Ya I'm trying to figure out a way to keep my u-lock on my bike while I ride.

It's normal sized locked (not a mini) any ideas?

Here's my solution to the problem. It does require a rear rack, of course, which, out of vanity, most bikers don't have.
Note the small yellow-blue (yeah, I'm Swedish...) ribbon holding the lock tight when the road is bumpy!

(Click to enlarge!)


Edit:
And before someone asks: NO! The lock does NOT fit anywhere else on the bike. Believe me, I've tried!!!

I wanted to suggest this solution but was not sure how to describe it; a picture is indeed worth 1000 words (at least 3-400...). That lock will fit in a little better if you experiment with it, but if you must use a U-lock I think this is a pretty good way to carry it.

Funny, I've got a mini-U and I was just thinking about ways to carry it on the frame. Fortunately, since it's small, i'm able to just lock the shackle under the downtube and the locking bar over the toptube, but this doesn't work with a normal sized U-lock. However, I did realize while trying all of these things: a small hook could be made to attach to the seat stays: one could put the crossbar of the lock or the shackle of the lock onto the hook, then lock the lock down and across the seatstay/seattube angle. This would have the added benefit of adding R/L-balanced weight. Someone out there make this, I'll buy it.

I experimented for hours until I found an acceptable solution in my case. I have one of the newer OnGuard U-locks which have a complex mounting bracket. Well after concluding it is not ever going to fit inside the main triangle, I finally mounted the bracket on the seat tube (note: not the seat post), directly above the top tube. I removed the seat post clamp to slide the bracket on the short piece of tube, after which the clamp goes back on. It just managed to fit.

The bracket sticks out at a bit of an angle such that the U-lock is on the left side of the frame, parallel with the frame, hanging down, and a small length of velcro tape fixes the U section to the seat stay so it does not rattle and it reduces the risk of the whole thing breaking off when going over bumps. My left foot just clears it while pedalling.

Sorry, no photo unless you are desparate.

On my commuter, I carry it on the rack pretty much CdCf. I don't have a rack on my other bikes (out of no need for them, vanity not an issue ). I just take the commuter any time I think I'll need to lock a bike up.

On my old hybrid commuter, I didn't have a rack and was able to carry the lock by attaching the mounting bracket to the seat tube, and mounting the lock backwards. The straight bar of the U-lock was parallel to the seat tube, and the U-part would rest against the seat stay (on the non-drivetrain side). Might not work with all frames, but it was a clean solution on that bike.

I wish they'd make racks with quick releases. Then I could take the rack off when I just want to go for a ride and return home without having to lock the bike anywhere.
As it is now, I just have to leave it on there.

All of the Krypto locks we supply to the students come with a frame-mounting bracket.

Mine has a mounting bracket as well, but that doesn't help one bit if there's no place on the bike where it will fit!
I really have tried every reasonable location, and it just doesn't fit.

I tried to mount it vertically from my left chain stay, but I found I hit it with my foot constantly.

The right chain stay has a chain inconveniently placed in the way...

The seat stays are too cluttered to have any room left for it.

The lock itself doesn't fit inside the main triangle unless mounted out in front of the seat tube, but that requires the bottle cage to be removed.

There's not enough space to have it on top of the top tube, and my private parts wouldn't be very comfortable with that location either.

Mounting it on the fork is out of the question, for obvious reasons...

Hanging it around the seat tube and the seat stays doesn't work either, as the lock is too wide. My legs would chafe on it all the time, if I even managed to pedal.

Frame mounting is no good if you want two water bottle cages and large water bottles in them. Believe me, I've tried it. I also go for balancing the u-lock through the holes in the rack, but without the cool blue and yellow ribbon, it does tend to bounce off when I hit a pothole. I guess it's a good lock. It has survived that several times, and even survived being run over by a car the last time.

I don't know if you have more than one bike, but I never know which bike is going out the door on the morning commute so I just keep it either in my messenger bag or backpack. Grab the bag in the morning and go.

Every attachment device I've ever had rattles and makes noises and looks horrible, so I just carry it on my person. Plus, I live up a few flights of stairs so the less weight on the bike the better.

I ended up doing something similar... I'm not entirely happy, but it seems to work fairly well in practice. (Note: the blue strips are velcro).

That is the way I carry ours. All of our bikes save one have racks and I've found this approach works best. One can even put a smallish cooler or a bike trunk over the u-lock.

Doc

Are you carrying the lock to the same place everyday? I found I did that in university so i just left the lock on the rack. I bought a second lock and everything was cool.

I bouht a mounting bracket that held the straight part of the lock on the RH side of the seat tube, with the U pointing back towards the drop-out. I now leave it at work, and carry a cheap cable lock that mounts under the handle bars.

Pictures please people, and landstrander can you do another photo further out please?

I carry mine like landstrander but hold it in place with an elastic bunji chord. I hook each end to the bottom of the rack stays. The lock just slots under the elastic and stays in place, no tying, no velcro and it doesnt interfere with pannier mounting.

I have the same solution as AndrewP (mounting bracket on seat post, straight part of lock running parallel to the post and loopy part pointing back and down). My Abus lock came with the bracket, so I did not need to buy anything. It did require some trial and error to adjust the bracket/lock combination so that it does not interfere with water bottles (1 litre) or rear pannier.

--J

Bungie cord! I carry mine like landstander but I have two 24" bungees that fit tight from the lowest attachment points on either side (sorry no camera, they hook down by the dropouts). I usually just slide it under one of the cords but it will not bounce off ever if you use two cords. Even if the second cord is under the lock it adds some friction and it's generally not going to come off except in rare cases. Also two cords allows you to carry the occasional box! Possible to carry more than just a lock as DocF suggests.

Of the rack/lock, or do you want one of the entire bike? Either way, I can probably post something this evening.

I tried that, but didn't have much luck with it holding the lock securely. Would you be willing to post a picture? Perhaps your technique is more clever than mine.

No digicam at the moment but I'll try something.
You have to pick the correct length of chord to get the tension, or tie a couple of knots to shorten the elastic.
Feed the hook in at the bottom of the rack from the inside of the rack to the ouside, so the metal spiral does not sit between the pannier and the rack.
It holds the lock on rough ground, Ive never had it fall off.
The rack is a blackburn copy with an old Kryptonite. Is your Arbus much heavier at the lock end. Does it hand over the edge of the rack at the rear?.

Ah, I think I follow you now... it's definitely not how I was doing it. I'll give your version a try tonite.

I think the lock end is a bit heavier, but not by much. The way I've got it secured now, it comes just even with the back end of the rack.

I just slip it in my back pocket of my pants, or if I'm carrying junk, it goes in my messenger bag. I have a regular size u-lock. It is also close in case I have any encounters with cars.

I fugure the only time I need the lock is around town, when I already have street clothes on. On longer rides, I won't carry the lock because I won't be locking up, and my clothes probably won't have pockets. Got it?

In your back pocket???