Maelochs

From what I have seen (on video, not in person) pro thieves get a nondescript van, drive around to racks, a guy jumps out the back with a cutter of some sort, and the bike is in the van and the van down the road in 30 seconds or so.

They bring the best tools they can buy or steal, because they are professionals---they spend all night driving around stealing bikes, and they know where to sell them before they start. They know what bikes are worth stealing and what they will sell for; they know how many bikes they need to make decent money. They count on no one paying enough attention to write down the license plate, which is probably stolen anyway.

Anyone with a decent pair of wire cutters or diagonal pliers (dikes) can cut through most cables in a very short time .... anyone who is carrying more tools that that is either some laborer who just happens to see a bike and have a bad thought, or is someone looking to steal bikes ....

Any lock or chain can be defeated, but the longer it takes, the better your chances with the pros. Why, though, would anyone ride a nice bike in a place where it would likely get stolen? if I lived in a big city I would either ride a throwaway beater or never leave my bike unattended for longer than it took to take a link and buy a drink.

ShadowGray

Snowboard lock, like this: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...4Y21EW0BNHNQ6Q

Fast, retractable and enough of a deterrent for a rest stop. Fits in a saddle bag.

ColonelSanders

It is unclear how tough the shackle is and I would be concerned about the reliability of the unlocking mechanism.

TheIndiePlaylis

I was thinking the same. How often does this lock act up and stay locked or not lock at all?! At least with an old school manual lock you know it works

Milton Keynes

The best bike lock in the world won't work if you don't use it correctly:



I'm pretty confident my bike won't get stolen.

Of course it takes me an hour before I can go anywhere.

On the other hand, I'm glad to know that my pizza won't get stolen.

SpeshulEd 

Every bike lock can/will be defeated with enough time.

My theory, lock it up in logical locations, than make your bike look harder to steal than the rest of the bikes in the rack.

fietsbob

Live in a a Hot bed of Bike theft? you could Leave and Move elsewhere..

ColonelSanders

Pay attention Dopey, no one who has posted in this thread to date is living in Perth.

General Geoff

Angle grinder always wins. Just takes a few minutes and generates lots of noise and sparks.

fietsbob

Brisbane then who cares.. ? Move if you are insecure

bransom

I like that. Think I'll order one.

ColonelSanders

Stop trolling you idiot.

Phil_gretz

^ Philadelphia!!! Do I win anything?

Okay, I cheated and used Google. So?

maartendc

This isn't news. We all know that there is no such thing as an unbeatable lock. There are just locks that take more time, thus are more of a deterrent.

Don't ever leave an expensive bike unattended, or a bike that you can't afford to get stolen. I won't EVER EVER EVER leave my nice carbon fiber road bike unattended or locked-up. I just ride it and take it straight home. If I stop somewhere, I take it with me.

I live in Atlanta, and regularly lock up my commuter bike outside the grocery store or a restaurant with a Kryptonite Mini 7 U-lock + cable loop. Most of the time my bike has the best lock of any bikes I see locked up. I regularly see expensive bikes being locked up with very flimsy cable locks, so I figure thieves would steal those before they steal mine. I think bike theft is not that big of an issue here apparently.

maartendc

Haha, and if your phone runs out of battery you can't get home! Great idea!!

This is a typical example of a solution to a problem that doesn't exist. Nobody ever said "gee, its so much work to carry my bike lock key around, I wish I could use my smartphone instead".

SpeshulEd 

Yeah, at first the Skylock looks great, and then you realize it's just a solution to a problem that never existed. Carrying a key isn't hard.

The stolen bike alert sounds great, but it can only alert you if it's on your local phone wifi network (huge battery killer for your phone) ...which pretty much means you have to be within 20' of your bike at all times, so why wouldn't you just keep your eye on your bike anyway.

Crash alert also seems handy, but there are already cell phone apps that do the same thing.

And the bike share thing, I'll never use.

So you're pretty much left with a really expensive u-lock.

Jaywalk3r

BikeSnobNYC wrote about them, highlighting some pretty serious design shortcomings, peppered with his typical entertaining cynicism.

Darth_Firebolt

I have a gps tracker looking device under my saddle and leave my $1200 bike locked up in plain sight at train stations with a $7 cable lock. Bike thieves are convinced it's a bait bike and refuse to steal it.

/S

ChuteTheMall

Has anyone tried common police handcuffs?
Advantages include ease of carry, and possibility a thief might hesitate to steal from a cop.
Disadvantages include being able to buy a key for a dollar or two, as most are keyed alike.

Miele Man

So, the thief removes the saddle with the GPS looking device on it and leaves it after they cut the cable and ride off on the bicycle sans saddle.

cheers

Maelochs

yeah, I'd say that you have had good luck, not a good strategy. If I were a thief, I think $500 for a $1200 bike, I'd eat the cost of a new seat post and saddle.

MikeinBuffalo

It's kind of intimidating to come back to your lock with cut marks on it! This happened to me when I returned from an errand and found my Abus Granit-X with a big gash in the top, clearly a hacksaw job. It's creepy to know someone was going through your bike, but also good to know your lock discouraged them. Anyways- get a good lock!

ColonelSanders

Did you have a folding lock, a U-lock or a chain?

MikeinBuffalo

The best U Lock I could get

Maelochs

I have to apologize. I got a painful blister on my palm and had to stop. Next time I will finish cutting through the lock and take the bike. I had no idea my failure to steal your bike would make you so uncomfortable.