Which bike lock?

Fizzeetoast

I'm collecting my carrera fury today and I'm in need of some advice as to which lock I should buy for a bike worth over £500. It won't be left alone lots but when it is I want to know its safe. I'm going to buy some cable to secure the wheels to a D lock but that's where I'm stuck.. Which lock is the best to buy. At the moment the kyptonite evolution series 4 is 34 quid on amazon which seems like a bargain as it is sold secure gold rated, will this lock be reliable enough (and without major flaws) for my bike or is there a lock anyone would really recommend? My budget for a lock is about £50. Thanks a lot for any replies.

nicklouse

what ever lock that complies with the small print on your insurance.

apreading

The Krypto Evolution is not a bad lock, but very heavy - as are all the good ones unfortunately. Are you sure it is Gold rated? I thought it was silver but I could be wrong.

Either Kryptonite or Abus - much the same.

You have the right idea though - D lock and cable. Or even better 2 D locks and cable - ideally with the 2 locks from 2 different manufacturers as they all have different weaknesses, so even if they know how to deal with one type there is always the other as backup. I have a heavy D lock that I leave on the bike rack at work so that I only have to carry a single, slightly lighter one back and forward.

delcol

i wouldnt bother with abus or kryptonite.. not very good.

these score really good reviews
http://www.torc-anchors.com/security-chains.php
and so do these.
http://www.almax-security-chains.co.uk/

intresting watch.
http://www.almax-security-chains.co.uk/index.asp?pg=19

bails87

http://www.lfgss.com/thread17938.html

Read this, spend as much as you can.

Good locks are heavy though.

cooldad

Unless you absoluely have to leave it somewhere, don't.
My solution, decent bikes live inside the house, are on the roofrack or being ridden.
Cheap POS (actually a classic Rockhopper but it looks cruddie) off Ebay gets taken to the shops etc if I want to ride there, with a £5 lock. No one is desperate enough to steal it.

apreading

delcol wrote:

i wouldnt bother with abus or kryptonite.. not very good.

these score really good reviews
http://www.torc-anchors.com/security-chains.php
and so do these.
http://www.almax-security-chains.co.uk/

intresting watch.
http://www.almax-security-chains.co.uk/index.asp?pg=19

But those Abus and Krypto ones are the chains, not the D Locks. I notice he didnt put nearly as much welly into trying to break his own chain as he did into trying to break the Krypto Forgeddaboutit...!

For chains to be strong enough, they have to be horrendously heavy though dont they?

Northwind

It's not "his" chain, Zanx there's an independant, and a good chap. (he was largely responsible for breaking the biro-pen crack for bike locks, which has made a huge difference to bike security)

Almax used to take this show on tour, at the motorbike shows, and you could walk up and cut links off chains (or not), using the same tools. My £150 Oxford cut like it was made of butter :roll: But I couldn't put more than a dent in the Almax. Course, that doesn't make it any use for commuting use, just too big.

(they can't do it any more- Oxford and Motrax threatened to pull out of the shows so Almax were banned)

Quality d-locks that your insurers like (if appropriate) are the way to go. Cables can be used to secure components but they really are terrible- industry testing often uses the wrong tools to attack cables but if you use the right kit, I doubt there's one that won't just sni.

delcol

apreading wrote:

delcol wrote:

i wouldnt bother with abus or kryptonite.. not very good.

these score really good reviews
http://www.torc-anchors.com/security-chains.php
and so do these.
http://www.almax-security-chains.co.uk/

intresting watch.
http://www.almax-security-chains.co.uk/index.asp?pg=19

But those Abus and Krypto ones are the chains, not the D Locks. I notice he didnt put nearly as much welly into trying to break his own chain as he did into trying to break the Krypto Forgeddaboutit...!

For chains to be strong enough, they have to be horrendously heavy though dont they?

thank you mr northwind for clearing that up.

didnt put enough force into them he broke the boltcutter..

and i would not want to carry one around with me in my bag or on the bike they are really heavy,,,

The Rookie

We have several locks in the family and we genrally pick the 'right' one for the right time, I have a very heavy chain and cable combo that lives at work, the chain is long enough to go round the building internal pillars (a D-lock wouldn't), no way could I cycle with it, we also have a very cheap Townsend we use for town runs as it cost £5.50 and any lock worth buying costs more that that, can't see anyone knicking it, I also have my retro Gary Fisher, mst scroats will just see it as a POS, so again unlikley to attrcat attention, the Mountain bikes (generally the most stolen bike according to our local Police) are never locked up, they stay in the house or are with us, however one expensive D-lock, one cheap but 'OK' and a cable for your wheels is a good option, anything you intend leaving in one place, motorbike stuff is worth considering, heavy but better value.

Simon

Fizzeetoast

Thanks everyone for the input, I'm keeping it in the house at the moment while It doesen't have a proper lock but it's going in the garage soon! Just going to get a lock soon, it's a pain that you have to carry such a large weigh with you to keep your bike safe but that's how it is, I'm very rarely leaving it on its own and I think it will be for very short periods of time but I want peace of mind and also for my insurance to cover me haha. I think I will go for the kryptonite evolution as it's brilliant value for a gold rated D lock. Also the cable will do the trick to lock the wheels to the d lock.