Locks (in London)

[dktd]

Not sure this is the right place to post it, but ...

I recently had my (Triban 3 racer) bike stolen from the middle of London in the middle of the day. It was locked with a Abus lock that cost around £50.

Obviously, this has left me feeling a little fragile on the whole locking-up-in-London thing (as well as questioning whether I should buy a new one, despite the model). And the lock seems to have survived at least two prior attempts to break it.
Not to be defeated, I'm looking at getting two locks instead of one (and both different). Andrew Culture says, and I accept this, that locks are a deterrent more than anything else - if the bastards want the bike, they're gonna take it.

But, can anybody recommend locks? And/or hints for locking up in London, the big bastard of the place.

Ta!

 

[vickster]

2 D Locks as said, small ones which leave less room for leverage...

Abus Granit X (RRP closer to £100)
Kryptonite New York Fahgettabouitit

I would insure the bike...with the lock types recommended by the insurance. You can get alarms but not sure how those work

Or get a tatty used model for everyday use if leaving, still lock it in somewhere well lit, with CCTV if possible. It needs to be less desirable and less easy to nick that the next door bike

 

[gaz]

You can get alarms but not sure how those work.

I use an alarmed padlock and it makes a loud beep when it is moved or touched by conductive metal. After 30 seconds it resets and goes back to it's initial state. However if it is touched or moved again within 30 seconds it makes a very loud car alarm noise.

Works great but sometimes I set it off when I'm unlocking it

 

[2pies]

Only leave your bike in a secured area. Current employer has an underground delivery bay and old employer allowed me bring the bike into the building and leave it in the basement.

This may sound arrogant or unrealistic, but hearing tales of friends/colleagues having had bikes stolen in public/well lit/under CCTV/with D-locks and all the other sensible things that people would suggest, its the only solution I have. If a would-be thief sees a bike they want to pinch, they will, and no one ever seems to want to stop them.

 

[Andrew_Culture]

I'd heartily recommend getting something like an old steel frame that looks a bit rough. My 'beater' bike looks a bit rough but has some nice components; it's like being stealthily cool!

 

[SteelUn]

Or get a folder and not leaving it outside.

 

[dktd]

In all honesty, I'd rather run the risk of it getting stolen than limiting my cycling only to where I could be secure in it's being locked up. It'd mean I never cycled anywhere, essentially, as it's a tool most of the time. So, crap-looking bike, here I come ...
A friend told me that someone's bike was stolen from right inside the UCL campus, as well, so ... even more 'secure' area's of where I inhabit aren't totally safe.

 

[Andrew_Culture]

Crappy looking is very different to actually crappy

 

[sddzwcltx]

2 D Locks as said, small ones which leave less room for leverage...

Abus Granit X (RRP closer to £100)
Kryptonite New York Fahgettabouitit

I would insure the bike...with the lock types recommended by the insurance. You can get alarms but not sure how those work

Or get a tatty used model for everyday use if leaving, still lock it in somewhere well lit, with CCTV if possible. It needs to be less desirable and less easy to nick that the next door bike

For Fahgettabouit on Defy 1, I wonder if it is a bit to small and limits the ability of items to lock onto and the ability to lock front wheel with the rear and frame?

 

[fabregas485]

Two locks is the way to go. I lock with a silver rated D lock (as stated in my insurance), the double loop ended cable for the D lock, and a steel strand cable lock with padlock. It looks over kill and takes time to lock, but looks a lot less easy to get at than the bikes locked with thin wire locks.

If someone wants your bike however, they will get it sooner or later.

 

[vickster]

For Fahgettabouit on Defy 1, I wonder if it is a bit to smalland limits the ability of itemsto lock onto and the ability to lock front wheel with the rear and frame?

Indeed, I think the Abus is more practical but the Krytonite harder to jack open. Hence, I use both and Abus and a small Kryptonite if ever locking my bike in London!

 

[Ciar]

I use an abus coil type lock, it's a pain in the arris as it's very tight and i put that on my front wheel as it's awkward to remove, that goes through the wheel and around the front forks,on the back i put a kryptonite dlock through the back wheel and seatpost part of the frame so it's again securing wheel/frame, the dlock is registered so I am covered for £1000 but i also have seperate insurance on both my bikes for theft and liabilty.

in all honesty i treat my bikes like i would treat a car, insured and secured down here in London there are way too many tea leafs!

 

[Mile195]

Best form of security is to have nobody see it in the first place. In many ways, for this reason I think outside railway stations in lit, CCTVd areas for example aren't always a particularly great place to leave them. Especially if your bike looks better than everybody elses. It's like a bike supermarket for theives, who seem brazen enough about what they do to ignore CCTV these days.

When cycling somewhere I consider to be a bit more dubious, I have been known to find a street 10 minutes walk away with nicer cars and better kept homes where it feels like the "pond-life" are less likely to tread. Cul-de-sacs are best, since there's no passing trade, as it were.

I realise that doesn't help you choose a lock, but as has already been said, any lock can be broken with enough time and enthusiasm. If you can stop the theives coming across your pride and joy in the first place, then all the better.

 

[vickster]

All a bit of a pain if you are only leaving a bike for 10 minutes though. Mine was nicked within 15 minutes on a busy Central London street on a Sunday afternoon from outside a bike stop, only popped in for a browse...

 

[Moda]

.....and no one ever seems to want to stop them.

Until the Police give a sh*t, until the courts take it seriously then NOTHING will happen.

Steal a £2k Rolex and the police will be all over it, steal a £4k bike and the only worry is how to spend the proceeds.

We as cyclists need to be screaming about this we need to make it as much of an issue as road safety.