General Cycling Discussion - Quick bike lock?

Looking for a lightweight lock that can be used for a quick stop where bike is unattended for 10 minutes or less. Not trying to make it theft proof but would like to make it unattractive for a spur of the moment theft by kids without carrying around a more secure (bulky/heavy) lock. I have seen a "Pitstop" lock made by Mastercraft that appears to fit the bill. The Pitstop lock has a short (lightweight) cable which retracts into a combination lock. I know it would be easy to defeat with the right tools so it would not be suitable for situations where the thief had some time to go after it. However, I am only looking for something to handle a quick pitstop. I am curious if anyone has ever tried anything like this.

There are plenty of cable locks on the market, both combo and key. I used to use a cable lock for very quick stops but found, surprisingly, that it took me longer to use than a u-lock because the cable lock I have has to be coiled a certain way for storage, otherwise it's a mess. I also found that the numbers on the combo faded to become almost indecipherable and the combo lock got rather finicky: even in the right combination it took the perfect alignment up to a millimeter accuracy to open it, and even then it would give me trouble sometimes. I probably looked like a thief at times, cursing, realigning and pulling with a lot of force. :)

A U-lock on the other hand is rigid and requires no wounding/unwounding, and if you treat the keyhole right, it should be pretty fast to lock/unlock it. It also does offer better protection than most cables if used right. And it doesn't have to be heavy - there are some cheap light U-locks around.

But that's just my experience with one cable lock. Others on here use cable locks for quick stops and like it.

I leave my U-lock at work and have a $2 light weight cable lock that has a bracket to mount on the handle bars. I use this if I need to stop on the way home for a coffee or a pee.

Locks have three general categories:

Keep a casual passerby from making off with your bike. For someone to make off with the bike, they have to cut and break something (which keeps most "honest" people away.)

Keep Joe Boltcutters from making off with your bike. In a lot of areas, even a $3 U-lock made out of pig iron is decent. A thief will have to go and get bolt cutters or some other type of tool to remove it.

Discourage Joe Pro from your bike. Joe Pro will get any type of lock off, but the trick is to slow him down so he doesn't bother your bike and goes after the Orbea that is locked up with a cheap vinyl coated chain from a hardware store, and a generic brass padlock.

Discourage Mike Meth-head from your bike and minimizing his brute damage. Mike Meth-head doesn't care about the type of lock, but will randomly force stuff in hopes he can twist off something of value that he can sell. With this type of guy, your best bet is to use Pitlocks or other locking skewers to keep forks, wheels and seatposts from getting removed, then using Sheldon Brown's locking style. Then, Mike Meth-head will twist and not get the bike, and pretty much only damage the rear wheel as opposed to major frame damage.

I live in Austin, so there are plenty of Joe Pros out there. So, the best bet is at places where you frequently lock up, plop a chain + good lock on the rack and leave it there, then carry a decent (sold secure gold of course) U-lock on your bike. If you are going on a long bike trip, carry the U-lock, and then perhaps carry a low-security cable lock for emergency locking (like locking your bike to a tree.)

Just get the thickest cable lock system you can find and long enough to reach the front and rear tire plus whatever your going to be locking it too; these type of locks are fast and portable because the cable just loops up for storage.

BUT do not use a cable system if your going to leave it for more then 10 minutes because cables can be compromised rather quickly. A U-bolt is fast is you don't care about securing the front wheel, but problem is to lock these up correctly you should remove the front wheel and place it beside the rear wheel then lock the shackle through both wheels and the frame and whatever your locking the bike to, and this takes time.

And if you do live in a high crime area and are worried if the bike is kept outside for an extended time then you actually need two types of locks, one U lock and a chain lock or at the very least a cable lock. Two different type of locking systems means the thief will need two different type of tools that they simply won't carry.

Better yet for high crime areas is just buy a used bike for 25 or 50 dollars and ride it when you know your going to be parking it outside, and use a mediocre lock.

Why not just use a mini U-lock. Even for a 10 minutes lockup it's better than a cable. A Kryptonite Evolution mini (http://www.kryptonitelock.com/inetisscripts/abtinetis.exe/PublicArticleDetails@public?artid=2792&atf=products_item&pgrp=20) weighs only 1.85 pounds, fits into many pants pockets and is Silver Sold Secure rated. Better than any cable lock out there and just as handy. For a "quick" lockup you could even not bother with the Sheldon Brown method (which takes a bit more manipulating of the frame into position) and just lock your top tube to any convenient object. It's still more secure than using a cable lock.

When I was in the Netherlands I noticed that most newer bikes had an O-Lock mounted between the seatstays above and around the rear tire and with the turn of a key you could immobilize the bike. No idea where you could get that here, but seems like it would fit the bill.

I was just visiting Japan and many bikes have the rear tire O-Lock refered to. However, the lock was permanently mounted to the bike frame via lugs like rack mounts. Common item there so the bikes are made with the lugs. I saw the O-Locks in a store but did not get one since our bikes do not have the lugs built in.
The O-Lock would not stop a thief from carrying off the bike. I think the theory (in Japan) is that a legal owner would not be carrying his bike thus he must be a thief...and would get stopped by people in the area. I doubt that would be the case he in US.

Why not just use a mini U-lock. Even for a 10 minutes lockup it's better than a cable. A Kryptonite Evolution mini (http://www.kryptonitelock.com/inetisscripts/abtinetis.exe/PublicArticleDetails@public?artid=2792&atf=products_item&pgrp=20) weighs only 1.85 pounds, fits into many pants pockets and is Silver Sold Secure rated. Better than any cable lock out there and just as handy. For a "quick" lockup you could even not bother with the Sheldon Brown method (which takes a bit more manipulating of the frame into position) and just lock your top tube to any convenient object. It's still more secure than using a cable lock.

The Mini U is somewhat useless in that it would only protect the rear wheel and the frame...not the front wheel. If you live or work or go to school in a high crime area you should use a full size U bolt lock and then you can remove the front wheel and place alongside the rear and lock the wheels and the frame. If you don't lock the front wheel and you have quick release hubs then that wheel could disappear.

If you live in a very low crime area and are able to lock the bike in a high traffic area and will only be gone for a short while, a thick cable works fine. No thief will want to spend 2 or 3 minutes hacking away at a cable. I use to lock my bikes up all the time in Santa Barbara California and left them all day outside of work and/or school as well as outside of my apartment and never had a bike stolen using just a medium thick cable!!! But that area back then had a low crime rate even though at the colleges bikes did get stolen, but most of those were locked with silly pencil thick cables or those little tiny chain things and then used those cheap school locker combination locks!

But like I said before, if you live in a high crime area what's the point of trying to lock up your good bike? Any good thief will defeat whatever lock you put on it! Thus it would be more prudent to save the money you would spend on expensive locks and buy a use $25 to $50 bike or go to WallyWorld.

The Mini U is somewhat useless in that it would only protect the rear wheel and the frame...not the front wheel.

Again, we're talking about a quick lockup. A cable can be cut in far less than 2-3 minutes using a pair of bolt cutters. Maybe just one snip if the thief is strong enough. Using a mini U-lock with pitlock skewers or other locking skewers is still far superior to using a cable lock, simply because a cable is so easily defeated. And since the skewers are a permanent attachment there's no need to fiddle with them until you need to do something with you wheel.

Again, we're talking about a quick lockup. A cable can be cut in far less than 2-3 minutes using a pair of bolt cutters. Maybe just one snip if the thief is strong enough. Using a mini U-lock with pitlock skewers or other locking skewers is still far superior to using a cable lock, simply because a cable is so easily defeated. And since the skewers are a permanent attachment there's no need to fiddle with them until you need to do something with you wheel.

I agree with the cable, knowing what I know today I would not use a cable like I did back in the 70's in Santa Barbara CA, but disagree with the mini U bolt. You stated that for a quick lock up a cable could be defeated in 2 to 3 minutes, but you failed to mentioned that with a mini U lock your front wheel is gone in 2 to 3 SECONDS thanks to the quick release! So why not use a full size U lock and remove your wheel and be locked up in about 1 minute? There are front rims out there that can cost over $1,000 not alone the average rim on a roadie at probably around $400; these could easily be turned for a quick profit on E-Bay. But again if your so worried about theft of your bike why worry if you could instead lock up a cheapo bike?

I was just visiting Japan and many bikes have the rear tire O-Lock refered to. However, the lock was permanently mounted to the bike frame via lugs like rack mounts. Common item there so the bikes are made with the lugs. I saw the O-Locks in a store but did not get one since our bikes do not have the lugs built in.
The O-Lock would not stop a thief from carrying off the bike. I think the theory (in Japan) is that a legal owner would not be carrying his bike thus he must be a thief...and would get stopped by people in the area. I doubt that would be the case he in US.
Funny, I was just talking with my Dutch bro-in-law tonight, and he was saying the same thing about the O-locks. You COULD make it work, but it wouldn't be worth the time invested, IMHO.

So disregard my crummy suggestion unless you own a Dutch bike :)

I will forward this link though: http://www.kk.org/streetuse/archives/2006/10/handcuff_bike_lock.php
With the caveat that handcuffs have been found to be easily picked.

Cable locks are not actually a lock at all. Just a scam to take your money, and provide some crook with a free bike. Most cables can be cut with the correct tool in less than ten seconds.

The "fastest" lock to get on and off your bike actually provides significant security. The Kryptonite Evolution u-lock ( the "mini" version is best) is very light. It has one "bent" foot, and one locking foot. That design allows you to lock or unlock your bike in about two seconds, once you understand how the bent foot design works.

More expensive Kryptonite u-locks have two locking feet and two locking bolts. That increases their security value, but it can take a couple of seconds to get both feet properly seated in the cross-bar so that the bolts will easily engage.

Given the light weight of the Evolution "mini" u-lock, and how fast and easy the Evo is to lock and unlock, it is silly beyond words that anyone is still using a cable lock as their ONLY lock.

When I'm going to be parked for just an hour or two around my own neighborhood, I'm happy to rely on just the "mini" Evolution around the rear wheel and a beefy steel post, set in concrete. The front wheel has a bolt-on skewer replacing the quick release, and a light combo cable attaching the front wheel to the frame.

I live in a high crime neighborhood in one of America's most crime filled cities. The "mini" plus cable method has worked flawlessly for the past decade. But, that bike that was parked five feet away with the cable lock? Well, it ain't there any more.

Of course, if you leave your bike unattended for eight or nine hours at a time, or after dark, a "mini" u-lock is not your best choice. Then, you need a Kryptonite New York lock or Fahgettaboudit around the rear wheel, and move the mini u-lock up to the front wheel.

+1...except lock your real wheel within the triangle (as in Sheldon Brown) not just your top tube. It takes no extra time to do it right.

I made a short lock/cable combo that I just use to lock around the top tube to keep someone from walking off with the bike when I'm at the store.

Building supply stores sell uncoiled, plastic covered cable of different diameters. I bought a legnth of fairly thin cable, made loops in the ends with cable fasteners and I use a small combination lock to secure. Very light, very compact, fits easily in the shoulder bag. Cost of the cable, less than $4.

It all depends on the area the bike is in.

You could look into a Whiplock (www.whiplock.com) (http://www.whiplock.com%29) [1], as a lock that you carry around with you 24/7 on the bike, but if you are in any urban area, Lurker1999's advice is dead on. Its just as fast to whip out a Sold Secure Gold lock, stick it into place, remove key, as it is to use a cable lock (assuming you have locking skewers of course.)

[1]: The lock is nice because it is similar to the Axa-Basta lock (the "O" lock which locks the rear wheel) as its always with the bike no matter where you go... but it provides ZERO security other than to keep someone from casually joyriding off on it.

Cable locks are not actually a lock at all. Just a scam to take your money, and provide some crook with a free bike. Most cables can be cut with the correct tool in less than ten seconds.


This is a BS statement! Actually ANY lock can be defeated in a matter of seconds with the proper tools and a professional by either picking or mechanical force...even the "fame" Krypto NY U's and chain locks and other "Gold" locks.

The question becomes, will the thief have the proper tools when he comes across your bike. If you have two different kinds of locks then the thief will have to have two different kinds of tools. If a thief is smart and notices a high value bike parked in the same place all the time, they simply will see what kind of lock or locks your using and come back later with the right tools for the job.

There is actually a lock picking contest that takes place every year where a few professional locksmiths participate to see who can pick a variety of different locks the fastest: http://www.securitytribe.com/~doc/lpcon4/ Anyone can learn how to pick locks with practice, in fact the damm internet provides the general public with video and instructions on how to pick a variety locks.

This is why I have kept stressing over and over and over on this post that if your worried about having your bike stolen then BUY A USED OR NEW ELCHEAPO and ride it instead to work or school or shopping.

+1...except lock your real wheel within the triangle (as in Sheldon Brown) not just your top tube. It takes no extra time to do it right.

Sheldon Browns method works great with the Mini U...HOWEVER the Mini U is a inferior lock and an inferior way of locking your bike because it leaves your front wheel subject to theft.

The larger U locks will enable you to remove your front wheel and place it alongside your rear wheel then lock the both wheels and the frame as described by Sheldon Brown.

The time it takes to remove your front wheel with quick releases (what, maybe 5 seconds?) is the same amount of time the thief will take! So why not take those extra 5 seconds yourself and lock it up as I have been preaching?

I made a short lock/cable combo that I just use to lock around the top tube to keep someone from walking off with the bike when I'm at the store.

Building supply stores sell uncoiled, plastic covered cable of different diameters. I bought a legnth of fairly thin cable, made loops in the ends with cable fasteners and I use a small combination lock to secure. Very light, very compact, fits easily in the shoulder bag. Cost of the cable, less than $4.

If your in a very low crime area and have complete visiblity of your bike where you park it then this lock may be ok, but in the real world your locking system is so bad your almost not locking it!

If your locking a $50 bike with this system then your ok because the professional thief is not interested in a $50 bike that he can only hock for $5.

If your in a very low crime area and have complete visiblity of your bike where you park it then this lock may be ok, but in the real world your locking system is so bad your almost not locking it!

If your locking a $50 bike with this system then your ok because the professional thief is not interested in a $50 bike that he can only hock for $5.

Like I said, its only to keep someone from walking off with the bike while I'm inside a store for a few minutes. The OP wanted advice on short term locking, not the best locking system in the world.

And I only use it on my cheap commuter bike. I never lock my nice bike. Its either between my legs or inside the house.

Sheldon Browns method works great with the Mini U...HOWEVER the Mini U is a inferior lock and an inferior way of locking your bike because it leaves your front wheel subject to theft.

The larger U locks will enable you to remove your front wheel and place it alongside your rear wheel then lock the both wheels and the frame as described by Sheldon Brown.

The time it takes to remove your front wheel with quick releases (what, maybe 5 seconds?) is the same amount of time the thief will take! So why not take those extra 5 seconds yourself and lock it up as I have been preaching?

Or. . . my method is to use a mini-U lock (Onguard Pitbull, in my case) combined with locking skewers for front and rear wheals and a locking seatpost binder bolt, all of which can be removed with the same key. Mine are from Pinhead Components, but the Pitlock units are nicer-looking. Both Pinhead and Pitlock also make a locking top cap for threadless headsets. With those on the bike, I only have to put the U-lock on (using the Sheldon Brown method where feasible). It's the fastest, easiest locking system that I know about.

Insurance companies in the UK pay for the locksmiths at Soldsecure to test bike locks. And, each year, the editors of the UK magazine "Cycling Plus" run detailed tests of bike locks.

The results of the tests at both Soldsecure and "Cycling Plus" are very similar. Both find that cable locks (the $5 cable locks and the $50 cable locks) are worthless against a cheap tool that fits in a jacket pocket.

In comparison, the u-locks that earn "gold" ratings from Soldsecure and a "10" from "Cycling Plus" can not be defeated by manual tools. Not in five minutes. Not in an hour.

A "gold" rated u-lock can be defeated by very expensive, high powered tools that do NOT fit in any sort of pocket. So, if a crook wants to drive around in a truck full of expensive tools, and has a portable generator to power those tools, in ten or fifteen noisy minutes, he can open your lock. The number of documented cases of a bike being stolen with these sorts of tools: zero.


www.soldsecure.com/Leisure.htm

Froze suggests that folks remove the front wheel and lock it to the rear wheel. On most bikes, that requires releasing the front brakes, and then properly resetting the brakes and resetting the quick release before you can ride your bike. I've seen good mechanics screw up on properly closing a quick release when they are in a hurry, so I know that a bike owner is capable of doing so. Totally unnecessary.

It is much easier to replace the front quick release with a bolt-on skewer. And, in a rough neighborhood, or for parking all day, or parking over-night, simply attach the front wheel to the frame with a mini u-lock. I can put a mini u-lock on the front wheel is less than five seconds.

The original poster wanted a FAST method of locking a bike while ducking into a store. You can put a Kryptonite Evo mini around the rear wheel in five seconds. In a bad area, you can put a second Evo mini around the front wheel in another five seconds.

So, when you can lock secure the frame and both wheels in under ten seconds, why would anyone think they are "saving time" by using a worthless cable lock?

...ANY lock can be defeated in a matter of seconds with the proper tools and a professional by either picking or mechanical force...even the "fame" Krypto NY U's and chain locks and other "Gold" locks.



Froze, if there is a contest for the least informed post at Bike Forums in 2006, you are gonna get first prize. Please post a video of YOU opening a Kryptonite Fahgettaboudit u-lock "in a matter of seconds".

With manual tools, you are gonna need HOURS and HOURS to perform this feat. Of course, a tactical nuke would work, but I don't think that is a commonly used tool among street crooks.

The only way to make your bike theft proof is to ride low cost bikes.

Froze, if there is a contest for the least informed post at Bike Forums in 2006, you are gonna get first prize. Please post a video of YOU opening a Kryptonite Fahgettaboudit u-lock "in a matter of seconds".

With manual tools, you are gonna need HOURS and HOURS to perform this feat. Of course, a tactical nuke would work, but I don't think that is a commonly used tool among street crooks.

Actually your the one who is least informed! But you don't get an award or win any contests for being ignorant. I gave you web site where they actually have contests picking a variety of locks including bike locks, and these pros were doing it in mere seconds with locks far tougher then bike locks.
http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/13.02/lockbusters.html

There's even step by step instructions on how to pick locks on the internet: http://www.gregmiller.net/locks/mitguide/

And a place to buy tools:
http://www.lock-pick.co.uk/padlock.htm

In fact the Kryptonite Evolution 2000 tubular picked by a Bic pen had been picked using other methods and was only by accident while goofing around that those people discovered a Bic pen could pick it.

And this site (http://connect.waag.org/toool/) says: "Thought your bicycle U-bolt lock was too strong to cut? It only takes ten seconds to pick it with the right tool, a circular pick that mimics any key. This might help explain the two bicycles I've had stolen in New York City. Normal house deadbolts? Maybe 30 seconds. They covered an assortment of high-security locks, such as ones with side dimple keys instead of teeth, 3 or 4-edged keys, disk keys, locks with magnetic pins, and so on. It was a remarkable presentation, and Mr. Wels especially represents a true hacker in every good sense of the word. He suggested starting at locktools.nl or security.org or lockpicking.org if you'd like to try your hand."

All lock manufactures say in their descriptions of their security that their locks "resist" picking, they don't say they prevent picking.

And you want to see me do this? Give me a break, I'm not a thief or a burglar so I don't have the skills to this, nor do I need your bike to make a living!!!! But if I really wanted to learn the internet is a good place to start.

You stated that for a quick lock up a cable could be defeated in 2 to 3 minutes, but you failed to mentioned that with a mini U lock your front wheel is gone in 2 to 3 SECONDS thanks to the quick release!

Actually in my post I stated that a mini U-lock paired with either locking skewers or at the very least bolt-on skewers will add some margin of security. Hence the use of a mini U-lock, particularly since trying to take your front wheel off and lock it next to your rear wheel against a crowded rack when the windchill has the outside temperature down to 6F is a non-trivial issue.

Again, there are plenty of legitimate ways of quickly securing a bike. I still maintain a bike with bolt-on skewers locked with a mini-U even with only the frame is a reasonable option when most of the bikes I see out there have a cheap cable lock loosely wrapped around the frame and some nearby object.

But I do agree with your perspective that the best deterrent is a cheap bike locked up properly. I have a $55 Kryptonite Evolution STD locking up a $40 bike which has $30 fenders and a $10 rack on it which gives me some ability to leave it outside so I don't have to haul it up/down the stairs each time I want to "quickly" run to the store.

Bolt on skewers are a pain to deal with when you have a flat...perhaps I should say more time consuming rather then a pain.

I was just visiting Japan and many bikes have the rear tire O-Lock refered to. However, the lock was permanently mounted to the bike frame via lugs like rack mounts. Common item there so the bikes are made with the lugs. I saw the O-Locks in a store but did not get one since our bikes do not have the lugs built in.
The O-Lock would not stop a thief from carrying off the bike. I think the theory (in Japan) is that a legal owner would not be carrying his bike thus he must be a thief...and would get stopped by people in the area. I doubt that would be the case he in US.

Breezer commuters (at least the Citizen model on up) have the integrated O lock built into the rear frame...

Breezer commuters (at least the Citizen model on up) have the integrated O lock built into the rear frame...

And they're great for a little security at that coffee shop that lets you bring in your bike or in the office hallway. I also use it as one aspect of my overall, paranoid locking strategy. I imagine there are some parts of the country where it would be all you need, but I'm never anyplace like that.

AXA-BASTA ring locks (A.K.A. "O" locks described above) come with universal frame fittings to mount them on any frame. 8MM hardened steel shackle completely surrounds the wheel.

With the deluxe AXA-BASTA ring lock, there's an optional security cable. Even with a standard ring lock, a user could lock a cable to the ring, just like a eyeleted cable is used as a supplement to a U-lock. The AXA-BASTA's are silver secure rated, i believe.

not as secure as a U-lock method, but a great way for quick lockups where you can kind of keep an eye on your bike, or in lower crime areas (since the scourge of the new meth swept america, there is no US county immune from drug addled petty thieves).

I've even used a ring lock for quick lockups in downtown Seattle. watched a guy try to ride off with my bike once....hilarious, it was like he was on Candid Camera as he couldn't figure out why the rear wheel just wasn't moving. He slinked away, embarrassed. I didn't even bother to go outside and yell at him.

no bike parts wholesaler imports ring locks into the US. its sad. maybe the devaluation of the dollar against the Euro makes importing AXA-BASTA locks cost prohibitive.