Reynolds 531 

Kid who quit riding bikes when he got his drivers license asks Dad for "a bike to use 'cause I have to walk so far at school"

Thrilled Dad cleans up the flipflop Bianchi, and presents to child.

Kid says " I want to buy my own lock".

Dad thinks to himself "Not my first rodeo", and logs onto BikeForums to ask what kind of lock to buy for Kid.



1973

TenGrainBread 

Abus U-lock with cable extension for the wheels.

It helps that the axles are nutted.

P!N20

D/U-lock. Gold rated at a minimum.

I use a Hiplok DX; solid construction with handy belt/bag strap/pocket clips.

Obviously there's a balance between cost/security. Kryptonite locks are popular.

Just make sure you don't live near this guy:

SurferRosa

Boy wants a car from his dad.
Dad says, "first, you gotta cut that hair."
Boy says, "hey, Dad, Jesus had long hair."
And Dad says, "that's right son. Jesus walked everywhere."

.

niliraga 

that's a nice Bianchi, so seconded on the U-Lock + cable for the front.

Me, I like the Kryptonite 7" Mini as a good compromise size, and I think using the Sheldon method of locking the rear rim through the triangle is a big help in deterring the jack-breaker attacks. ("if I mangle that rear wheel, there's no point in me stealing this bike!")

also - never let it live outside overnight!

seypat

My advice is build up a beater for the son and keep the Bianchi at home.

Kent T

Yes, bianchigirl1's "Ugly Betty" is perfect for this application. A build like that is pretty incognito and less tempting to a thief.

Unapomer

I second what seypat said, that bike is thief bait!!

riva

Put drop bars and a bunch of gears on it...

UKFan4Sure

Dad, do yourself a favor and go buy him a bike to take to college with him. Invest in a couple hundred and go get him something on CL or otherwise.

First, there is sentimental value to your bike.

Second, that bike will never make it back from college. Trust me.

I'm just trying to save you a sad story in the end (like the one I had with my son).

mechanicmatt

Is the college in the city or a college town?

ULocks are typically really good, heavy duty ongard chain/ulock combos are nice.

Rivbike.com has a few cool ones too. Fold up style.

seypat

https://reno.craigslist.org/bik/d/so...013626489.html

qclabrat

Does he go to school in the Intercity, if not the $100-200 locks imo are overkill. I loaned mine an old Gary Fisher with a generic u lock and an extra hardened chain for over night storage. The extra chain gets locked to a covered bike stand. Unless you have some obviously expensive bike it's not likely someone will pull a lock cutter or cordless grinder.

jyl

I have been through this 2X with kids and nice bikes at school.

1. If he is in the dorm, there may be secure bike parking. U lock and chain, leave it on the bike rack. Better yet, figure out a way to bring it inside.

2. For around campus or town, U lock and cable.

3. Lesson in how to lock up a bike. U lock through seatstays and wheel, cable through front wheel and U lock. Make him show you. Make him text you photos of his lockup.

4. Uglify and illuminate the bike with reflective stickers, reflective tape, stuff that will come off without harming the paint.

5. Helmet, lights and reflective. Getting hit by a car is way worse than losing a bike.

6. Never leave bike locked up outside overnight. Doesn't matter how well it is locked up then.

My son rode his '86 Peugeot PX (SLX, full Mavic) to high school for four years without theft, by locking up securely. My daughter is in her fifth year of college (don't ask) and her Peugeot hasn't disappeared. It can be done.

nlerner

As others have said, it really depends on whether he needs to leave the bike outside overnight. If not, you really don't need to get anything beyond the basic U-lock. Fwiw, for one of my commuters, parked in the bike rack at a university along with tons of beater bikes, I use an Ottolock. They're not cheap, but they are lightweight and convenient (I also use it when touring).

nlerner

Well, I'm in my 42nd year of college if you include time spent getting various degrees and time spent teaching college students, so five is easy to understand!

squirtdad

OT not unusual if the Cal state system at impacted campuses to take 5 to 6 years to do undergraduate due to not be able to get classes.....fortunately my son is not at an impacted school

on topic: Don't know if your son is just starting or not, but sometimes if the student has connections they can park in a bit safer area than open racks. My son has a place to park in the gym ...his connections was starting varsity footvball (before it was cancelled)), gym rat/weight room from day one, team video guy before he played He still has Big on guard and a cable he uses. I may be doing a beater for him as his fixie does not do well on the hills

Reynolds 531 

Thanks for all the advice. Believe it or not, this Bianchi was $100 because it was on CL in the sticks. But of course I love it.
My diabolical plan, is to let him ride it for a little bit, whet the appetite so to speak, and then let him PICK OUT HIS OWN BIKE <<<< genius move.

as long it doesn't get stolen.

It is kept inside a house to ride to campus for Formula SAE meetings mostly.

SurferRosa

Already looks beat. Maybe the frame's just a little too cool looking. Strange location of the bottle bosses. Pedals look nice, but the rest isn't saying much. $100 seems reasonable.

JBHoren

All of the above, plus this: Pitlock skewer locks for the front/rear wheels and the seat-post binder. Also (assuming the saddle is attached to the seat post with an Allen bolt, "glue" a large ball bearing into the recess using beeswax -- your son'll know what's-what and use a dental pick or similar to remove it if necessary, but an opportunistic thief will find it not worth the trouble.

Yeah, I know that the Pitlock system might seem pricey, but it eliminates the usually worthless front-wheel cable, and takes off the pressure of worrying about finessing a U-lock onto/around the seat tube and rear wheel AND a secure pipe/bike rack/etc. Kids are always in a hurry, and Pitlocks accept that reality.

ThermionicScott 

Can I borrow a bike, too, Dad?

P!N20

Solid axles, no skewers required.

Unapomer

What this guy says:

The lockpickinglawyer tells it like it is.
Cordless angle grinder with a cut-off wheel is what bike thieves use nowadays

KonAaron Snake 

I'm actually going to say the Kryptonite Evolution...

Anyone getting through the Evolution is also getting through the NYr...the only way through either of them is an angle grinder, and if there is an angle grinder, the NYr is really only giving you an extra 30 seconds of cutting. That 30 seconds adds a lot of weight and 40% price...I truly don't think you get anything for that trade.

CliffordK

It is hard to say whether there is a big difference in thefts between the Kryptonite NY and cheaper U-Locks.

I have had a cable cut

Anyway, I do like the Kryptonite NY, although it is HEAVY. The cable might not be bad to augment the security for the front wheel.

Of course, also pay attention to HOW TO LOCK A BIKE.

I usually like to snag Frame + one wheel (usually rear, but sometimes front) + bike rack (or in some cases good post).