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Is there such thing as overkill with the locks?

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Old 11-10-18 | 02:04 PM
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Is there such thing as overkill with the locks?

I ended up with brand new Kryptolok mini-7 that I did not really need, because it was on sale with the front wheel locking skewer that I really wanted, to replace front wheel quick release. Anyway, the rear wheel is covered with Abus frame lock with integrated noose chain, and the frame is secured with Fahgettaboudit Mini (only down tube fits in it, it’s too small to fit multiple parts of the bike, hence the locking skewer in front). I also run cable to secure the saddle, but cable runs through both wheels because why not. So, should I also toss in extra mini into the mix? Thing is, the new mini plus the Abus chain weight about the same as Fahgettaboudit, so they would balance each other out in panniers. But I am afraid it will look ridiculous on the rack with chain, two U-locks, and a cable?

I am leaving it in work garage for whole day, locked to dedicated bike lock in front of security office that is manned during the day.
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Old 11-10-18 | 02:08 PM
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Originally Posted by boggy
But I am afraid it will look ridiculous on the rack with chain, two U-locks, and a cable?
It will look like too much time/work to bike thieves, especially if it's in an area that's actively being monitored by security.
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Old 11-10-18 | 02:18 PM
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Oh, I forgot to mention there are 3 other bikes locked up there along with mine every day, they all use u-locks and cable combination with u-lock shackles being the size that the biggest bolt cutters can handle. But they are not as nice as my bike. Having said that, if someone does bring angle grinder for my big u-lock, the other locks won’t be much of a deterrent.
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Old 11-10-18 | 02:31 PM
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It sounds like overkill to me but on the other hand you can't go wrong with more security.

I use the smallest cable lock with my not-so-expensive Schwinn. And that's it. I try to secure both wheels but sometimes I can't stretch it enough, depending on what I'm locking it to.
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Old 11-10-18 | 03:12 PM
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It's heavy, but I like my Kryptonite Series 4 chain lock...probably overkill considering I live in small town rural BC. Thing's a beast and in the summer I carry it in the helmet pocket of my bike pack or in the winter I carry it in the bottom pocket of my bigger pack. Funny thing about getting stuff online is a lot of time the scale of an object is lost in the pictures lol!
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Old 11-10-18 | 04:47 PM
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To me, losing a bike is like losing a friend so I would not consider your strategy to be overkill. Sounds like you've thought it out well.
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Old 11-10-18 | 05:20 PM
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Nothing is ever overkill for security... but gee, how long does it take to lockup & unlock each time?
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Old 11-10-18 | 05:43 PM
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Originally Posted by Tamiya
Nothing is ever overkill for security... but gee, how long does it take to lockup & unlock each time?
I only do it twice a day, the bike is brand new and cost me $3,5k with everything on it. I can’t afford to lose it. Commuting 20 miles one way on my beater bike is not an option, it would take too long.
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Old 11-10-18 | 06:25 PM
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Originally Posted by boggy
I only do it twice a day, the bike is brand new and cost me $3,5k with everything on it. I can’t afford to lose it. Commuting 20 miles one way on my beater bike is not an option, it would take too long.
ah ok, it's your e-bike! Fair enough, you can afford to carry extra security weight then

To me, a lot of a pushbike or motorbike's practicality is lost due to time taken to put on/take off all the mandatory safety gear then having to secure the vehicle at destination... vs blipblip the keyfob in car park & walk off.

Have been looking at eBikes as they mature but they're still a fair distance to go before they make sense for my needs main thing is, can't understand why so few have decent headlight & taillight built into the frame where they can't be easily damaged & plumbed into main battery - most still only have lights bolted on like an afterthought. Plus there's still a lot of loose cables that can get caught, any of which once damaged bike is unrideable - internal cabling & neat wiring management shouldn't be that hard to think out.
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Old 11-10-18 | 06:40 PM
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A lot of the "risk" is situational. So, LA vs NY vs Small Town somewhere... is all different. Also how, when, and where you lock the bike.

I'd hope your security guards would notice if someone starts chopping bikes off of the rack with an angle grinder. Of course, one trick is to look like one belongs.

Leaving your bike for 8 hours a day is also different than occasionally stopping at a grocery store for 15 minutes. As is leaving it anywhere outside overnight.

If you're mainly commuting to and from work, I'd ask the security guards if they would be offended if you leave a lock attached to the bike rack. That way you aren't lugging 20 pounds of lock back and forth every day. The spare lock & chain may come in handy.
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Old 11-10-18 | 06:48 PM
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Originally Posted by boggy
Is there such thing as overkill with the locks?
Some bicycle thieves would probably see a large number of security mechanisms as a challenge.
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Old 11-10-18 | 07:12 PM
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only 30 days after buying a brand new 1987 4runner that I personally customized with an enormous canvas top swapped for the fiberglass topper was stolen 15 feet from my sleeping head while visiting my folks in ny, near the city. had to take the train home to somerville. all I had was a POS franken bike. basically a collection of parts found on the streets of beacon hill which I spray painted yellow. but "they" weren't gonna get my only transportation. so I rode it to the hardware store in harvard square. bought the absolute most enormous four? foot length of case hardened chain they had & the biggest padlock. combined musta been 10lbs. carried it by wrapping it all around the seat post & locking one end to the other. it was worth more than the bike. under normal conditions it would have been overkill. but not at that time
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Old 11-10-18 | 07:35 PM
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Originally Posted by rumrunn6
bought the absolute most enormous four? foot length of case hardened chain they had & the biggest padlock. combined musta been 10lbs. carried it by wrapping it all around the seat post & locking one end to the other. it was worth more than the bike. under normal conditions it would have been overkill. but not at that time
funny that... I too own some 4' lengths of link chain - lets just say BiTD they offered "peace of mind" whilst riding thru dodgy neighbourhoods.

They've mostly been retired to other mundane securative duties but after Friday's latest atrocity (Melbourne, Australia 9th November 2018) now reconsidering if a fourfooter should be again be kept wrapped around my toptube.

Maybe a nice powdercoated link chain would be nice. Mine are old zinc annealed, makes hands go black.


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Old 11-10-18 | 07:52 PM
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Originally Posted by HTupolev
Some bicycle thieves would probably see a large number of security mechanisms as a challenge.
Thats what I was thinking too. I mean thieves that can take on high end U-lock will not be slowed by another, lower quality, u-lock. Frame lock with chain would be different type of lock and makes sense without looking too obnoxious.
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Old 11-10-18 | 08:13 PM
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When your lock weighs enough that carrying it about kills you, getting a second would be overkill.

Said it endlessly on these threads, will say it again, i guess, because so many people have not caught on:

Unless you are locking up in a really nasty neighborhood in a high-crime urban area ... anything at all will stop most thieves, because most thieves will not want to bother doing any serious work to steal a bike that they just want to joy-ride. meth-heads and crack-heads won't have the patience ... but thy might saw through a really cheap cable lock. Get a serious piece of chain---not big, but too big to break with a random branch picked up in the parking lot, and secure it with a reasonable comp lock. Fro $20 you will be protected fron 90-95 percent of thieves.

Any thief who Really wants your bike can take it. Hydraulic jacks snap u-locks, bolt-cutters cut chain, and even the ridiculous, ocean-liner anchor-chain stuff can be cut with an angle grinder. Thing is, unless you are leaving a $2000 bike out to be stolen ... the real pros won't take the risk to steak your bike. And the rest won't have the tools.

If your bike is in a location where random people won't walk by and see it, and where no one will be able to spend half-an hour working on it, or use something as noisy as an angle grinder .....

Hey, something else I have said .... you pay as much as you need to pay to Feel secure.

Your bike is never "secure." it can Always be stolen. There ore people on this forum who have had bikes stolen Out of Their Apartments. What you really buy when you buy a lock is a measure of peace of mind. Spend as much as you need to be able to not spend all your time away from the bike, worrying about the bike.

If you have all the stuff you just mentioned, and still don't feel safe, i suggest getting Three more U-locks and some two-inch chain and an air horn which triggers if the wheels are rotated. if that doesn't work, hire a security guard.
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Old 11-10-18 | 10:07 PM
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No. "Overkill with the locks" is not possible.

I carry three "U" locks, Four Cable locks (5; 6; and 12 foot. Only the 6 foot has an integrated lock) and one 3 foot chain lock with integrated key lock.
They are carried either in or on a basket, or in my trailer.

If some low life is going to steal my bike or trike, the S.O.B. is going to have to work to get it.
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Old 11-10-18 | 11:17 PM
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I leave my bike locked in a panic room i built in m,my house. the walls are reinforced concrete six inches thick, with a steel security door. I have a retina-scan lock and a time-lock which kicks in if someone tries to open the door by bypassing the retina scan.

My bike will never be stolen.

Nor will it ever be ridden.

Now, at last, i don't fear bike theft.

But then ... my bike is a 22-year-old BSO from Sears, with more rust than paint, no tires, tacoed wheels, and no seat, and the chain is rusted solid. But at least I am not afraid it will be stolen.

If some low life is going to steal my bike, the S.O.B. is going to have to work to get it.
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Old 11-10-18 | 11:45 PM
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Originally Posted by Maelochs
Any thief who Really wants your bike can take it. Hydraulic jacks snap u-locks, bolt-cutters cut chain, and even the ridiculous, ocean-liner anchor-chain stuff can be cut with an angle grinder.
Originally Posted by bicyclridr4life
No. "Overkill with the locks" is not possible.

Would this be adequate? Or should I try a bit larger? How many links should I get? About 60 pounds per link.

I need a bigger lock. That Kryptonite NY lock looks downright puny.


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Old 11-11-18 | 12:45 AM
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Old 11-11-18 | 01:59 AM
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No, but there is such as thing as over confidence.
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Old 11-11-18 | 10:13 AM
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Maybe progressively do away with one lock at a time until your bike gets stolen, then add one back?
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Old 11-11-18 | 10:25 PM
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Murphy's Law of bikes: All bikes weigh the same, because the lighter the bike, the heavier the chain needed to secure it.
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Old 11-11-18 | 10:49 PM
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Originally Posted by boggy
I ended up with brand new Kryptolok mini-7 that I did not really need, because it was on sale with the front wheel locking skewer that I really wanted, to replace front wheel quick release. Anyway, the rear wheel is covered with Abus frame lock with integrated noose chain, and the frame is secured with Fahgettaboudit Mini (only down tube fits in it, it’s too small to fit multiple parts of the bike, hence the locking skewer in front). I also run cable to secure the saddle, but cable runs through both wheels because why not. So, should I also toss in extra mini into the mix? Thing is, the new mini plus the Abus chain weight about the same as Fahgettaboudit, so they would balance each other out in panniers. But I am afraid it will look ridiculous on the rack with chain, two U-locks, and a cable?

I am leaving it in work garage for whole day, locked to dedicated bike lock in front of security office that is manned during the day.

I take a perverse pleasure in securing my bike, so the only thing I think is suboptimal in your setup is that you don't have the Abus Amparo 4850 frame lock with the 1.5metre noose chain, that would surely be long enough to secure your saddle, thus allowing you to lose the cable.
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Old 11-11-18 | 11:02 PM
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Your limit on locks and chain is the volume and mass of those that you're willing to carry.
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Old 11-12-18 | 10:52 AM
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Originally Posted by CliffordK

If you're mainly commuting to and from work, I'd ask the security guards if they would be offended if you leave a lock attached to the bike rack. That way you aren't lugging 20 pounds of lock back and forth every day. The spare lock & chain may come in handy.
+1. This is exactly what I've done while commuting to and from high-theft university campuses. I left the gnarly lock, and used the others for low-theft areas like suburban shopping centers and inside my house.
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