Locks: What do you use « CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum

CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Stuff

Locks: What do you use

(35 posts)

Started 13 years ago by steveo
Latest reply from chdot

No tags yet.

12 Next »

steveo
Member

I've just discovered my wife added pedal cycle insurance to my home and contents 18 mths ago. I've checked the policy document and it just states the bike must be locked securely when unattended. No requirement on solid secure etc.

I've avoided leaving my bike in some places because the lock i've got is a bit pants and could be chewed through with out much determination. Its a specialised armoured cable lock if any one cares.

I looked at the New York Fahgettaboudit but it weighs a ton and i'm not convinced its necessary in Edinburgh and the insurance company don't seem to care. I'd like the bike to still be there though....

Posted 13 years ago #
ruggtomcat
Member

I use a mini kryptonite, its very secure (no place for a bottle jack) and small and light. Im looking at getting a protector chain for the bent+cargo.

Posted 13 years ago #
Morningsider
Member

Abus Granit x+54. Good side: Solid Secure Gold, takes 5 minutes with an angle grinder to get through it apparently. German made - operates beautifully. Stronger and lighter than the Kryptonite New York D locks.

Bad side: expensive, pretty heavy and difficult to attach to a bike with a compact frame.

The eternal bike lock trade off weight/security. I've gone for security.

Posted 13 years ago #
wingpig
Member

Kryptonite D-lock and a sheathed cable secured by a chunky and weatherproof-so-far Master padlock. When I bother to detach them for non-stopping evening rides the weight difference is noticeable but I've never checked their actual masses. Locking paraphernalia probably worth about sixty quid which fulfils the recommended 10% guideline for my nowt-special EBC.

Posted 13 years ago #
kaputnik
Moderator

I've got my bikes covered on my home & contents and pay extra for the priveledge. Those worth over £500 are named and described and I've got notes of serials etc. The insurers (those of the red telephone) weren't interested in taking a record of these.

I think the fageddaboudit is about 80 quid? My policy if I'm worried about leaving the bike is 2 locks although the total cost is probably only £60, one D-lock (Revolution) and one armoured cable-lock (Abus). I should probably spend more on locks but I don't regularly leave my bike anywhere for any length of time and if I do it will be in a busy / well lit sort of area.

My most precious bike never gets locked as it never gets left anywhere. I like to hope that my particular taste in colours and the fact the other bikes have dropped bars would put off the local neds. The touring bike is "worth" a lot in terms of replacing it, but is it worth a lot on the black market? At the end of the day, if a determined criminal really wants to steal / vanadalise your bike / harvest components, they probably will.

Posted 13 years ago #
wee folding bike
Member

On Bromptons I obviously don't, one of their big advantages.

On the Pashley I've got an Abus Granit, a heavy Abus cable, can't remember the model, and the Dutch lock.

And I use all three when I leave it.

There is no weight/security trade off with the Pashley, it's just heavy anyway.

Posted 13 years ago #
amir
Member

I have now got lots of locks & stuff as my home insurance now states that they must be locked to an immovable object in the garage. So I have two Oxford Brute force wall anchors and the most precious bikes are locked to a Kryptonite Ground Anchor. At work I use a Kryptonite New York U lock with cable (but I leave it there).

Posted 13 years ago #
Greenroofer
Member

My policy says the bike must be 'immobilised' when it is left. I'm not sure how they define immobilised, but I expect they mean that it's got to be locked to something, rather than just to itself. The pedant in my notes that when locked just to itself a bicycle is not rideable, but it is still mobile.

I have a D lock that's long enough to go round a lampost. However it's one of those ones that you could open with a Bic biro tube, so it's more for show than anything. I don't leave the bike anywhere vulnerable.

Posted 13 years ago #
gembo
Member

I have a cable lock which still coils up quite small. From TBC. Allows me to use any stance in the bike shed not just the two end points where the D-lock guys leave their bikes to hang out [with saddles jutting into the rain]

Posted 13 years ago #
wee folding bike
Member

Brooks make waterproof saddle covers.

Posted 13 years ago #
Min
Member

I noticed while down in London that saddle covers seemed to be quite popular. Folks here just use a plastic bag.

I have a very heavy d-lock (make unknown) and a cable to go through it. Given how badly locked most people's bikes are I have some confidence in the fact that there are far easier pickings than my bike at any given bike rack.

Posted 13 years ago #
DaveC
Member

I used to have an Abus D Lock with a Cable to loop though the front wheel as they are both quick release. I made the mistake of putting only the cable round a wider than usual lamp post with the D lock round the frame and wheel and my bike got nicked.

I now have a Abus Chain with a cloth cover which I wear like a bandelero if going somewhere new. At work I have a D Lock perminantly - to save me lugging it round, and at the train Station I have comendeered one of the lockers (we have 30+ lockers in Dalgety Bay.

A friend who works at the parliment doesn't even lock his bike. Its very secure where he parks in their garage. If only we have the same here.

Posted 13 years ago #
cb
Member

Dave, what are those station bike lockers like?
I always think they look a little on the compact and bijou side.

Posted 13 years ago #
onlyalice
Member

I've just bought this as my current lock (which was similar) has got half a key stuck in it! :(
Security is not my top priority though as my bike's apparently not at all desirable to thieves - it's an old-looking 'ladies' bike' with step through frame, lots of reflective tape, a silly basket and a pink bell.

I am very interested in the bit in the original post where you mention an armoured cable lock
"could be chewed through with out much determination"
- because that is what I need to do to mine now to free it from the railings outside my office! Anyone have any tips?? I have minimal amounts of DIY knowledge or tools, but have asked a friendly local tree surgeon if he'd have anything that can get through it, so waiting to hear back on that one.

Posted 13 years ago #
onlyalice
Member

Oh, and on the 'waterproof saddle covers' note - I use a shower cap!

Posted 13 years ago #
kaputnik
Moderator

Anyone have any tips??

You could PM Recombodna, he seems to be the forum "go to" guy for all angle grinding of locks purposes!

Posted 13 years ago #
onlyalice
Member

Ha - really?! Well, that is good knowledge to have (my friend suggested an angle grinder before but there aren't any power points nearby, so might not be doable anyway), but thankfully my tree surgeon buddy has come through on this so we should be able to liberate my poor bike at the weekend. We're going to look well dodgy...

Posted 13 years ago #
cb
Member

"You could PM Recombodna, he seems to be the forum "go to" guy for all angle grinding of locks purposes!"

...and here is the evidence

Posted 13 years ago #
PS
Member

"I now have a Abus Chain with a cloth cover which I wear like a bandelero if going somewhere new."

That's how I roll.

(Unless I'm off to play hockey and the Abus chain is wrapped around my toptube to secure my hockey stick there...)

Posted 13 years ago #
kaputnik
Moderator

My abus lock goes round my waist but I can't wear it bandolero. The D-lock is too big and inconvenient to carry in anything except a bag or pannier. I don't like it rattling around on the rack and amn't willing to fit any lock holders to the tubes as A/ they spoil the lines and B/ last one I used marked the paint pretty bad.

@onlyalice - if it's a cable lock you should be able to crush/mangle through it with a decent pair of tree loppers.

Posted 13 years ago #
recombodna
Member

"You could PM Recombodna, he seems to be the forum "go to" guy for all angle grinding of locks purposes!"

Aww shucks!!!!

I'm happy to grind off locks AND look dodgy whilst doing it but if you can't get power a good quality tungsten carbide tipped hacksaw blade and some elbow grease will do the job on most cable locks. If you've got a sturdy pair of mole grips to hold the lock with while you cut all the better. Good luck and happy cutting. I once snapped the key off in my bike lock outside gayfield square police station and came back with a hacksaw and mole grips whilst wearing a 'hoodie'. I liberated my bike and no one even batted an eyelid........

Posted 13 years ago #
SRD
Moderator

only alice - is your bike on george square by any chance? if so, i would mention it to uni security - they're on phone and email - before liberating it.

Posted 13 years ago #
onlyalice
Member

Good tip thanks! But no, my office is just on a street in New Town. So if you see any especially good-looking, well-dressed and refined bike thieves there on Saturday morning that'll be me ;)

recombodna - I actually used to live really near Gayfield Sq and once phoned the station there to tell on some guy who was sawing through a D lock (as I was full of righteous indignation but my partner whispered 'DON'T GET IN A FIGHT WITH A MAN HOLDING A HACKSAW' as we went past). So I'm glad it obviously wasn't you! The bike was still there the next time I checked, so I'd like to believe I thwarted an actual bike thief on that occasion.

Posted 13 years ago #
Smudge
Member

Also if anyone needs (their own!) bike liberated from a D lock I can provide angle grinding sparkery in the Falkirk or West Edinburgh (Colinton, Balerno etc) areas :)

Posted 13 years ago #
ruggtomcat
Member

A good rundown of different locks at bikeradar. When a friend of mine broke his key and had to cut the lock off he was stopped by a couple of plainclothes police men, once he convinced them it was his bike they came back and cut it off for him!

Posted 13 years ago #
chdot
Admin

There are more spanners than bolt cutters it seems.

Yes, that's a discarded mech protector on the pavement!

Posted 13 years ago #
gembo
Member

on saddle covers - I use a poly bag. I picked up this practice in Glasgow where many people wear them on their heads when it rains

Posted 13 years ago #
SRD
Moderator

Noticed a bike locked up a few doors down from Recombodna with a blue 'pool (over)shoe' on the seat, which I thought was very clever.

Posted 13 years ago #
kaputnik
Moderator

when it rains

A Paisley shawl. Or so my higher English teacher told me...

Posted 13 years ago #
Cyclingmollie
Member

I'd like an inflatable version of the Kryptonite Fahgettaboudit - all the deterrence, none of the weight. If thieves are going to defeat almost any lock then why even try to stop them? I would back it up with a light-weight Kryptoflex and combo-padlock which is all I use at the moment.

Posted 13 years ago #

RSS feed for this topic

12 Next »

Reply »

You must log in to post.

// CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum

About This Forum

CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Stuff

Locks: What do you use

Reply »

RSS Feeds

Links