usndoc2011

I'm putting together a new bike, and I'm trying to find a sensible way to store my u-lock on my bike. I previously had a Onguard u-lock bracket (for the Pitbull LS) on my bike, that broke almost immediately. It didn't look like the kryptonite brackets were any more robust but I haven't tried. I ended up fashioning a u-lock bracket out of PVC, which worked quite well but looked terrible and beat up my frame because I had to secure it with hose clamps (with padding, but still...).

Anybody have any ideas or reviews of u-lock brackets that don't suck (keep your u-lock secured no matter what, are easy to use, look good and don't beat up your frame)? Keep in mind if the u-lock bracket is proprietary, I need the u-lock itself to be good quality. I'm also not opposed to fashioning another custom holder, but I'd prefer to have something machined and not hack-sawed.

fietsbob

Tubus Locc rear rack and the Abus U lock that Tubus designed the rack to carry.


I got an Abus Bordo Granit, folding link lock , carries in a pouch , mounts on water bottle bosses or straps..

himespau 

I use a bungee cargo net to hook my u lock to my rack. It works pretty well, bounces occasionally if I'm too loose with my attachments. Seems like an old manufacturer, (maybe masterlock) had holders that you actually locked your lock into so it didn't come off. My lock is an old Speciallized (don't think they've made locks for years) that had a worthless clamp that you tightened with a cam that wouldn't hold the lock in tight enough and a moderate bump would have you losing your lock.

fuzz2050

I'm also putting my vote in for a rear rack. Nothing else I've seen does a half decent job of keeping it secure but still easily accessible.

himespau 

I kind of like the idea of this rack that has a slot in it to securely hold your lock, but I can't see myself dropping $90 on a rack that (while it does have the lowered pannier bars) can only hold 40 lbs, which is the same as the $20 rack I have now and have used for the last 5 years and then dropping another large chunk of money on a new lock.

On the other hand, my current lock has a round key and while it's not a kryptonite brand, I'm still sort of nervous that the bic trick might work (I bought it at an lbs on my way up to my first year of college - odd that I just stopped in at a shop on a random town to buy it on a whim, but it's done the job - some 15 years ago).

MichaelW

Top of the rack. Simple, light, easy to access.
A rear rack with a front stop that is big enough to accept the curve of a U lock. Bungie chord to stop it bouncing off.

mrtibbs_here

Sounds like you already have a U-Lock,...but if you are buying one, the smaller sizes (mine is a mini On Guard) go quickly and easily through the rails of the saddle. And can be secured quickly with a little mini bungee or similar.

I can have the lock on or off the bike very quickly and I've never had an issue with it getting loose.

A bonus is that the smaller locks are said to be harder for thieves to attack,...less room to get a leverage tool into the lock. And most of the mini-jacks they use to bust the locks, won't fit inside the mini U-Lock (so they can't break the lock and steal your bike via that popular method).

I haven't tried a larger lock with the carry through the saddle rails method, but you could trial that too...

Good luck https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-w...0/IMG_4466.JPG

bubbagrannygear

Have gone through 2 kryptonite holders and settled for simply weaving the lock through my Wald front basket. Also - I commute from home (locked garage) to a train station daily ( bike locked on rack). During the week I leave the U lock locked to the bike rack so I only carry it to the station on Monday, and from the station on Friday. Saves weight and a lot of rattling around on the daily commute. For errands around town in between, I use a cable lock that I keep on the top tube.

dmcdmc

+1 rear rack and bungees

and you get to use the rack as a rack too! bonus!

Sixty Fiver

I hang my u-lock on my rack if I am not carrying panniers and when I have panniers put the lock through some of the side straps... have always hated lock brackets on my bikes.

newkie

This is what you're looking for: https://www.wiggle.co.uk/abus-ugh-bracket/

It's the only aftermarket bracket I've ever heard good reports about.

That said, I just use bungees and a rack.

unterhausen

for $30, do they give you 3? I have some twofish holders, but I'm not sure how they work with locks. I managed to ruin the velcro straps pretty quickly just using them for lights

K'Tesh

I have the same kind of U-lock, and I use a Planet Bike Eco Rack (costs between $22 and $37USD, Load capacity: 55 lbs.). I simply slide the lock between the outer rail and the deck of the rack. I also use PB's Freddy Fenders ($19-40USD), and the strut that keeps the fender off the wheel also serves to keep the lock out of the wheel too. I also use a bungee to hold it down and keep it from jumping ship (but more often than not, the bungee slides off, and the lock stays put anyway).

I'll also note that I use disk brakes, but was still able to mount the rack w/o modifications (other than a longer screw to accommodate the fender). My fender did need to have a notch cut away to accommodate the support under the rack's deck.

You can see my arrangement in this photo:

SweetLou

Two Fish makes a couple of different mounts. The light mount differs from the Lock Block. Though I have seen people use two light mounts to hold the lock to the handlebars.

The light mount has the two Cs at 90 degrees from each other. This allows the flashlight to be pointed forward on the bars. The Lock Block has the two Cs inline, so that the lock will be in the same plane as the mount and the tubes.

unterhausen

they are pretty much identical to each other though, just the angle of the holes.

SweetLou

Correct. When you said that you didn't know how they work with locks, I thought you had the light mounts and couldn't figure a way to get a U-lock attached and not be in the way. Another way to take your statement is that you haven't tried the Two Fish Lock Blocks, so you don't know how functional they are. I didn't think of this alternate meaning until now. If that is the case, then they work fine.

SouthFLpix

As far as I'm aware, a commercially available unlock holder that is worth a damn doesn't exist, which is why so many peole sort of rig up their own solution.

himespau 

I wish lockblocks would make a holder that would attach to both the top and seat tubes. Top tube alone and it'd swing, I'd think. Don't know why they make it to attach to the stem/bars. That area is already pretty busy for me.

Oldsport

I hook mine through the rails on my brooks. The saddle bag hangs right between the lock and adds stability. I also use a bungie that is rapped around my seat post and hooked on my rack to keep the lock from swinging against the seat post.

mrosenlof

I have a mini u-lock. Something that REI sells, but not Kryptonite. The frame mount didn't work well for me. The lock hangs off one side of my rear rack. It rattles and I live with it. If I'm carrying a pannier, I hang it over the lock and it rattles a lot less. If you have a Brooks saddle or similar with little bag loops, you can get a couple of straps in those loops and hange the lock from that.

4st7lbs

I ditched the frame mount and went with either bungie cording it down, like others have suggested, or using a ULock holster (https://fabrichorse.com/holster.html) when I ride with my regular clothes. I have a super heavy lock (Kryptonite NY Fahgettaboudit) so I have to keep my belt or the cords super tight.

unterhausen

anyone ever seen a good ulock holder on a custom rack? I am in the middle of building a rack and I could incorporate something

2_i 

There are several mounts from Abus that work, but you need to order them from Germany. As an example I use one to attach a large U-lock to a Brompton folder. The situation is complicated in that the mounted U-lock should not interfere with riding, folding, carrying the bike by hand and transporting the bike in a suitcase. Diameter of the horizontal tube in a Brompton is oversized. The mounts from Abus allow, though, to deal with different situations and even one like this.

2_i 

I made my own holder out of alu tubes attached horizontally to a rack.

himespau 

That is an awesome idea. I wonder if I could do something similar with pvc pipe on the top of the rack or if that'd take too much of a beating, become brittle, and break.