goraman

I use an Abloy 362 padlock and Pewag 12mm cropper proof chain as my first line of defense, my back up is the On Guard Brute mini 16.8mm quad locking U lock and a brinks 5/8 inch 7ft. security cable as my secondary line. this means it will take 5 cuts from an angle grinder through very hard,thick steel,should use up a 4 inch disk or cause it to fragment with out letting it cool, and it would use up a battery doing it. Also the noise and pyrotechnic display will attract attention. making thieves choose an easier target.
The down side is it adds 17.4 pounds to a 45 pound bike but you get used to it.

$200.00 dollar bike $450.00+ in security the pad lock alone is well over $300.00.

A picture of my bike, single pole lock down.Before I upgraded my U lock and cable.

Maelochs

I guess it depends where you live and how you live.

If I felt I needs 20 pounds of protection I simply wouldn't leave my bike there.

Did t occur to you that nobody has stolen your bike because nobody wants it? Not much resale value on a 45-lb bike, and it doesn't look "cool" enough that someone who stole it for a joyride would want to show it off to his friends. I am sure it is a rare classic, lovingly restored, but almost no one would know that. And if it really is worth a lot monetarily or emotionally why risk it?

Also, if it is parked around the side of a building, a thief could work on it a lot more easily. Hard to tell from the pic.

As far as I know, serious bicycle thieves look for bikes they can sell easily. They can defeat a U-lock or most chains quickly----they carry whatever tools they need, and count on speed to get in and get out. It looks like a set of 4-foot bolt cutters could get right through the cable on the OnGuard; cant's see the other cable but the end shackles look pretty serious. Still ... half-inch chain? Can be defeated.

Likely no serious thief would ever steal your bike because there would be no money in it, and a casual thief would be defeated by any reasonable cable and lock.

From the pic, it looks like you use one U-lock just for the front wheel. Might be easier to take the wheel off and lock it to the main triangle ... can't see if it has QR though, looks like it well may not.

Anyway ... if carrying chains which weigh half as much as the bike make sense to you and you are happy, do it. All that really matters is that you feel secure. I think it is massive overkill, but ... It Isn't My Bike. Maybe if it were, I would feel differently. If it works for you, keep working it.

canklecat

Fairly heavy duty cable and disc padlock with short shackle. The cost, weight and security are appropriate to my bike. But it would take less than a minute to cut. The best security is to park and lock where the risk of getting caught is too high for the value of the bike. It's not an expensive bike but I like it and plan to keep it.

At the grocery store I park in front, clearly visible to the security guard, customers and employees rounding up buggies. Most places I park where I can see the bike through the window. At home I keep the bike in the apartment living room.

Happyday

I have never and will never allow my bike to get out of my sight. Therefore, I don't have a lock whatsoever. If your bike disappears even though even under this heavy lock, don't say "I wish I had....". People who know bike maintenance well also know how to get the components parts off.

Good luck!

OldTryGuy

Both of my bikes have cable locks. For my $100.00 Magna Hybrid I have a 5/16" x 5', 4 digit coiled type cable and on my $5,000 Giant I have a 5/16" X 5', 4 digit straight cable lock that I wrap around the aero bars while biking. Since the Magna is my grocery bike, the likely hood of needing a lock is almost every time I use it. As for the Giant, when riding with a group there is security in numbers when stopped but when out solo, having the lock helps during pit stops or quick refills for bottles. Even though the coil is not much of a deterrent for a prepared individual, it's at least better than nothing.

Jim from Boston

+1, well stated, and my practice too, especially for my high end carbon fiber bike. Good point about stealing components.

Not to suggest qcpmsame is in the market for hot components, but he notes they are valuable to people who know bike maintenance.

I park my bikes in our condo at home, inside near my office at work, and I bring it into any place I need to stop, while en route. If I have to do an errand requiring a prolonged stop where I can't bring the bike under my observation I don't do that errand by bike.

mconlonx

OnGuard tempered steel chain and one of their gnarly locks. I use this for my expensive bike. Which is kind of funny -- one of the major features of the expensive bike is light weight and then I lug this extra weight around to lock it up...

Mostly, though, I use a simple combo cable lock on most other non-precious bikes, the kind that could easily be cut through with garden shears. At that point, I depend on the bike being so much of a beater that it is generally unattractive to thieves, and because I wouldn't mind all that much beyond annoyance at the inconvenience of a bike not being where I expect it to be if it did get stolen, The Universe generally makes sure it doesn't go missing...

Doctor Morbius

My bikes are protected by two Cylon Centurions in full battle mode. I can't even get to them.

BobbyG

People will still anything, just for a lark.

rydabent

I carry a light cable and lock for when I ride with the club, and go into a coffee shop. I built the cable myself from parts from the hardware store. Face it anyone that is bent on stealing a bike will have the tools to get the job done. My light cable prevents a kid or oppertunist from stealing my bike on a whim. When alone, I never let my bike or trike out of my site.

kevindsingleton 

I'd steal the lock.

hollywoodeskimo

I have a medium duty cable lock. There's not much bike theft in my area. I just keep the cable-lock in case I want to stop somewhere for brief periods of time. The fact that I ride the oldest, ugliest, least appealing (to most people, I love it) bike is probably a greater deterrent than the cable lock.

hollywoodeskimo

Yeah. Cut the bike and steal the lock. I like it.

indyfabz

When I commute I lock up my LHT with a Kryptonite U lock and use thick cable to secure the rear wheel. I often see the same bikes day after day, year after year, secured that way.

On day rides, I use common sense to assess the situation. If I feel ill at ease, I won't let my bike out of my sight. If I feel the risk is low, I will. So far, so good.

When I tour, I usually bring a light cable with a combo lock and sometimes use it if I feel conditions warrant it. (U locks can be pretty useless at campgrounds if you want to secure your bike to something.) A few years ago I toured for a week across PA and didn't bring a lock. There are other options, such as asking for permission to bring your bike inside somewhere like a grocery store.

A question for those of you who believe that you will definitely have your bike stolen if you lock it up: How long do I have to wait? It's been more than 30 years, and the only place I have had a bike stolen is from inside my house when I was home. I feel totally left out, especially since I live in the big, bad city.

indyfabz

What's the third one doing? Leaning on the shovel?

Leebo

I don't lock my bike up outside. I bring it inside when done commuting, or locked in the garage. Coffee shop? No lock. I just leave the drooling rottweiler next to the bike with a piece of bloody pant leg next to it.

kevindsingleton 

I'd love to hear this story!

indyfabz

It starts with a mistake that's relatively common when you live an urban existence. You and your girl are out shopping and having dinner a week before Christmas. You have packages and it's cold out. You catch a cab home. When you get in the door with full hands your fat cat is underfoot, mewling for his dinner. You both forget to lock the front door. Later that night, around 11:20, while you are in bed watching the late news, someone looking for a quick thing to steal goes down the street trying doors. (It's Christmas time, after all. My father practiced criminal defense law his entire professional career. Business always spiked around the holidays.) He finds your door unlocked. He comes in and takes the low hanging fruit: your cell phone. (Fortunately, your girlfriend's lap top is upstairs.) On his way out, he takes your Surly LHT that is oriented to roll right out the front door. Being a courteous thief, he shuts the front door. Your door is old and sticks a bit, so you hear the noise. After 10 seconds or so you come to the terrifying conclusion that someone might be in the house. When you look down from the stairs you realize the one bike is gone. It's sub-freezing out, you are in your PJs and have no shoes on, and you are not quite sure if anyone else is still in the house, so giving chase is not really an option.

Fortunately for you, the thief has left behind the two custom IF road bikes hanging on your wall rack. Unfortunately for you, you remember that your Surly was fitted with custom racks and that the matching panniers only work with those racks. The racks and pannier are actually worth more than the bike. When you finally do go downstairs, you can smells the odor left behind by the thief.

If you think that's creepy....The roomie of a friend of mine who lived across the street fell asleep with the second floor patio door unlocked while listening to her iPod. Some creep climbed up to the back deck and came inside. The woman awoke as the guy was removing the ear buds from her ears.

kevindsingleton 

Yikes. City life is not for me. You need a dog!

ptempel

I'm using the biggest chain and some sort of Isralei lock I could buy at the local hardware store. The chain is similar to the Kryptonite Fuggedaboutit lock but from another vendor. The lock is head and shoulders above the Kryptionite one. It was the same one that the hardware store owner uses to lock the store. My area is East Harlem so a good lock is a must even if its off the street (as in my case). I would never leave my bike locked on the street in this area. Would bring it in the buidling or find a parking garage that will rent space for bikes. This lock was also cheaper than the Fuggedaboutit at around $80 for both chain and lock.

erig007

Is your lock a mul-t-lock? I bought both the abloy PL362 and the mul-t-lock e18h and the mul-t-lock one is way bigger and heavier than the PL362. Kept the 362 and sent back the e18h.
It's probably not the one you have the e18h was sold over 200$
https://mul-t-lock-online.com/store/i...product_id=216

indyfabz

Not interested in picking up poop from the sidewalk 6 a.m. And on the flip side, when everyone else was whining about $4/gallon gas I was not. The life certainly has its advantages. For example, I can get quality meats and produce during my lunch hour. A fifteen minute ride after work can tae me to a place that makes fresh pasta on a daily basis. I may go the "normal" grocery store one every other month for staples.

goraman

Most 1/2 in chain can be cut by croppers, this stuff is at and over 63 RHC and even the smaller 3/8 stuff can't be cut by 2 big men on 42 inchers as the steel links are far harder than the cutters it damages the jaws. This stuff can only be cut by a cutting torch reasonably, even a angle grinder takes almost 5 min. to get through it when locked in a vise. Because it's so hard there is a lot of heat on the cutting disk and if you pinch it a little it destroys the disk. because of all the alloys it cant be frozen and broken. 150,000 pound trucks use this as traction chain over ice . There are lots of video of people trying too cut this stuff. I have tried myself with 42 inchers.

Most of the time the U lock is at the back wheel and frame too and a cable runs through the front wheel, but it was locked up by my condo outside in that picture for a couple hours under 2 security cameras so I just secured the wheel.

I get very serious when I go to the store for for a couple bags of chow. As we have had a rash of bike thefts.

2702

I have never ONCE in my life seen a nice bike chained up. You know those 1k, 2k, 3k and $$$$ up bikes. I assume everyone knows to get a beater bike to go to the mall, grocery store.
The ones chained up marked up with scratches, dirty, heavy. Not that there is anything wrong with that.

GerryinHouston

I met once a guy in the NJTRANSIT train from NYC to Princeton. He was carrying a pannier bag (office attache style) so we struck a conversation about bikes. He told me that he commutes by bike from home to the train and from the train station to the office.

He uses any kind of bike he can get used for $50 or less. You can appreciate that they are some of the scruffiest creatures in existence. He loses approximately a bike a month to bike theft. Just the cost of doing business...

Scruffy is not necessarily bike theft security... A walk around NYC can convince you!