# Which Bicycle Lock



## Plax (24 May 2008)

Ok, now that I have a nice bike I thought I'd best get a decent lock. 
I have a cheepo cable lock that came with an accessory pack - it's a combination lock one. 

I have my eye on approx three D locks;

Magnum Plus 
Kryptonite New York 3000D
Abus Granit X Plus 54

So which one is it to be?


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## Plax (24 May 2008)

> Magnum plus mini-shackle with cable.
> 
> It's excellent. Gold-rated, small, and you can secure both wheels with the cable.
> 
> http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/...1_productId_231103_langId_-1_categoryId_31389



Looks quite good, does it have a bracket to mount it to the frame at all?


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## Plax (27 May 2008)

Does nobody want to vote on my poll? 
No other recs then before I venture out to get the magnum Plus shackle from Halfrauds (£29.99 on offer from £43.99 btw)?


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## bonj2 (27 May 2008)

to take with you or for at home?
i.e. is weight / portability a factor.
budget?
i'll vote when you answer the above...


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## Plax (27 May 2008)

bonj said:


> to take with you or for at home?
> i.e. is weight / portability a factor.
> budget?
> i'll vote when you answer the above...



To take with me. I keep the bikes in the house. 
Probably not on my commute though as I work on a secure site, but when I go everywhere else (in Town especially).
No budget as such so long as it's a decent lock. I was thinking in the £50-£100 range given that you're supposed to get a lock that's worth 10% of the value of your bike.


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## bonj2 (27 May 2008)

kryptonite then. it's 16mm, abus is 13mm, magnum plus is only 8mm.

another one to consider - i've got one of these
(which i don't use that much incidentally now as i keep my bikes in my flat) but when i do i find the smaller size of it isn't particularly limiting, you can normally find a convenient railing. In fact the smaller size is probably better for security - less likely to be able to get a jack in it, and it's under 1kg and still 13mm. Still very very unlikely to be boltcroppered.


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## bonj2 (27 May 2008)

oh sorry when you said magnum plus i thought you meant this:
http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/...d=10001&partNumber=286450&langId=-1&source=td
that's what i meant was only 8mm, not sure about the shackle+cable jobbie.

my mistake you did say D-locks.


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## buddha (28 May 2008)

Ive been using a Kryptonite NY-3000 (+ kryptoflex cable) for about 18 months. They have survived (one known) bolt cutter attack and someone trying to pick the lock with a screwdriver.
I don't use the frame mounting bracket though as the lock rattled around too much on bad roads - it eventually snapped. Either use a rucksack, pannier or strap it to a rack.


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## 515mm (28 May 2008)

got me a Kryptonite Fagheddaboudit (sic). Which is a tiny U lock with a sodding great big chain (I use an additional cable to secure m'front wheel) It comes with a 1 yr £2000 warranty. Picked it up for £95 on ebay, brand new.

seems just the thing


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## dodgy (28 May 2008)

515mm said:


> got me a Kryptonite Fagheddaboudit (sic). Which is a tiny U lock with a sodding great big chain (I use an additional cable to secure m'front wheel) It comes with a 1 yr £2000 warranty. Picked it up for £95 on ebay, brand new.
> 
> seems just the thing



Available for £64.90 inc VAT and delivery here - http://www.saundersonsecurity.co.uk/acatalog/Bicycle_Chain_Locks.html

Dave.


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## dodgy (28 May 2008)

Not really.


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## numbnuts (28 May 2008)

_Abus Granite X plus 54 with a 4 foot 3/8 cable though the wheels with a big pad lock
_


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## John-XTC (29 May 2008)

Onguard bulldog are better value then the magnum plus.

I bought mine from ebay

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ONGUARD-BULLD...ryZ58100QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Or

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/MAGNUM-ONGUAR...ryZ58100QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem


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## 515mm (29 May 2008)

dodgy said:


> Available for £64.90 inc VAT and delivery here - http://www.saundersonsecurity.co.uk/acatalog/Bicycle_Chain_Locks.html
> 
> Dave.



Just typical really. Did get mine a year ago however. Even better value now!

You wear it around one shoulder-like a sash. Bit of resistance training see!


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## punkypossum (30 May 2008)

I second mr pauls magnum mini shackle and cable


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## Plax (30 May 2008)

I'm in a quandry now, although I am gravitating towards the Magnum mini shackle on the basis it's smaller and so harder for thieves to get leverage if it's tucked away and hard to reach.


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## CopperBrompton (31 May 2008)

According to a friend who runs a motorcycle security business, cables are almost pointless - they can all be easily cut in seconds. Serious chains work, but not the ones light enough to be carried on a bicycle. Which leaves U-locks rated as Sold Secure Gold.

But it's also about the application. If you're nipping into the corner shop for 2 mins, then even a cheapo cable-lock that you could cut with a sharp piece of paper may be good enough for practical purposes; if you're leaving it unattended all day, you want a proper lock.

Ben


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## Danny (1 Jun 2008)

> Read what the expert has to say-
> 
> http://www.sheldonbrown.com/lock-strategy.html



Hmm...never tried locking my bike like that. Can see the logic, but the downside is that your lock is going to get really mucky from the chain.


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## Plax (2 Jun 2008)

Sheldon's article was very interesting. I think I shall go for a mini D lock now. For convienience sake it'll be the Magnum mini from Halfrauds I think. I'll keep the combination cable lock I already have for lightening visits to the PO and stuff.


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## GrahamG (4 Jun 2008)

Dannyg said:


> Hmm...never tried locking my bike like that. Can see the logic, but the downside is that your lock is going to get really mucky from the chain.



You can just lock it a bit higher up than that - it's no problem at all. The only downside with the Krytonite's though is that the width of the shackle is about 5mm too small for street sign columns, but that's only an occasional annoyance if there's plenty of cycle parking around.



Plax said:


> Sheldon's article was very interesting. I think I shall go for a mini D lock now. For convienience sake it'll be the Magnum mini from Halfrauds I think. I'll keep the combination cable lock I already have for lightening visits to the PO and stuff.



One thing that hasn't been mentioned on this thread is the fact that mini bottle jacks (as in car jacks) are commonly used on U-locks as bolt-cropping can be very difficult on thicker shackles (requiring a very large tool), so you need to fill up the space inside the lock with bike wheel/frame/bike rack to ensure that this method can't be used. That's why the mini u-lock is a good idea. 

Also, consider just installing good old fashioned wheel nuts and saddle bolt - this is enough to discourage nicking wheels and saddles/posts without having to bother with cables to run through them. Who the hell actually _needs_ quick release?


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## Plax (7 Jun 2008)

Well I have my mitts on a Magnum Mini D Lock. It's quite hefty - has anyone actually bothered to mount it to the frame?
Also anyone registered their 5 (yes that's right FIVE) keys? You know in case you manage to lose ALL of them (must be quite a feat to loose 5 keys). Or taken them up on the free anti-theft protection offer for 1 year?


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## Plax (2 Jul 2008)

Well I can confirm that the Magnum Mini D Lock, when flung from the bike downhill after going over a few bumps just shy of 40mph holds up well. Mine survived it's ordeal will a few deep scuffs/scrapes on the barrel lock bit. It remained firmly locked throughout the ordeal. There was no traffic behind me so I didn't find out how it fared with getting run over as well (or how well it dented car bonnets). 
I've decided that it's probably best stuck in the side of the pannier for now, rather than bungied to the top of the rack. It has been fine for months, but that road is where everything quite merrily falls off the bike. So far it has been a bottle, a camera, a cheap light and now the D lock!


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## summerdays (2 Jul 2008)

I use an Ugh bracket to hold my lock on...
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/ProductDetail.aspx?Cat=cycle&ProdID=5300006187&N=Abus UGH Bracket
You get 3 brackets for that money and I mount mine on the side of my rack - does make that side out of use for a bag. I've been using it for over a year now and the lock has never come off. I do periodically have to tighten some of the brackets - strangely one stays done up and the other two loosen themselves and make a rattle but still hold up the lock.


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