Commuting - How many locks on commuter?

I've been using this walmart bike to commute with until last week when my girlfriend bought me an 03' specialized hardrock to commute with.
It's like a dark silver, not overly bright. I commute to and from home to a NYC college campus and I usually lock my bike outside the library, moderate traffic.

There are other nice trek and cannondale's there since the guard's desk is facing it near by, they're mostly locked up with these thin 1/2" cable locks.

I use a thin accessory cable to secure my seat, a 1/2" kryptonite cable lock around the front/frame/rear along with a 3/4" cable around the frame/rear and a kryptonite U-lock around the frame (it's too thin to fit around both the post and rear), looping the 2 cables together around the U-lock and also through the accessory cable. The 1/2" twisted, 3/4" braided, and U-lock are all attached to the lamp post.

Someone mentioned this as being a little excessive, my question is, is 3 locks enough?

Should i just get the wide atb new york u-lock for the frame/rear and use the 1/2" 6' cable to wrap around the front?

The aluminium frame was nice while it lasted, now it weighs almost as much as my old steeler with all those locks on it.

I use a New York Kryptonite lock that has the small U bolt. The best thing about this lock is that it can be tied in a noose, so if some mongrel steals my bike by cutting the rack it is attached to, the lock remains, and will keep someone busy for a very long time trying to remove it. It is very heavy ~2kg so I just leave it at work, attached to the bike rack. Sometimes I will lock the bike and take the front wheel with me. This makes it a bit hard to ride with one wheel missing. :p

CHEERS.

Mark

Extra lock is never excessive, sounds like you are making it dificult to steal you're bike and that is the correct way to do it. If you leave your bike for extended length of time you want atleast 2 locks one cable and one U-lock atleast.. if your seat has a QR best to replace it with a non-qr collar.
I agree with mark why not just leave the heavier lcoks attached to the bike rack, I would make sure it is alright with security first though.

From what I've read in these forums, even the most expensive kryptonite new york locks (the 8 pound chain) can be defeated.
(Some friends of mine in engineering say that there are shaped explosives out there that direct 90% of the explosion into 1 point and can easily drive a vaporized slug through 1" of steel but leaving everything else around it relatively intact)
While THAT's a little excessive for the common bike thief, I figured having 4 different locks would really slow down someone who wanted to move the bike away.

So far, only the really really heavy new york chain/self-defense whip locks are insurable in NYC but masterlock bike locks seem to offer their insurance policy in NYC for almost every lock they sell, is this true? I've been thinking of lightening up my lock load by getting 1 cable for the wheels and then a pair of the Cuffs, they look pretty small.

No lock -- my work provides storage.

Maybe you could just get your bike insured and then just use a cable lock. I am thinking of doing this since I live in the ghetto

Maybe you could just get your bike insured and then just use a cable lock. I am thinking of doing this since I live in the ghetto

My home owners insurance is up for renewal next month, so I called them to see about covering bikes. I told them I was buying a high-end road bike next year, about $3,000, and asked if it would be covered. They said "Yes" immediately. I asked what if I rode it to work, locked to a bike rack, and someone stole the wheels. THey said "Covered. Just keep a receipt."

One thing you have to remember you are covered MINUS your deductible. So home owners might have up toa $1000 deductible.. so if you're wheels are stolen let's say and they are $1,100 you will get $100 plus your rates might go up. And that is if they cover replacement cost and not current market value.. Insurance is there if you need it don't rely on it.

Seeing as how I live in NYC, both Onguard and Kryptonite refuse to apply their theft insurance unless I get the 10 pound fahgadabout-bringing-it-with-you NYC lock.
Home owners insurance is a no-no since I rent.
My old walmart commuter was definitely a lot less desirable so I never really paid too much attention to locking it up. So any tips in locking a bike? Like not locking it to a tree or certain street signs cause they just lift the sign post? What other tricks do people have up their sleeves?

BTW, I also heard from someone that if they let you and you park your bike in the post office parking lot or on post office property and someone steals it, it's considered a federal issue if they're caught, kinda of like beating on a postal worker vs. me. Is that true?

Use two types of locks as you know, makes it bit more trouble.. make your bike look ugly not expensive.. Don't lock it to something like a post or something that is not extremely tall otherwise they might just lift the bike over it.


You can still get renters insurance to cover all yoru stuff in your apt and you're bike it is not very expensive.

Yeah that's a good point, the deductible's worth more than my bike.

While I don't live in NY, Chicago has a decent amount of bike theft. My bike got stolen a few years ago, which was brand new and a week old. That sucked.

I don't ride MTB's anymore and have since adopted singlespeed. I also ride an old converted bike, which I love to death but if it was stolen, I wouldn't be devastated financially by it. I'd buy another used bike and fix that up.

That said, the NY chain isn't that heavy. It sounds like it'd be lighter than all of your locks you currently use combined. When worn around the waist, or around the abdomen like a messenger bag (messengers have all the best tricks and tips) it's pretty manageable. As someone said earlier, if you can leave your lock at the rack then you don't have to worry about carrying it around if you commute to the same place everyday.

...I usually lock my bike outside the library, moderate traffic.

There are other nice trek and cannondale's there since the guard's desk is facing it near by, they're mostly locked up with these thin 1/2" cable locks.
I'd say you've got a lot of strategy going for you. If you can't take it inside, the next best thing is a scenario like you've described: locked in front of security, next to more expensive bikes, and with more/better locks.

Nothing is foolproof, but the old story goes--

Two guys camping are going to bed. One guy starts putting on his sneakers. The other guy asks why. He says, "Bears." Other guy says, "You can't outrun a bear." He says, "I don't have to. I just have to outrun you."

It's like untangling a ball of string every time I lock and unlock my bike with the 3 locks.
So I went out looking for something more secure and a lot simplier. Went down to the LBS (real nice guys over there) for a talk with the guys there and one of em offered me their last kryptonite new york fahgettaboudit lock for $75, which I thought was a fantastic deal considering I see them normally go for $120.
At first I was considering the lighter chain lock but then I thought, for the same price as their lighter lock I can get their best out there so I went for it and damn is this thing heavy. I can really feel safe about my commuter now and I figured I was gonna plunk down a grand or so sometime in the next year for a roadie, I could still use this lock.
I've been wearing it around my shoulder strapped across my chest, is there anything on my shoulder that I have to worry about pinching? (if anyone knows the medical info behind that).
I know about leaving it behind when I go home but 50% of the time when I'm using it is when I'm traveling out to manhattan to catch a movie or dinner or something so it's gonna be locked up in a lot of different places for 2-5 hours.

The guys over at the LBS are the best and everyone here's been really helpful, thanks!

[QUOTE=slvoid]
Home owners insurance is a no-no since I rent.

Renters insurance is similar to homeowners. It covers the contents of your appartment but not the building itself. Think of it as covering everything from the wallpaper in. You can also have it cover liability for your actions outside of the apartment.

I don't sell insurance but my understanding is that it is pretty cheap. It may be worth the cost if you run some nice pedestrian down or if you scratch up a Cadillac and they take you to court. If you don't drive a car and don't have auto insurance then the protection is worth looking into.

tom o

I was looking at it a few months ago, to cover around $15,000 worth of property was going to be $35-40 a month.. so it is really cheap.. I think I got that estimate with deductible at $250.. If you do get renters insurance be sure to tell them you want replacement cost not current value if something is stolen etc..

While I don't live in NY, Chicago has a decent amount of bike theft. (snip)

Chicago cyclists...please remember that the city does ticket bicyclists and they will impound your bike in certain circumstances.

When you lock your bike up to a fixed object, like a bike rack or parking meter, the frame must be parallel to the sidewalk. No sticking into the sidewalk to trip pedestrians. Think of a blind person walking on the sidewalk or someone in a wheelchair and you will understand the rule.

If you leave your bike "seemingly unattended" for 7 consecutive days the city will put a sticker on it warning that the bike will be cut off of the rack and impounded. Take this as a good time to use another rack for a couple of days just so they know you have moved it.

The real problem here is that they do not have any idea of who owns most bikes so they can't send you a letter saying they have your bike. It will probably end up in the next police auction.

If you are over 12 years of age you belong in the street or on a bike path. No riding on the sidewalks. The police and other city officers can and do write tickets for riding on the sidewalk. The fine is not very high unless you are on North Sheridan Road then the fine is $150. Yikes!

Front and rear lights are required for night riding. There are requirements as to how far they must be able to be seen but I don't have the ordinance infront of me.

Riding with no hands is not allowed. One hand must always be on the handlebars when the bike is in motion. Most of the city code was taken directly from the state law and they tend to be pretty similar from state to state.

Messengers have a bunch of other regulations, like mandatory helmet use and a liability insurance requirement, but these are the biggies for most of us.

tom o

I guess I'm behind the times, but in case anyone else is too, I saw a unique lock by master lock.

http://www.gearreview.com/streetcuffs.php

Supposedly, you lock one cuff around a parking meter sized pole and the other cuff around your back wheel, inside the frame.

I'm thinking someone used real handcuffs and Master Lock adopted the idea.

I guess I'm behind the times, but in case anyone else is too, I saw a unique lock by master lock.

http://www.gearreview.com/streetcuffs.php

Supposedly, you lock one cuff around a parking meter sized pole and the other cuff around your back wheel, inside the frame.

I'm thinking someone used real handcuffs and Master Lock adopted the idea.

I have seen that lock. I have also seen bicycle police use their real handcuffs to lock up when stopping for lunch. This may be where the idea originated.

tom o.

The street cuffs seem like a good idea for people on the go who want a sturdy lock without a lot of weight.

The new york fahgadaboudit on the other hand is probably the heaviest lock & chain i've ever seen, I catch more people staring at my lock than the bike itself... haha

I have Street Cuffs and I really like them. Very secure and easy to carry
Edit: 3-23-05 Street Cuffs suck! I rescind my endorsement

At work I can get a pair of Masterlock cuffs for 42 bucks. Right now I'm just using a beefy flexweave cable with a standard masterlocker. Should I make the step up? I'm just wondering if it is worth the extra weight and money? Any thoughts?

I put my lock and water in a 1 strap backpack-goes diagonal across m-chest- it's o.k-

My work place provides safe storage.I take a 1/2 inch cable lock for when I quickly duck into stores in route to work...I am in short enough time that I think this should provide enough dis-incentive to mess with my bike.

i can't for the life of me understand why people like to commute using expensive bikes.

they're faster, right? but what about the time you waste locking them up, the extra weight of the locks...

i just don't get it. cheap bikes rock.

Well the specialized hardrock isn't exactly a roll royce but people'll still take it.

In manhattan i see pink huffy's that have the wheels, seat, pedals, brakes, chain, cogs, derailler, you name it stripped off it.

From what I understand, more expensive is also more durable and reliable, plus maybe have more comfort (seats, shifter, etc).

but what about the time you waste locking them up, the extra weight of the locks...

It only takes a few minutes to lock up a bike. When commuting most people will leave the lock attached to the bike rack and never have to carry it again. I would much rather ride a lighter bike to work than some old clunker, but then I ride 45kms to work so the time difference would be significant.

CHEERS.

Mark