A u-lock that is wide enough to go around both the rear wheel and the seat tube is also wide enough to permit the crook to use a $10 tool that will quickly break any u-lock below the "Gold" rated level. Crooks have learned that if a Wal-Mart quality u-lock is around the seat tube, they can use the bike as a lever to "pop" the lock. That technique works well with a Wal-Mart quality bike, with its ultra-thick seat tube.

When a crook uses the "lift and twist" method with a bike with a high quality frame with thin walls on the seat tube, the seat tube gets twisted and bent. End of frame.

So, if you want to help a crook steal or destroy your bike, use an extra-wide u-lock and put it around your seat tube. If you want to keep your bike, and prevent a crook from damaging your frame, buy a compact u-lock, such as the OnGuard TC Mini or the Kryptonite Fahgettaboudit u-lock and put it around the rear wheel ONLY and never around any portion of the frame.

The number of documented, proven cases of a bike stolen where the owner combined a "gold" rated u-lock with the "Sheldon Brown" locking method remains at zero. Not ONE of the people who have questioned the Sheldon Brown method on these Forums has produced any credible proof that the SB method, correctly used, has ever failed in the "real world", as opposed to their vivid imaginations.

That is simply incorrect without fenders I can fit an ongaurd mini around the rim and seatube and a thick bike rack. Seatstay and wheel requires even less lock.

As I pointed out the sheldon brown method is used so rarely that there is not a big enough sample set amongst forum users for your assertions to be meaningful.

How does everyone feel about the Masterlock cuffs?

Duret, you and I must have different definitions of what a "mini" u-lock is. I have several mini u-locks, and none of mine is large enough to go around my rear tire and wheel, plus my seat tube, plus a beefy concrete post set in concrete.

Perhaps your bike has very thin tires, very thin rims, and your tire is rubbing up against a very thin seat tube. But, more likely, you are not locking up to large, beefy steel poles...poles that as thick as the end of a baseball bat, not skinny poles the diameter of a broom handle.

After you have seen the remains of a bike where the crook used the "lift and twist" method and attempted to use the frame of the bike to break the u-lock, you will never put a u-lock around any part of your frame again. But, live and learn.

Stay away (edit: from the cuffs). I hear they are relatively easy to break at the joint. (If they use a tubular bicable key, even more so.)

BTW, I so want to get a pair of actual police handcuffs for my front wheel. Anyone know if there's a realistic chance of that ever happening?

I would just like to add that my Mini U Fahgettaboudit is
big enough to fit around my seat tube, rear wheel and
a parking meter. There is practically no give at all once
the lock is in place, so a thief wouldn't be able to "twist"
it, nor is there room for any prying tools.

Master locks are junk. It is consumer fraud for Master lock to call their products "locks". Their cuffs last just slightly longer than a shoelace, against a thief who understands its flaws.

If you live in a major USA city or park on a college campus, and leave your bike out of your sight for more than ten minutes at a time, you need a SERIOUS lock. A serious lock is one that has earned a "gold" rating from Soldsecure, based on testing by their locksmiths.

www.soldsecure.com/Leisure.htm

No baseball bat size racks. the round end goes against the rack and the seatube is put next to the rck and the lock fits. There is no way a jack could fit in.

Why, do you think a thief wouldn't try the lift and twist method against the rim? My guess is serious frame damage would result.

You still haven't answered any of the questions I asked before. Start with explaining why a lock that costs three time as much is better then a cheaper one if neither lock is the weak link in your locking scheme?

I know I suggested this earlier, but it was on a friends reco.

How about the length of a ulock mini but in the best chain you can get with a Krypto disc rotor lock?

I swore I was never able to fit the seattube and wheel in my mini bulldog, but I just tried it at the library and it worked fine. On a beefy rack, no less.

Maybe I just haven't tried since I broke all the useless plastic off of it.

I don't see any OnGuard brand products on that list (at any rating)... and I know they make some decent locks

The OnGuard products are called "Magnum" or "Magnum Onguard"

Ooooooh..... alright thanks

A coming of age tale. Cast:
Jamtastic
Onguard Bulldog Mini
Beefy Bike reack

ACT 1. The Hero


ACT 2. Getting ready


ACT 3. On The Move.


ACT 4. The Villian.


ACT 5. The Battle.


FINALE... The Victor.



All done with a Onguard Pitbull MINI

*For those wondering about why my bike is reflectory... That is me trying to self-prepare my bike for powder-coating. Im gonna let them sandblast it*

^^^Well played for the win!^^^

By the way, I ended up getting a Kryptochain with disk lock. Not as secure as the NY chain, but total of about 3lbs. And lockable to a bunch more stuff than racks and meters.

You win simply for having "jamtastic" on your belt. Your gloves rule too.

2nded

This was my proof to show its me. !!!

Thanks to this thread, I now know I can fit my Krypto mini U-lock in my back pocket, and now I can cruise to the coffee shop without having to shoulder a bag. Rock!

i'm glad i read this.
i assumed big bolt cutters were a common tool.
i didn't really know they would employ use of a bottle jack...i guess between the arms to spread them enough to pop the lid on your U...now i'm glad i got a mini U as i can't picture them getting a jack in there very easily...them damned blue collar tweekers.

I did this a couple times as a quick way to lock the front wheel to the frame to supplement my other lock that was back on the rear wheel/frame. I used the Peerless handcuffs that I carry at work (I get to take them home). Handcuffs really aren't near as secure as people think. They're designed as temporary restraints only. For one thing, they use a universal key, and the links are quite tiny. They were designed for people, not things. That's why you always put the keyholes facing the subjects elbows when you cuff him; it's physically impossible to bend your wrists up around the backside of the lock to pick it. Very insecure for bikes though.

They look cool as hell though. Very satisfying clicking/ratcheting sound.

I tried to lock my bike sheldon style the other night while at the video store and couldn't get around my wheel and fender. There wasn't enough room to put the U lock between the wheel and fender either. Anyone have suggestions? The lock is the perfect size for everything else though, so I don't want to have to buy a bigger lock.

My bike was ripped off last week in Pasadena at lunch time - BROAD DAYLIGHT!! I'll be getting a new bike and new lock soon. This thread has been very helpful and that video of those guys snapping the chain locks was depressing. I'll skip the chain. I'm going to get a U-lock. I'd prefer a combination to a key though. I didn't see any discussions about combo vs. key here though.

I found this one from Kryptonite...

Kryptolok Combo U-Lock
https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...UEXP6&v=glance

I don't think it's as small as the Kryptonite Fahgettaboutit U Lock or the OnGuard Bulldog MINI Bicycle U-Lock. It sounds like smaller is better if using the rear wheel through the triangle type set-up.

Has anyone had any experience with the Kryptonite Kryptolok Combo U-Lock?? Any pros or cons? I'm hoping to avoid another bike getting stolen.

Just get this:

https://www.amazon.com/OnGuard-Bulldo...8623020&sr=8-3

Yes, I do vaguely remember hearing about universal keys. It's true then (at least for the US) I don't really care, though. In theory only policemen should have that key, no?
It's just a front wheel and Bp is not NYC. Locked $50 front wheels don't get stolen, even if they're locked with the most pathetic lock there is.
Now that you brought it up again, do you think there's a chance of a civilian getting a pair of handcuffs? For a start, would it be illegal in principle?
Perhaps I should try and get American or other foreign ones. Then at least not every Hungarian policeman could get at my wheel, and it would bystep any legal issues. Hmmm.


Edit: a quick visit to ebay confirms my hunch that these things are probably sold in gun/police/army - loving America. Can you confirm that these are the real thing?
It'd be nice to find out that Hungarian ones use a different key though.