Question about bike locks

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Date: 05 May 2006 22:29:18
From: Freewheeling
Subject: Question about bike locks

I was wondering if anyone had any recommendations about bike locks. I
had an Evolution Mini Kryptonite that got lost, and I'm wondering if I
should just get another one, of if there's now something better.
Looking for something that's both lightweight and secure. Or etwas anderes.

Date:
From:
Subject:

Date: 07 May 2006 07:44:03
From:
Subject: Re: Question about bike locks

The bike magazines tell us there's no way to prevent a bike from
getting ripped off if a thief wants the bike. Anecdotal evidence
suggests recumbents just don't get stolen by professional bike thieves
because there's no immediate ket for the bike. (Anyone from the
insurance industry have reliable data? I've never seen anything
specifically about 'bents.) No one wants the skinny little wheel off my
TE and my mechanicals are deliberately not high zoot so I don't worry
about the bike getting stripped. No, what I fear is random vandalism,
coming out of a store and finding the frame trashed. No lock will
prevent that. I have a Master Cuff at the apartment but I just carry a
simple cable and combination lock around town.

You could try searching the forums on Bicycling or Cycle Sport
magazines for useful reviews of lock systems and each of the magazines
runs a lock review every two years or so. The European mag, Cycle Sport
always reviews interesting locks not easily obtained in the States.

david boise ID

Date: 06 May 2006 20:39:06
From: Christian Zickermann
Subject: Re: Question about bike locks

On Fri, 05 May 2006 22:29:18 -0400, Freewheeling
<freewheeling@spamcoptail.net > wrote:

>I was wondering if anyone had any recommendations about bike locks. I
>had an Evolution Mini Kryptonite that got lost, and I'm wondering if I
>should just get another one, of if there's now something better.
>Looking for something that's both lightweight and secure. Or etwas anderes.

Abus has a new foldable lock called "Bordo" (see www.abus.de). It
doesn“t reach the security levels of heavy U-locks, but it“s more or
less "lightweight" and quite compact when folded.

In Germany the Bordo lock is currently out of stock (maybe because of
its success among folding bike owners), but AFAIK it will be available
again within the next weeks.

Regards,
Christian
http://www.tinyworld.de

Date: 06 May 2006 12:42:43
From: Peter Cole
Subject: Re: Question about bike locks

Date: 06 May 2006 07:18:34
From: Veloise
Subject: Re: Question about bike locks

Freewheeling wrote:
> I was wondering if anyone had any recommendations about bike locks. I
> had an Evolution Mini Kryptonite that got lost, and I'm wondering if I
> should just get another one, of if there's now something better.
> Looking for something that's both lightweight and secure. Or etwas anderes.

There's a handcuff-like lock out that's pretty good. Too large to use
as handcuffs (unless the perp is huge) and works well with parking
meters. Might add a cable or chain to it to secure more of the bike.

I had one and it got stolen out of my car in downtown Detroit. They
found the spare keys to it, but didn't take those. (If they were st,
they'd have real jobs.)

HTH

--Karen D.

Date: 06 May 2006 09:43:32
From: DougC
Subject: Re: Question about bike locks

Veloise wrote:
> Freewheeling wrote:
>
>>I was wondering if anyone had any recommendations about bike locks. I
>>had an Evolution Mini Kryptonite that got lost, and I'm wondering if I
>>should just get another one, of if there's now something better.
>>Looking for something that's both lightweight and secure. Or etwas anderes.
>
>
> There's a handcuff-like lock out that's pretty good. Too large to use
> as handcuffs (unless the perp is huge) and works well with parking
> meters. Might add a cable or chain to it to secure more of the bike.
>
> I had one and it got stolen out of my car in downtown Detroit. They
> found the spare keys to it, but didn't take those. (If they were st,
> they'd have real jobs.)
>
> HTH
>
> --Karen D.
>
The handcuff one is made by Master; HostelShoppe for one place sells it
for $75 or so. I just ordered one as I saw a lot of others said it was a
good combination of easy to carry and easy to use.

Date: 06 May 2006 20:07:18
From: Victor Kan
Subject: Re: Question about bike locks

DougC wrote:
> The handcuff one is made by Master; HostelShoppe for one place sells it
> for $75 or so. I just ordered one as I saw a lot of others said it was a
> good combination of easy to carry and easy to use.

I got mine recently from amazon.com for $50 with free shipping:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0009V1WQQ?v=glance

--
I do not accept unsolicited commercial e-mail. Remove NO_UCE for
legitimate replies.

Date: 13 May 2006 23:43:55
From: Freewheeling
Subject: Re: Question about bike locks

Victor Kan wrote:
> DougC wrote:
>> The handcuff one is made by Master; HostelShoppe for one place sells
>> it for $75 or so. I just ordered one as I saw a lot of others said it
>> was a good combination of easy to carry and easy to use.
>
> I got mine recently from amazon.com for $50 with free shipping:
>
> http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0009V1WQQ?v=glance
>
This sounds interesting, thanks. I bought a Bulldog mini for $25 just
because I needed something right away, but it's pretty heavy for a mini.
I guess that's the idea.

Date: 05 May 2006 21:58:50
From: landotter
Subject: Re: Question about bike locks

If you're in Manhattan, get some heat treated chain, cover it with
fabric, and get the most bad-ass padlock money can buy.

Anywhere else, I really like the mini u-lock +cable approach, using
Sheldon's method: http://www.sheldonbrown.com/lock-strategy.html

I got an On-guard mini lock and cable from REI. Great price, strong
enough for my city, and visually it looks pretty damn invincible. I'm
not saying it's better than Kryptos, just that visual deterrents are a
good thing. ;-)

Date: 06 May 2006 09:47:32
From: DougC
Subject: Re: Question about bike locks

landotter wrote:
> If you're in Manhattan, get some heat treated chain, cover it with
> fabric, and get the most bad-ass padlock money can buy.
>
> Anywhere else, I really like the mini u-lock +cable approach, using
> Sheldon's method: http://www.sheldonbrown.com/lock-strategy.html
>
> I got an On-guard mini lock and cable from REI. Great price, strong
> enough for my city, and visually it looks pretty damn invincible. I'm
> not saying it's better than Kryptos, just that visual deterrents are a
> good thing. ;-)
>

Sheldon is not as st as he thinks. Or maybe his lock-strategy has
changed--I saw no cable at all.
?????
The frame of the bike is the most-expensive part, and the hardest part
to replace. Only locking up the back wheel doesn't protect the frame. It
would be pretty easy to saw through the wheel and walk away rolling the
bike, leaving the lock on the pole.
~~~~~~

Date: 06 May 2006 15:15:32
From: Ian Smith
Subject: Re: Question about bike locks

On Sat, 06 May 2006, DougC <dcimper@norcom2000.com > wrote:

> Only locking up the back wheel doesn't protect the frame. It
> would be pretty easy to saw through the wheel

Have you tried it? It seems to me a bike wheel would be a bit tricky
to saw through. The rim is in moderate compression, and sawing
through things in compression can be difficult, because the sides of
the saw-cut grip the saw-blade. There's also the tyre bead to get
through. I think it would be easier to crop through the wheel,
assuming you can find croppers whose jaws open wide enough.

regards, Ian SMith
--

Date: 07 May 2006 17:13:42
From: Kirįly
Subject: Re: Question about bike locks

In rec.bicycles.misc Ian Smith <ian@astounding.org.uk > wrote:
> Have you tried it? It seems to me a bike wheel would be a bit tricky
> to saw through. The rim is in moderate compression, and sawing
> through things in compression can be difficult, because the sides of
> the saw-cut grip the saw-blade. There's also the tyre bead to get
> through.

You and Sheldon are right about this, hacksawing a frame is much much
easier than hacksawing a rim and wire bead tire. Locking just the rear
wheel through the rear triangle is about as secure a locking method as
one can use, when combined with securing the front wheel to the frame as
well.

> I think it would be easier to crop through the wheel,
> assuming you can find croppers whose jaws open wide enough.

Probably just easier to crop the lock itself.

--
K.

Date: 06 May 2006 22:36:44
From: Leo Lichtman
Subject: Re: Question about bike locks

"Ian Smith" wrote: Have you tried it? It seems to me a bike wheel would
be a bit tricky to saw through. (clip)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
What woukld go through the mind of the thief? "Sawing through this wheel
will take time, and will obviously not look like innocent activity."