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Best lock for humid weather?

indecisiveindecisive Posts: 3
edited February 2016 in Commuting chat
Hello!
I am a student that relies on her bike to get to school and back. I live in the beautiful, but rainy scotland, where no matter where you park your bike (yes, even indoors), the humidity will penetrate to the very depths of the lock and rust it solid. This means that I will stick in my key but it just won't turn! Highly inconvenient. I've used a number of locks and managed to get my bike free with a spritz of WD40 (thank the heavens for that stuff) but not managed to rescue the lock afterwards. So, what I'm trying to ask is,
What lock can you recommend me that is good against humidity?
[list=5]
[*]WATERPROOF/RUST PROOF - please[/*]
[*]One with a mechanism that is smooth and reliable.[/*]
[*]I'd like a chain lock so I can attach my bike to railings etc.[/*]
[*] In an ideal world, I'd also like it to be 15 pounds or less. (will pay more if the lock is guaranteed to be uh-mazing)[/*]
[*] I'm not too worried about it being heavy-duty, since my bike is and looks rather cheap, but anyone will take a free bike that's not chained up. Nobody will put in too much effort to bypass a lock on the piece of junk that is my bike (; [/*][/list]
Anywyays appreciative of any advice or input!

Posts

  • itboffinitboffin Posts: 20,050
    Look for an Amazon deal on a kryptonite d-lock and cable usually around £20 if you wait, very simple mechanism so easy to fill with a thick cheap grease once every few weeks or months.
    Rule #5 // Harden The censored Up.
    Rule #9 // If you are out riding in bad weather, it means you are a badass. Period.
    Rule #12 // The correct number of bikes to own is n+1.
    Rule #42 // A bike race shall never be preceded with a swim and/or followed by a run.
  • indecisiveindecisive Posts: 3
    itboffin wrote:
    Look for an Amazon deal on a kryptonite d-lock and cable usually around £20 if you wait, very simple mechanism so easy to fill with a thick cheap grease once every few weeks or months.

    Thanks for your suggestion! I'm a bit apprehensive about Kryptonite - I looked at a lot of their locks on amazon and a good percentage of the reviews on them specifically complain about the poor quality of the padlock. How it gets stuck, or how the keys break off/bend. This is exactly the opposite of what I am looking for! Not too sure what to think :P
  • itboffinitboffin Posts: 20,050
    £22 on Tredz
    http://www.tredz.co.uk/.Kryptonite-Seri ... sku=148441
    Rule #5 // Harden The censored Up.
    Rule #9 // If you are out riding in bad weather, it means you are a badass. Period.
    Rule #12 // The correct number of bikes to own is n+1.
    Rule #42 // A bike race shall never be preceded with a swim and/or followed by a run.
  • itboffinitboffin Posts: 20,050
    indecisive wrote:
    itboffin wrote:
    Look for an Amazon deal on a kryptonite d-lock and cable usually around £20 if you wait, very simple mechanism so easy to fill with a thick cheap grease once every few weeks or months.

    Thanks for your suggestion! I'm a bit apprehensive about Kryptonite - I looked at a lot of their locks on amazon and a good percentage of the reviews on them specifically complain about the poor quality of the padlock. How it gets stuck, or how the keys break off/bend. This is exactly the opposite of what I am looking for! Not too sure what to think :P

    I have three that I use daily and have done for years the one outside the station gets stiff due to rain ingress but nothing a blob of grease doesn't fix in mins, there's no way those keys could break they're not flat like many other makes, in fact when I lost my keys I needs an angle grinder to get in.

    Very solid and reliable lock
    Rule #5 // Harden The censored Up.
    Rule #9 // If you are out riding in bad weather, it means you are a badass. Period.
    Rule #12 // The correct number of bikes to own is n+1.
    Rule #42 // A bike race shall never be preceded with a swim and/or followed by a run.
  • gbsahne001gbsahne001 Posts: 1,973
    I have 2 of the series 4 that are left on the stand all year and have been for the last 3years; yes they're a little rusty on the ends but as ITB says a dab of grease works wonders.
    Winter Hack
    Everyday Commuter
  • wolfsbane2kwolfsbane2k Posts: 3,056
    What grade do you guys use in your locks? I've got some graphite lock grease (silicone free) that I use each week since having a problem with a magnum d lock a few years ago, not had a problem since, but that's because the bike is stored in better conditions.

    However, your talking about a thick grease, which I wouldn't want near a lock normally, as they can become grit magnets, like a dirty chain.
    Intent on Cycling Commuting on a budget, but keep on breaking/crashing/finding nice stuff to buy.
    Bike 1 (Broken) - Bike 2(Borked) - Bike 3(broken spokes) - Bike 4( Needs Work) - Bike 5 (in bits) - Bike 6* ...
  • itboffinitboffin Posts: 20,050
    Cheap censored market stall stuff about £1 for a giant tub of thick lithium grease I think.
    Rule #5 // Harden The censored Up.
    Rule #9 // If you are out riding in bad weather, it means you are a badass. Period.
    Rule #12 // The correct number of bikes to own is n+1.
    Rule #42 // A bike race shall never be preceded with a swim and/or followed by a run.
  • UndercoverElephantUndercoverElephant Posts: 5,796
    Apparently WD40 causes more trouble in locks than it fixes. It does help when it's fresh, but congeals when it dries a bit and gunks up your lock. The best lock lubricant is graphite powder. My locksmith (from Scotland) highly recommend Abus locks. Mine stays in the bike shed at work, but it's been flawless for the past six years.

    Edit: They do a whole range of marine/weatherproof locks on their website. May be what to look for.

    https://www.buyaparcel.com/p/abus-90rk5 ... wwod6gkF9A
    Sun - Rain - Snow
  • mudcoveredmudcovered Posts: 725
    Been using my current Kryptonite D-Locks for years in all weathers. On the older of the 2 (by about 5 years) the key has bent slightly but is still functional and its been like that for a long time. The newer one doesn't seem to have any issues with the key bending at all.

    The reason for the key issue is that things get dicy if you don't fully insert the key in he lock and then turn it. Avoid that and they will give you years of reliable service.

    Mike
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