Raim

What lightweight bikelocks would you guys recommend? Something that would fit inside a wedgie.
I don't live in a high crime area, but when out for a lengthy tour I often like to stop someplace for
a coffee or buy some drinks and food. My bike is a Trek 2000 and I currently use a cheap combination
chainlock, I suppose it's enough to discourage a passing opportunist but no more than that.

sydney

What more do you need? It only takes a bigger tool to defeat a bigger lock and you just end up dragging more junk around.

simplyred

You have a nice bike...
If you know you're going to get off of it in public places... I suggest maybe getting a beater bike... The last thing you want to is regret getting a kryptonite lock, and have that broken and your bike being taken off with... Better safe than sorry... "The best deterrent is the absence of possesions..."
My $0.02
Otherwise, you LBS should have some good advice.. they know your area better than I do...

noisebeam

Brilliant idea. Go on lengthy tours on your beater bike and keep the nice bike locked up at home. Maybe you could just store the nice bike in a safe at your bank.

Folks (hopefully) buy nice bikes for the performance with utility, not as an investment. The best way to get your moneys worth is to ride it as much as possible. It is important not to buy a bike that pushes your budget so much it would be devistating or irreplaceable to lose.

I like the Krypto Evolution 2000 mini lock (new key design). While it is not small enough to fit under your seat, you can attach it to your frame and it is smaller and lighter than the full sized Kryptonites.

But if you are in a low crime area on your tours the chain may be a good enough deterent the majority of the time.

Al

jlin453

Bring your bike inside the coffee shop, other places.

theden

Get about 5 feet of coated cable from Ace Hardware, have them loop the ends, and buy the smallest lock possible that will fit the loops. Less weight the better for touring. Just be sure to lock it in visible locations and be smart about it. I have a light-weight lock that I only use touring, and then a heavier, dual lock setup for around town.

neil0502

I bought this guy https://snipurl.com/e8nq for all of about $15.00.

I actually went in the LBS for something cheaper (might have been this https://snipurl.com/e8nu), but the wrench told me that slip-joint or vise-grip pliers would snap it.

Ok, thieves can take anything, but I wanted a lock that would secure my bike when I stopped to take a pi$$, or buy a quick cup of joe, in a relatively safe, heavily populated area.

The Krypto I bought weighs in at like 7/10 of a pound. That's reasonable for the rack bag on my tourer. On my road bike, I'd just assume not stop, or ride with friends who can take turns watching the bikes. I've heard it said that that 3# lock you'd carry adds as much weight as you spent $2,500 trying to lose off your bike

alanbikehouston

The April issue of the UK magazine "Cycling Plus" contains detailed bike lock tests.

My "analysis" of their test data:

- Cable locks are not locks. They are a "neon sign" that says "Come take this bike...it's free"

- The best U-lock lock widely sold in the USA is the Kryptonite New York 3000 U-lock. It can't be broken with manual tools or force. It lasted over ten minutes against portable, battery operated power tools, compared with less than two minutes for most other brands of locks.

- The OnGuard Bulldog Mini U-lock ($24 at REI.com) tested just as highly as the Kryptonite New York Lock against the manual, leverage attacks that are the stock in trade of 99% of the crooks out there.

Based on the "Cycling Plus" tests, I will be using one (and sometimes two) OnGuard Mini U-locks as my "coffee shop" locks, and a 2005 Kryptonite New York 3000 as my "high risk situation - mid-night movies in the inner city" lock.

WORTH READING: How to Lock A Bike, by Sheldon Brown:

www.sheldonbrown.com/lock-strategy.html

Raim

I agree with you noisebeam my sentiments exactly. The bike is for getting out on, not keeping
highly polished in the living room. I suppose I just kinda hoped there might be some sort of fantstic
mini lock out there I did'nt know about.

alanbikehouston

Well, there is a "fantastic mini lock out there". The OnGuard Bulldog Mini U-lock ($24), protects your bike against standard leverage theft attacks just as well as the massive four pound NewYork locks. Attach your rear wheel (right behind the seat post) to a parking meter, and nobody is going to take your bike.

If your bike has a quick release on the front wheel, and you are leaving your bike "out of sight" for more than a couple of minutes, use a second Bulldog to attach your front wheel to the bike's frame or to a post.

Two Bulldogs weigh LESS than just one of the mega-sized $100 locks, and two Bulldogs give you twice the protection.


HOW TO LOCK UP YOUR BIKE by Sheldon Brown:

www.sheldonbrown.com/lock-strategy.html