# Bicycle Locks, Do you use them?



## MarkKBike (May 14, 2018)

If you do, hopefully its not one of these.






Today I picked up a women's Schwinn road bike very inexpensively at goodwill. The only reason i grabbed it is that it had a aluminum 27" wheel set that looked to be in good condition. I thought I could upgrade the steel rims cheaply on my own Schwinn and turn my le-tour into a super le-tour. The bike had this 70's / 80's era lock wrapped around the frame. I decided to try and pick it and watched a you tube video to see how its done. It was the first time I tried doing this and literally figured out the combo in about 45 seconds, (before I even finished the video).

I now have a working bike lock, that I'll be scared to use.


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## GTs58 (May 14, 2018)

Back in the good ole days I stole bikes all the time that had those type of locks.


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## bulldog1935 (May 15, 2018)

Have the coolest little cafe lock, unfortunately discontinued - Knog Milkman - there are still a few of them out there (f you hurry)  A simple light cable on a yo-yo spool.
3' coated cable, keyed lock (they also make one combo), just long enough to barely reach around two intimate bikes and a lean pole.
This is a minimum security lock that weighs nothing, will stop the impulse thieves, but won't stop a pro,
but then, very few locks will stop an organized bike thief.


 


Fwiw, this little lock is every bit as secure as the big chain you showed - bolt cutters will snap a chain and it takes longer to chew through even this diminutive cable than to snap a chain (for the pros, a powered Makita cut-off would be a different story).

Have 6' keyed cable locks (plus longer loop cables) in the truck bed when I'm hauling bikes or kayaks, one Abus, one Master.  The Abus 6' cable lock is also convenient enough to coil with a toe strap and haul in a bike trunk bag. A little more secure just because they're bigger cables, but
same story on attack by bolt cutters - probably a half-hour to chew through, while the powered cut-off theft would be at least a 5-minute task with a lot of sparks.




Setting my daughter up for her two bikes and campus this fall.  Bought the killer double-armored Abus Phantom - weights over a pound, but will carry in a front bag on her upright, and mounts to a honking magnet holder on the seat tube for her valuable Team Fuji.  Secure enough for day trip into campus.
Also keyed.


 
Even a lock like this is not secure enough for overnight storage, but she won't be storing bikes outdoors.


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## fattyre (May 15, 2018)

I never leave my bikes unattended & out of sight without a lock.  I'll only get one chance to own them.  A quick run off is what I'm looking to prevent.  Once that happens to you, you'll always bring a lock.

Cheap lightweight locks are what suites my needs.  I have one beater that I'd leave at the train station for a day or whatever, but other than that my nice bikes don't stay unattended for too long.  Although nearly all my friends thinks most of my old bikes are beaters, lol.

Mainly a haircut or a quick run to the grocery store is how long my bikes are locked up & out of sight for.


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## SKPC (May 15, 2018)

IF someone really wants your bike, they will take it.  Locks and cables only give you a false sense of security and may work most of the time...  For me anyway, I never let a bike out of my sight that I can't afford to lose.  Sometimes, if I am forced to leave it alone, the only way I will do it is if I remove all four axle nuts from the bike before leaving it with a locked cable around it.  Bike thieves. Now there is something to hate on...


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## bulldog1935 (May 15, 2018)

(condoms don't always work so why use them at all)
not exactly true, because eating at a restaurant is the perfect use of a cafe lock.
Even wheel and fork locks work for that - no one can grab your bike and go.



The highest bike-theft spot in San Antonio is the urbanite Pearl (defunct brewery) yuppie condo and eatery district.
People looking for bikes grab and run unattended bikes.  We do bike watch there when we drink coffee on Sunday mornings.
John thinks if somebody grabs his bike while he's inside, he can catch them - that's the real false security.
Otherwise, all you need is a cafe lock for going inside a restaurant or a quick grocery errand.
And yes, it's still wise to position yourself where you can see someone futzing with your bike.




As I said, the double-armored Abus Phantom for my daughter's campus day lock is perfect for that.
Campus is a high bike-theft zone, because students will survive any way they can.
There's also a high bike count for pro's to target.
Can't get through that lock with a bolt-cutter, and it's yet quite a large chore with a powered Makita cut-off, and would draw a rukus in a campus bike rack.
In the case of high bike count, you're giving the perps a choice - they're going to target the bike with the easiest lock.
So yes, locks are given proper security ratings.
Anything is better than the John approach.  He cannot possibly run with a determined kid on his stolen bike.








if you're planning long-term outdoor storage, especially nights, go for 10, but if you can avoid it, don't do that.
Because if perps can't get into your stuff, they will probably destroy it trying to.

Not going to stay up all night because the kayaks are parked outside at the hotel.
Everything in life is a risk - just lean it a bit in your favor.




I did have one bike stolen in college using a chain like Mark's OP and key padlock.
It was my Wards Open Road from HS, and I got to replace it with a new Raleigh, which of course was never stored outside.
maybe James Coburn pedaled it to Spain


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## bricycle (May 15, 2018)

I'll chain it if I go shopping...


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## 49autocycledeluxe (May 15, 2018)

I don't leave my bikes anywhere unattended. I never ride to an event, the ride is the event.


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## bulldog1935 (May 15, 2018)

at some point you have to decide what is the point of a bike.  Does it give you freedom or make you a prisoner? 
I prioritize my bikes, comfortable, reliable and practical.  Anything else I can get out of them is gravy.


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## fattyre (May 15, 2018)

bulldog1935 said:


> at some point you have to decide what is the point of a bike.  Does it give you freedom or make you a prisoner?View attachment 807767




That's what I'm sayin!  

I've gotten rid of some nice bikes for that very reason.  Nothing like riding a nice bike and missing a great opportunity because the bike is the one controlling you.


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## Duchess (May 15, 2018)

Nothing legal will stop someone who really wants it, so I use the cheap coated cable locks four-for-$10 or so at box hardware stores when my bikes are pretty much within sight. Out of sight, I also add a good U-lock. They just keep the honest people honest and, like the old joke about not having to outrun the bear, just the other people running from it, any additional time a thief estimates it would take to steal, the more likely he is to grab an easier bike (or smash the hell out of your bike out of spite, the scumbags). My other theft deterrence is having bikes that don't look appealing to thieves.


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## MarkKBike (May 15, 2018)

The only time I have left a bike unattended with a lock is at the local train stop a few blocks away. I have a wallmart "Next" branded full suspension bike I once picked up used for 5$. Even though its full suspension, there is a sticker on it that warns not to ride it off road. If anyone ever decided it was worth stealing I would not be at all upset. When I bought it, I honestly did not think a bike could be made as poorly as this one.

The only reason I have not sold it is I have a conscience and would feel bad trying to pass it off. Regardless of all ts problems, it still beats walking to the train and if you carefully shift it, it will get you from point "A" to "B". I can leave it unattended all day with out a single care in my mind. (I have found every bike despite its quality can fulfill a useful purpose).


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## nycet3 (May 15, 2018)

If I'm going to lock up a bike that will be out of my sight, I make sure to ride one of my beaters. I never let a good bike out of my sight, period.


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## WES PINCHOT (May 15, 2018)

I LOST MY FIRST SCHWINN AFTER LEAVING IT UNLOCKED FOR 
JUST A FEW MINUTES TO RUN IN AND OUT OF THE DIME STORE!


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## alecburns (May 15, 2018)

I propose an additional perspective of security. Presenting the Tile! The only GPS Tracking device that isn't ungodly expensive. This little bugger will cost $45-$60 and last about a year before you need to replace it. It has a short distance tracker if you lose it by looking at the app on your phone, and if it goes out of that range, it sources the community of Tiles to attempt to ping it's location back to you. Sure, the company will get access to your daily routine and habits in order to advertise to you, but if you didn't already know that happens to you every day, then good luck!

I haven't tried it out yet, but since I'm paranoid and like to over-engineer things, I am going to try attaching it to my bike on campus. The chain will deter them, and if not, the Tile will find them...

I plan on building a vintage -style wooden crate for storage on the bike, and plan on building a secret compartment to house the Tile in. I will of course, also have a bike lock on the bike whenever I'm not around...


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## Barto (May 15, 2018)

Don't ride my bike all the far.....could most likely leave it out in my yard for days without issue.  BUT, love my bike locks.  Every bike I build comes with a nice vintage bicycle lock and holder mounted on the seat tube and a wise lock on my Rat.  Mostly for looks but I woud use them if I ever took any of my bikes somewhere other than my street or the one show I do.

Bart


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## Sven (May 15, 2018)




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## SirMike1983 (May 15, 2018)

Kryptonite had the same issue with their U-locks that used hollow metal star keys. Someone figured out a Bic pen barrel could be used to pick them. The Kryptonite U-lock was the gold standard, but the revelation of the Bic pen trick rendered them all obsolete in a matter of weeks. Kryptonite still makes a gold standard U-lock, but it uses a more conventional key now. My suggestion is to use a mixture of lock types when you lock-up - I like a heavy-duty U-lock plus a heavy-duty cable. 

Nothing is absolute in this though. If you leave a nice enough bike unattended for long enough, someone will eventually steal it, even with the best locks.


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## Sven (May 16, 2018)

As many of you have mentioned , that if someone really wants to steal your bike {or anything} they are gonna do it. I thought this video was interesting. The more *TIME* it takes a thief to steal your bike {using a good quality lock or better yet a combo of locks} more than likely he or she will move on to a less secured target.





kinda like the the story of two hunters..One asked the other, " What are you gonna do if we see a bear?" "Run" "You cant out run a bear!" "Nope, but I can out run you"


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## COB (May 16, 2018)

Sven said:


> View attachment 808085




Now THAT is security !


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## bikemonkey (May 16, 2018)

MarkKBike said:


> The only time I have left a bike unattended with a lock is at the local train stop a few blocks away. I have a wallmart "Next" branded full suspension bike I once picked up used for 5$. Even though its full suspension, there is a sticker on it that warns not to ride it off road. If anyone ever decided it was worth stealing I would not be at all upset. When I bought it, I honestly did not think a bike could be made as poorly as this one.
> 
> The only reason I have not sold it is I have a conscience and would feel bad trying to pass it off. Regardless of all ts problems, it still beats walking to the train and if you carefully shift it, it will get you from point "A" to "B". I can leave it unattended all day with out a single care in my mind. (I have found every bike despite its quality can fulfill a useful purpose).



Walmart "Next" branded full suspension bikes...aka "Satan's spawn"...


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## cyclingday (May 16, 2018)

Yep!
Keeping the honest people honest is all I'm trying to do.
I have a light 3' cable with one of Master's smallest padlocks that I can carry in my pocket.
I try to park it in the middle and make it less enticing.
If one is locked and has to be wrestled out of the group and one isn't, the opportunistic thief is going to take the easy pickings.


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## bricycle (May 16, 2018)

My cycles do not grow hair, so I guess I do not use their locks.
I heard Goldie had some rather nice ones tho-


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## SKPC (May 16, 2018)

While I understand why we use them(locks), I believe there are additional effective ways to discourage thieves in concert with a lock.   The biggest problem with *any* solution is the time the bike is left unattended or out of sight, even if you remove the bikes' axle nuts or skewers.  If they have the time, they can still cart the frame and the wheels off if they really wanted to. Seats get stolen as well if there is a quick release on them.    When I bike to the so-cal beaches down here, I push my bike through the deep sand all the way to the lifeguard tower and lean it unlocked under the tower.  I keep it within sight and no more than 200 feet away from me.  If someone grabs it, I can catch them in the deep sand before they get to the pavement.  I have not yet had the opportunity to chase them, (So that I can beat them with my fins) and afterwards call the cops..


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## alecburns (May 16, 2018)

SKPC said:


> While I understand why we use them(locks), I believe there are additional effective ways to discourage thieves in concert with a lock.   The biggest problem with *any* solution is the time the bike is left unattended or out of sight, even if you remove the bikes' axle nuts or skewers.  If they have the time, they can still cart the frame and the wheels off if they really wanted to. Seats get stolen as well if there is a quick release on them.    When I bike to the so-cal beaches down here, I push my bike through the deep sand all the way to the lifeguard tower and lean it unlocked under the tower.  I keep it within sight and no more than 200 feet away from me.  If someone grabs it, it is a long push in the deep sand to the pavement, and I can easily catch them in this scenario before they get there. I have never had a problem yet, and am still waiting for the day I get the opportunity to............. (So that I can beat the crap out of them after I catch them, and afterwards, call the cops)..




On campus here someone once expedited the the challenge of stealing someone's bike completely. He pulled his truck into campus, parked next to a bike rack full of bikes, and with the help of some friends, put the entire rack in the flatbed of his truck and sped off.


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## bricycle (May 16, 2018)

Ride a POS, then the risk of theft will go down.


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## Thurman (May 16, 2018)

I have a modest collection of bike locks bur rarely need to use them.


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## bricycle (May 16, 2018)

Thurman said:


> I have a modest collection of bike locks bur rarely need to use them.View attachment 808328 View attachment 808329 View attachment 808330 View attachment 808331



want some more for your collection?


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## bulldog1935 (May 16, 2018)

on my daughter's bikes, also adding Abus Nutfix front axles and seatpost for her Brooks
A neat concept, the nuts can't be opened on a bike locked a vertical position.


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## bricycle (May 16, 2018)

anyone ever see the you tube video of a seat mounted air-bag explosion trick? Ow, ow, ow...


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## Thurman (May 16, 2018)

bricycle said:


> want some more for your collection?



Maybe


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## Sven (May 16, 2018)

bricycle said:


> anyone ever see the you tube video of a seat mounted air-bag explosion trick? Ow, ow, ow...



yep.. The Twinz have all sort of tricks up their sleve


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## bricycle (May 16, 2018)

Thurman said:


> Maybe



I'll send some pics...


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## Duchess (May 16, 2018)

My favorite illegal device would be a variant of the South African anti carjacking flame thrower. If I'm going to lose the bike anyway it'd be worth it if it takes the thief out of the gene pool with it (one way or another).


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## Barto (May 16, 2018)

bricycle said:


> I'll send some pics...



I wouldn't mind seeing a few lock photos myself...l may need something for a Columbia


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