Locks

hunter164

Alright lads, I have a Giant Contend and soon I will be able to cycle to work.

What locks do you recommend I get to keep it safe?


Thanks

magicbastarder

generally, a decent D lock; what's more important in a sense is how and where you lock it though.
will you be locking it in a public place?

ED E

On street? Don't.


A good rule is 10%. So if its the basic model you should be spending €70 on a lock. Kryptonite are a decent choice.

Bluefoam

My lock of choice is a Kryptonite Mini 7 with additional cable. D lock through the frame, rear wheel and post, cable goes to the front wheel etc.

Locking strategy is as important as the lock. This is small enough to make it difficult to ply open and not too heavy to carry around.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Kryptonite-Evolution-Mini-7-Bicycle-KryptoFlex/dp/B06XZT8KZ1/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?crid=2AWFAOYYLEIAC&keywords=kryptonite+bike+lock&qid=1556483907&s=gateway&sprefix=kry&sr=8-3

ILIKEFOOD

You can also insure your bike with kryptonite locks - think it’s around €27 for 3 years... they pay out of the lock is broken (lock needs to be recovered)

Hopefully you’ve a good safe place to park the bike. Don’t park it on street if at all possible. Don’t lock you’re bike to the top tube either. Thieves sometimes try to break it open by pivoting the bike around when locked to the tube

tomasrojo

Kryptonite Fahgettaboudit mini u-lock and Krytponite Series 2 chain are a good combination for me. I have a security skewer on the front wheel, so I don't lock that, but if you don't have a security skewer, you should lock the front wheel, rear wheel and frame, so maybe a slightly longer, wider u-lock like the Kryptonite Series 4 would be a good idea instead of the Fahgettaboudit. That way you can lock the frame and the rear wheel with the u-lock. I always go for one lock that gets 3 or 4 stars from ART, and another lock that gets at least 2 stars.

I lock in the street all the time with no problems. Drury Street monitored bike park is an option if you're very worried and work around that part of town. Don't leave lights or expensive paraphernalia attached to the bike.

Lumen

ED E wrote: »

A good rule is 10%. So if its the basic model you should be spending €70 on a lock.

I would use the same lock on any value bike. The criteria I use is to match the lock with the probability of theft, and temper that with the inconvenience of lugging them around.

Locks last indefinitely.

CormacH94

Kryptonite OP, Evolution series or Fahgeddaboutit, have never used ABUS locks but see them quite a bit so they must be good locks.

How you lock the bike is just as important as the lock itself

Here's another question, transporting said lock, the mounts the come with are usually ****e, and putting it on the frame/rack wrecks my head from the constantly rattle, anyone have any solutions apart from putting it in a bag?

site_owner

CormacH94 wrote: »

Kryptonite OP, Evolution series or Fahgeddaboutit, have never used ABUS locks but see them quite a bit so they must be good locks.

How you lock the bike is just as important as the lock itself

Here's another question, transporting said lock, the mounts the come with are usually ****e, and putting it on the frame/rack wrecks my head from the constantly rattle, anyone have any solutions apart from putting it in a bag?

Electrical tape around the metal will sort the ratttle on kryptonite yellows.

homer911

CormacH94 wrote: »

Here's another question, transporting said lock, the mounts the come with are usually ****e, and putting it on the frame/rack wrecks my head from the constantly rattle, anyone have any solutions apart from putting it in a bag?

I have a Kryponite lock with mount. I've found that if you offset the mounting angle it reduces the rattle - i.e. don't mount it at 90 degrees, set the mount at say 120 degrees and the sleeve on the lock at the reverse 120 degrees (like a Z shape)

clod71

I also have a Kryptonite Mini 7, but I use it without cable...
You can easily stick it in the back of your belt when riding around the city and it's secure enough to discourage casual scumbags from going near your bike.

rubadub

The on guard brand are very good value. They would have the equivalent strength version of some kryptonite and abus ones but a fair bit cheaper. But their best locks do not match the best abus/krypt, i.e. their range simply does not include extra strong ones but for €30 you should get a better lock than abus/krypt.

amazon do a lot of them and they are often on offer.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=on+guard+lock&ref=nb_sb_noss_2

I have the yellow krptonite and it is so well known I expect proper thieves just take a glance and move on, while they might have a stab at an equivalent strength lock of another brand.

Canis Lupus

Kryptonite Orange is mine, the yellow is top end but the mini I would think limits locking potential (I find the normal hard to get into positions at time). Heavy enough yokes but you stand a good chance of coming back to your bike using them.

Lock through the frame and back wheel to the bike stand/whatever you're leaving it against and if you've nice wheels consider a cable to tie up the front. Really depends on where you're parking it and for how long. Never leave it over night as it'll be robbed if it's worth it or the dirty scrotes will just vandalise it for the laugh.

Fighting Tao

I have kryptonite New York 18mm and 16mm locks. I keep one in work. I can’t remember which one and there are always worse locked (or not) bikes nearby.

Mickiemcfist

CormacH94 wrote: »

Kryptonite OP, Evolution series or Fahgeddaboutit, have never used ABUS locks but see them quite a bit so they must be good locks.

How you lock the bike is just as important as the lock itself

Here's another question, transporting said lock, the mounts the come with are usually ****e, and putting it on the frame/rack wrecks my head from the constantly rattle, anyone have any solutions apart from putting it in a bag?

I used an old punctured tube I had, cut a segment out of it & wrapped it around my top tube & attached the bracket to that. Doesn't rattle now.

rubadub

Fighting Tao wrote: »

I have kryptonite New York 18mm and 16mm locks.

The NY mini is 18mm, I think bolt cutters will not even be able to being to cut them as it is so wide it cannot even get purchase on it. The standard NY u lock is 16mm, this one

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Kryptonite-York-Standard-Frame-U-Bracket/dp/B06XCH21YH/ref=pd_sbs_263_1/258-7309600-1066224?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B06XCH21YH&pd_rd_r=0acba7c3-6a69-11e9-a459-6509d51a4b5a&pd_rd_w=XJ2nL&pd_rd_wg=ZeJNH&pf_rd_p=18edf98b-139a-41ee-bb40-d725dd59d1d3&pf_rd_r=4Z92AVHK027V0V07AKFZ&psc=1&refRID=4Z92AVHK027V0V07AKFZ

However there is also a lesser known motorbike spec NY large U lock which is 18mm, I would have got that had I known about it.

This is it
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Kryptonite-York-Lock-M18-WL-U-lock/dp/B000AOA3W6/ref=sr_1_fkmrnull_1?keywords=ny+m18&qid=1556533496&s=gateway&sr=8-1-fkmrnull

These locks are very heavy, I leave mine at work. I am also on an ebike so weight does not matter much to me , I think I have brought out up to 6-7kg of locks & chains before.

The on-guards go up to 16.8mm shackle, these are good value https://www.amazon.co.uk/Guard-Brute-LS-8000-Keyed-Shackle/dp/B00ANRF1A4/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=onguard+brute&qid=1556533697&s=gateway&sr=8-3

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Guard-Brute-STD-8001-Keyed-Shackle/dp/B00AW7P7JK/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=onguard+brute&qid=1556533856&s=gateway&sr=8-2

I find the on guard keys better than kryptonite too, they are beefier and I never have trouble trying to open them, there is a knack to the NY krypt.

Cetyl Palmitate

Have used a hiplock for a few years. Very convenient way to carry a heavy duty and versatile lock.

https://www.hiplok.com/product/hiplok-superbright/

cdaly_

Canis Lupus wrote: »

Kryptonite Orange is mine, the yellow is top end but the mini I would think limits locking potential (I find the normal hard to get into positions at time).

The thing about a mini is that you entirely fill the D when locked which removes one of the attack vectors. I see bikes locked with D locks where there's loads of room to get into the D to force it.

With the kryptonite Faggaboutit mini, you lock rear wheel (through the triangle) to a stand. Don't try to include the frame as well as it's already locked by the wheel. Just need to secure the front wheel then.

Wishbone Ash

CormacH94 wrote: »

...Here's another question, transporting said lock, the mounts the come with are usually ****e, and putting it on the frame/rack wrecks my head from the constantly rattle, anyone have any solutions apart from putting it in a bag?

If it's a regular commute just leave the lock where you park the bike.

Puggy

Insure the bike for all risks, and never leave it in a public place. I have a secure bike lock up in work, with security. I’d still lock the bike, with a cheap lock, just so anyone stealing a bike will grab an unsecured one. We had 2 bikes stolen from the lock up, one a cargo bike, the other a decent racing bike.

If someone really wants your bike, their gonna get it. If your buying a lock, check out LockPickingLaywer on YouTube. Enjoy the commuting ��

tomasrojo

I've been leaving bikes in public for years. Apart from a car running over a wheel when trying to do a three-point turn, and one or two acts of vandalism, it's been fine. As I said, secure the wheels, secure the frame, and two good locks (ART 3 or 4 stars, and ART 2 stars, at least).

This site is a good source, I think. Certainly a good way to get the ART ratings:
https://thebestbikelock.com/

tomasrojo

It's a bit over the top maybe, but you can protect the saddle from theft by filling in the hex heads of the bolts with epoxy putty. Make sure it's well-adjusted for you and the seat post has been greased, as to change it after you have to drill out the epoxy putty.

You can carry a Fahgettaboudit without rattling by doing this:



The bungee is important. It might not work on all racks, but it works great on mine.

I have a side basket, the bottom of which I've lined with a folded plastic bag, so I can keep my short-chain Kryptonite Series 2 in there without making much more than an occasional clink. You can wrap it around the seat post too, without it making much noise.

tomasrojo

It just occurred to me: don't lock to wrought-iron or cast-iron railings. They're quite easy to break. Not everyone knows that, so I thought I'd mention it.

hunter164

Thanks for all the replies.

For work I'll be locking it in a place where people will only be coming into the area for the purpose of going into this building and it will be quite secure. I'll also be locking outside the gym but it's a good bit out of the way.

It looks as if a Kryptonite lock should be my weapon of choice, as well as getting rid of the quick release off the wheels.

Puggy

Link to the lock picker

https://youtu.be/wXEY5vg75EY

rubadub

Puggy wrote: »

Link to the lock picker

https://youtu.be/wXEY5vg75EY

I wonder what % of stolen bikes had locks picked like this in Ireland. I can't imagine tracksuit Anto screaming at Deco, "disc 5 is binding tightly, but your using too much tension". I imagine they are usually using battery powered angle grinders they stole from lidl, or bolt cutters, or the bike/railing itself (as below).

There was some page where they did tests with grinders and other methods, like using a car jack. All the locks had different numbers for each, like 1min5sec with a grinder with a proper cutting disc. Abus had a test house doing other locks, though you would suspect they design their locks to pass these tests so its a bit unfair, but better than nothing.

Many recommend 2 different styles of lock, as theives will often just have 1 tool. So some might be say more resistant to angle grinders but might be cut easily by a bolt cutters, so your second lock should be resistant to bolt cutters. I think in the tests I saw the on-guard 16.8mm shackle was cut with a grinder faster than the NY 16mm shackle, but a bolt cutter might have a harder time fitting onto the 16mm.

You have to keep the locks up off the ground to stop them being able to use the ground to rest the bolt cutters on.

tomasrojo

The thieving strategy of rotating the bike around the lock to pop it is another reason to use two locks. Though I don't think that strategy works against chain locks or better u-locks. I was talking to a waiter in Donnybrook once, who saw me from his workplace and thought I was trying to steal his bike, when I was just turning it back to its original orientation so I could park myself; its wheels were pointing skyward and it was perched on top of the bike stand, the way the would-be thief had left it when they failed to pop the lock. It wasn't a very good lock either, but I think the fact he'd locked it to the seat tube rather than the top tube had saved him.

Paul_Mc1988

For work I use a Kryptonite chain lock around the rear wheel and frame and kryptonite u lock and cable for the front wheel and frame. The bike is also locked in a code entry bike shed with a camera fixed on it. I'm still under no illusion that if someone wants it they'll get it. All you can do is make it as hard as possible for them.

beardybrewer

hunter164 wrote: »

Thanks for all the replies.

For work I'll be locking it in a place where people will only be coming into the area for the purpose of going into this building and it will be quite secure. I'll also be locking outside the gym but it's a good bit out of the way.

It looks as if a Kryptonite lock should be my weapon of choice, as well as getting rid of the quick release off the wheels.

Don't get too cosy just because you're in a nice area or business park. Thieves do the rounds and business parks have lots of nice bikes that are easy pickings.

Abus, Kryptonite, and On-Guard are all good choices. Gold Secure do ratings and bonsaibill on youtube does picking/destruction tests which are pretty interesting.

https://www.youtube.com/user/bosnianbill/search?query=bike

Personally I have an Abus ring lock (dutch style) + chian and a Kryptonite d-lock. Basically following the Sheldon Brown locking strategy of having two different types of locks in the hopes that the thief will only have the tools to defeat one and not both.

https://www.sheldonbrown.com/lock-strategy.html

hoganj

I've not tried them but have you considered SeatyLock?
This guy thinks they are quite good: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jiCjim1zpjc

tomasrojo

This article seems to cover almost all the angles usually discussed about locking:
https://www.citylab.com/life/2017/05/how-to-99-percent-theft-proof-your-bike/527712/