Which frame lock mounts to the Specialized Turbo factory mounts?

FreeWheelie

Active Member
Any mount a frame lock to the factory mounts on a Turbo bicycle? I tried the ABUS 4960 but the mounting hardware was too narrow. Wondering if the XL sized ones will work.
 
It fits my 2019 Specialized Vado 5.0
 

Attachments

  • 6BCE4AF0-80DA-43C6-AF8D-7B03401647AF.png
    6BCE4AF0-80DA-43C6-AF8D-7B03401647AF.png
    944 KB · Views: 1,333
Abus Shield Plus 5750L is wide enough (78mm) and fits Specialized Vado 4.0.
Abus Shield 5650L is 78mm wide too.
Do you have a 2020 Vado? I bought the 2020 Vado 5.0 and the Shield Plus 5750 and I can't get the screws to line up because the seat stay bosses are angled slightly outwards. Are the bosses pointed straight forward on your Vado?
 
My Vado 4.0 is from 2018. The 5750L was a little bit too wide so I angled it a little to fit it in the bosses. The bosses were a bit out of line but the screws did match in.
 
The widest slots in the Abus 4960 did not quite match the inserts in my 2020 Vado 5. My wife's also. I believe it's a spec problem between Abus and Specialized. The farthest ends of the lock slots match the inserts but the screw heads hit the lock body misaligning them with the inserts.

We resolved this with a bit of grinding of the lock slots.
 
The widest slots in the Abus 4960 did not quite match the inserts in my 2020 Vado 5. My wife's also. I believe it's a spec problem between Abus and Specialized. The farthest ends of the lock slots match the inserts but the screw heads hit the lock body misaligning them with the inserts.

We resolved this with a bit of grinding of the lock slots.
Thanks Sirratim. I will have mine tomorrow and will come back to you for help if it doesn’t fit my 202 Vado 5. According to Hana above his fits OK.
 
Somewhere else in the Forum a fellow rider made an aluminum adapter plate rather than elongating the mounting holes in the lock itself. If your a bit handy with files and maybe a Dremel and a drill, it would be fairly easy to make this adapter plate at home. I am guessing I will use 1/4" aluminum plate that should be available at Home Depot or nearest machine shop to make mine. Too bad that Abus and Specialized missed the ball on this one.
 
I believe the rider mentioned that he fabricated his adapter plate on a CNC mill he has access to at work. It was a very nice looking job. You might be able to get an acceptable result by making some tabs in a home shop.
 
I looked it up: It was in Vado Security Issues thread. CNC would be a wonderful tool/skill to have. But now we are preparing to downsize so tools are slowly going out, not in. I used to build airplanes, both R/C and full size stunt plane (look up Baby Great Lakes if your curious), windsurfers and skateboards. All I had was a band saw and files at the time.
 
I gave up on frame lock and returned yesterday. I am not very technical and didnt want to start making modifications to the lock.
I will be using Abus Granit Xplus Bordo 6500 and my Otto lock as a secone deterrent. Occasionally will arm my alarm Also.
When allowed I take the bike inside the establishment.
 
I gave up on frame lock and returned yesterday. I am not very technical and didnt want to start making modifications to the lock.
I will be using Abus Granit Xplus Bordo 6500 and my Otto lock as a secone deterrent. Occasionally will arm my alarm Also.
When allowed I take the bike inside the establishment.
Does the 6500 mount to the Vado easily and without modification?
 
Yes it does. I did try it first. I took it off. I don’t mount using bosses as it is very heavy, bulky, and I only need it for longer duration security which is not often.
I use the strong Velcro that came with it when I take the lock with me.
 
Last edited:
Boy, this thread is popping up all over the place. I just asked the same question last week.

Sierratim gave excellent and clear instructions about how he did some minor adaptions to fit the Abus 4960 to a Vado on the thread that I started. You can search for that. It was literally just last week.

My 4960 lock arrives next week and I'll let you know how easy it was follow Sierratim's instructions to adapt. Truthfully it doesn't sound very complicated.

For the CNC machined aluminum adaptor plate that another member fabricated, there are lots of ways to cut that thickness of aluminum without CNC technology. Probably the easiest low-tech way is with a jig saw and a metal cutting blade, then file and sand smooth. You can drill the holes with a standard hand drill and drill bits. Aluminum is a comparably soft metal and is pretty easy to work with. Soft enough to cut, but strong enough to be a good base for the lock. I run the jewelry and metalsmithing program at a small New England college. I've cut aluminum that way lots of times. Truthfully, if you were willing to have edges that didn't match your lock perfectly, you could do the same thing with a hack saw or a coping saw with a metal cutting blade and a file. It's not hard.

A number of people said the Abus 4960 isn't secure enough for them. Fortunately for me, I live in a rural, low-crime area, so I just need a mild deterrent. That along with some kind of chain/cable lock should do the trick. The $39 price and the fact that I don't have to make that aluminum back plate that the other member made are what sold me.

My grip is that it appears to be impossible to get the battery/frame lock matched key that Abus advertises. Nobody that I've found has actually been successful in accomplishing that.

Best of luck to you all!
 
It is a challenge of finding a store that is willing to contact the distributor for the forms/info to do the one-key system. I weighed out the cost & hassle of it and decided to carry an extra key instead.
 
Boy, this thread is popping up all over the place. I just asked the same question last week.

Sierratim gave excellent and clear instructions about how he did some minor adaptions to fit the Abus 4960 to a Vado on the thread that I started. You can search for that. It was literally just last week.

My 4960 lock arrives next week and I'll let you know how easy it was follow Sierratim's instructions to adapt. Truthfully it doesn't sound very complicated.

For the CNC machined aluminum adaptor plate that another member fabricated, there are lots of ways to cut that thickness of aluminum without CNC technology. Probably the easiest low-tech way is with a jig saw and a metal cutting blade, then file and sand smooth. You can drill the holes with a standard hand drill and drill bits. Aluminum is a comparably soft metal and is pretty easy to work with. Soft enough to cut, but strong enough to be a good base for the lock. I run the jewelry and metalsmithing program at a small New England college. I've cut aluminum that way lots of times. Truthfully, if you were willing to have edges that didn't match your lock perfectly, you could do the same thing with a hack saw or a coping saw with a metal cutting blade and a file. It's not hard.

A number of people said the Abus 4960 isn't secure enough for them. Fortunately for me, I live in a rural, low-crime area, so I just need a mild deterrent. That along with some kind of chain/cable lock should do the trick. The $39 price and the fact that I don't have to make that aluminum back plate that the other member made are what sold me.

My grip is that it appears to be impossible to get the battery/frame lock matched key that Abus advertises. Nobody that I've found has actually been successful in accomplishing that.

Best of luck to you all!
I am COMPLETELY un-handy and really don't want anything that requires me to do anything to customize the bike to accommodate the lock. Surely that has to be something out there that works off the shelf?
 
There are quite a few lock options, but to my knowledge no frame style locks that will fasten directly to the Vado's frame inserts. Abus does offer what they call a Clutching Strap LH Adaptor; https://mobil.abus.com/uk/on-road/L...kets-Bike/Clutching-Strap-LH-adaptor?type=adp. Quite a mouth full for what really are frame lock mounting adapters. These threaded studs fasten to the bike frame with what appear to be zip ties. The lock would then be secured to these studs with nuts. I assume these are intended for frames without mounting inserts but could certainly be used on the Vado instead of modifying the lock.
 
Back