The Kryp chain/lock combo is secure, but when locking up w/ chain, nothing beats the speed and convenience of an ABUS style monobloc lock. Reason? The ABUS design is non-key retaining (does not require a key to lock-up) and ABUS is a one piece lock. As opposed to the Kryp 2-piece. The ABUS sliding shackle is also very smooth. Can be purchased from your local locksmith or hardware store (if they stock high-quality stuff). We ship about 50 1-meter locksets a week at $35/each, shipping included, Bike Security Chain/Monoblock lock.

Generally speaking, security is a balance of locking device's and convienence . Your chain looks pretty good but the mono-block? (not my first choice,or my second)

While some may find one hand operation without the key easy to use there is a another side to the story. Specifically, If you need the key to lock your padlock you can be assured you had the key when you locked it eg. you go out lock your bike, when its time to go home you realize you do not have your keys.....did i lose them? or leave them home? did i have them when i locked the bike?. As a result, you are now stuck with your locked bike and no keys.

Secondly,The Abus Monoblock comes with regular keys. Anyone can make a copy for a buck if they get their hands on them. Very poor key control.

Thirdly, the lock could be picked and bumped but my method of choice would be just to drill the sheerline. Cordless drill couple seconds and your done.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwmGzIFN5wo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XY6VKMUsaYU

Finally, the availablity of good locks are hard to come by and can be even more so if you don't live in a large city. I am particular to high security locks and but there is no debating their effectiveness in situations that i encounter on a daily basis.

Good advice found here....https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Den2T...eature=related

Gosh, not to beat this thread to death, but to offer some clarification. With all due respect please see comments in blue. All the best.

Even the Kryponite locks are easily overcome. When I was in highschool I lost the keys to my lock and I used a small scissor jack to break it off. It took about 5 minutes tops. Since then I am very leery of parking my bike outside and out of site.

Riiiiiiiiiiiight. Somehow this magical lock is faster and more convenient because it doesn't need the key, and yet also requires the key. That's amazing.

Back in reality, if you need the key to unlock it to get it off, then also needing the key to lock it is trivial. I second what the other guy said - requiring the key to lock it means no one ever locks it then realizes they forgot the key when they go to unlock it.

Right! I have a couple of Abus chains with integral locks. Theu do not require a key for locking and I normally carry one in a trunk bag, unlocked. At least once I almost locked the bike up with my key sitting at home. Fortunately I checked my pockets for the keys before locking the bike up with it. Could have been a long walk otherwise.

One advantage of most european frame mount ring locks is the key cannot even be removed from the lock until it is locked, immobilizing the rear wheel. That pretty much idiot proofs them. The key is certain to be with the lock except when the lock is locking the bike.

Has anyone tried this U-Lock from Harbor Freight? I know the price is dirt cheap, but I looked at it and it seams as beefy as the Kryptonite. The keys even look like Kryptonite keys.

https://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=66559

Any thoughts???

I've never seen the Harbor Freight myself. I cannot find any ratings for it, not from Sold Secure or any other independent rating system that I usually check. That can be simply because it's not available here. It costs USD 7,87. Harbor Freight offer very little information, and a quick googling found no additional info in the 'Net.

If you can find it rated somewhere by an independent body - insurance company etc, that should give you an idea on how it compares to other locks in your market. With what little info is available, it's not in the same class with Abus, Kryptonite or other higher end locks.

--J

i have this


and im getting this



think this is adequate for a student in chicago who really doesnt care about weight? i bring it inside at night and its always parked on the mag mile or by the chicago theater, so its pretty crowded.

Did you see the "Don't steal bikes, bro" video? Guys caught a real life bike thief in action with a cordless drill. Dude obviously knew what he was doing, probably had done it a lot of times before. Certainly you're right about pry bars and bolt cutters being the most common tools, but drills are more common than you state; it happens and it's worth thinking about protecting against them.

Yes, a really funny vid. Put a link to it on my site.

And one other thing I forgot to mention regarding the ABUS monobloc. In the real world, our company actually puts our bank account on the line. Backing every ABUS monobloc that we sell with an unconditional Bike Theft Warranty. For the record, we have yet to pay a single claim. This is the same lock that you can purchase at your local hardware store (that sells high quality stuff) or a locksmith....

To be honest, in the "don't steal bikes bro" video, the thief didn't really know what he was doing. It isn't too easy to steal a bike with a drill equipped with a cut off disc. With a decent lock, I have to say it'll take him more than 30 minutes to cut through it with his setup. It isn't really easy to cut through a 10mm lock with a cheap cordless drill & a flimsy cut off wheel (that you can't apply pressure on).

1st - a cordless drill's average max speed is only around 2,500rpm
2nd - you can't apply too much pressure to a drill with a cut off disc because it will break the disc (or the shaft will bend).
3rd - it will take a while to cut through a decent quality lock (like the Evolution serious Krpto locks or NY chains).

If he really wanted to do the job right, he should've brought a cordless angle grinder. Most cordless angle grinders reach 10,000rpms easily. They take 4 1/2" cut off discs which allow you to apply pressure/torque to the disc without fear of breaking the discs.

Um, no. In the Cycling Plus lock test of May, 2007 they got through an OnGuard Pitbull in 18.9 seconds, an Abus Granit X Plus in 2min 34 seconds, and a Kryptonite NYFU Mini in 2min 59 seconds, all with a 12,000 RPM drill and a cutting disc.

MOST cordless drills spin 2,500rpm OR LESS. The drill used in the don't steal bikes video doesn't look like it can spin 12,000rpms. It looks like 2,000rpms at most.

Just curious, do you know which drill Cycling Plus used that was 12,000rpm? Sounds like they used an angle grinder to me.....not a drill.

Which brings me to my point yet again...."mmm yeah"....it'll take you 30 minutes to cut through a Evolution level lock with a cordless drill and a cutting disc.

He would've had better luck if he used a strong drill bit to drill out the lock cylinder trying to get the pins out instead.

I've been using a chain most of the time now. Where it's really nice is its flexibility -- I can run it through both wheels (with the front still in the fork) and around the pipe of a U-style bike rack.

Ziemas, do you have that Cycling Plus issue handy? What was different about the OnGuard lock? My chain's an OnGuard one, and although it looks awesome, I've been thinking of going to Kryptonite (but that could just be the upgrade itch I'm feeling.. ).

How long is your chain Barracks? I have a 3.3ft Krypto chain and I can't get it around both wheels. I have to carry the chain and a mini u lock. It would be awesome to get the chain around both wheels!

PS - every time I see your name, all I can picture is a Honda Civic Si

It doesn't specify which one all it says is "we used a quality battery drill rated to 12,000rpm with a 30 minute battery life on max output."

PM and if you like I'll send you a copy of it.

The NY Noose can go around both wheels.

ClubRSX? EPHatch? Honda-Tech?

Mine's either a Beast or a Mastiff. Whichever version I've got, it's the 3.5' size, and although my CAAD8 is a 60 cm frame, the wheelbase is still short enough that the chain will reach. I can see, though, that a 10 cm shorter chain like Kryptonite's wouldn't be able to work the same way.

A lot of the time, though, I do the same as you, taking a mini U-lock with the chain -- chain the bike to an object, and U-lock the wheel to the frame. Pretty much a necessity when I have to lock around a lamp post or something else big.

As far as grinding through locks the quality/hardness of the steel has a major effect on the time required. The Kryptomite NY locks and Abus lock tested all apparently use high strength alloy steel, properly through hardened. Based on time taken in the tests the On-Guard lock apparently uses much poorer grade steel, probably surface hardened only.

I would be interested in seeing the Harbor Freight lock and trying a regular hacksaw blade on it. At that price I would expect the shackle to be nothing but low carbon mild steel. If so it cannot even be hardened except by surface hardening which itself is a relatively slow and expensive treatment.

Interesting stuff about locks here. I've been using an old Bell U-lock for a few years now. But the biggest deterrent for thieves is that my main bike isn't even worth stealing.

i'm about to go for cycle touring, and i'm carrying my recent purchase of an abus granit x-plus 54/300mm with me. any feedback so far about it?

i'm lost, because from what i read so far, that bolt cutters should have a hard time cutting through the square shackle it has - did i understand wrongly? i also got the 300mm version, thinking that the shorter 230mm version may somewhat limit what and where i may be able to lock to....

The ABUS granit x-plus is a pretty tough u-lock for sure. To help explain the shearing action of a bolt cutter as related to the shape of the target (chain, shackle, u-lock, cable) I would like to submit the following two (2) images:



Yes, the trapazoidal target has a very large surface contacting the cutter blade. Making it more difficult to initiate the "shearing" action, which a bolt cutter depends on to make its cut. When it comes to mechanical stuff, the Germans and Austrians are some pretty crafty engineers...

The very best, heaviest, and most expensive locks from Kryptonite, OnGuard, and Abus will deter any impulsive teenager who happens to be walking by. I put a good u-lock around the rear wheel, and then use a light u-lock or cable lock to secure the front wheel to the frame. That system creates enough work to send a thief to the bike next to mine that only has a cable lock.

However, any highly skilled professional with the right equipment can open any lock in the world. That means it is foolish to leave a $1,000 bike at the same rack, nine hours a day. If you must leave a bike out of your sight for more than ten minutes or so, you need a "stealth" bike. A "stealth" bike looks like junk, looks 20 or 30 years old, but in fact rides like a high quality bike. One of my "stealth" bikes was dented, scratched, and spray painted an ugly color. It appeared to be worth ten dollars. But, it weighed just 21 pounds, and rode as well or better than a new bike selling for $800 to $1,000.

If a crook has a choice between a brand-new shiny Wal-Mart bike and a rusty, dented, spray-painted relic from 1988, he will take the new bike...even if it weighs 40 pounds and the rusty bike weighs 21 pounds.

Great thread, I'll read it all later. I wonder how many thieves, if repelled by locks, would just trash the bike out of frustration?