bike locks
 

Everyone here has been great to me! Thank you. I will have the bike tomorrow!!!! I wanted to ask on my way out which I can't believe I forgot to before~ can anyone recommend a very good bike lock for me? I don't know any kinds or brands at all, or if they're all the same.
Thanking you with coloured confetti! :)
Emma

A Kryptonite U-lock is a good, versitile choice.

THANKS!!

You need several locks according to the conditions.
A lightweight one for poping into small shops on a fast day ride.
A U lock for everyday riding in town.
A hardened chain or armoured cable lock for serious deterance in a high crime area(v heavy so best left at your regular lock up location).
Chose your weapon...

"Armoured cable lock"?! Yikes. This world is crazy. Thieves, ....
I've said it before, but I honestly don't understand ppl sometimes. I feel sorry for most of us tho.
Maybe this is the one I should go with. I'll be traveling to long, far away places that I won't always know about, if there is high crime or not (most of the time of course I'll know).
Thank you for the information.
Emma

I have a number of bikes. Only one -- a 1992 Specialized Rockhopper that I use as a utility bike -- is ever locked. I never let the others out of my sight if they're not in my garage, office or some other place safe. I use a pretty standard Kryptonite U-lock on the Rockhopper.

I'm getting a cable lock called a Whiplock because it stores away in the handlebar and does not take up the weight or frame space of beefier U-locks. Of course, it's not as secure as a Kryptonite, but for the majority of my rides I'd trade a little security for convenience. It'd probably deter the average thief. I saw the lock featured in a recent bike mag and found their website:
www.whiplock.com
Maybe it's not for everyone, but the idea is very clever.

The security equation goes something like, if the bike next to yours is more expensive and has a worse lock, they will steal that one. Im afraid bike theft is endemic and you have to be paranoid. Never leave it unlocked to pop into a shop. Usually you want to lock it somewhere in public view, to discourage the use of heavy cable cutter or hydraulic tools. Sometimes I hide mine away where I know the risk is more of mindless vandalism than professional thievery. You also have to beware of bike parts theft. If you are going to leave your bike unattended on a regular basis, then you need to chose accessories which are hard to remove, or you take them with you. Some people take their seatpost everytime they lock the bike. It is standard practice to run the lock through the frame and rear wheel, then remove the front wheel and lock that as well. Keep the gear mechanisns against the post for harder access.

Like most cyclists I have a good but cheap 2nd hand bike for everyday utility use, which I Kryptonite to something solid. My expensive custom tourer usually has a small but good cable lock, and I find somewhere safe to keep it. I try not to leave it unattended on the street for long.

I carry the Kryptonite on the top of the luggage rack, held by a bunji chord, which frees up the frame triangle for more useful stuff, and is lighter than the mounting systems that come with the lock. Bunji chords are always useful.

MichaelW - good tips.

I'll add the following. Since you bike will be your only tranportation and you will be far from home, it makes it very important to be vigilent about keeping it in your possession. If you have homeowners or rental insurance, check with you agent to see if your bike is covered (usually is) and under what circumstances, especially when traveling. If you don't have either of those, insurance for your bike can sometimes be bought but is usually expensive, but it is something to consider.

A tip I saw from a New York city mechanic was to drip parafin wax in all of your allen head bolts so thieves can't make off with your parts. Also, you probably want to remove all of you stickers from the frame and fork so the bike looks generic and not as appealing.

Bicycling magazine has a good aritcle on bike thieves here. There was also a discussion about this in the forums a couple of months ago, check it out here

My thoughts on locks. A good U-lock offers the best security, but is heavy, expensive, and only good if there's a post to lock it around.

When I lived in the city I always used the u-lock to lock my bike. Even If I was only gone a few minutes. Sometimes locking and unlocking the bike took longer than my errand. Now I live on the edge of the sprawl (suburbs, if you prefer) and there is very rarely anywhere to u-lock my bike to. The county library is the only place I know of with a proper bike rack. So I use a thick cable with a quality padlock to lock my bike. I can wrap this around a tree or streetlight and secure the frame and wheels. This setup is much lighter and quicker to use than my old u-lock and I can loop the cable a couple times and wear it around my neck (think Mr.T) for short trips.

This setup is not as secure as a good u-lock but bike theft is hardly a problem around here. Which brings me to my next point. You have to base you lock requirements on where you live. Basically, Anywhere bikes are a common bike theives will also be common. Major cities and college campuses are a good example. Out in the country where bikes are less common so are bike theives. In the suburbs a thief would have a better chance of stealing a bike out of some one' s garage than looking for one outside the quickie mart.

Oh well, Good luck with the bike Emma.

Having bikes stolen out of your garage is increasingly common. A friend of mine who lives and works in Philadelphia had his bike stolen from his office building. I guess you can't let your guard down.

That's all true. However, while there is no guarantee of perfect security, I think one can minimize the risk. My garage has two locks, it is accessible from the back yard, the door makes an infernal racket that would alert me if I was home, my partner works from a home office, so she would hear it and we live in a pretty low-crime, residential area. I won't say that I don't think about it, but it's not the kind of thing that keeps me up at night. besides, if someone's going to break into my garage and steal my bike, he'd be more likely to steal my neighbour's car.

SSEvangel : I was horrified after I read yr posted aricle by the
bike theif!

To do something like that is unconscionable...there are many diff't reasons why and it's never a good one, but this guy was heartless. I can't even bring myslef to buy anything from a pawn shop (yrs ago when I was looking for a guitar a friend suggested to try one of these on the cheap) cause I always think "what if someone pawned that because they were desperate and it was their beloved ring/bike/heirloom brooch/whatever given to them by their one true love/mom/grandpa and they intend to go back for it as soon as they can save enough $" Also- I wouldn't trust a PAWN SHOP! and couln't buy from an "independent" bike dealer!

I fully intend to buy the best, semi-expensive (i can't afford that $210.oo one!) bike lock asap!

Good enlightenment thank you

Emma:

What!!!!! You plan on leaving your bike unattended?? ACKKKKK!!!!!

I only use a lock when I am transporting my bikes. Basically I use it as a deturent (sp) when they are on the racks. Usually they are tranported inside. I use a cable type from Kryptonite.

I asked around for you and the word is that if you plan on leaving the bike for extended periods in not the most secure areas:

The Kryptonite New Yorker - around 100 dollars.

Good Luck! Check you email - Long info on spd pedals.

Keith:beer:

My BMX bike was stolen out of my garage back in the 80s when I was a kid :(

Did you ever get your Whiplock?
What do you think?

it sure doesnt look very strong but he said he lives in a low crime area so i guess what ever works and is convinient

Get a quality U-lock. A couple of weeks ago I decided to get a cable lock cause I was tired of carrying the heavy U-lock with me. And guess what... locked up my bike in front of the campus gym this weekend, came out an hour later and it was gone. $1000 gone just cause I was too lazy to carry an extra couple of pounds.

The original poster left the threadTWO YEARS AGO!
I know it's getting close to Halloween but
http://img464.imageshack.us/img464/8...dthread4ab.jpg

:lol: I think i have said this before. There should be a rule.... "No bringing up old threads!"

The question is not three years old. It is actually about a hundred years old. The first bike was "invented" on a Wednesday. It was stolen on Thursday.

The answer is pretty easy:

Folks willing to lug around a four or five pound lock need:


- an Abus Granit 54 U-lock

- an OnGuard Brute U-lock

- a Kryptonite New York 3000 U-lock


Folks wanting a "light" lock need:

- an OnGuard Pitbull Mini U-lock

Nobody asked you alan. Stick to the current threads
http://img464.imageshack.us/img464/8...dthread4ab.jpg

Don't act like such a stuck up spoilt child. Please, just occasionally read back to yourself what you're typing...