Commuting - A good light lock-any ideas? thanks

Hi
I have seen a couple of threads talking about bike locks but I still feel none the wiser. I know its a pretty dull topic but I need a bit of advice.
I want a decent lock ("sold secure" silver or above-sorry if this rating is a UK thing) that is also 1kg at the most. As I carry quite a bit of stuff around with me already, I do not need the extra weight. It also seems a bit silly to have a lock that weighs more than the frame of my bike.
Could anyone offer me some advice? People love to steal bikes here.

Does anyone remember Robocop, when the car thief gets fried and ejected out of the sun roof-I want a bike version with an ejecting seatpost.
Cheers
matt

It is not unusual to carry a lock that is heavier than your frame. Remember, "No matter how much you like your bike, someone else likes it better."

The lightest decent locks you can get are probably the "mini" U-locks -- they're just as strong as the larger U-locks, just shorter.

Many people leave a heavy lock at work, and carry a lighter lock for emergencies or quick stops on the way to and from. But if you need to make long stops at a lot of different places, this doesn't help.

Thanks for the advice.

I do have a lock I use for when I occasionally leave my bike in town. Its an Abus X-granite thingy. Its about 2kg though.
I like the sound of the mini locks for work and day rides where I want to stop in the pub for a pint of ale.
cheers
matt

Mini u-lock fits in back pocket too, its what most of us pro's use, ive left my rides locked up with it overnight before.The best defense with bike theft is bike selection, a lock just keeps semi-honest people honest.

If you already have a U lock then you need a cable lock. Cables are good for awkward lockups and a cable+U-lock requires 2 different techniques for breaking.
Lightweight cables are OK for cafe/pub stops in low-risk areas, just to prevent opertunistic thieves but they wont stop a tooled up pro or a desperate junkie.
You can get more seriously armoured cables.
I carry my Kryptonite U lock most of the time but its the cable when Im travelling light.

The two light locks worth considering are the Kryptonite Evolution 2000 Mini and the OnGuard Bulldog Mini. The OnGuard is also sold in the UK under the Magnum brand for a bargain price. Put the mini U-lock around the rear wheel, just behind the seat tube and around a steel post set in concrete. Use a cable lock for the front wheel. Do NOT put the U-lock around the frame...a crook prying on the U-lock will bend and ruin your frame, then take your wheels.

The "rear wheel" locking position makes it close to impossible to take the rear wheel or the frame (with Kryptonite or OnGuard U-locks). On the "test bench", some of the massive U-locks get high scores. On the street, Mini locks may actually be stronger than extra-long U-locks. The "rear wheel" plus "steel post" method with a Mini lock does not leave room for the most effective prying and leverage tools.

I don't understand - if the mini lock is just connected to the rear wheel and the steel post, what's to prevent a thief from removing your rear wheel and taking your frame? I guess I just can't visualize it... I'm sure someone will set me straight! :)

I don't understand - if the mini lock is just connected to the rear wheel and the steel post, what's to prevent a thief from removing your rear wheel and taking your frame? I guess I just can't visualize it... I'm sure someone will set me straight! :)

The lock passes through the rear triangle of the bike, so the thief can't get the wheel off.
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/images/locktechnique1.jpg

As usual, Sheldon Brown has the details: http://www.sheldonbrown.com/lock-strategy.html

My Kryptonite "regular" sized U-lock came with a frame bracket to attach the lock to the bike when you're riding around. Of course you do effectively support the weight of the lock as you ride, but it's not like it's pulling on your pants or back.

The Kryponite 'Evolution' series has the security rating you're looking for and is around 1kg. There's also a mini U-lock version that's probably a bit lighter.

I'd gladly carry the extra weight to ensure that my bike is still there when I come back! ;)

The Kryponite 'Evolution' series has the security rating you're looking for and is around 1kg. There's also a mini U-lock version that's probably a bit lighter.

I'd gladly carry the extra weight to ensure that my bike is still there when I come back! ;)


Ive yet to even notice the weight of my U-lock in my pocket, anyone whining about a couple extra pounds either has never tried it, or is such piss poor physical shape its a wonder they can ride at all.Now, carrying 3ft of chain around your waist, that you will notice, but even that isnt a big deal really.

The Kryponite 'Evolution' series has the security rating you're looking for and is around 1kg. There's also a mini U-lock version that's probably a bit lighter.

I'd gladly carry the extra weight to ensure that my bike is still there when I come back! ;)




Do a search through the forums under alanbikehouston's name. He's really researched this stuff more thoroughly than anyone out there, and he's posted about this topic numerous times and in great detail. He's already given you a quick rundown on this, but it's worth reading all there is. I bought an Evo Mini a while back, then returned it after I realized that it cost close to twice as much as the OnGuard Bulldog Mini, and wasn't as well designed. Locking around the rear wheel is definitely the right way to do it (as in the photo above.) I also have a quick release on my front wheel, so I usually jam that in, too--tightest lock. Absolutely no space to put anything in, and it just looks like a PIA to deal with, which I think in itself is a great deterrent. Other option, which I sometimes use, is to take the front wheel with me. If someone has a choice of stealing a bike with one wheel or stealing one with two, I figure that they usually would rather have the complete bike.

I have a Krypto NYC 3000, and the thing is very cumbersome. Don't waste your time getting something so heavy unless it's just going to be in one spot permanently: it will just deter you from riding.

U-lock and cable.

OnGuard makes a few lock&cable packages you can get for very little. They aren't light, and are rather bulky though. However the protection is pretty good for the money.

Use the cable for bottle cages/wheels, etc.

Best bet for a city bike is NO QR seatpost clamps. Kids will steal anything just to be a little s***. Also consider some nutted or locking skewers/locking seatpost nut if you are in a high theft area, as those will do a killer job at securing your wheels/seatpost.

The ultimate answer if you are worried about component theft is custom security bolts...however the price is extremely prohibitive...pretty much nobody is going to do it unless tehy are doing it just to make a point or have too much cash laying around.

MasterLock has a line of locks that look like handcuffs, in fact their called Cuffs; the top of the line one is suppose to be very good but when I went to a web site that rated them bronze, silver and gold the Cuffs were not mentioned so I can't tell you how secure they are compared to U-bolts. Bu the cuffs are very light and fold up so you can put them in a seat bag.

MasterLock has a line of locks that look like handcuffs, in fact their called Cuffs; the top of the line one is suppose to be very good but when I went to a web site that rated them bronze, silver and gold the Cuffs were not mentioned so I can't tell you how secure they are compared to U-bolts. Bu the cuffs are very light and fold up so you can put them in a seat bag.

They can be opened in seconds by a crook that knows how. Trust the ratings from "Cycling Plus" and "Sold Secure". The Master Lock company is no longer a lock company. They are a marketing company that sells stuff that only resemble actual locks. When defects in their bike locks were brought to their attention, Master Lock executives response amounted to: "So what if our locks are no good...that is the owner's problem...not our's".

The cheapest, lightest bike locks that deserve the name "lock" are the Kryptonite Evolution mini U-lock and the 2005 OnGuard Bulldog mini U-lock. If you go cheaper, or lighter than those two locks, you are gambling that the bike next to yours will be more tempting...maybe it has a cable lock or a Master lock.

yes the cuffs suck, their weakness is that chain...all a thief has to do is take a pair of bolt cutters to it.

IMO, an armored cable lock is better protection than those cuffs ever could be, and cheaper too.

That's to bad about the Cuffs and the Master Lock company's attitude. The Cuffs looked like a great idea, what a shameful sham!

You're in Britain, is that right? For a light, 'silver' rated, "sold secure" bike lock, look at AXA-BASTA frame locks. Lightest silver rated lock I've seen. The 7 model of theirs lets you attach a 6' cable to the lock. And, because it is permanetly mounted to your bike, you'll never forget it at home.


Downside is, the AXA-BASTA is a frame lock and you are only locking the bike to itself unless you use the added cable.

MasterLock has a line of locks that look like handcuffs, in fact their called Cuffs; the top of the line one is suppose to be very good but when I went to a web site that rated them bronze, silver and gold the Cuffs were not mentioned so I can't tell you how secure they are compared to U-bolts. Bu the cuffs are very light and fold up so you can put them in a seat bag.They're absolutely worthless as is Master Lock as a company

The Master Lock company is no longer a lock company. They are a marketing company that sells stuff that only resemble actual locks. When defects in their bike locks were brought to their attention, Master Lock executives response amounted to: "So what if our locks are no good...that is the owner's problem...not our's".
As documented here http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=67066

That's to bad about the Cuffs and the Master Lock company's attitude. The Cuffs looked like a great idea, what a shameful sham!
Yeah I thought it was hot **** until I learned that they can be gotten into at least two different ways. That's $140 (two pairs) I'm never getting back

FYI, I just picked up a Kryptonite EV Mini to mount on one of my bikes, and it is distinctly heavier than the large shackle U-lock Kryptonite sent me from the product exchange program. I still wish Krypto made the kid's mini U with the normal sized cross bar instead of the super heavy ones that Onguard or Krypto now put on their minis.