U lock practicalities

[Crackle]

I bought a Knog Strongman for son1 to take to uni with a bike without really paying much attention to size. So when it arrived, I looked at it and thought, hmm that looks a bit small to be practical.

Indeed it was. Effectively it's only just big enough to go around a top tube and a bike stand/lampost/other. So not possible to include wheels or to reach something which isn't very convenient.

So in my view it's a bit useless but perhaps I'm missing something, some way of locking a bike with a small U lock which secures it well. What say the CC massif?

This is the best idea I could find by the way.........

 

[CanucksTraveller]

No you're right, it limits you to two choices: secure the rear wheel to the seat tube, (effectively an immobiliser), often a choice I use when popping in a shop for literally 2 minutes... or secure the frame to street furniture while leaving the wheels vulnerable (arguably).
To be honest if it's a modest bike with simple / unbranded wheels the latter should be fine, not many thieves are on the lookout for a plain wheel. When I park my oldest bike (an 8yo Trek hybrid with Bontrager wheels) at the train station I only secure the frame to the bike shed and I've not lost a wheel yet.
Could depend on where you park it I guess.

 

[Clanghead]

I'm no expert, but you might have to invest in a couple of these (other brands are available) to secure wheels to the U-lock:

 

[Crackle]

No you're right, it limits you to two choices: secure the rear wheel to the seat tube, (effectively an immobiliser), often a choice I use when popping in a shop for literally 2 minutes... or secure the frame to street furniture while leaving the wheels vulnerable (arguably).
To be honest if it's a modest bike with simple / unbranded wheels the latter should be fine, not many thieves are on the lookout for a plain wheel. When I park my oldest bike (an 8yo Trek hybrid with Bontrager wheels) at the train station I only secure the frame to the bike shed and I've not lost a wheel yet.
Could depend on where you park it I guess.

It's an old Raleigh Pioneer I've given him, with a bolted rear axle and QR front which I'll replace with an a lockable QR and he'll be in that there London. At the moment he's favouring my Abus Granite and an extra cable for the wheel but as you say, the wheels are crap so maybe I'm overthinking this.

 

[si_c]

I'd lock either through one of the seat stays or the rear wheel (see Sheldon). Either way they're cutting something to release the bike, and at that point they have it anyway.

 

[CanucksTraveller]

Doesn't do any harm to consider these things. With cheap wheels and bolt axles you've minimised the risk as much as you can and it looks like an ideal London hack.
You can't remove theft as a possibility of course, but with the frame shackled up tight to a rack he should be fine. It's a good lock for a tight fit at least, which rules out jacking attempts.

 

[Crackle]

Doesn't do any harm to consider these things. With cheap wheels and bolt axles you've minimised the risk as much as you can and it looks like an ideal London hack.
You can't remove theft as a possibility of course, but with the frame shackled up tight to a rack he should be fine. It's a good lock for a tight fit at least, which rules out jacking attempts.

One of the reasons I chose it was because it was smaller (but smaller than I thought) and had a thick silicone cover to resist cutters.

 

[MacB]

Get a second larger U lock and use this one to lock front wheel to frame and the larger lock for the bike to the bike stand.

 

[Crackle]

Get a second larger U lock and use this one to lock front wheel to frame and the larger lock for the bike to the bike stand.

Taking two U locks is not going to fly with him.

I think I'll give him the Knogg and the extension cable.

I've always used the front wheel off and lock through frame and rear and front wheel and around immovable object but then I wasn't locking a complete hack up like he is.

 

[Tiger10]

I have heard of taking the front wheel out but never seen it in this area, do many people do that and wot about your carbon fork on the tarmac?

 

[jefmcg]

I'm no expert, but you might have to invest in a couple of these (other brands are available) to secure wheels to the U-lock:
View attachment 365117

Don't need a couple. Get the 7' one, and you can lock both wheels and the saddle.

 

[jefmcg]

I have heard of taking the front wheel out but never seen it in this area, do many people do that

Pretty common in London, sad to say. And they steal shitty wheels, it's not uncommon to see an Apollo or a Trax missing a wheel.

 

[Crackle]

Pretty common in London, sad to say. And they steal shooty wheels, it's not uncommon to see an Apollo or a Trax missing a wheel.

Is it: I'm wavering back to the Abus now.

 

[Blue Hills]

Taking two U locks is not going to fly with him.

I think I'll give him the Knogg and the extension cable.

.

You can get quite light u locks that are handy for locking front wheels. Still metal so need a power tool to crack.

As a maybe peevish after-the-horse has bolted commentvI would avoid pretty much everything from knog - either not very good, over designed or over-priced- sometimes all three.

 

[Blue Hills]

Don't need a couple. Get the 7' one, and you can lock both wheels and the saddle.

But dont, as i saw once in putney, wrap the cable through the wheels and then just use the metal d lock to link the cable loops. Doh!