Is there a bike lock that is clearly better

[Rome]

I'm running slinky combination cable lock to prevent the bike from falling when I tether my bike to a pole when no bike stands are available and Caliper lock with alarm. Cheap locks. My bikes are not cheap. I got GPS also but I leave that to my nephew to trace it if they get taken.

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

The "old joke" I know is about wishing for one-handed economists who frequently say, "On the one hand, ..., but on the other hand ...


What do you pay for replacement insurance? What does it cover? Where do you get it?

Bike is insured for full replacement by AAA of Southern California under our condo policy. Sorry, don't recall premium.

Allstate, our previous insurer, wouldn't cover it that way and required a separate motorcycle policy instead. Don't recall that premium, either, but the peace of mind seemed worth the price. Can't use the bike as a car replacement if you can't bring yourself to lock it and walk into a store.

There are several dedicated bike insurers, but I didn't have a good feeling about any of them when I looked into it 14 months ago.

 

[scottsdalecommuter]

I locked up today at the grocery store and the bike rack was by the smokers spot. I told one of the smokers thanks for watching my bike and they laughed and said anytime. Always helps to have more eyes on the bike!

 

[indianajo]

mcmaster.com 8942t15 sling https://www.mcmaster.com/products/slings/wire-rope-slings-6/ with abus 92/80 lock.
stainless steel half inch rope is so weird no thief carries the $300 tool to cut it. cheaper cutters will be damaged by the wires. 6' length will secure frame to gas meters or electrical conduits which will cause injury or fire if cut. Takes 3 hands to cut with angle grinder and stainless steel takes forever to cut.
Abus 92/80 lock has 12 mm pin that rotates if sawed or ground. Will clear 2 eyes of sling.
u-locks, the weak point is the device the city or store provides to lock up the bike to. most can be cut with angle grinder in less than 10 minutes. Besides, neither the city nor the stores nor the restaurants nor my workplace provide bike racks compatible with u-lock. The cables that come with u-locks are wimpy, carbon steel and usually 30 ga wire which is easily cut a few wires at a time with a $10 diagonal cutter. The stainless steel sling rope has 11 ga wire which is a PITA to cut each strand with any cutter under 14" long.
My tire was stabbed twice while my bike was locked up. Shows what thieves in my town think about this lock system. I carry a tire tube & pump in the bag.

 

[Wes Turner]

I just received the two Kryptonite locks I purchased on Amazon:

Kryptonite U-Lock
Kryptonite Keeper chain lock

Now I am having second thoughts. These are both keys locks (not combination). The keys are not the same for both locks and they are almost identical except for the key number which is very difficult to read. I went to the Kryptonite website to see if I could get locks with the same key. They have no contact information except for a form that asks for a ton of personal information. I'll see what the response is, but right now I am inclined to return both locks and look for something with better customer support.

 

[DiggyGun]

I just received the two Kryptonite locks I purchased on Amazon:

Kryptonite U-Lock
Kryptonite Keeper chain lock

Now I am having second thoughts. These are both keys locks (not combination). The keys are not the same for both locks and they are almost identical except for the key number which is very difficult to read.

Key locks are a lot more secure than combination locks.

Put a tie wrap on one lock and it’s key to identify them.

DG…

 

[sc00ter]

Or a dab from a paint pen, on the key top and on the lock. That's how I tell my ebike battery keys apart. Those are nice locks, I'd trust them.

 

[Wes Turner]

Key locks are a lot more secure than combination locks.

Why is that? Can you elaborate?

 

[sc00ter]

Some people can open a combo lock without knowing the combination numbers. It's actually pretty easy to do. Picking a good keyed lock is much more involved. Watch some LockPickingLawyer episodes on YouTube and know that everyone else watches his channel as well.

 

[Dorkyman]

How vain are you? But that I mean would you mind altering your bike somewhat so that nobody wants it anymore? Just spray paint parts of it with day glow orange paint. Still the same great bike, but now very hard for a thief to do anything with it. And also easy to identify if it ever does get stolen.

 

[Rome]

I take it somehow that you guys are worried so much about your bike getting stolen.
Where is the fun in owning it if you are constantly worried about it getting taken by a thief.
I'm using cheep lock on my bikes and GPS. No worries I ride. My stops are short never leaving my bike for 1 hour.

 

[sc00ter]

If someone nabs my Xpedition big deal. Yeah, I'll be bummed but I'll just replace it. I'm not going to give it away but if a thief really want's it you know they'll get it. Just buy a good quality lock and use it. I feel my Foldylock is sufficient protection for my needs. Wes, the more you fret about picking a lock the more riding time your going to loose out on, unless you really love shopping for locks!

I used to live a few blocks from the Virginia Beach oceanfront. I had a huge backyard and friends would come by, park in the backyard and grab one of my loaner bikes. I had a row of 6 ex-rental beach cruisers and all locked with 6 cable combo locks set at the same simple combo-0666. I never worried about them getting stolen because they were all spray bombed bright yellow. One did vanish because a friend got to drunk and forgot to lock it but the police found it and returned it. Those bikes got used and abused but somehow hung on for 4 years before I sold the property.

 

[McCorby]

Just buy a good quality lock and use it. I feel my Foldylock is sufficient protection for my needs. Wes, the more you fret about picking a lock the more riding time your going to loose out on, unless you really love shopping for locks!

This!

 

[m@Robertson]

the only lock which really rises above the others in terms of still being practical and resisting an angle grinder is the new litelok x3.

LITELOK X3

With 5x more angle-grinder resistance than the best performing D-lock, X1 is the ultimate in bike security: lightweight Sold Secure Diamond armoured D Lock.

us.litelok.com

I have an X3 on order. Estimated 30 day waiting period to make up the production backlog, so we'll see how long it really takes. I also considered a Hiplok D1000 but its available locking area is small and it costs more. Tests on the X3 have informally labelled it just as secure as the Hiplok. There is a DX1000 Hiplok coming in 2024 but it is only longer, not wider, than the current model and its going to be even more money I am sure.

I lock up outside every day, often in more than one location. And I just started going to a new bank downtown for my business, where I have to lock on an open street ... around the corner from the front door.

Locking is best done in independent layers. Usually, I have two. A big 18mm stainless U lock secures the bike to a rack, and links in a 13mm boron steel noose chain. The noose chain goes along the frame and noose-ties around the seat tube and back wheel. So that is Layer 1. Layer 2 is a 16mm U lock that just locks around the seat tube and rear wheel. So if someone detaches the bike from the bike rack, they have to get thru the second U lock before they start rolling the bike away.

For a quick run inside somewhere - for example my PO Box is 20 feet inside of a door, and the bike is parked literally right at the open door behind the post office - I attach a disc brake lock. A memory cord reminds me its there so I don't try and ride off with it still on. Bike is not attached to anything, but nobody is riding off with it either. Recently, since its another 10-second lock to attach, I started using it as a third layer. But for a quickee, more-serious lockup I could also use the U lock and the disc lock.

I did all three here. This was at Best Buy. I take a picture every time I lock up as my insurance (Markel/Velosurance) stipulates I have to have the bike secured to a fixed object for theft coverage to apply. The Litelok is going to replace the red/black U lock you can see in the pic, I think.