itsonlysmellz

Having 5 bikes stolen in my lifetime I dont want to skimp on bike protection. Im looking to upgrade to an expensive road bike this summer and am looking for the best lock I can get. I've seen many locks such as Kryptonite being exploited by bic-pens and being cut with bolt-cutters.

I currently see the Abus Bordo Granit X-Plus 6500 Foldable Lock as being one best so far and my LBS sells them for about $160 CAD. Any thoughts on this lock or other suggestions?

Please no responses saying the best protection is keeping it locked indoors I would like some practical advice.

2_i 

I am riding with the Granit CityChain X-Plus 1060 and can say that is way more convenient in everyday use than a similarly rated Abus U-Lock, albeit at the cost of it being significantly heavier. You can attach the bike in a much more straightforward manner to a greater variety of posts. The Foldable Lock seems to brings convenience over a U-Lock, maybe not as much as the Chain, but without the weight penalty.

The convenience of carrying the particular lock on the bike is also important. The Chain turn out to be surprisingly cumbersome with that respect. I solved that, but it would have been nicer, if the manufacturer provided a convenient way of attaching the lock to the frame, for the purpose of carrying, right from the start. At the least from a cursory view, the carrying of the lock on the frame seems to be better solved for the Foldable Lock.

So to me it looks like a good choice. I cycle locks over different bikes, of myself or family, so getting a good lock is, at least for me, an investment that pays back in one way or another here or there.

Corben

I just went lock shopping myself today. I avoid riding my nice bike where I'll have to leave it unattended. So I just ride my beater for errands using a cheap combo cable to lock it up.
Didn't buy a new lock either. Couldn't decide which one to get. Thinking a ulock and a big cable set. Kinda heavy though.

jyl

This review of the Abus Bordo folding link lock is not so great. Abus Bordo Granit X-Plus link lock review | road.cc

It, and other reviews I've read, suggest that this lock packs away more compactly than a U lock but is a little less resistant to theft.

Either U lock, folding link lock, or *heavy* chain lock, will be much better than cable locks, which are pretty useless - easily cut with bolt cutters. The first three lock types mentioned can't usually be defeated with bolt cutters. Oh, the Bic pen trick no longer works with cutrent Kryptonite U locks.

If a pro thief targets your expensive bike, he'll have it. A battery powered grinder will cut through *any* lock, given time (a few minutes per cut) and freedom to work. Auto jacks and other leverage tools can sometimes be used. They look for bikes, see which ones are regularly parked at the same location, go back with power tools and a lookout. Occasionally the bike rack is even cut off with a power saw.

But the great majority of bike thefts are more opportunistic. They look for a bike that is easier to steal than the ones around it. In Portland where I live, we have a big bike theft problem, and almost all of the bikes stolen had only cable locks. A significant number are also stolen from inside or on top of parked cars, or from garages, yards, and homes.

So use a U lock, heavy chain, or maybe one of those folding link locks. The better U locks are locked at both ends of the U shackle and the shackle is square where it enters the lock body, which means the shackle has to be cut twice. A chain also has to be cut twice, to separate the links. A folding link lock only needs one cut. Use two locks, if you regularly lock your desirable bike at the same place (which makes it more of a target, but also allows you to leave one lock there). Forcing a thief to bring a battery powered grinder and make four cuts is probably about as much theft prevention as is feasible for most of us. Lock your bike correctly, I often see bikes with a U lock only securing a wheel leaving the rest of the bike for the taking, or just looped around a top tube leaving lots of room to insert a leverage tool. Also consider locking skewers or other ways to discourage component theft.

My son rides a nice, desirable, vintage road bike to high school, a bike theft challenge if there ever was one. He locks it with a U lock (seat stays and rear wheel) and a heavy chain (front wheel and downtube). He uses the school's bike racks, leaves the chain on the rack. I filled the Allen bolts for stem and seatpost with silicone caulk (some will superglue in a ball bearing), used thick zipties to secure the lights. So his bike is now difficult to steal, not impossible. The result is that it hasn't been stolen. Components haven't been stripped off either, although someone stole a little bag he'd attached to the bike. If he left it there overnight, it probably would be stolen.

As for me, I have never had a bike stolen. I've used U locks since they came out (1970s). Always lock to something secure (used to use parking meters, until bike racks became widespread). Always trap frame and rear wheel, and sometimes I'll put the front wheel in the lock too. I never leave a bike out overnight, or a nice bike for a long time at night, and I try to lock up around other bikes.

smasha

Abus Bordo 6000 (link plate) VS 30" Bolt Cutters
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nufA7NiClxU

Abus Bordo 6000 (pin) VS 30" bolt cutters Part 1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UtCY3GC5VYY

Abus Bordo 6000 VS 30" Bolt Cutters Part 2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1dpW0PtpsY

Abus Bordo 6000 cut part 3 - Link pin sheared in 1:30
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opjDdMkpjXQ

the best lock is 2x locks. at least one of which should be a mid/high end krypto or abus U-lock, properly applied to a solid rack/pipe and capturing the seat-stays and rear wheel, with no room to get a tool inside the lock. the second lock should ideally be a mid/high end chain (10-12mm links), through the front triangle and front wheel, and again, around a rack/pipe. if practical, leave the chain locked up where you regularly park.

if a big/heavy chain isn't practical, carry a medium weight chain (6-8mm links) or a "good" cable lock... understanding that "good cable lock" is something of an oxymoron.

if your bike is nice enough, someone will just cut through the frame and leave the locks... the frame would be trashed, but they'll still be walking away with $1-2k worth of group-set, a nice saddle, and if you didn't lock the wheels, another $1-2k worth of wheels. if a bike is that nice, it should be locked up at home unless you're sitting on it.

watch hal's videos so you understand that a good lock is worthless if it's not used properly - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...DE93E53A57C274

alan s 

You don't say whether you have to transport the lock or leave it locked to the rack at work. If the latter, the the 10 pound Kryptonite NY chain locks are probably about the best you can get for a reasonable price. I use one around the frame and rear wheel and a u lock for the front wheel.

Bike Gremlin

Good choice. I've been using it for years. Only better thing is a good, thick chain, which is more expensive, heavier and more problem to carry on a bicycle (Bordo has that neat carry frame mounted rack).

Bike Gremlin

Bordo Granit X-plus (not the 6000 model) is as good as you can carry on a bicycle. Any chain can be cut with enough time and good tools.

JohnJ80

Exactly how expensive and what are you intending to do with it? The more expensive the bike, the more incentive for the thieves to defeat your locking system.

j.

fietsbob

I have one and it is Excellent though I Didn't pay quite that much as I have a Part Time LBS Job, but I have to pay for Health Insurance separately.. Ugh ..

At least My small town does Not have a thriving Bike Theft Subculture ... That Helps A Lot..

itsonlysmellz

I going to be buying a Giant TCR 1 road bike and I'll be using it for all my transportation and commuting. I do a lot of free lance work and other jobs around the city so having a fast quality road bike appeals to me, compared to my current hybrid.

smasha

there's nothing special about chains that make them prone to being cut. with the right tool(s), ANY lock of ANY type can be cut.

with the right tool(s), it takes at least twice as long to bust two locks as it takes to bust one lock. with the wrong tool(s), two different types of locks locks can't be busted.

you can't outrun the bear, but you can outrun the other campers...

A bear jumps out of a bush and starts chasing two hikers. They both start running for their lives, but then one of them stops to put on his running shoes.
His friends says, "What are you doing? You can't outrun a bear!"
His friend replies, "I don't have to outrun the bear; I only have to outrun you!"

other points to consider...
1- uglify your bike - 10 DIY Tips for Making Your Bike the Ugliest on the Block (Camouflage Against Bike Thieves) : TreeHugger

2- BikeRegistry stickers - BikeRegistry.com

3- when possible, lock up next to better bikes with worse locks. most cities are full of them.

i didn't think much of the BikeRegistry stickers, but a few years ago i got some in my hand - now they're on my bikes. they're actually nice and i do recommend them. of course, you also have to register the bike with them, but that's free.

smasha

what city will you be riding around?

in the US, abus U-locks are rare... in EU, krypto locks are rare. at the low end, both companies make cheap junk (but it's cheap junk that's still light years ahead of "dollar store locks"). at the high end, both companies arguably make the best U-locks you can buy. if i were in the US, i'd start with a top-end abus U-lock. if i were in EU i'd start with a top-end krypto U-lock.

based on your criteria, i'd consider a mid/high end abus bordo as a good secondary lock. almost as good as a decent/good chain, but considerably lighter, and much-much better than a cable-lock.

U-lock around the seat-stays and rear wheel and a rack. bordo through the front triangle and front wheel and rack. IMO, that's the best you can do, based on what you're describing.

the bordo may be able to to busted with large/heavy hand tools, but a good krypto or abus U-lock can NOT be busted with hand-tools, especially if it's used properly. power tools can get through both locks, but power tools can get through ANYTHING with enough time and noise. most bad guys don't use power tools, and the ones that do probably won't risk it for a TCR1 with two locks... unless the bike is parked in a LOCATION that lends itself to no witnesses.

so those locks, used that way, and locked up in reasonable locations... you should be fine.

spare_wheel

Here in portland they are cutting through the bike racks with carbide saws. Apparently it's far, far quicker than defeating the locks.

Beth W

I live in San Francisco and had a beloved bike stolen after someone defeated my relatively cheap u-bar. Since then I lock my bikes up with a heavy Kryptonite chain plus one of their very small, strong u-locks. If I need extra protection I use the chain plus a cable. Also I'm very picky about where I will leave it unattended.

smasha

yeah... then they can toss the bikes in the back of "the van" and bust the locks where they have some privacy, time, and cutting torches. the only defence against that, without using violence, is an undesirable/ugly bike.

Bike Gremlin

Correct, up to a point. Any chain is as good as it's weakest link. One good chain can be harder to break than 2 bad ones. That is also something to have in mind. Good quality core hardened steel that is thicker than 10mm (preferably 12) takes really big cutters - longer than can fit beneath a jacket. This rules out 99% of bike thieves in the city where I live. Also, if not locked near the ground (for good leverage against the pavement), it may be hard to cut even with logner cutters.

Using saw, good chains take 15 minutes to cut, while bad ones take 1 to 5.

Using electric grinder - it also makes difference between 1 minute for a good lock and 10 seconds for a bad one.


This all goes in addition to the rest of your post, which I agree with:

smasha

yeah... i was implying that it takes twice as much work (time, noise, effort) to bust two good locks than one good lock, more or less.

but i'm not sure about core hardened chains. there's a reason why good locks and security chains are case hardened, not core hardened.

Bike Gremlin

I'll quote a chain producer:

"Case hardening is very inexpensive and provides virtually no protection against bolt cutters. The case hardening process is usually only a few thousandths of an inch deep on cheap China products. An analogy would be a hard boiled egg. Hard on the outside, but very soft on the inside. High quality chains have a much deeper case. Core hardening means all the metal is hardened to various degrees. Core hardening, often called triple heat treated, is the only way to truly defeat bolt cutters assuming the link is thick enough. Key is to harden the steel throughout without it becoming to brittle.

Getting the core and case hardness just right is very expensive which is why high security chains are expensive. Hardness is measured in Rockwell. Example! ABUS Magnum Lock and Chain is a minimum 65 Rockwell which is harder than some bolt-cutter jaws. The higher the number the harder the material. Files and hack saws are only about 58-61 Rockwell. Ball bearings are about 63 Rockwell. Bolt cutters are about the same hardness as a well hardened security chain so it becomes about the amount of pressure that can be applied. Obviously, given enough time and ability to make noise, a torch or cutting disc will cut any chain."

bmthom.gis

This looks promising https://www.kickstarter.com/projects...ref=nav_search

erig007

As a secondary lock maybe to secure a wheel but not as a main lock
The lock housing is the weak area i believe
i can see 3 different ways to open this thing quickly

KonAaron Snake 

I've never had one stolen while using a kryptonite NY'r or evolution. Some of this might depend on where you live...if you have bike targeting thieves with angle grinders, nothing is going to stop them. Short of angle grinders, the NY'r isn't going to be easy to break. That pen thing hasn't applied to krypto in ages to my knowledge.

I usually try to park in places that make theft harder...I try to minimize the time of exposure and I try to park next to easier targets. I'll park in covered car lots when I can...and some of the underground parking lots beneath buildings have bike parking.

I also have some home owners insurance coverage to help if something does happen.

Again, I don't know how things are where you live, but near me (Philadelphia) most thefts are break in related. They're not stolen while locked up, they're stolen from garages, common areas of condos/apartments, and homes during break ins. The ones that get stolen locked up are typically locked poorly and/or left out overnight every night. Bikes that are properly locked up on a short term basis are rarely stolen here. Always remember that what you lock to is part of the lock...flimsy fencing means you have an easy to cut lock. Bike theft prevention where I live means home protection.

smasha

Slaninar - core hardening makes a material tougher against abrasive cutting attacks, because the "middle" of the material is harder (higher rockwell). but, core hardening can simultaneously make a material more vulnerable to other types of attacks, because as a metal becomes harder, it also becomes more brittle.

think of a glass bottle... ever try cutting through glass with a "regular" hacksaw? not gonna work too well... but what happens to that same glass bottle when it's dropped on a concrete floor? it shatters. the hardness of glass can't be measured using a rockwell test, but it can be measured using a "scleroscope" test, and converted into a rockwell scale it's >90 (rockwell-A scale).

i'm not suggesting that you can smash a core-hardened lock by dropping it on a hard floor (you can, but only under special conditions, or if the hardening process was done wrong) but there are ways to smash a lock that don't involve abrasive cutting, and some of those methods are easier with a core-hardened lock than a case-hardened lock.

smasha

similar here, too... usually. most stolen bikes are lost from homes, apartments, garages, and the backs of cars, where they aren't locked up.

this means locking up the bike at home, too. if you don't have a solid "anchor" to lock to at home, use a "mini" U-lock (eg, a kryptonite evo-mini, or NYFU) that goes around the seat-stays and rear-wheel. the lock can't be removed with leverage alone, the bike can't be ridden with the lock in place, and cutting off the rear wheel would still leave the bike un-rideable. most bad guys who don't specialize in bikes won't bother with it - it's too much trouble for a typical B&E/crack-head/burglar to bother with. they'll just grab the x-box, the games, and the flat-panel tv, which can be sold without a problem before they need their next fix. anything that can't be spent, used, or sold within 30 minutes isn't worth the trouble for them.

JohnJ80

I wouldn't give you good odds on keeping this one for long. It's a current model bike and it's going to have a higher resale value than a lot of other bikes.

What we've done successfully for the last 4 years for my kids at a major university is to put them on top end bikes from back in the 1980's. These are high quality bikes with high quality components including custom built wheels. That said, the bikes are not worth much on resale except to someone who really, really wants that bike. However, they are outstanding bikes, fast and with great ride quality. They are not going to be convertible into a lot of cash that can be used to buy drugs or for other illicit activities. They meet the need of great ride, nice bike but not worth much.

What we've done then is to use a serious locking strategy with top end U locks and pit locks on all the wheel skewers, seat posts and forks. What that turns this into then is a nice bike, but not worth the time to steal given the serious locking strategy. However, with a bike like you are proposing, as soon as a thief figure out your pattern and sees the bike in the same place more than once, they are going to be thinking of a way to defeat your locking strategy because the resale is so much better. They have the advantage on you because they get to walk over and look at what you've done to lock it, figure out how to defeat it and then just wait until they can make it happen.

What's I'd suggest is to go find a top end vintage used bike and essentially do what we've done. We have a combined time of about 7 bike-years compiled off of two bikes located at a major university for 4 and 3 years respectively. Neither of them have been touched even though bikes were stolen from right along side them. For multiple of those years, each bike spent time stored outside where it could be seen and observed 24/7. Given that, I'm pretty confident in our set up.

In our case, our defense is based on several things:

1. Great bike but low resale. Can't be converted to enough cash to make it worthwhile defeating our locks.
2. Using two U locks to lock up at night - Sheldon Brown method on the back, a separate U lock from downtube to front wheel. This 2nd lock is left in place when they use the bikes for transportation.
3. Locking of components to bike.

All of these make it too slow to convert to too little cash. Hey, thieves understand the time value of money better than most economists.

We've also, at times when thefts have spiked, used both a U lock and a cable/lock to lock it up overnight. This necessitates two different sets of tools to defeat it.

The primary problem you are going to have is that your bike is easily convertible into cash and at a better resale.

J.