General Cycling Discussion - Opinions needed: Would you trust this to protect your bike in public?

http://i281.photobucket.com/albums/kk230/Mac-a-lacka/bike-1.jpg

Or should I invest in something else?

"cut resistant" cable is 15 feet long, lock probably weighs two pounds.

really would depend on where you are. I live on the edge of Indianapolis, and could be secure with 1/2 as much lock. In some cities, you may not get out of sight of the bike before it is gone with that lock.

In a big city, I would not trust any cable lock. Any cable lock with a reasonable weight is going to be easy to cut with small hand tools. Obviously, a really long cable like this is going to be heavy without being any more secure than a cable half the length.

I live in Western Washington, not far from the South Puget Sound, which is a distance from the bigger cities like Seattle. Nothing like Indianapolis around here.

I still want to ensure my bike is secure and not prone to theft, what else might one recommend?

If they want your bike, they will get it, just takes longer for them with a lock on it.

I've never seen a lock cable 15 feet long. What would that be for? I've never been in a situation where I would want one, and would normally not want to carry all that weight around.

Must be for some reason though.

My tandem is actually among the "lower tier" in terms of value, by now it's worth $300 at best while many others can range from $750-$2000 on Craigslist. Mine isn't close to that. I still value it nonetheless, but from what I've read, in reality, no type of lock or chain makes any bike 100% theft proof.

Those with weaker locks are obviously more prone. As mean as it is to say, you can just hope that a thief steals someone else's bike instead of yours.

Just because it's long doesn't make it any more effective.

observe-


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3iD-UoBg-YU

The length wasn't for effectiveness, more like for reach, so it can go around a big tree while still having enough to wrap around the bike.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ryY-qMFLcfo

Short answer... no.

The best deterrent, and that is all any lock is... will be a good quality shackle that might get paired with a cable to secure the front wheel.

More like "HELL NO"

Nor chains, nor cables, nor U-locks or oversized padlocks can make a bike completely invulnerable.

It's more on the lines of preventing, delaying and deterring.

Bike thieves laugh at locks like that!

It's a piece of cake! There should be some law forbiding the sale of such a lock!

Take it back and get a refund!

PS.

Get a New York Fahgettaboudit U Lock!

If your bike costs over $1000, get the NY Fahgettaboudit Chain Security Lock too! Use Both in Combo!

Don't forget to secure your seat and seatpost.

The lock is OK - on the other hand the cable is cut resistant to what? Sissors maybe! That cable can be cut in 15 seconds with a small (12") pair of bolt cutters. But it might be better than nothing - depends on the neighborhood.

Another assumption is that a really great lock is great protection. It might stop someone from stealing the frame, but its not a deterrent to anyone that wants to simply strip parts off the bike. There just aren't any real deterrants for that kind of thing.

Around here a lock like that has kept my bike from getting stolen for about 3 years. I have a U-Lock that I use if there's a proper bike rack (rarely), and I use my 8 ft cable lock (from Lowes) to lock my wheels to my bike. A lot of times I find that I need to lock around a tree or a light pole with a large cement base and I need the longer lock to get around the object. There are still times when I have a hard time finding something small enough and suitable to lock to.

If I knew there was a high chance of theft, I wouldn't use the cable lock. I'd probably used a hardened square link chain and a U-Lock.

I should add that I treat my bike like transportation and I don't take anything off of it. Maybe I've been lucky, or maybe people around here just don't care about bike accessories. If I had to strip my bike of anything removable every time I stopped, I wouldn't ride for transportation and I'd have a car. Either that, or I'd have less accessories on my bike that I like having.

...the cable is cut resistant to what? Sissors maybe!

+1

'Better than nothing' is a fair statement. I live in a small town where there are always many bikes sitting unlocked within reach, so a bike with any lock is unlikely to be the first bike stolen. Burton's '15 seconds with bolt cutters' is correct, and bolt cutters are not the best way to cut them - a pair of tough cable cutters like the type shops use for brake and shift cable can gnaw through that in about three clips... 5-10 seconds total.

save the cable for camping,to go around trees,
get a chain lock .. square link hardened steel.., maybe 2,
one to secure the wheel to the frame, the other to secure the back wheel and the frame
to something solid, that the bike cannot be lifted over.

I live in Western Washington, not far from the South Puget Sound, which is a distance from the bigger cities like Seattle. Nothing like Indianapolis around here.

I still want to ensure my bike is secure and not prone to theft, what else might one recommend?

The best solution is to buy 100% all hazard insurance coverage for your bike then use a lighter lock set up to satisfy the insurance company that you are "locking" your bike up.

Then let the insurance company worry about your bike for you. :thumb:

Just carry a jar of these around:

http://visboo.com/img/first/extreme_bicycle_protection_640_02.jpg

Just carry a jar of these around:

http://visboo.com/img/first/extreme_bicycle_protection_640_02.jpg
That reminds me of a triathlon I was in a few years ago. Apparently there was a good-sized bee hive near the transition area. I came out of the swim and went to grab my bike when I noticed that all the riders who had loaded their water bottles with Gatorade had the "beard of bees" thing going on. I just had water in my bottle so my bike was bee free. Being it was a race, I didn't stick around to see how the other riders were dealing with the situation.

Any deterrent is better than nothing. Some are just better than others.
Find a shady spot to secure your bike and make sure you bring enough fresh water and a bone for your pit bull.
Problem solved!

My tandem is actually among the "lower tier" in terms of value, by now it's worth $300 at best while many others can range from $750-$2000 on Craigslist. Mine isn't close to that. I still value it nonetheless, but from what I've read, in reality, no type of lock or chain makes any bike 100% theft proof.

Those with weaker locks are obviously more prone. As mean as it is to say, you can just hope that a thief steals someone else's bike instead of yours.

On tour, I use a boron steel chain and boron steel lock with a 3 dimensional laser cut half cylinder key. They'll both notch bolt cutters, or wear out a cutoff wheel. You can cut the lock with oxyacetylene in about a half hour, or the chain in about 15 minutes. I got the lock back in my trucking days, hauling million dollar + loads of electronics from Mexico. The company did lose one load when a trailer was hijacked. It was found with the locks and door hinges (Boron steel hinge pins and hardware) of the trailer intact, and the side of the trailer cut out, because the hijackers couldn't open the doors. :p

Tom, in my first year working security I had three people (at two unrelated properties) come to me for help because their bike was still locked up where they left it, but the lock had something stuck in it. Twice I was able to clear debris from the lock. Once there was glue/resin of some sort and the owner had to cut the lock off. I still use a key lock for my bike, but when choosing a lock I always consider what will happen if it's tampered with.

On tour, I use a boron steel chain and boron steel lock with a 3 dimensional laser cut half cylinder key. They'll both notch bolt cutters, or wear out a cutoff wheel. You can cut the lock with oxyacetylene in about a half hour, or the chain in about 15 minutes. I got the lock back in my trucking days, hauling million dollar + loads of electronics from Mexico. The company did lose one load when a trailer was hijacked. It was found with the locks and door hinges (Boron steel hinge pins and hardware) of the trailer intact, and the side of the trailer cut out, because the hijackers couldn't open the doors. :p

Interesting! How much are those?

And NightShift, that sucks, though it does sound like something that would more likely happen in a high crime rate area.

that cable can be cut in about 4 seconds. Id recommend these.
http://www.amazon.com/Master-Lock-8290DPS-22-Inch-9-Link/dp/B0009V1WQQ

really would depend on where you are. I live on the edge of Indianapolis, and could be secure with 1/2 as much lock. In some cities, you may not get out of sight of the bike before it is gone with that lock.

THIS.

My little city needs a basic cable lock.
Back in my hometown of Springfield MA I had a bike stolen using a kryptonite U-lock.

Back in my hometown of Springfield MA I had a bike stolen using a kryptonite U-lock.

Those are supposed to be good locks... you just can't win, can you? :-P

No bike lock is going to keep your bike truly safe. If a thief wants it, he'll get it. A lock just keeps honest people honest. That being said, many people think that cable locks are some of the easiest ones to cut and get your bike stolen.

In my opinion, the best deterrent is your bike itself and park/lock in the safest location you can find. Get a cheaper, ugly looking bike. If a thief has to choose between your beater and a super nice carbon racing bike, chances are yours will still be there when you come back.