I am going to be commuting to UC Davis, a very bike-friendly campus. I want the best lock set up possible, because I am going to be riding a 250$ bike(Diamondback Edgewood).

Would one cable + U Lock to lock the frame and both wheels suffice? Or two U-Locks? People would be able to cut the cable and steal the wheel, but I heard that doesnt happen often.

And what other tips do you have?

The most secure set-up is probably a set of Pitlock anti-theft skewers, with headset and seat-post 'options', plus a top of the line U-lock or hardened steel chain.

If they steal that, they are probably using power tools which will defeat any lock. Even so, having stolen your bike you can at least be sure that they will have a hell of a time trying to remove the Pitlock system.

Before investing too much money in locks, pay attention to how other people on the UC Davis campus secure their bikes, and top that. I can't speak for there, but I know that at Penn State, there's idiots who secure $1200+ road bikes (invariably with platform pedals) with cable locks alone and leave them out overnight.

Alright, DontStealBikes!

Your bike is only worth $250. Spending more than $60 would be kinda extreme, I think. Besides the Diamondback brand will not be the first target for a real bike thief.

Right now, if I were you, I'd get the On Guard Bulldog Mini ($30 ). If you need a chain, I'd get the thickest chain I could find, to secure my wheels, and then I'd lock my frame to something rigid and stationary.

- Slim

PS.

You need 2 locks! One to secure both your wheels and your frame. The other to secure the frame only!

* Idea behind 2 locks- Usually one lock can be compromised in less than five minutes. No thief wants to spend more than fives minutes, exposed outside, stealing anything. Time is the professional thief's worst enemy!

Davis is flat .. a beach cruiser will do. U lock it and bring a section of chain
that the U lock can serve as it's padlock.

this: https://www.kryptonitelock.com/Produc...=1000&pid=1204

quick release your front wheel and lock through front wheel and rear wheel passing though rear triangle. the end.

+1. Locking needs varies very much from school to school. Back east I see a range from heavy urban assault scale (the colleges in Wash DC), a mix of medium-duty cable & U-locks (some suburban and exburbs areas) to "what's a bike lock?" (smaller town rural).

Also talk with Campus Patrol and local bike shops.

+1 on checking the local situation first.

On our holiday trip this summer we rented bikes for our local transportation. Bikes were step-through 3 speed city bikes, nothing much to steal there. They had small ring-type locks each in rear triangle, so I asked the guy if we need any other locks besides those when we park around the small town. He thought about this for a couple of seconds, asked where we're staying, then said "it's probably an overkill, but just to be on the safe side" and went to get the additional lock.

He came back with the thinniest, flimsiest cable lock you can imagine. The kind you can cut with good kitchen scissors. I had trouble not laughing out loud, then reminded myself they're the ones who should be laughing. They live in a place where that lock is considered borderline paranoid.

+1

Park next to a nicer-looking bike with a crummier lock.

Yep, park next to more desirable targets and lock your's better maker the better target the easier target.

Ask at the campus police department and ask what they recommend, then ask what is the most frequently stolen bike style and most often defeated locking system.

check out bikes that are worth slightly more than yours... and get locks worth slightly more than theirs.

or, hell... just go crazy. get an NYFU, an STD-3000 and a bikeregistry chain with the upgrade lock. with a bike that's worth $250, on a campus with expensive bikes that are poorly locked with cheap locks, just about anything other than a dollar-store lock should work.

on most campuses, you'll see bikes that are "locked" through a quick-release wheel, usually parked next to another bike with an unsecured wheel that's compatible. and bikes "locked" around the seat-post, through the front fork, etc.

good locks are nice, but so many bikes get stolen because they're just locked up wrong.
when locking a bike on campus, you don't have to outrun the bear

When I was in grad school, I always used to lock up my bike next to an unlocked bike.

$.02 where you lock your bike and for how long matters as much as the lock and bike in question. I'd be inclined to just go with a small u-lock from frame to bike stand and pit-locks for wheels. Your kind of bike will only be attractive if there's nothing better around. Sounds like you're ahead of the game already.

Uglify your best friend. I know it sounds hard, with that cool slick piece of work you ride. Get some old latex paint, stickers, reflective tape, electrical tape, ding the frame, scratch the frame, leave it out in the rain and make that gem a tad tarnished! Bike thieves hate non resellable bikes!!!

Or.. if this sounds ridiculously hard, get a nice used bike and uglify it!

Use a U-lock and a cable lock with an integral lock. A bike thieve will need two tools, they usually carry just one!

Park in well lit areas where there are plenty of other bikes. Bikes parked in solitude are a target, cause no one's around to watch!

Buy a huffy single speed, worth nothing and always have a dependable ride waiting! Otherwise that Trek, that Specialized, that Bianchi bike you love may leave you for a bum with a $10 tool.

Remove your seat if you have quick release seat post clamp. An unridable ride is a less desirable ride!

And always, always lock your bike to something solid. Thieves have been known to cart whole bike racks filled with bikes away, even if the rack was bolted! A a rack sunk deep in cement is best!

Required watching, prerequisite for Bicycle Theft Proofing 101A:

If you do it the way Kryptonte tells you to, only one big U lock is needed. No locking wheel nuts. No cables needed. The Kryptonite New York lock will do it, or the next one up the line that is for motorcycles. I have one, it is strong, but heavy. Much thicker than the Bicycle model.
The only problem is that you need a secure post that is small enough diameter to fit in the lock. If there is no post small enough, get the New York chain.

https://www.kryptonitelock.com/SiteCo...9_onscreen.pdf

I just bought this OnGuard Mini U Lock with Cable at Target for $14.99

https://www.target.com/p/OnGuard-Mini...k/-/A-13601687

They also have a full size OnGuard U Lock for the same price.


You never said how price conscious you were. Although the suggestions above are some great ideas and techniques, ask yourself if you really want to spend $60-$100 to protect a $250 bike.

The reason this lock is cheaper is because I believe it is a custom model made for Target. Also, you don't pay extra to subsidize insurance which some U-Locks include. ALSO, you will not be able to register your keys (which most more expensive U-Locks offer), which means you have to be extra careful with the two that come included.

I feel very confident with this lock. I lock up using Sheldon Method and I run the cable through the frame, post and front wheel. If I'm really nervous I can run my seat post through it as well. The combo of the cable and lock make a nice visual deterrent (which is the name of the game). Also, where I lock up (Washington, DC area) I tend to be the best secured bike on the rack.

BUT, I'm not a commuter who parks their bike every day. Spend as much as you need to feel comfortable (but don't get only a cable lock )

Everyone has their own method for locking. Look at what some of the other students use for locking and just make sure you're one step above that.

it's a decent lock for the price, but the plastic housing for the lock is quite brittle and will crack over time - revealing a very slim lock (actually quite nice looking without the gaudy plastics - imho). i removed all the plastic around mine, and it nicely fits into my jeans back pocket when i don't want to carry any backpack.

i wouldn't trust the lock to a long park job, i use this for convenience - less than 10 minute parking durations. anything longer, i will either ride my folder, or bring along my kryptonite fu lock.

May I ask why you don't trust it for something longer? I'm asking potentially for my own good haha. I would think that you would at least need power tools to break this lock in a reasonable amount of time (as opposed to hacksawing for an hour). Especially since it's a mini lock- which means if used properly you shouldn't be able to fit a jack in there. As a deterrent- it has the benefit of being from one of the two trusted lock brands- and it feels and looks solid. Also, if a thief DID bring power tools- you weren't going to save it anyway. I certainly don't understand why it would be more risky to leave it out there more than 10 minutes. Again correct me if I'm wrong- I'd love to know if I'm missing something (as I may change my mind on this lock).

Now I'm not saying you can leave it overnight someplace, but I think in relation to the OP's situation it would do the job pretty well. I'm assuming he would be parked on a bike rack alongside other bikes, many of which will not be secured properly. He'll have it there for class (maximum of about an hour and 20 minutes before a break). All of this on a college campus. But I will admit if he wants the "best lock setup possible" this isn't it. I think it's a good balance of value versus function.

*Which reminds me. OP- be sure to register your bike with the campus police department. It could save you a lot of trouble if you do have the unfortunate circumstance of getting your bike stolen.

darn i watched the video and it seems really easy to break through a lock. i personally think my bike is really high up, and alot of people would go after it but it sucks because my parents had it refurbished without really knowing how easy it is to get your bike stolen.

If you get a great U-lock and don't lock it up overnight on campus, I would think it probably will not get stolen. The video takes place in London, no where near the skill set of thievery exists in the states! For the exception of New York City I might add.

Best method to lock your bike using a U-lock. The only problem I can see in this photo is locking it to a flimsy fence, that metal looks cheap.

This was an excellent contribution, Cyclomania! - Nice Post

This is going to sound a bit snobby, but here it is: You have a $250 bike, which, in your situation, is a very good choice. If you secure it with a good U-lock, lock it to something really solid, and don't leave it locked up outside overnight, you're probably going to be okay. Opportunistic thieves will go after bikes that are poorly locked, or not locked at all, and more professionally-minded thieves won't bother with yours because it's not worth enough.

i've seen this lock broken using a length of fence post or metal bar. we found the remains of this lock (not mine, but a fellow who had his bike stolen) and there was a metal rod that looked like it came from over at a construction site across the road on the ground near the busted lock. we figured it must have also made a bit of mess of the bike frame, but it would appear that whoever was stealing the bike didn't really care - just bust the lock and sell the bike to some pawn shop. the guy who lost his bike said he had only been in the store for around 15 minutes. he was locked to the store supplied bike racks and there is no damage to the racks.

i still have this lock and i do like the size and weight compared to my kryptonite. this is what the shell-less lock looks like compared to the kryptonite.

This sounds good. I'll just be careful with my bike, since I was just slightly paranoid. Are expensive bikes(500$+) common in colleges?