Keeping your bike safe

[Racing roadkill]

1 - Worse cheap padlocks you only use on suitcases to keep your stuff from falling out. All were the same type.

No, most padlocks ( even very good / expensive ones ) fail using this method.


3 - Won't cut through a well placed d-lock, unless you are 'The Rock'

.[/QUOTE]

Those are designed to cut off Tungsten Carbide components ( they are Canadian ) they will go through just about everything like a hot knife through butter.

 

[Racing roadkill]

The folding bolt cutters will give before a decent lock. Returned one pair to the shop.

Those particular ones won’t.

 

[fossyant]

No, most padlocks ( even very good / expensive ones ) fail using this method.


3 - Won't cut through a well placed d-lock, unless you are 'The Rock'

.

Those are designed to cut off Tungsten Carbide components ( they are Canadian ) they will go through just about everything like a hot knife through butter.[/QUOTE]

You need leverage - a well placed d-lock won't allow you to jump on one end of the cutter, with the other on the floor. Not all padlocks are the same - look at CISA ones for example. Open hasp/ u shaped padlocks are useless.

 

[Racing roadkill]

If you lot want to delude yourselves that your bike can’t get swiped by ( even a semi serious ) thief, even if you’ve swallowed the ‘sold secured’ cool aid, be my guest.

 

[classic33]

Those particular ones won’t.

So they may say. Every joint/pivot point is an extra weak point. Recognised by anyone who knows what their using.

I'm not deluding myself either. Locks are not all I use to protect my bikes/quad.

Edited to add that you'd need to apply close on 400lbs to the boltcutters to cut 12mm steel.

As for Tungsten Carbide, take a hammer to a drill bit, see how long it lasts.

 

[mjr]

You replace the bike from your own money, on top of loosing the bike.

How's that worse than insurance, unless you lose bikes so often that insurers should decline you?

 

[classic33]

How's that worse than insurance, unless you lose bikes so often that insurers should decline you?

You loose a £500+ bike and replace it with a similar one. Minimum £1000 out off pocket.

 

[Nebulous]

You loose a £500+ bike and replace it with a similar one. Minimum £1000 out off pocket.

The only out of pocket you are is the £500. You start with a £500 bike and £500 cash. You end up with a £500 bike and no cash.

That could be money you've saved on insurance premiums over the years. Insurers average risk over 1000s of people and add a profit. The risk you take by self-insuring is whether your experience is better or worse than average. If you are well off it is easier to do that than if you aren't.

I'm reasonably happy with self-insuring possessions, but not taking open-ended risks. So I don't insure my bike, but do have public liability insurance. I don't insure my camera but do insure my dog.

 

[classic33]

The only out of pocket you are is the £500. You start with a £500 bike and £500 cash. You end up with a £500 bike and no cash.

That could be money you've saved on insurance premiums over the years. Insurers average risk over 1000s of people and add a profit. The risk you take by self-insuring is whether your experience is better or worse than average. If you are well off it is easier to do that than if you aren't.

I'm reasonably happy with self-insuring possessions, but not taking open-ended risks. So I don't insure my bike, but do have public liability insurance. I don't insure my camera but do insure my dog.

You just forget about the money spent to buy the first bike then.

Had you not spent it, had the bike nicked once paid for, you'd still have the money that was used. Treat car theft the same way and see how long it'd last.

 

[bikingdad90]

You just forget about the money spent to buy the first bike then.

Had you not spent it, had the bike nicked once paid for, you'd still have the money that was used. Treat car theft the same way and see how long it'd last.

Agree it cost your £1000 either way as you also end up out of pocket for the insurance route... you pay £500 for the bike and then say £10.00 insurance per month. So at the end of 50 month you are in the same position, Pre 50 months better off and post 50 months worse off...

 

[tommaguzzi]

if you have a high end bike with lots of high end components and you leave it unattended, you can use the best locks money can buy, but then whats to stop any thief just cutting the frame then nicking it and stripping it for the parts.
if its a carbon fiber frame you only need a junior hack saw , a quid from poundland.

 

[tommaguzzi]

i only know this because i used to work with a baliff recovering utillites debts from locked industrial premises.
a 24" or better still 36" stilson pipe wrench will break all most any padlock just by adjusting the jaws to fit the flat sides of the lock and rotating the wrench so the lock body is forced to move at 90d to its normal movment. the shackel remains held in place by whatever it is locked to and something will break.
it is usually the lock body especially if it is brass, but some times the chain or whatever the lock is attached to. something always breaks. if the stillsons can get a perchase on the lock i have never seen this method fail.
most industrial premises now protect their padlocks with a box of sleel plate welded in place so only the bottom of the lock is available to insert the key for just this reason.

 

[Smudge]

I've never had a bike stolen.... But i dont ride really cool looking high spec, expensive bikes and if i did i wouldn't leave them locked up in public spaces at all. Plus, even with my cheap bikes i use a heavy D Lock.
Works for me.

 

[Nebulous]

You just forget about the money spent to buy the first bike then.

Had you not spent it, had the bike nicked once paid for, you'd still have the money that was used. Treat car theft the same way and see how long it'd last.

That doesn't make any difference. Start with £1000 cash. Buy a £500 bike, you now have £500 cash and a £500 bike. Bike gets stolen, you now have £500 cash. Buy a new bike. You now have a £500 bike and no cash. You're down £500 on your starting point. There's no magic formula by which a thief stealing something which cost £500 leaves you with a loss of twice that.

By the same argument if you were insured and it was stolen you'd still be down £500 because you wouldn't get back the money you first spent on the bike.

 

[MarkF]

I think people worry too much and over estimate the chances of their bike being stolen in the short time they are in a shop/cafe/pub. I just don't worry about it, it's not as if my leg might be stolen. I use a normal £5 brightly coloured cable lock, primarly to ward off kids, I am not taking large heavy locks around with me when I am enjoying cycling.

I am 55 and have one bike stolen in my life, locked up in my locked garage.........