L200 Review

[gwd]

Chennai asked about my current 'round town bike so I'm posting
about it in case anyone else wants a review from a car free
perpective.

Executive summary: It isn't perfect but if you want a reliable
daily transportation it is an excellant choice.

My perspective: I'm a fan of the internal geared hubs for their
low maintenance. I've ridden transportationally a variety of
internal geared bikes:
A Raleigh with 3 speed sturmey archer hub served me as a paper boy
for several years. I also rode a yard sale raleigh for a winter.
I bought a Specialized Globe with 7 speed nexus hub and used it for
shopping and commuting for about a year before it was stolen. I
replaced the globe with another 7 speed nexus hub Raleigh steel
frame cruiser that I attached racks fenders and generator lights to.
I also rode a German city bike for a few years. The german bike had
a SRAM 7 speed hub gearing and very good hardware, heavy duty rack
fenders AXA generator lights.

Although recreation and exercise and touring and off road and commuting
and other types of cycling happen with me, I've even stuffed the bike in
a friend's car once, I'm writing this from the transportational cycling point
of view, I really can't speak to how suitable this bike is for the more
typical cycling that people do. I ride in all weather and on crappy
city streets hauling loads and sometimes other people. I don't ride in
stretchy cycling clothes with special shoes and don't carry huge bladders
of hydration fluid. If I'm thirsty or hungry I stop and get something to
eat or drink so I don't know how well the bike rides while sucking on a
water tube and eating energy bars.

Compared with the other city type bikes I mentioned above, this Trek L200 with
the NEXUS 8 speed hub is the best. The hardware isn't as good as the German
bike but the hub gearing is smoother.

Good points about the bike: Like the german bike and the specialized globe,
this bike came as a package, with mud guards, generator lights, bell, and rear
luggage rack. The bell is loud and color coordinated and small and has this
nice hard rubber rim that protects it from bumps. At first glance the
electronics look cheap but they've held up well for two winters. They don't
have the diode powered stand light that stays on for a minute when you
stop but the light is bright. I haven't had to mess with the lights and
can't tell if they incorporate zener diodes to clip the wave form at high
speeds. I suspect not. The rear light is a battery powered red LED and
lasted two winters. I haven't taken it apart yet to see whats going on.
My parts box has a nice dToplight so I'm not worried. The rear luggage rack
is a serviceable one with these side bars that keep things away from the
spokes. The luggage rack says 25kg but I think it will easily hold more
weight. The chain case fully encloses the drive chain, top bottom sides. It
keeps the chain and your clothes clean. I ride the bike in a suit sometimes
and never have to worry about getting dirty. The chain case pops off with
an easy flick of a screw driver. I don't need a pants clip. The top tube
is almost horizontal on my large frame so I can sit a passenger there.
The down tube has an elliptical cross section with the major axis at the top
along the axis of the bike and with the major axis at right angles down
near the bottom bracket. The bike frame is aluminum and very stiff. You
feel it immediately. It has a harsh ride but good acceleration. The
rear fender has a coat protector so you and things hanging of the rack
get extra protection. The bike has a built in frame lock that clamps
the rear wheel. In DC that is only adequate if you remain in site of
the bike. The rear brake is hand operated but is a drum brake. The front
brake is a rim brake. The bike came with decent schwalbe tires but since
I ride for my job into some trashy neighborhoods with many broken adult
beverage bottles I added tire liners.

Like other Nexus and the SRAM hubs making gear adjustments is a breeze.
But, I made some adjustments after the initial cable stretch and haven't
had to tweak it a bit. With the Nexus 7 on the Globe, I had to tweak it
anytime I took a wrench to the rear wheel. This bike has remained adjust
ed for a year and a half or so even after a rear tire change.

Marginal things about the bike: The rear mudguard doesn't drop down far
enough to keep dirt off the luggage rack. If I reach back and make sure the
little mud flap is bent out it does ok. This might not be a bad thing, when
squeezing the bike into tight spaces like elevators or storage rooms, the rear
fender doesn't get all smashed up, the tire hits the wall first. The luggage
rack comes with three custom elastic bands. They are handy but after a year
and a half they are wearing out and I'll have to go back to bungee cords.
The luggage rack came with a pump. I gave it away before it got stolen and
just carry a nicer mini pump in my bag.
The orginal seat was uncomfortable and it wore out in a year. I had a better
one in the parts box.

The original pedal surfaces were too smooth for me. I had these
grippier mountain bike pedals that I switched in. The mountain bike pedals
are narrower so now when I take fast corners the edge of my shoe touches down
before the pedal. I like that better.

The hand grips are weird. I like them except that now they are
loose. Someone told me that aqua net hair spray will tighten them up. What
I like about them is that they have these little wings that distribute
your weight if you are leaning on them during a long tiring trip.

The hardware for the mudguards is flimsy compared to the specialized globe
and the german bike, but it has held up better than the hardware you get
from cheap "Planet Bike" after market mudguards.

The gearing might be too low if you like to crank it up on long smooth
downhills. The gear intervals are close. I like the low end when I'm
coming home with a load since I live uphill from the discount stores, and
I like the low gearing when towing my friend's trailer but if you like to
go fast you might run out of top end. It isn't a racer but some people
get frisky no matter what bike they're riding.

One of the dumb things about the bike is it has quick release on the front
wheel. I always lock it and since it has that built in rear wheel lock
I chain the front to something but still, for a city bike the designer
should have known better.

Maintenance problems: I don't know if it is from rough roads or heavy
loads but I've had two broken spokes. The seat wore out in a year. The
original pedals began to make a clicking noise after six months. The rear
light switch got unrealiable after a year. There is something loose in
there. The kickstand came loose in the first month.

The worst thing about this bike and others like it is that you
really have to do the work yourself or shop around for a mechanic that
likes European transportation bikes. The people in the shop I ordered it
from are pretty lame. I knew I was in trouble when they tried to talk me
out of ordering it and talk me into buying a hybrid and having them install
the rack mudguards bell and of course buy a multi hundred dollar lighting
system. When I took it in for the first week tuneup I ended up showing the
mechanic how easy it is to adjust the gearing. Several times at several
different shops I've ended up showing the mechanic how to deal with the
rear hubs on these bikes. Chennai related an experience with a mal adjusted
head set when he took one for a test ride. Fortunately in DC I've met
a couple guys in the bike shops who appreciate bike transportation so if
something happens that I can't deal with, I'll make sure I get one of those
specific mechanics to look at it. The person I got the german bike from
told me the mechanics refused to work on the bike because of its looks. I
had the same experience with it until I found a guy who just lit up when
he saw it and seemed eager to get it working. These Euro style bikes
are like car free, they are a good social filter. If the people at the
bike shop take an interest in the out of the ordinary stuff on it you
know they have a genuine interest in bikes and probably take their job
seriously. You learn to stay away from the guys who make excuses not to
work on it or say crap like "I gotta charge you 20 bucks more because
its sooo complicated.".

Style and Sexiness: NO NO NO. The only people who chat with me
about this bike are bus drivers and winos. Several times at stop lights
bus drivers have opened the window to ask all about the bike.
One bus driver told me he's tired of sitting all day and thought he could
use a bike like this for personal transportation instead of a car. He said
he had been looking for a bike that a normal person could ride wearing normal
clothes to do normal things like go to the store or visit his family.

If you are insecure about your attractiveness to the sex of your choice,
you might want to stick with the latest bike fad. In DC this year it seems
to be fixed gear with a free wheel. I'm not sure what you call it - a fixed
gear that lets you coast too. Definitely not this dorky euro style.

Conclusion: If you are looking for bike transportation this Trek L200 should
be a serious candidate. It has been reliable in all weather. Since it
isn't perfect I would shop around but it has been the best all around
bike I've owned. It isn't the fastest, my carbon fiber road bike was faster,
it isn't the most comfortable tourer, my recumbent is better for that,
it doesn't handle rough trails as well as a mountain bike but for city
riding within 20 miles of downtown it is my favourite.

[chennai]

Thank you! Great review (and the first two of the last three paragraphs had me laughing aloud.)

Have you ever had to lubricate the chain?

[pedex]

fixed gear with a freewheel? that would be a singlespeed, and they make very good city bikes, I ride one for work all the time

[heywood]

Excelent review thanks..that looks like a really cool bike.

My wife is looking into a tricyle since she never learned to ride a two wheeler
but this bike may get her to learn... :)

[bragi]

This bike sounds intriguing. Do you have any pics of the gearing? I'm not sure I quite get the gears on this thing. And how does it do on hills? (Where I live, there are a lot of those...)

[gwd]

Have you ever had to lubricate the chain?
Although the chain is totally enclosed water and dust can get in the case through the seams.
When I changed the tire I noticed that the people at the shop didn't lubricate the chain and it had specs of rust on it and there was some dust in the bottom of the chain case. I used some old wheel bearing grease, that bright red stuff, and gave it a greasing and wiped off the excess. Since you asked I just checked it today. No grime but a few two or three rust spots. I just regreased it. It was mostly still covered in the heavy wheel bearing grease. I rode it in the snow and rain all winter. It has been a year or a little more since I've looked at the chain. Today I took a rag over the chain and pulled of the dust that stuck to the old grease.
If you grease the chain when you get the bike (or the shop does it) and use thick tubes or tire liners you can get away with checking the chain when you change tires. It is easy to pop the case off but for me it is one of those out of sight out of mind things.

[gwd]

This bike sounds intriguing. Do you have any pics of the gearing? I'm not sure I quite get the gears on this thing. And how does it do on hills? (Where I live, there are a lot of those...)
The gears are internal to the big hub, a sun and planet arrangement like an auto transmission. I've never torn a Nexus hub apart but had to rebuild the SRAM 7 speed once when a bearing cage broke. Fun. I downloaded the SRAM 7 shop manual from the internet somewhere. You should be able to get an exploded diagram somewhere.

As far as hills go. Like I said it is geared low. I only go into the lowest gear on the steepest hills or with heavy loads. The bike is heavy, you can feel the transmission when you pick it up. Let me go get on the bathroom scale with it...... 35 lbs by my scale without the heavy chain lock. Its a cheap scale so that is just a ball park figure.

[chennai]

This bike sounds intriguing. Do you have any pics of the gearing? I'm not sure I quite get the gears on this thing. And how does it do on hills? (Where I live, there are a lot of those...)

There's a picture of the internals here: http://www.sheldonbrown.com/harris/shimano-nexus.html

[gwd]

There's a picture of the internals here: http://www.sheldonbrown.com/harris/shimano-nexus.html
Thanks. The shop manual is useful if only to dissuade me from tearing into it without the proper tools. They say on that sight that the Nexus 8 is an improvement over the Nexus 7. That corresponds with my seat of the pants assessment. My Nexus 8 seemed smoother than the 7 from the very first ride. But, if you are looking at a bike with Nexus 7, a used one or something, it is a good product. One of my Nexus 7 bikes got stolen but the other one lasted until the frame wore out. I gave it to a car free neighbor. He took the Nexus 7 hub out and installed it on another frame that he got out of the trash or something. I see his girlfriend riding the bike around the neighborhood still. He says the hub presented no problems and still works great.

[I-Like-To-Bike]

One of my Nexus 7 bikes got stolen but the other one lasted until the frame wore out.
How did a frame "wear out"?

[gwd]

How did a frame "wear out"?
I'm not sure precisely how. On this frame the seat tube cracked. A year after I had that crack
fixed another one developed, so I trashed the bike. Maybe I gave up on it too easily.

Short history of the bike:

I bought the bike new so the only riders were me and a couple friends. I tried to get a new utility bike but as cheaply as possible so I bought a beach cruiser style and added fenders, generator light, luggage rack, bell. The whole thing cost only about $300.00 not much more than a loose Nexus hub.

Stresses on the frame:
I rode the thing 20 miles per day during the week and hauled stuff with it. I crashed once. The frame was a little too small for me so I had the seatpost up at its maximum height. I bought the bike when I was car-lite and used it through the first few years of car-free. In my car-lite days I was under the influence of friends who raced so I rode harder and faster than I do now. Back then I had a speedometer on the bike and would always be trying to go faster. Now I just go.

When the seat tube got the first crack, I took it to an auto body shop and had the guy weld it up. The weld lasted only a year or so before another crack developed just below the weld. I trashed the bike out of fear that the frame would fail at the wrong time and place. After that I got the L200. My hope is that spending the extra money on a bike designed for daily use will be worth it. The cheap beach cruiser was probably a good deal for casual recreational riding but only lasted a few years of transportational riding.

[I-Like-To-Bike]

I'm not sure precisely how. On this frame the seat tube cracked. A year after I had that crack
fixed another one developed, so I trashed the bike. Maybe I gave up on it too easily.
...:

I bought the bike new so the only riders were me and a couple friends. I tried to get a new utility bike but as cheaply as possible so I bought a beach cruiser style and added fenders, generator light, luggage rack, bell. The whole thing cost only about $300.00 not much more than a loose Nexus hub.
You did right by giving up on a frame that developed cracks. No matter how the cracks were initiated.
What kind of bike sold in the US comes such an excellent high quality hub and such a lousy frame?

[Nightshade]

I'm not sure precisely how. On this frame the seat tube cracked. A year after I had that crack
fixed another one developed, so I trashed the bike. Maybe I gave up on it too easily.


My money says that this frame was aluminum. This type of failure is classic failure mode for
aluminum.

Gosh, I love my lugged steel frames!!:rolleyes: :rolleyes:

[gwd]

My money says that this frame was aluminum. This type of failure is classic failure mode for
aluminum.

Gosh, I love my lugged steel frames!!:rolleyes: :rolleyes:
No, it was steel. That is why I let an auto body guy weld it up. Doesn't a welder need special skill or equipment to weld aluminum? It was one of those frames where the top tube curves down to become the seat stay. It wasn't lugged, it was cheap.

[gwd]

You did right by giving up on a frame that developed cracks. No matter how the cracks were initiated.
What kind of bike sold in the US comes such an excellent high quality hub and such a lousy frame?
It was a Raleigh USA. I'm pretty sure the frame had a "Made in USA" sticker on it, a little red white and blue thing down near the bottom bracket. I just biked back from the 4th of July parade downtown. All the immigrant communities came out to wave our flag for us. Here I am a born American bashing an American bike frame on the 4th.

[I-Like-To-Bike]

It was a Raleigh USA. I'm pretty sure the frame had a "Made in USA" sticker on it, a little red white and blue thing down near the bottom bracket. I just biked back from the 4th of July parade downtown. All the immigrant communities came out to wave our flag for us. Here I am a born American bashing an American bike frame on the 4th.
At least you are bashing a specific bike with which you have personal knowledge; better than some biased BF posters (not necessarily on this list) who bash/praise bikes based soley on the point of sale and their personal political beliefs.

[DataJunkie]

Hey! My bike is a liberal and darn proud of it. I am not going to be caught dead riding around on a conservative bike. :p
um.....maybe that's not what you meant. he he

[legot73]

gwd, thanks for the excellent and timely review. My LBS has this exact bike in my exact size on closeout for $450, which is a steal. I've been eyeying it up as a backup/winter bike based on the super-low maintenance.

A couple questions:
I'm not a weight weenie, but think that rear wheel lock looks pretty useless and heavy. Have you removed it or do you know if it is easily removable?
I'll take this one for a good test ride first, but any idea if the 20tooth cog on the Nexus8 can be easily swapped for a smaller one to up the gearing?
The saddle seems quality, but too squishy for me. What did you replace yours with and after many miles on it, what type of saddle would you recommend for the riding position?
Thanks

[Nightshade]

A couple questions:
I'm not a weight weenie, but think that rear wheel lock looks pretty useless and heavy. Have you removed it or do you know if it is easily removable?
I'll take this one for a good test ride first, but any idea if the 20tooth cog on the Nexus8 can be easily swapped for a smaller one to up the gearing?
The saddle seems quality, but too squishy for me. What did you replace yours with and after many miles on it, what type of saddle would you recommend for the riding position?


The items you questioned are a matter of pure personal preferrence ,mate. Another persons
opinion may be wrong for you so buy the bike if you like it and change out the features you
dislike. The cost to do so is tiny for a really good city bike (which this bike is)

[gwd]

gwd, thanks for the excellent and timely review. My LBS has this exact bike in my exact size on closeout for $450, which is a steal. I've been eyeying it up as a backup/winter bike based on the super-low maintenance.

A couple questions:
I'm not a weight weenie, but think that rear wheel lock looks pretty useless and heavy. Have you removed it or do you know if it is easily removable?
I'll take this one for a good test ride first, but any idea if the 20tooth cog on the Nexus8 can be easily swapped for a smaller one to up the gearing?
The saddle seems quality, but too squishy for me. What did you replace yours with and after many miles on it, what type of saddle would you recommend for the riding position?
Thanks
$450 is a good price. Get them to adjust anything you notice on the test ride.

I don't know about removing the cog. I'd try looking at the manual at the sheldon brown site noted above first. Last night I was hustling on it and could have used a gear 9 but usually for 99.9% of my riding 8 is high enough.

I think you could remove the lock but I find it convenient as an extra lock in high risk areas and as a quick lock in low risk or quick "pick up dry cleaning" situations. It isn't a deterrent since most people don't know what it is. I think that one of my broken spokes came from someone trying to take it for a ride( from a locked room to which many "responsible" people have the key.). It looks like you can unbolt it but if it is locked and a thief unbolted it it won't get out of the triangle.

The one you are looking at might have a different saddle from mine. The original saddle seemed hard to me given the stiff frame and the upright posture. I replaced it with a tractor seat type gell saddle that I had laying around from another bike. With the upright posture you probably want a wider squishier saddle because you tend to have more weight on your tail. I point the nose slightly downward.

I noticed two more things since I wrote my review. Something fell off where the rear mudguard attaches to the frame. I think the bolt dropped out. The rest of the hardware holds it together sufficiently. I should have remembered to check the torque on those bolts the first time I had the rear wheel off. So many times things come from bike shops with loose bolts that I wonder if the mechanics even know about torque.

Also I tend to drop the kick stand with my foot near the pivot point. Notice that the brake cable is bare right there and isn't shielded until further back along the kickstand. My shoe has been hitting that bare cable and a wire popped. Now I can feel a tightness when I use the rear brake. If your model is like that you might remember to operate the kickstand further rearward where the brake cabel is shielded. Look at how they neatly ran the cables through the down tube. Will it be frustrating to replace a cable?

Wow, $450. I think I paid $750 and got a good deal at that price.

[legot73]

Cool, the manual says there are 16, 18, 19, 20, 21, and 22 tooth cogs, so the gearing could be adjusted if you need to. Actual experience may vary, but it doesn't look too terribly complicated inside, either. The rear brake is key, also, since it will be reliable in icy conditions when the front is not. I did notice that there are no mount points for any other style of rear brake, though.

As for the saddle, I'll figure out what works for me, but was just curious what an experienced owner who rides a lot opted for. I usually prefer a more firm saddle, but also never ride so upright. The saddle on this particular one is a Selle Royale.

They seem to be eager to move these, and said "they'd work with me on it", so I might be able to get it for even less or some extras thrown in, although I can't imagine what you'd add to this bike. Now I just need to gently remind my wife that I sold my car and that this isn't a toy so I can snatch it up.

Wish me luck.

[chennai]

Wow. $450?! Has anyone seen a similar price in or near Denver?

[gwd]

Cool, the manual says there are 16, 18, 19, 20, 21, and 22 tooth cogs, so the gearing could be adjusted if you need to. Actual experience may vary, but it doesn't look too terribly complicated inside, either. The rear brake is key, also, since it will be reliable in icy conditions when the front is not. I did notice that there are no mount points for any other style of rear brake, though.

As for the saddle, I'll figure out what works for me, but was just curious what an experienced owner who rides a lot opted for. I usually prefer a more firm saddle, but also never ride so upright. The saddle on this particular one is a Selle Royale.

They seem to be eager to move these, and said "they'd work with me on it", so I might be able to get it for even less or some extras thrown in, although I can't imagine what you'd add to this bike. Now I just need to gently remind my wife that I sold my car and that this isn't a toy so I can snatch it up.

Wish me luck.
The manual seems to show many details. That is good. They are there for a reason. This thing is like a clock. Judging by my experience overhauling an SRAM 7 everything has to be just so or you'll loose that smoothness or it won't work at all.

Did you notice that the rear brake has a cooling fin? Durring a long loaded downhill (with mandatory stop at the bottom) it gets hot.

Good luck. Maybe there is something in it for her? Less maintenance, less chance of chain dirt. Less mud on your clothes, a new toy for her from the saved money. You should know what motivates her, but according to Chaucer's wife of bath
"Women desire to have the sovereignty
As well over their husband as their love
And for to be in mast'ry him above."

So the idea is to match you desire with her will.

[Dahon.Steve]

The one you are looking at might have a different saddle from mine. The original saddle seemed hard to me given the stiff frame and the upright posture. I replaced it with a tractor seat type gell saddle that I had laying around from another bike. With the upright posture you probably want a wider squishier saddle because you tend to have more weight on your tail. I point the nose slightly downward.


First, I want to say you have a very nice bike.

I used to have the Bianchi Milano and the fame was rock hard aluminum. The saddle was not comfortable due to the frame and the upright posture. However, I purchased a good quality suspension seat post and that fixed the problem right away. After I purchased the suspension seat post, the saddle was now comfortable. I would buy a suspension seat post if I had your bicycle right away. It may take some time trying to find the correct height but it's worth it.

[legot73]

So I closed on my L200 today at $450. At that price, I figure it's sort of arbitrage, as I could likely part it out for more than that. Long-term, I have plans to swap all the parts from this to a Surly Karate Monkey frame.

I took it on a long test ride over a hilly mile and a flat mile of my commute route. The ride is a bit upright for my taste, and could become uncomfortable on a 22 mile round trip as-is. My intention was and is to change the handlebars to the Nashbar trekking bars for more hand positions and give me a longer, lower position for wind. For shorter rides, the stock swept-back bars are very comfortable. All the stock accessories are good quality (SKS fenders, AXA wheel lock, light and bottle dynamo, rack, etc.), and the Nexus 8 performs far better than I was expecting. If you look at the Trek offerings in Holland, this is far better bike, and compares to the newer Gazelles in every way. This is the 2004 model, and the Nexus8 hub has the cable drum brake, but no cooling fan. The frame and fork leave pleny of clearance between the fenders and 38mm tires for winter studs. The whole design does a clever job of minimizing cable and drivetrain exposure, making it ideal for foul weather. The sizing on these bikes is a little weird. The one I got lists a 20"/50cm frame, which doesn't reconcile. I would normally be a 55, but the 20"(50cm) fits perfectly, just like any other 20" Trek frame.

At this price, I'd highly recommend considering this bike over any hybrid + rack/fender combo. This particular store (Wheel and Sprocket - North Shore location) has one more L200 in 20" for $450, but no other sizes. They will box and ship a bike for $75 + insurance @ approx $1.00 per $100 insurance, but won't sell them online. If someone knows they want it, PM me and I'll see what I can do to help.

Thanks again gwd for the timely review.

[johann]

I'm not a weight weenie, but think that rear wheel lock looks pretty useless and heavy. Have you removed it or do you know if it is easily removable?


When I bought my wife a Breezer town bike in the USA, I had the same reaction to the wheel lock. But I never got around to removing it. Good thing, now that we live in Europe it is a great feature to have on a bike.

I guess the point is that in the USA, one could easily imagine someone picking up your wheel-locked bike and dumping it in a pickup or van. But in Europe, especially in the urban areas, there are many places where bikes are parked that are far away from the road or parking lot. Most bicycle theives are probably not likely to pick up a wheel-locked bike and carry it for any distance in broad daylight. Overnight is another matter altogether.

[legot73]

My neighbor is from Sweden, and told me that those are essentially a minimum requirement to insure your bike. He also described how one came loose while he was riding, locked the back wheel, and broke about 1/2 of his spokes.

The inconvenience of a U-lock pales in comparison.

[gwd]

My neighbor is from Sweden, and told me that those are essentially a minimum requirement to insure your bike. He also described how one came loose while he was riding, locked the back wheel, and broke about 1/2 of his spokes.

The inconvenience of a U-lock pales in comparison.
This story doesn't sound right. I've had two different types and they can't lock unless you turn the key a bit. The one on the L200 is held in with two bolts right? Hmm, if one came out and the other one were loose it could swing down but it would then be like a card in the spokes. But a Ulock if carried on the rack, or anything you carry can fall in the spokes. I don't use a U lock so don't know about its inconvenience but have had bungees go into the spokes at speed. Anyway the story sounds fishy.

Did you remove the wheel lock? Did it come off easily?

My motor cycles have had steering tub locks, Those might be worthwhile on bicycles too. On the motor cycle the lock kept the handlebars at an angle making the cycle un rideable. On a bicycle it would be as
effective as these wheel locks but you don't have the broken spoke hazard. I sometimes forget to unlock the wheel after putting the chain lock away. I'm sure it stresses a spoke each time I try to move the bike with the whell lock locked. An integrated steering tube lock wouldn't hurt anything. Just an idea.

[legot73]

This story doesn't sound right. I've had two different types and they can't lock unless you turn the key a bit. The one on the L200 is held in with two bolts right? Hmm, if one came out and the other one were loose it could swing down but it would then be like a card in the spokes. But a Ulock if carried on the rack, or anything you carry can fall in the spokes. I don't use a U lock so don't know about its inconvenience but have had bungees go into the spokes at speed. Anyway the story sounds fishy.

Did you remove the wheel lock? Did it come off easily?

My motor cycles have had steering tub locks, Those might be worthwhile on bicycles too. On the motor cycle the lock kept the handlebars at an angle making the cycle un rideable. On a bicycle it would be as
effective as these wheel locks but you don't have the broken spoke hazard. I sometimes forget to unlock the wheel after putting the chain lock away. I'm sure it stresses a spoke each time I try to move the bike with the whell lock locked. An integrated steering tube lock wouldn't hurt anything. Just an idea.
He hadn't seen my new bike, this story was an one of his examples of why he always had $20 bicycles, so he could just leave them where they fell in cases like this. One $20 city bike that was likley abused, I could imagine the lock slipping loose.

I haven't removed it yet. I don't think it actually has much weight to it, after all. It's the hub that's heavy. It does come off with two screws, just like the rack or any other bolt-on. I might leave it.

I love the idea of the steer lock. I had motorcycles, as well, and always used that lock. If done right, that could deter theft in general since cutting it could mean destroying the head tube of the frame. I'm picturing a lock core that could be inserted into the head tube and through the steer tube of the fork when aligned correctly. You could probably do it with the right sized hole and a cylinder lock head. Experiment on nested conduit.

[I-Like-To-Bike]

This story doesn't sound right. I've had two different types and they can't lock unless you turn the key a bit. The one on the L200 is held in with two bolts right? Hmm, if one came out and the other one were loose it could swing down but it would then be like a card in the spokes.
I also think the story of a frame lock falling loose breaking 1/2 the spokes sounds fishy. As Gwd wrote, I don't know how the lock could end up in the spokes without turning the key. And in the extremely unlikely event that both bolts somehow fell off simultaneously and the lock fell into the spokes, maybe one or two broken spokes before the wheel locked up; break 16-20 spokes? Not likely.