siddartha

I think that my bike would fit in this category. It's something between a mountain bike and a city bike. Not so sporty as a mountain bike, not so heavy as a city bike.

So far I have been using it to get from one safe place to another. But I want to take the big leap and try to do my shopping for example using it. I gathered that two locks: one forward and one behind could be a good solution. I ordered a Ulock because I have read somewhere that a lower quality Ulock beats a higher quality chain lock both in price and effect.

I've seen the youtube videos about how fast a bike can be stolen. I've seen the ease of breaking into a circular key lock. I have settled for Abus. It can be opened, but it requires more skill and also the materials they use make the reviewers agree: they are strong.

Now my dilemma was two Ulocks? Both heavy and not so nice to carry around. Mine came with a plastic piece to fix it to the frame while riding. Some say the plastic attachment is fragile and they use velcro. That's good enough for me. But I don't see myself stacking two locks of this type on the frame. Also, my bike has no holding area. Given the weight of the locking systems I will probably never get something either in front or behind just to save some of the effort while riding.

So I was wondering what can you tell me from your experience about frame locks? In theory it looks wonderful. Easy to use: an excellent protection for turning your back. Also less heavy than the Ulock. Also cheaper. Also you fix it in one place and there it is. From what I can gather it also has a major drawback: it can lock the rear wheel with the frame and stop the wheel from turning, but it does not anchor the bike. And, to compensate for that, Abus comes up with some steel wires which seem to me like a waste of time to install and, finally, a waste of money.

What can you advise me?