Locks left on Bike Lockers

[united4ever]

Anyone do this and if so why? To reduce weight? Do they just leave them at their regular destination (e.g. work) and have a spare one for any other trips but by not carrying it on their regular journey they lose a bit of weight? There are quite a few at my work place and in my town centre but couldn't really work out why people do this.....all i can assume is weight.

 

[fossyant]

If its on a rack then I used to leave one and carry one. For the lockers it was policy you didn't leave your lock on it.

 

[pclay]

Leaving a lock on a bike locker guarantees you that the locker is available when you want it (as no-one else can use it).

Leaving a lock on a bike rack at a regular destination, eg train station, is good just so that you can save lugging a lock around with you. It also means you wont forget a lock.

 

[united4ever]

yes, Bike rack is what i meant...

 

[PhilDawson8270]

I leave a big D-Lock at the station. I often carry a laptop and an ipad with me. And really don't want a heavy lock banging against them while cycling. So it's easier to leave it there

 

[fossyant]

Mainly weight but would carry one just in case the one on the rack was tampered with.

 

[Sixmile]

I leave my heavier lock on the drainpipe at work but normally carry the lighter lock in my bag just in case of an impromptu stop.

For me, it's weight and space.

 

[mjr]

People do that with unwanted locks - it's a sort of fly-tipping. After all, no-one sane would leave a bike lock they're going to use lying around for thieves to practice on at their leisure.

 

[I like Skol]

I leave a lock on the racks at work but that is in a secure carpark with monitored access. The big danger with leaving a good/heavy lock at a public destination such as the train station is that you arrive to find your lock has been tampered with (superglue in the keyhole, physical damage to the mech, etc) and now have no means of securing your pride and joy. The would-be thieves hope you will then leave your pride and joy with no lock or just a lightweight café lock so they can take your bike with ease. I guess the only remedy for this scenario is to turn around and go back home. Hopefully it should be such a fleetingly rare occurrence to one person that their employers wouldn't get too irate about it?

 

[Bazzer]

We have allocated spaces on the bike racks, so leaving a lock isn't a problem as admin know whose bike/lock it is. I use a cable lock as all parking is monitored and is supposed to have card only access.
Bike locked in my garage using a heavy Abus and put on the bike if I know I will be leaving it other than at work.

 

[MontyVeda]

I figured it was people who'd lost the key to their lock, and in order to get their bike back, have simply cut through the frame.

 

[mjr]

The big danger with leaving a good/heavy lock at a public destination such as the train station is that you arrive to find your lock has been tampered with (superglue in the keyhole, physical damage to the mech, etc) and now have no means of securing your pride and joy.

Surely not? They'll just figure out how to open it (they have all the time in the world) and then you'll have no idea when you "lock" your bike up, so they can take it and they'll take the lock too, so you won't even be able to claim on any insurance that requires proof that you locked the bike up with a certain lock or certain spec lock.

It's an extremely risky thing to do anywhere except allocated parking in a secure area.

 

[PhilDawson8270]

Surely not? They'll just figure out how to open it (they have all the time in the world) and then you'll have no idea when you "lock" your bike up, so they can take it and they'll take the lock too, so you won't even be able to claim on any insurance that requires proof that you locked the bike up with a certain lock or certain spec lock.

It's an extremely risky thing to do anywhere except allocated parking in a secure area.

I also use a cable lock, that I carry by leaving it wrapped around the top tube. Not much option for carrying the heavy D-Lock around. But even if it goes walkies, its not a massive issue with a £130 mountain bike. I'd never commute and leave a decent bike unattended.

 

[Sixmile]

[QUOTE 4473118, member: 259"]But leaving your lock on a rack at work is definitley frowned upon, and I wouldn't do it.[/QUOTE]

A rack at work? That's the stuff dreams are made of. Our current rack/secure storage options consist of aforementioned drainpipes or window grills. Still, with next to no facilities for cyclists at our work our numbers are slowly rising.

 

[I like Skol]

People do that with unwanted locks - it's a sort of fly-tipping. After all, no-one sane would leave a bike lock they're going to use lying around for thieves to practice on at their leisure.

Surely not? They'll just figure out how to open it (they have all the time in the world) and then you'll have no idea when you "lock" your bike up, so they can take it and they'll take the lock too, so you won't even be able to claim on any insurance that requires proof that you locked the bike up with a certain lock or certain spec lock......

I assumed your initial post was simply a tongue-in-cheek comment to try and add a little humour to a serious thread but your second contribution suggests you actually believe your assertions!

If a bike thief is going to 'practice' opening locks in a public place then that practice will take the form of grinders, bolt croppers, bottle jacks or sledgehammers. I have heard little evidence that many bikes are stolen by thieves that pick the locks. It is nearly always as a result of physically disabling the lock, your paranoia is perhaps getting the better of you?