Super secure bike locks worth it?

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Drago

Legendary Member
Known it once or twice over the years in the dibble.
 

classic33

Leg End Member
The problem the OP has is hell find his lock full of superglue one day, a tactic ne'er do wells use to prevent the lock being used and thus force the rider to risk using a cheapo lock or even none at all.
A heavy duty industrial degreaser(gun cleaner for example) will "melt" the superglue. Problem is, it will also do the same to any plastic it comes into.

Lock manufacturers aren't keen on answering the question of "is there any plastic within the locking mechanism". Especially when you've given the reason why you're asking.
 

Alex321

Veteran
Location
South Wales
Thanks for the replies folks. Some people have commented on weight. In my OP (quoted above) I said that I leave the lock at the place I lock the bike, and also gave a link to a very heavy chain. I'm sorry if I wasn't clear, but weight isn't really relevant (except in so far as a very heavy chain could possibly damage the frame). The journey is only 4 miles, I can either take the lock/chain in on my first trip, or make a special journey in the car.

What I was more interested in is whether very secure locking devices, like the two "anti-angle-grinder" locks I mentioned, are more of a deterrence than ordinary gold or diamond rated locks.

I suspect most thieves don't know enough about locks to recognise the anti-angle grinder locks until they find they aren't getting through them. So probably not a deterrent to them making the attempt, but much more likely to scare them off before they complete it.

But as oters have said, the gold standard locks are plenty for almost all insurance policies (not all even require that level), and after that it is just really a case of how important your specific bike is to you personally.

If it has large sentimental value, or is a model which would be very difficult to replace, then I'd be more willing to spend a lot on protecting it.

If not, I'd do no more than insurance requires, and let them replace it if the worst happens.
 

ColinJ

Puzzle game procrastinator!
If it has large sentimental value, or is a model which would be very difficult to replace, then I'd be more willing to spend a lot on protecting it.
I wouldn't leave that kind of bike unattended anywhere where thieves were likely to spot it, no matter what it would be locked with.

I would use a cheaper bike that I could stand/afford to lose.
 
Unless you have somewhere secure to leave it - then I wouldn;t be leaving a valuable - sentimental or monetary - bike all day
If you need to do that then I would get a less valuable bike - or make a half decent bike look like a less decent one

Of course - most bike thieves probably don;t know the difference unless they are high end thieves

It isn;t the same with cars - you can can;t just pick upa car and chuck it in the back of a van with 20 others
 
A few years ago my son rang me from the local supermarket. He had a "Micky Mouse" cheapo chain lock. He couldn't unlock it with his key. I hadn't got any big bolt croppers handy (I live on a farm), so I loaded our portable generator in the pickup together with an angle grinder. I drove to the supermarket and his bike was attached to one of their "hoops" next to the door. I started the generator and cut through the chain with the angle grinder. Several people walked past without commenting. I was expecting the supermarket to send someone to find out what was happening. Nobody batted an eyelid and after a few minutes, I had released the bike.

The Neisat brothers have staged a few things for YouTube. I don't think their original video is still around but they repeatedly staged the theft of their own bike from Times Square in NY. Each time they got more conspicuous. No one said a word, until their most conspicuous theft, when someone came up to them and said something along the lines of, "you're doing it wrong, let me show you".


This is a later remake:


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGttmR2DTY8
 
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Punkawallah

Über Member
As far a trackers go, your insurance company might return what’s left of your bike to you and call it done. Same for UV ink with your post code. Sometimes it’s preferable to have no chance of recovery.

The nice boys at Cade Media did a video on locks, and found few that would resist a battery angle grinder. The one that would just obliged them to cut the bike frame and sell the rest for parts.

Bottom line, if the scallies want it, they’ll have it. All you can do is make it more difficult to take yours than the one next to it.
 
As far a trackers go, your insurance company might return what’s left of your bike to you and call it done. Same for UV ink with your post code. Sometimes it’s preferable to have no chance of recovery.

The nice boys at Cade Media did a video on locks, and found few that would resist a battery angle grinder. The one that would just obliged them to cut the bike frame and sell the rest for parts.

Bottom line, if the scallies want it, they’ll have it. All you can do is make it more difficult to take yours than the one next to it.

True - the trick is to make them want the bike next to yours instead

or to think that the bikes on this rack are less desirable to them than the ones on the rack up the road

Of course - we are normally dealing with idiots so predicting how they will think is not easy!
 

SO8

Veteran
I see Abus have just brought out a 'grinder resistant' D lock ... the Abus granit super extreme 2500... at £203-280 depending on where you look.

It doesn't look to be a copy of the Litelok or Hiplok type materials though is made differently to the 'normal' ones ...but there are no Youtube tests yet.

It will be interesting to see how it does when people get hold of it as it is Diamond rated like the Litelok X1/X3 and Hiplok D1000.
 

Emanresu

Senior Member
I see Abus have just brought out a 'grinder resistant' D lock ... the Abus granit super extreme 2500... at £203-280 depending on where you look.

It doesn't look to be a copy of the Litelok or Hiplok type materials though is made differently to the 'normal' ones ...but there are no Youtube tests yet.

It will be interesting to see how it does when people get hold of it as it is Diamond rated like the Litelok X1/X3 and Hiplok D1000.

At 2.2kg it's not a lock, it's an anchor.
 
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