Hardy Bike Locks?

[bikesnotbombs]

Hey People,
I am a commuter and a fitness rider, I'm waiting on a brand new bike to be shipped in and as the last time I spent money on a bike, I had it stolen - I want to take every precaution possible.

What are the best types of locks? U-locks? Chains? Cables?
Are there any brands which come with a guarantee of sorts, or perhaps some reputable strong brands?

I don't want to spend all this money on a bike, only to have it stolen on me again.

[Bnej]

You want a Kryptonite, ABUS or similar heavy U-Lock.

Not all U-Locks are equal. The better ones will win easily vs portable bolt cutters (cutter blades will lose and be mangled), and will take forever to saw through. Spend $60 or more, don't buy one from K-Mart for $20.

You can find use for a long cable too, to put through your seat rails, wheels, etc. Makes it just a bit harder, as they'd need a hacksaw and time to cut your U lock and bolt cutters and a knife for the cable.

Park it in a place where there is either limited access, or where there is a lot of passing pedestrians. Make sure your anchor point is secure and they can't, eg, just pull the street sign out of the socket and take the bike with locks attached. You want any prospective thief to have to spend a good length of time in public view to get through your locks.

[sogood]

Guarantee = Insurance money.

Based on what I found, security equates to weight. And it's just that bit annoying to pay extra to save weight on the bike and then pay big bucks for a heavy lock.

ABUS is a German company and its products have received very good reviews, especially their top end models with security rating of 8-9/10.

http://www.abus.de/

The common recommendation is to use a U-lock to go through the seatpost/rear wheel and the bike post. and then use a thick cable to loop through the front wheel and other components eg. saddle. Skewers with proprietary non-quick release security nut is also highly recommended.

I note that Cheeky Monkey in Newtown (Sydney) stock these when I last visited.

[bikesnotbombs]

Thankyou for the prompt response!
All of you have been extraordinary in providing me with exactly what I wanted to know.
As far as weight is concerned, that's not a problem. The primary use of this lock will be for my daily commute, to University, and I have to carry a fair load anyway. A couple of kgs is not going to make much of a difference to me, if it means my bike will be there when I finish class!

I'll take a trip down to my LBS and tell them my basic desires, and what I now know to avoid (cheap locks)!

[Bnej]

So which bike did you end up getting anyway?

[bikesnotbombs]

Trek 7.0 FX. It suited my requirements, fell within my uni student budget and felt better than others I had tried.

[sogood]

Careful, a top end lock can cost you 1/2 the cost of a new bike, if not more.

[bikesnotbombs]

I'd rather buy a top end lock and not have to rebuy my entire bike, which I have worked hard to customise to my needs.

[stryker84]

heh, i got a fairly hefty cable lock with my first bike, it almost made it thru the 1st month, before i walked downstairs and found the bike wasn't where i perked it

therefore, from experience, go with a good U-lock. even the hardiest cable will lose against a good pair of bolt cutters.

[sogood]

therefore, from experience, go with a good U-lock. even the hardiest cable will lose against a good pair of bolt cutters.

Once the bike store manager told me that the strongest cable is stainless steel from boating supplies. So I went over and found the thickest cable they had. After telling the store owner of my intended use, he told me to forget it, as a hand cutter they had in the store could easily cut it in no time.

[mikesbytes]

I use a thick cable and a master lock. Lasted 6 years so far.

Burn plenty of Glycogen
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