Bike lock advice

[ChrisJN]

Hi all,

I'll be starting commuting to work, on a bike worth about £250. The bike will be left outside an office, attached to a bike rack. It'll be fairly busy, but there'll most likely be quiet points mid-morning and mid-afternoon where there won't be anyone about.

I currently have an Abus Bordo 6000 lock, which I was going to wrap around the rear wheel and frame and attach to the bike rack. I was going to pair this with a squire 12c cable
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Squire-12mm...TF8&qid=1397759199&sr=8-1&keywords=12c+squire and a squire padlock http://www.amazon.co.uk/Henry-Squir...8&qid=1397759307&sr=8-1&keywords=atl5s+squire with the cable wrapped round the frame, seat and front wheel and around the bike rack, and the padlock also locked around a front wheel spoke as well as the cable loops.

What do people think of this combination? It's my first time leaving a bike unattended for an extended period of time. Was thinking of getting pinhead locks as well, but this might be overkill considering the value of my bike.

Would welcome people's opinions and advice.

 

[vickster]

Can you afford to replace the bike if stolen, is it insured?

If no to either, abus granit x or Kryptonite fahgettaboutit d locks are as good as they get

Cables are pretty useless except as secondary to secure a wheel

 

[stan leyden]

Masterlock street cuff very secure.

 

[KneesUp]

I would say that for the value of your bike, and it's proximity to people, all you need is a lock that is hard enough to break for potential thieves to decide it's not worth it and to seek out easier targets. You don't need one that's impenetrable because no-one is going to spend time trying to break a reasonably robust lock in a busy area for a £250 bike.

I'd suggest a good U-lock used in such a way that you can't get any tools inside the 'U' - I used to lock mine to a sturdy rack the U going around the seat tube, rear wheel and the rack, with the front wheel alongside. It was a tight fit, but that's a good thing in terms of safety. Do remember to remove anything removable though. I've lost two computers and a set of lights that way.

 

[Nigelnaturist]

I got one of these Kryptonite Bike Lock & Flex Cable for the odd time I am in Leeds and need to leave my bike during appointments, I think its sufficient for my needs, as I leave the bike where there are plenty of passing people, its not so much the loss of the value of the purchase price of the bike, but more to do with getting it right over time. It is insured as well, so using a lock like this should do for my needs, I use a cheap cable lock, if popping into shops ect, I suspect it wouldn't take much to break it, but it stops people just walking off with the bike.

 

[Pale Rider]

Brace yourself for theft.

Any bike left day in, day out in the same place is a tempting target.

The £10 and £15 locks in your OP won't offer much protection in these circumstances.

As @vickster says, something with fahgettaboutit written on it would be good.

Not cheap, their chain and shackle is about £110.

 

[brand]

The solid old U lock (2) is the way to go. They are also relatively cheap. Try and make sure the ends with the lock on are in a position where it is difficult for the scum bags to hit it with a hammer. I know they are heavy but they work. What you use should be relative to risk and value of bike.
I own a variety of bikes but the one I normally use cost me £1200 replacement cost £2500. Firstly it is insured separately. Second I live rural where people leave the bikes unlocked even in town. When I go the pub in the village there is bikes all over the place some times left unlocked for weeks. I leave the bike in the yard in the back of the pub. There is often people grooming horses there, the landlady has the kitchen door open most of the time and can see it through the door. She pass it regularly to fetch food from the freezer and veg from the store. I can see it from the bar. I don't bother locking it!!!!

 

[brand]

[QUOTE="ChrisJN,
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Squire-12mm-Security-Cable-Extension/dp/B000Y8W0EM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1397759199&sr=8-1&keywords=12c squire and a squire padlock http://www.amazon.co.uk/Henry-Squire-ATL5S-Stainless-HSQATL5S/dp/B003KJ05ZI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1397759307&sr=8-1&keywords=atl5s squire [/QUOTE]
Sorry but these are just junk as in easy to cut with a decent cable cutter or bolt cutter. For u locks you need to hit the lock end with a hammer. Scum know if they get caught walking round with a hammer they could be done for carrying an offensive weapon

 

[Big Nick]

The solid old U lock (2) is the way to go. They are also relatively cheap. Try and make sure the ends with the lock on are in a position where it is difficult for the scum bags to hit it with a hammer. I know they are heavy but they work. What you use should be relative to risk and value of bike.
I own a variety of bikes but the one I normally use cost me £1200 replacement cost £2500. Firstly it is insured separately. Second I live rural where people leave the bikes unlocked even in town. When I go the pub in the village there is bikes all over the place some times left unlocked for weeks. I leave the bike in the yard in the back of the pub. There is often people grooming horses there, the landlady has the kitchen door open most of the time and can see it through the door. She pass it regularly to fetch food from the freezer and veg from the store. I can see it from the bar. I don't bother locking it!!!!

Fair play to you but don't be surprised when it gets nicked, you might live in a rural area but believe it or not
1) Some criminals live in rural areas
2) Ones that don't often have cars to travel to said areas
3) There's few police in rural areas making them an attractive hunting ground
It annoys me when people make it easy for thieves when they could make it so much more difficult if they could only be arsed

 

[summerdays]

Have a look and see what is in the racks currently. I usually feel fairly secure when I lock mine up anywhere near the university or in town because their are loads of bikes to choose from and half are locked up with cable locks. I've just got a £30 d-lock, which I put through the rear wheel and frame, filling it. So far I've been lucky. But I don't leave my bike there overnight. Sometimes I have to lock mine out on the street at work when the cages are full to bursting. And again it has been fine.

You are never going to stop the really determined thief, so make sure you have it covered by insurance if you can't afford to replace it. Mine is on my household insurance.

 

[brand]

Fair play to you but don't be surprised when it gets nicked, you might live in a rural area but believe it or not
1) Some criminals live in rural areas
2) Ones that don't often have cars to travel to said areas
3) There's few police in rural areas making them an attractive hunting ground
It annoys me when people make it easy for thieves when they could make it so much more difficult if they could only be arsed

As stated I can see it and what difference does it make about the police as if there going to stop someone riding a bike on the off chance that the bike there riding is stolen? How would then know it is stolen? I think the other bikes would be nicked first as they are unlocked visible and at the front of the pub. You are assuming I never lock my bike up. I always lock it up at other pubs and in town. Your are also assuming my bike looks expensive it doesn't it is a Thorn Rohloff they don't look expensive.

 

[brand]

Have a look and see what is in the racks currently. I usually feel fairly secure when I lock mine up anywhere near the university or in town because their are loads of bikes to choose from and half are locked up with cable locks. I've just got a £30 d-lock, which I put through the rear wheel and frame, filling it. So far I've been lucky. But I don't leave my bike there overnight. Sometimes I have to lock mine out on the street at work when the cages are full to bursting. And again it has been fine.

You are never going to stop the really determined thief, so make sure you have it covered by insurance if you can't afford to replace it. Mine is on my household insurance.

Did the same but they nicked the front wheel! The bike was a pile of shite. So you can guess what the wheel was worth!

 

[brand]

I would say that for the value of your bike, and it's proximity to people, all you need is a lock that is hard enough to break for potential thieves to decide it's not worth it and to seek out easier targets. You don't need one that's impenetrable because no-one is going to spend time trying to break a reasonably robust lock in a busy area for a £250 bike.

I'd suggest a good U-lock used in such a way that you can't get any tools inside the 'U' - I used to lock mine to a sturdy rack the U going around the seat tube, rear wheel and the rack, with the front wheel alongside. It was a tight fit, but that's a good thing in terms of safety. Do remember to remove anything removable though. I've lost two computers and a set of lights that way.

nice one as you only carry one lock and would be very difficult to get any tools in. Clever.

 

[shouldbeinbed]

As stated I can see it and what difference does it make about the police as if there going to stop someone riding a bike on the off chance that the bike there riding is stolen? How would then know it is stolen? I think the other bikes would be nicked first as they are unlocked visible and at the front of the pub. You are assuming I never lock my bike up. I always lock it up at other pubs and in town. Your are also assuming my bike looks expensive it doesn't it is a Thorn Rohloff they don't look expensive.

I think the thing with the Police is the response time, if you see someone hop on your bike and pedal hell for leather out of the pub yard, are you fast enough to catch them on foot even if its only a few seconds head start. (seen it happen in football stadia, Joe Scrote is brazen these days - your choice but it does sound complacent to a townie) & how do you find peeing in a bottle in a bar & ignoring pals so you never take your eyes off it.

In town you're lucky to get anyone to turn up within hours of a live crime report, rurally I would think it even less likely, so if you did lose it to an opportunist what chance is there of a passing cop spotting it between report and it disappearing totally or out of the area?

 

[Pale Rider]

Mate of mine left his bike unlocked outside a corner shop while he popped in to buy a drink.

He came out to see his bike disappearing down the street.

Examination of the shop's outside CCTV footage showed 41 seconds elapsed from him leaving the bike to the thief cocking his leg over it.