sstorkel

It's a good thing bike thieves are stupid. If I were a bike thief, I'd walk around with a couple of Allen wrenches and strip frames of their components in 20-30 seconds/each. Components are easier to hide, easier to transport, almost impossible to trace... and the much-hailed U-lock does nothing to protect them.

I'm with raybo and staehpj1: in small towns I use a small lock or don't bother while in large towns I do everything possible not to leave the bike unattended. Trusting any lock is a recipe for disappointment...

Steve0000

Whenever I tour, I use a cable lock to attach my bike to something solid or to my partner's bike. I treat the lock as a means to deter the casual thief and to make it more difficult for them to steal the bike. I know that you can't make any bike thiefproof. My cable lock is a compromise for weight and effectiveness. In Amsterdam, I saw numerous commuting bikes locked with very heavy chains and locks which would be too heavy to carry on a tour. I also rely on the fact that my bike is old and not particularly attractive to steal, but it is suited to what I do.

Another issue is a fully loaded touring bike is not as attractive as an unladen cycle if the thief wishes to steal only the bike. If they want the pannier contents, then that is another security matter again.

Bekologist

I'm one to bring a ulock AND cable when i trad tour with 4 panniers. The weight doesn't matter and the security is a bonus

Even while ultralite touring I bring an (alloy) U-Lock. I felt allright using one locking my bike up for food and shopping stops even in and around San Francisco.

Maybe locks are more peace of mind?

I've used cable 'coffeeshop' locks on rando type rides, but wouldn't leave a bike with one of those in SF for any duration.

WalksOn2Wheels

I was actually using Golden as an example of a larger town. I chose it because it's not Denver, but it is a nice place for a lunch stop if you wanted to do any riding in the area. I would want a U-lock there myself. I did some motorcycle riding around there a couple of years back when a friend was working there.

I think a lot of this stems from having one motorcycle and one scooter stolen from me in the past. It just doesn't make sense to skimp on security to me. It's worth a pound. And I travel pretty light as it is. That and a picture of a very sad tourer with a cut cable lock.

prathmann

When touring I'd be more upset about the theft of my loaded panniers than the bike itself. Fortunately the panniers and contents aren't very attractive theft targets - although it would be very inconvenient and expensive for me to replace them, they have very little resale value to a thief. But that reduces the value for me in carrying a relatively heavy lock which only protects the bike frame and wheels.

Small, high value items (camera, phone, GPS, other electronics, wallet, etc.) I carry in a quickly detachable handlebar bag or fanny-pack that I take with me, but the panniers generally stay on the bike when I go in a store or restaurant. I use a pretty light cable lock to protect against the casual 'opportunity thief' but depend more on locking it in a location where I can keep an eye on the bike and panniers. I've never had anything stolen while on a bike tour and it's been a few decades now since I've had a bike or components stolen under any circumstances. I do have a U-lock, but it sees little use - only when I'm riding into a major city and/or will be leaving the bike unattended somewhere for an extended period.

staehpj1

OH, sorry to misinterpret that. I wasn't sure what you were saying there.

BTW, I am not knocking your choice of locks, for you. I just do not rely much on the integrity of a lock and therefore pretty much any lock is adequate for me. Could my bike go AWOL on tour? Sure. Is it likely, probably not. Would it end my tour, maybe, but probably not unless it was a short tour or I was near the end anyway. One advantage of being used to touring without much stuff is that, if it all was stolen, you can get going again pretty quickly with walmart crap for a few hundred dollars. I have met a few riders on long tours who bought most of their stuff in a quick stop at walmart at the start of their tour. Their reason was that they flew in from S.E Asia and didn't want to bring much, but it demonstrated that it was possible. BTW they seemed to be having as much fun as folks with $10,000 rigs.

BTW, I might feel differently if I toured on an expensive bike or had a lot of high dollar gear. Since my heavy touring bike was $599 delivered and my UL touring bike can be found for a maybe $200 used (~1990 Cannondale road bike) and my gear is mostly pretty minimal and inexpensive I don't worry as much.

WalksOn2Wheels

This is true. My gear isn't exactly top dollar, but I only have two bikes and both are either expensive, or sentimental (my first real road bike) that I've put a lot of time and money into. I'm much less inclined to leave it inadequately locked. I can definitely see the point if you're not too worried about the bike itself.

Cyclesafe

Lots in play here in the probability of theft (where, how long, appeal of bike, etc.), compounded with personal aversion to risk, and one's own personal load weight / perceived value balance. The "rational" responses range from keeping-the-bike-next-to-you-at-all-times to completely abandoning it compounded with U-Lock / chain to no locking system. Once someone has their bike stolen, one generally moves more towards the proximity / lock quadrant.

I carry a lightish cable lock, bring the bike indoors when possible, but also keep a furtive eye on it. Campsites are slected bearing in mind not only a level dry place to sleep, but also whether there is something solid to lock the bike to. My locked bike is always right in front of the door of my tent.

When my bike is stolen, it won't be because (in my own mind) I didn't take reasonable precautions against theft, it'll be because it was my turn.

kc0yef 

Lost commuter funny, I have limited touring experience But I will be doing the Seattle to Portland this year with 5 riders we will pre stage a car and locks then drive home for a great dinner and a shower then back in the morning...

Aushiker

That is what I am getting for my Surly Long Haul Trucker.

Andrew

aprilstarchild

I carried a U-lock on my 3,800 mile tour--the same one I use at home, a big honking Kryptonite. And it wasn't like I was riding a super-nice bike, but I didn't want to be stranded in, say, rural Alberta.

Then again, a big part of our trip was specifically visiting cities, and we used our bikes for transportation while in cities.

I put all my most valuable stuff (iPod, netbook, wallet, important papers) in one pannier that has a shoulder strap, and would often take that indoors with me when we got off the bicycle.

While camping, or anyplace without good poles/racks, we frequently "hobbled" the bicycles by locking the front wheel to the frame. Yeah, people could still steal the bikes if they really wanted to, but it would be a tremendous pain the ass.

Call me paranoid, but the weight was worth the peace of mind.

VT_Speed_TR

Well, I don't tour thru "big" cities, but I only carry a very thin, 1/8 inch combo cable lock. My thought is that a "pro" bike thief will be able to cut/unlock anything you use. I think the chases of me crossing paths with this type of thief is very, very slim. More likely, some kid(s) will see the bike and just want to be jerks and swipe it. They don't know what its worth and have no plans to sell it. The cable is there to just stop/slow them down while I run into a grocery store or have something to eat. I try to always keep the bike in my sight, but sometimes I need to shop in larger stores.

The thing is, the "pro" thief knows how to disable any lock. Just go to Youtube and search for u-lock. You'll find all manner of videos on how to use a Bic pen to open a u-lock with a circular key type lock. The pro's know how to cut/pry apart u-locks and they carry the equipment to do just that. I believe in more rural areas and small towns you are just as well served by a light weight cable lock as some heavy lock. Oh, and my other requirement is that it must be a combination lock. I just know that the chances of me losing the key after locking up my bike are far greater then thief ;-)

Jim Kukula

Certainly no lock is invulnerable, and maybe a big monster lock carries an extra image of invulnerability that could fool the user into being less cautious and thereby make the lock even more vulnerable.

Kryponite doesn't used those cylindrical locks anymore. When that scandal hit, they had a replacement policy. I got all my Kryponite locks replaced for free. My guess is that nobody sells those cylindrical key locks anymore.

Be extra careful with the cylindrical combination locks that are often integral with cables - those are generally easy to open by feel!

For touring, I just got a Master M176 combination padlock that I plan to use with a Kryptoflex cable. No key to lose, secure enough to slow a thief down, and not too heavy.

The heavy duty locks are most important if you leave your bike someplace for a while and especially if it's left there repeatedly.

lhendrick

Since I don't want to have my new Surly LHT stolen Ii will add a good lock and cable, but I will go through all of my loaded gear to remove the 1 1/2 lbs it will weigh. My thinking is that touring is a matter of balancing priorities, and trading off gear for weight. So, what goes and what stays? I have recently moved to a lighter tent and cooking setup so that created some savings. Clothing is the current target for reduction. My best suggestion may be that I can take off 1 1/2 lbs from my body and then the lock is "free weight". Ta da!

Jim Kukula

Outside magazine, Feb 2012 pp 67-73, has an article on bike theft, "Who Pinched My Ride?"

One tid-bit: "You should spend about 10 percent of the total cost of your bike on security".

indyfabz

[QUOTE=Jim Kukula;13696541One tid-bit: "You should spend about 10 percent of the total cost of your bike on security".[/QUOTE]


So if you have a $5,000 bike you should spend $500 on bike security? Assuming they aren't talking about home-related security (e.g., alarm system), how does one do that?

prathmann

Conversely, my touring bike was free - so I shouldn't bother locking it? Don't think I'll follow their recommendation.

staehpj1

That tidbit seems downright silly to me. Indyfabz and Prathman's comments illustrate why.

Also it is extremely location specific. In some cities I have seen locks that were in my estimation worth more than the bikes they were protecting. Strangely in that location it might even have made sense. In other places the same lock would be overkill for even a much nicer bike.

djb

hi Mr VT, this has always been my take on this topic, and how I've travelled and locked up. Being in Montreal one has to be very wary, lucky and touch wood just talking about this--but on tour not in big cities, as you say, chances are slim (touch wood knock knock) so using common sense while shopping etc is the key word here. I too have aversions to keys on tour, and would never use that type of lock.

fietsbob

I have $2k+ into my Rohloff bike friday ,
got an Abus Bordo Granit link lock .. SRP $200.

+ a M plus long steel-O-chain, .. that is lots less.

simplygib

Yes, the M176 will slow a thief down. It slowed this guy down by about 7 seconds - and he wasn't in any hurry.

But you're right - no lock is invulnerable. The best you can hope for is to slow them down long enough to catch them in the act, or have them move on to easier pickins. I use a heavy keyed cable lock, try to keep the bike within sight as much as possible, and make sure it's sufficiently ugly and dirty in hopes of it not appearing too appealing.

VT_Speed_TR

djb,

Funny, I toured on the Le Petit Train du Nord and the trails in the Eastern Twp, and always felt much safer in the "bike" culture that is Quebec. Never locked my bike when I've been up there. Of course, downtown is no doubt much different, but I guess being ignorant of likelyhood of thief made my visit that much more enjoyable. To some extent its also my current lifestyle. We don't lock our house or garage, I only lock my car in downtown Burlington. I try to not worry about theft of items since that only creates stress, which I try to avoid. Also, in the grand scheme of things, the likelyhood of your bike being stolen is very small, even without locking it, so I choose to not worry about it.

djb

as in all cities, one does have to use common sense as to where one locks a bike up. If downtown I tend to use my Ulock plus a cable lock, just so hopefully it deters a little from taking more time--but after doing that, you cant let worrying become too much. Glad you like biking around here, but as you know, you have to be more careful of car drivers here, be on your toes, our drivers can be pretty bad.

Losligato

The ultimate touring lock?

Aushiker

Not for me. Much prefer the flexibility of a cable over this.

Andrew