cafe stop locks?

oscar-j
oscar-j Posts: 269
edited May 2011 in Road buying advice
any ideas on a decent cafe stop type lock?
will only be used for short periods of time when the bike is within eyesight.needs to be light,small and easy to carry.
thanks
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Comments

  • navrig
    navrig Posts: 1,352
    I picked up a very small. light cable lock from a motorcycle magazine a few years ago. Perfect for this job. Total length abput 100mm so suitable for around a downpipe or around a bike stand.

    Very little strength but enough of a deterrent.

    Similar to this which I am sure you can get from elsewhere:

    http://www.maplin.co.uk/small-bike-lock-390173
  • lucca
    lucca Posts: 51
    I was once given a good tip when at cafe stops. . . take front skewer out of wheel.
  • rake
    rake Posts: 3,204
    remove the crankset and take it with you
  • thelawnet
    thelawnet Posts: 719
    Navrig wrote:
    http://www.maplin.co.uk/small-bike-lock-390173

    They sell those in Poundland.
  • marcusjb
    marcusjb Posts: 2,412
    Literally, anything light. It really doesn't matter - all the little cable locks are about the same in terms of being there purely to stop the opportunist walking away with the bike - it really doesn't matter too much. They'll never stop a determined thief etc. But you'd have to be pretty unlucky to happen to have parked your bike outside, nipped inside the cafe whilst someone equipped with bolt-croppers walked by.

    Some people do buy the alarm type locks - that make a huge noise if disturbed etc. - and that makes some sense - but there's a price and weight increase there.

    I use some little cable lock from Abus - it's fine for the purpose.
    Stuff about riding a bike a long way
  • wilkij1975
    wilkij1975 Posts: 532
    thelawnet wrote:
    Navrig wrote:
    http://www.maplin.co.uk/small-bike-lock-390173

    They sell those in Poundland.

    How much are they? :wink:
    Carbon 456
  • greasedscotsman
    greasedscotsman Posts: 6,962
    http://www.gbcycles.co.uk/product/35669 ... Pro_201202

    Probably not the most secure, but might be what your looking for?
  • brettjmcc
    brettjmcc Posts: 1,361
    greasedscotsman wrote:
    http://www.gbcycles.co.uk/product/35669/Abus_Combiflex_Pro_201202

    Probably not the most secure, but might be what your looking for?

    That's what I have used for quick stops. Mine actually got bought for my skiis and has Burton stamped on the front. At the end fo the day you willnormally keep the bike within sight, you are just putting a deterrent in to stop opportunists as they walk on by.

    If they want to nick it they will. One of my friends can attest to that when theives cut a hole in his gargage rooof and lifted his motorbike out!
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  • greasedscotsman
    greasedscotsman Posts: 6,962
    Or if you wanted to lock a number of bikes outside the cafe?

    http://www.blacks.co.uk/product/091629/ ... ute=167536

    (and you can even save yourself £2!)
  • solsurf
    solsurf Posts: 489
    a laptop electronic alarm, not only detects if the lock has been broken, but movement as well, so perfect for those times you are in ear shot! http://www.lockalarm.com/lockalarmmini.html
    http://www.pogu.co.uk
  • oscar-j
    oscar-j Posts: 269
    greasedscotsman wrote:
    http://www.gbcycles.co.uk/product/35669/Abus_Combiflex_Pro_201202

    Probably not the most secure, but might be what your looking for?

    thanks to everyone for the replies.

    this is the sort of thing i am looking for but preferably with a key rather than combination.i've read some reviews that have said that the owner's have managed to crack this combination lock within a minute or two when they've lost their keys.
  • keasden
    keasden Posts: 24
    If its a combination lock there would be no key to lose surely! And of course the owners can crack them easily, they set the combination!!
  • oscar-j
    oscar-j Posts: 269
    good point-my mistake! :oops:

    it must have been when they had forgotten the combination

    i just looked at the reviews on evans website.one said that he could feel the numbers press in when they were in the right place-very worrying!
  • greasedscotsman
    greasedscotsman Posts: 6,962
    edited May 2011
    I have a "cafe stop" lock similar to the link I posted earlier and to be fair, I'm not sure any thief would waste their time trying to work out the combination, it's only got a plastic body, I'm sure a hammer could break it quite easily. It's not a perfect lock, but it's small and light and and will stop someone simply walking off with your bike. Depends what you want I guess?
  • DF33
    DF33 Posts: 732
    Yes, but surely the point of this thread is a cheap, light lock to prevent a passing tea leaf putting his hand on the bike and wheeling / riding it off instantly?

    Therefore combi locks are perfect. If someone stands for 2 minutes twiddling the dials unnoticed and your worried about that, then carry a proper u lock with all it's weight. Or, as originally posted use one of the lightweights above and keep it within line of sight.

    They'll cur through a cheap keyed cable lock standing in front of the bike with small bolt cutters inside their coats in 5 seconds, quietly and discretely, far quicker than a combi twiddle.
    Peter
  • Bar Shaker
    Bar Shaker Posts: 2,313
    Only lock up a bike if you aren't bothered if it gets stolen.
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  • brin
    brin Posts: 1,122
    Leave it parked up in top gear - big front /smallest rear - any opportunist thief will need Chris Hoys thighs to make a quick get away
  • AndyF16
    AndyF16 Posts: 506
    brin wrote:
    Leave it parked up in top gear - big front /smallest rear - any opportunist thief will need Chris Hoys thighs to make a quick get away

    Or just a car-derived van to chuck it into :idea: Nice idea if all bike thieves rode away from the scene, with a Stripey pullover and Zorro style mask!
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  • piquet
    piquet Posts: 83
    oscar-j wrote:
    any ideas on a decent cafe stop type lock?
    will only be used for short periods of time when the bike is within eyesight.needs to be light,small and easy to carry.
    thanks

    http://www.evanscycles.com/products/abu ... m-ec008995

    very light and small - does the job you specify.

    Also, leave the bike in top gear! makes a quick getaway more difficuly
  • fish156
    fish156 Posts: 496
    Alternatively, make sure that you win the inevitable sprint before the cafe, arriving first and then your bike gets 'buried' behind everyone else's. Usually takes me at least 5 minutes to excavate my bike each week. :-)

    Yeah, I know, I'm not helping. :roll:
  • brin
    brin Posts: 1,122
    AndyF16 wrote:
    brin wrote:
    Leave it parked up in top gear - big front /smallest rear - any opportunist thief will need Chris Hoys thighs to make a quick get away

    Or just a car-derived van to chuck it into :idea: Nice idea if all bike thieves rode away from the scene, with a Stripey pullover and Zorro style mask!

    True, but if a potential thief(s) comes prepared with transport etc, surely they will have wire/bolt cutters to assist their purpose?
    Never really heard of a bike being stolen from a cafe stop, as they are usually rural and frequented by well...cyclists.
    Something of a reverse happened to me at the weekend, i called in a cafe i had never been to before, ordered a coffee, the owner brought it to me, got his coat, told me "i'll just be 5 mins" then left me alone, it's all about trust really.
  • Pigeons in flight
    Pigeons in flight Posts: 282
    I don't normally bother locking my bike at a cafe stop - as other posters state, they tend to be in the middle of nowhere and are typically frequented by cyclists, walkers, etc - not thieving chavs.

    A couple of years back I cycled round to a not so rural branch of Blockbusters on my fixie and went inside to ponder the night's viewing entertainment. As I was doing so, one of the shop assistances shouted - 'mate, someone's nicking your bike'....I turned around to watch this chav going head over heels as he attempted to cycle off..it was obviously his first time riding fixed! :lol:
    Never mistake motion for action
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  • oscar-j
    oscar-j Posts: 269
    ha ha! isomeone broke into my car many moons ago and tried to hotwire it.they didn't have much luck-the battery was on charge in the shed!!! :lol::lol::lol:
  • tofu21
    tofu21 Posts: 359
    What does your insurance say about leavin your bike unlocked?
  • oscar-j
    oscar-j Posts: 269
    tofu21 wrote:
    What does your insurance say about leavin your bike unlocked?

    i believe it would be covered to some extent on the house insurance.i might accidently leave out the part that it was unlocked though!
  • fish156
    fish156 Posts: 496
    oscar-j wrote:
    i might accidently leave out the part that it was unlocked though!
    Bike theft bad, insurance fraud OK?
  • oscar-j
    oscar-j Posts: 269
    so if your car got stolen,and you'd accidentely forgotten to lock it,would you mention this?
  • fish156
    fish156 Posts: 496
    Not sure. I'd agonise over it. If you'd no lock but your bike was stolen, would you say that you'd locked it?
  • tofu21
    tofu21 Posts: 359
    Not just insurance fraud, you'd have to report it to the police too!

    I'm covered regardless of the lock as long as it's locked to an unmovable object.
  • marcusjb
    marcusjb Posts: 2,412
    tofu21 wrote:
    Not just insurance fraud, you'd have to report it to the police too!

    I'm covered regardless of the lock as long as it's locked to an unmovable object.

    Quite a valid point - a lot of 'specialist' bike policies require the use of a Sold Secure Gold level lock for the bike to be insured out and about. As the average gold level lock weighs about as much as a small car, it's pretty unlikely you'd bother to carry it.

    My policy (just my household contents one) covers any bike up to £4K and they don't care what the lock is as long as the bike is locked to something immovable (I had them confirm this in writing as well!).

    That said, I don't always lock it to something immovable - it's not practical all the time. But some risks are worth taking.

    Don't forget that there are also nice people out there - and most people won't mind being asked to keep an eye on your steed for a couple of minutes. You've got to go with first impressions - so, sorry, I wouldn't be asking some young lad in a baseball cap to do it!
    Stuff about riding a bike a long way

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