dukesup1978

I have a basic ULock and usually lock up the rear rim and tire, somewhere inside the rear triangle of the frame. I was wondering though, if someone wanted to, couldn't they just take my front wheel? This hasn't happened to me, but i was wondering, do most people lock up both wheels so that doesn't happen?

also - can u-locks be defeated?

Do not want my bike to get stolen!!

FredOak

I have the mini-ulock that came with a cable. I put the cable through the front wheel. Figure they have to cut the cable to get the front wheel and that's about all they are going to get, so probably not worth the effort.
According to what I've read a level 4 or 5 Ulock would take about 45 minutes to and hour to hack saw through.
The only other precaution I take is I take my seat into work with me too. So between the ulock, the cable and no seat I try to make it as inconvenient as possible.

What I do for the seat post hole, is I got a 3/4" PVC cap from Home Depot and put that in the seat post hole and lock it in place, keeps water out of the frame if it starts to rain.

mechBgon

Yes. One surefire method would be an oxy-acetylene torch. Nothing made of metal is going to hold out against a 6000°F cutting torch.

nahh

Yes. U-locks can be defeated. Car Jack, Angle Grinder, Welding Torch, Drill, Bic Pen. But all that requires time and effort. You only have to be locked up better than the bike beside yours.

o-dog

I lock up the front wheel and frame with a cable lock in addition to locking up the rear wheel and frame with a u-lock, that helps alot.

kwrides

+1. And I leave them both locked to the rack.

paulwwalters

Buy a cable lock or a cable with loops on both ends, then lock the front wheel to your frame or through your u-lock.

And yes, u-locks can be defeated with an electric grinder, or thermite cutting rod, or JDAM.

fuzz2050

I've had great luck destroying U-locks with C4

Sixty Fiver

I put my u lock on the back wheel and then secure the bike to something immovable and then put my cable through my front wheel and secure that cable to my crank with a minu u-lock which is just big enough to go through that and attach itself to the chainstay.

If you cut the cable you can have my front wheel but the mini u lock will prevent you from pedalling the bike and the rear u-lock is a double pinned shackle that should deter most thieves.

My bike basically looks like it is going to be a lot of trouble to steal.

When I am working as a courier I shackle my frame to poles and parking meters..the wheels are nutted and there are no QR's and I figure only a crazed bike jacker would try and steal a messenger's bike cause I am usually in and out of buildings in a few minutes.

That...and we watch out for each other's rides.

CliftonGK1

Please, would people stop perpetuating this one? Any reputable lock manufacturer stopped using cylindrical keys years ago. Flat keyed locks can not be popped with a pen tube.

modernjess

I think any lock is defeatable, but as has been said the more difficult you make it the less likely it will be chosen by a thief.

On my town /commuter I ride a single speed with a solid axle and 15mm nuts on my both tires. No QR. I don't worry as much about the wheels being taken. I carry a wrench with me (surly jethro tool)

uke

I've got QR wheels on both my bikes, but don't worry about theft. I typically just U-lock the frame to the rack (or in some cases, a signpost).

MrCjolsen

It depends on how badly someone wants to take your front wheel and how much you'd like to keep your front wheel. I'm sure there's some kind of mathematical curve that expresses this concept.

FYI, I don't usually lock mine. I also only need to lock my bike if I go out to lunch or stop someplace on the way home. If I had to leave it outside my workplace all day, I probably would.

rugerben

I was in Home Depot this morning, and saw a really nice heavy gauge chain. I also saw good heavy locks for about $15 with "boron-carbide" shackles.

I was thinking that for about $20 you could have a good supplement to the u-lock. I can't wait till my onguard u-lock gets here. Should be here probably tomorrow or the day after.

unterhausen

I still see plenty of bic-pen-openable locks, including the one on my bike. I probably should update. The only reason I haven't is due to the fact that I don't leave the bike places where it is likely to be stolen. I also use a reasonably nice cable lock.

madcalicojack

That Heavy gauge chain is probably not as large a diameter as a typical U-lock, and is also probably not hardened to the same hardness. It would also be a LOT more weight than a typical U-lock. There really isn't a good substitute for a u-lock and Sheldon Brown's locking strategy. I lock with a Kryptonite New York U-lock on the rear wheel through the triangle and a separate locking cable through the front and rear wheels and frame. The cable wouldn't be too hard to defeat, and I'd lose my front wheel. But there are lots of bikes where I park with unsecured front or rear wheels so I'm not too worried.

rugerben

Oh, I realize that the chain would probably be easier to defeat than the U-lock. that's why I said it could supplement. Much the way that your cable supplements your u-lock.

I already have very heavy cable that I plan to use to supplement my u-lock when it gets here.

mtnwkr

This is a good video to show you just how unsafe your bike is..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7zb8YXrmIA

gmacdermid

I use a New York lock around the front wheel and frame or an Evolution Mini around the rear wheel through the frame. Either way one wheel is at some risk, but given that I lock and unlock many times a day, I take that tradeoff between better security and convenience.

When leaving the bike in my garage, I put the U-lock around the frame and wheel so that if the door is left open or someone breaks in, they have to carry the bike away, rather than ride it.

cg1985

I never feel comfortable leaving my bike locked up for long periods of time. About the only time I feel at peace with it is when I am carrying my U-Lock. It's an OnGaurd U-Lock with a thick, looped-end cable. I use Sheldon Brown's strategy for locking it up, and then the cable to secure the front wheel.

But at work I bring my bike inside, and I don't tend to stay at one place longer than 10 minutes, so I usually just carry my cable lock, its a pretty thick cable, and it is lighter than the U-Lock, and easier to work with.

I might see how heavy the mini U-Locks are, might be better to carry

Belazriel

So what do you say to someone hacksawing their way through a bike lock? And if it's your lock that for some reason is messed up and won't open, how do you convince them it's yours?

I think UL should rate bike locks the same way they rate safes. Although for a lot of them it seems a 1 minute rating would be all you could get.