with, why not unship the chain as well? This will give you an extra bit of time if someone does try to jump and pedal away-just remember to put it back on before you try to pedal off as well though!

[truffy]

AWP wrote:You could try one

AWP wrote:

You could try one of these.

I use it along with a fairly light weight coil/combination lock. It’s loud enough to make you aware somebody is messing with your bike. It has both motion sensor and cable tamper. It’ll sit in a jersey pocket along with your gels or whatever.

Is that anything like this? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SITYhXlE8GQ

[Simon E]

Quince wrote:Do you think the

Quince wrote:

Do you think the combination locks you’ve recommended would outperform the original Kryptonite recommended?

The product page says the Krypto is 10mm, so a similar thickness. That bracket bolts to the bike, which looks convenient but takes up a bottle cage bracket. And it’s 840g, which isn’t light.

The Halfords lock weighs less than 300g. More importantly, I’d choose it because it’s simpler – I can wrap it where I want, drop in my rucksack or swap it between bicycles. And no key to carry… or leave behind on the kitchen table.

[Quince]

Simon E wrote:Quince

Simon E wrote:

Quince wrote:

The idea of using a flimsy lock on a carbon racer feels like leaving a baby in a buggy on the edge of a cliff

So don’t do it!

The coiled cable locks aren’t much heavier but, while they don’t provide maximum security, they are considerably more substantial. If nothing else, they show more clearly that the bike is locked to something.

After the number of bikes I’ve gone through – even with half-decent locks – I’m prone to view anything less than a £100 D lock as flimsy. 😉

Do you think the combination locks you’ve recommended would outperform the original Kryptonite recommended?

[AWP]

You could try one of
You could try one of these.

I use it along with a fairly light weight coil/combination lock. It’s loud enough to make you aware somebody is messing with your bike. It has both motion sensor and cable tamper. It’ll sit in a jersey pocket along with your gels or whatever.

[Anonymous]

I have a Kryptonite coiled
I have a Kryptonite coiled cable lock – it’s 600grams, but can be mounted on the seatpost which is a reasonably out-of-the-way place for it. It’s strong enough to resist casual impact attacks but as you say, if someone happens to have bolt cutters with them there’s not much you can do.

[Simon E]

Quince wrote:The idea of

Quince wrote:

The idea of using a flimsy lock on a carbon racer feels like leaving a baby in a buggy on the edge of a cliff

So don’t do it!

The coiled cable locks aren’t much heavier but, while they don’t provide maximum security, they are considerably more substantial. If nothing else, they show more clearly that the bike is locked to something.

[Quince]

Yes, I can’t really bear the
Yes, I can’t really bear the idea of leaving something unlocked entirely. While I’m unhappy with even using a flimsy lock for a few minutes, I suspect the probability of someone walking past in those few minutes with a pair of rudimentary wirecutters and an incentive to steal, while not 0, is significantly smaller than the probability of ANYONE walking past with an incentive to steal.

I’ve had too many bikes stolen over the years to feel comfortable leaving my bike pretty much anywhere. I’ve got a £100 Kryptonite 10/10 Gold Standard blah blah blah mini D-lock for my normal use, and my main faith in using in London for any period of time is that there are probably more expensive bikes with cheaper locks for people to pick on.

The idea of using a flimsy lock on a carbon racer feels like leaving a baby in a buggy on the edge of a cliff, but it’s surely better than nothing. At least the few seconds someone would have to contemplate breaking into it are an advantage.

[Simon E]

I bought a retractable wire
I bought a retractable wire lock for my kids to use at primary school but it was prone to sticking and the plastic case doesn’t look very robust; one sharp tug and it may fall apart.

I would suggest a coil cable combination lock, you can wind it round the seat post or head tube when not in use:

http://www.halfords.com/cycling/accessories/locks/halfords-resettable-combination-bike-lock-90cm
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/abus-numero-1300-cable-bike-lock/

Anyone thinking that their bike won’t get nicked in rural areas is kidding themselves, I have heard about a number of bikes being nicked after being left for just a few minutes. And bear in mind that any insurance will be invalidated if you didn’t bother locking it to something.

How upset will you be if it disappears? If you value it then lock it up.

[bikebot]

Unfortunately the garage
Unfortunately the garage forecourt scenario is one where bikes often are stolen. I’m yet to be that unlucky, but I did once come back to my bike after leaving it for about a minute to find the seatpost toolbag open. Multitool, patches and spare tube taken, some people are real pikeys!

The amazing thing is, I would have been in sight of it, I just had my back to it to use a cash machine.

It would be nice to see some more integrated solutions for this sort of use. I vaguely remember some design that had the cable integrated into the seatpost, which seems quite a good idea.

[Author]

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