Crankarm
Guru
- Location
- Nr Cambridge
Wouldn't you like to know .................
How do you lock your bike?
- Thread starter jlamontagne
- Start date
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Wouldn't you like to know .................
Psyclist
Über Member
- Location
- Northamptonshire
Whilst this is true, it also takes a lot of effort to get through a strong lock.
An Almax is the best chain out there (in the U.K anyway)
If an opportunist bike thief wants to get through one of those, they're going to need an angle grinder, or maybe a blow torch with a strong saw/croppers (as this video proves, even long croppers can't get through them) which means making noise and attracting a lot of attention. Not saying a thief won't try, as it has been proved in a couple of videos, but it cuts down a large factor of bike thieves who will actually dare to try it.
Cables can be cut like paper, and I would advise fully against them, they may deter the 'petty' bike thief, but a pro will just go and slice it within seconds. Even 'high end' cables can be removed without a problem. Maybe people who use cables, who haven't had their bike stolen have ran on luck.
It is the old trade off between arms and armour, I wouldn't leave my bike in the centre of glasgow (or any big city) with just the cable on it but for market town and rural scotland, they are an adequate deterrence to opportunistic theft.
Psyclist
Über Member
- Location
- Northamptonshire
Fair enough. I don't know Scotland well so can't vouch for that. I see things as thieves being everywhere, let alone the risk of running a cable lock (even with an opportunistic thief) people can carry wire cutters in their pocket (and do too) you never know when/where your bike is going to get stolen. So I always carry a Kryptonite Mini-D or an Almax chain depending on the area and length of time it's going to be left.
Psyclist
Über Member
- Location
- Northamptonshire
Also, a beater bike is your best option. Get a cheap supermarket style hardtail or an old cheap road bike. Leave your good bike locked up at home for leisure.
I like Skol
A Minging Manc...
- Location
- Sunny Ashton-under-Lyne
fossyant
Ride It Like You Stole It!
- Location
- South Manchester
NY Fagh mini through rear triangle, wheel and Sheffield stand. Abus Bordo for front secured through frame and Sheffield stand, and a cable through the saddle rails. Weighs a tonne.
I use a total of 4 locks...my Brooks saddle is locked to the frame with a thin Krytonite cable lock..i use an Abus D lock and a Knog Strongman lock and also a little Knog cable lock...i don't like to take any chances! and don't like leaving my bike out of sight for too long...takes a few minutes to unlock and lock but to get my bike nicked would cause me a lot of grief and upset
OP
OP
jlamontagne
Regular
- Location
- Leeds
I'm not surprised with all that, although I think I'm gonna have a similar set up to what you use
Psycolist
NINJA BYKALIST
- Location
- North Essex
As previously said, if somebody want YOUR bike, they will have it, but in general, its all about making your bike less easy to rip away from its mooring than somebody elses. Most bike thefts are opportunists, who cant be bothered to walk, or are looking to make a fast buck by selling it on. Just use common sense and dont make your bike a easy target, always attatch it to an imovable object and put it in a busy, preferably CCTV monitored area and use a lock that is clearly visible. Works for me ! (so far) 
deptfordmarmoset
Full time tea drinker
- Location
- Armonmy Way
Cool! Matching handlebar tape!
slowmotion
Quite dreadful
- Location
- lost somewhere
D lock through the back wheel and triangle, and a cable loop through the front wheel to the D lock. I try and park it in plain sight of lots of people. I insure it too. That takes away an awful lot of anxiety.....until you try and claim off them.
Crankarm
Guru
- Location
- Nr Cambridge
D lock through the back wheel and triangle, and a cable loop through the front wheel to the D lock. I try and park it in plain sight of lots of people. I insure it too. That takes away an awful lot of anxiety.....until you try and claim off them.
Don't use ANY cable lock and certainly not a cable loop. You might as well use cheese.
mattsr
Senior Member
- Location
- Chichester, West Sussex
I wouldn't say don't use ANY cable lock- just make sure it's a good one. I use one of these:-
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/abus-granit-steel-o-flex-1000-80cm-cable-bike-lock/
Sold Secure Gold Rated, it weighs a ton but once it's in my panniers I don't notice it. Because my bike has a frame lock on the rear, I lock that, then use the Abus on the front wheel and around the frame to a solid object. That way both wheels are locked.
