vincavinz22

I am moving from a medium-crime college town to Philadelphia (which is apparently notorious for bike theft) and am wondering if I should upgrade my u-lock. My bike was bought used and isn't worth too much (about $100) but I really don't want to be without a bike and figure it makes sense to buy a new lock now rather than loose a bike AND need a new lock. I should be keeping the bike indoors at night, but will have to lock it up outside for hours at a time at various places (mostly during the day).

right now, I have a Blackburn folsom, which I have been impressed by the build quality of, compared to other blackburn products (FOLSOM U-LOCK - Locks). It was $35 and has a dual-bolt hexagonal design which seems like it adds to the lock's strength. On the forum it seems like the Kypronite locks in the $60-100 price range are the gold standard, however, I also have seen people saying that the lock doesn't matter that much past a certain point.

So, my question is -- does it make sense to upgrade from my blackburn to a kyptonite or do folks think I am already past the point where I am deterring all but the most determined/well-equipped thieves?

Sorry for the convoluted question -- new to this whole seriously worrying about my bike getting stolen thing...any advice would be awesome!

magomaev

I personally love abuse mini xplus 54. It's pricey but very good. Mini is easier to carry around...

Sangetsu

Yes

blakcloud

Buy a better lock. I suggest a Kryptonite Fahgettaboudit mini and still using your Blackburn. It is a small investment with big returns. All locks can be cut, but you need to make your bike less attractive to steal then the one next to it. A bike with two locks is less likely to be stolen.

Marcus_Ti

You admit you're going into a warzone as far as bike theft.

Don't leave it outside unless you have to. And the crappier looking the bike the better. It doesn't matter what lock you use. Your bike WILL NOT be there when you come back, if someone sees value in the bike it is wrapped around. All a bike lock does is make the thief think of other easier quarry. If a thief wants your bike, it is gone. Even if you have a great U-Lock and chain lock, and know how to use it, if the thief wants your bike you can kiss it goodbye.

Yes the more expensive locks are better...but at the end of the day they're just as much a mild "inconvenience" to professional thieves as the other locks.

fietsbob

Good place for a Wall Mart bike , leave your nice bike for the burglars to get from your house.

johnny99

A better lock will make a big difference. The cheapest Kryptonite U-locks are mediocre. Using 2 good locks instead of one also makes a big difference. Many modern bike racks are designed to be used with 2 locks (U-lock your rear wheel and frame with one lock, then a second U-lock or chain for your front wheel and frame).

gregf83 

For a $100 bike? Seems like overkill.

erig007

For a 200$ bike, the one the OP got + the one the OP will have to buy after having this one stolen

gsa103

Expensive U-lock's are marginally better. Your current lock is probably fine given that its a cheap bike. Your U-Lock should be immune to bolt and cable cutters. That leaves the bike thieves "I-win-button", the cordless angle grinder.

The difference between your lock and a Kryptonite is something like ~30sec vs ~2min for a Kryptonite. Keep in mind many thieves don't carry angle grinders, and those that do are likely looking for nicer bikes. Most theives are looking for easy targets, and any decent U-lock is not an easy target.

Bike Gremlin

Cheaper U-locks have a lock that can easily be picked. If you want a system with good thick hardened steel, good lock and good holding mechanism that prevents brute force breaking, you need to pay more. Unfortunately.


U-locks over 50 euros usually leave thieves with angle grinder option only, which few of them carry. Those cheaper leave them with ability to pick the lock, force open the lock (on some models) or just cut them with bolt cutters if they're not at least 12mm of hardened steel thick.

Deontologist

Picking a lock is rock bottom or not even on most criminals' mental lists of steps to take a bike. Cutting also isn't exactly the number one method. The most popular method is a leverage attack with a long pipe.

lostarchitect 

Correct. And this will be the only method used to get such a cheap bike. The blackburn lock will fail quickly.

OP, you should get a Kryptonite, either the yellow "New York" models or at least the orange "Evolution" models. Keep your old lock and use it for extra security for your wheels.

gsa103

The OPs current U-lock has the same laser cut keys as a Kryptonite, and secures at both ends. That makes it fairly resistant to both picking and leverage.

The OPs existing lock seems like a good solution for an in-expensive commuter bike. It will deter most thieves, and the bike is cheap enough that determined thieves won't waste their time. I can't see justifying buying a lock that costs as much as the bike.

Bike Gremlin

I can. Justify. My bike is around 50 e, while my lock is around 100e. I'd rather buy one lock per 10 years, then buy a new 50e bike (2nd hand) each year.

Deontologist

OP - I think the best course of action is to first scout out the areas you will be locking your bike up. What do you see? For example, where I live, I see the occasional bike missing a wheel because someone didn't lock up their quick-release wheel. I rarely - actually, I don't ever recall - seeing a violated lock. I also see a fair share of missing seat posts. These two pieces of information tell me that I should a) secure my wheels with a lock or non-QR skewer and b) secure my seatpost with a non-QR clamp.

If you see a lot of violated locks lying around in your area - you probably want a beefier lock.

If you just see a lot of bikes with parts missing - you can probably stick with the lock you have but consider investing in a second lock to secure both your wheels. This is what I do.

If you see bikes with missing handlebars, derailleurs, etc. - then you live in a pretty bad area. People are willing to strip locked up bikes. This is when you need to consider locking nuts such as Pinheads or the like. Granted, you said your bike is rather cheap, so maybe it doesn't have parts that thieves want. But you never know.

AngeloDolce

My experience parking $100-$150 bicycles is limited to evening events after work or events on weekends (afternoon/evening). I've found a cheap U lock (like yours) to be adequate. Note (a) I'm typically in decent areas of Philadelphia (b) I don't leave the bike locked overnight (very high risk) and (c) there are usually fancier bikes locked nearby. If you're going to work and leaving the bike all day on a predictable schedule, I'd be more interested in a more secure lock.

Definitely avoid leaving the bike outside overnight. I lost one bike that way (recovered later, locked up nearby), while other students had their bikes damaged (bent frames) in attempted thefts.

You might look at other bikes locked where you'll be leaving yours; even if a new lock does cost as much as your bike, it might be cheaper than replacing the bicycle a few times depending on where you'll be in Philadelphia.

Of course, it's been a few years since I lived in Philadelphia and YMMV.