Originally Posted by
B1KE
I recently got a road bike and I went through a period of being too paranoid to lock it up and try to bring it in with me to as many random stores as possible but certain ones didn't allow it. I wanna get a fairly secure lock but I won't be leaving my bike out of sight for more than 10 minutes and I want something portable that I can slip into my pocket so I'm thinking a semi hefty cable lock would do the trick.
My main purposes of using the lock are popping in and out of the liquor store, coffee shop, gas station to grab a water/quick snack. Can anyone recommend some good locks please.
Thanks!
the small u locks fit in the rear pocket of a pair of jeans. They're designed to do that.
Any of the cables here are short work with a pair of small bolt cutters (or smaller). You almost always can find a post to lock it to Sheldon Brown style. Just carry a small cable to secure the front wheel or get a pitlock skewer. Small, portable and effective.
I've got two kids with a total of five plus years at a large urban university who have locked their bikes outside 24/7 using that method and no problems. Their whole use of their bikes are for quick trips and then locking it up for an hour or so. Had bikes taken from right beside theirs and no one touches ours. Our bikes are vintage good quality bikes not department store bikes so they are worth stealing. Certainly no guarantee but I think the track record speaks for itself. They just tuck the u lock in their waist band or pocket in back and they're good to go.
J.