"Best Bike Lock" article on Gizmodo

Gizmodo wrote a piece on bike locks

http://bit.ly/MVY9po

I'm sure y'all have your opinions about locking bikes, yada-yada-yada, etc. But, please no flames, no arguments needed here. I know these aren't the best locks out there and Giz isn't the authority you seek when discussing bike locks. 

I am just letting y'all know about a Gizmodo article, that's all.

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Permalink Reply by Joe Willis on June 28, 2012 at 3:16pm

this an advertisement far a lock but shows some times with many different tools. even the advertised lock fail in under 1 min.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3fJSeeyED4&feature=relmfu

Permalink Reply by Far'arned Retrogrumpalunkus #63 on June 28, 2012 at 3:22pm

With an angle grinder it is all about the right blade.  Power of the grinder isn't as important as the right blade that can clear the material rather than just slipping on it and just throwing sparks.    Most commonly-available blades (including the ones that come with the grinders) are not made for cutting through hardened steel.  

Permalink Reply by Joe Willis on June 28, 2012 at 3:30pm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8XxcOj3Seo

3 seconds with an old ulock

Last one I swear!

This shows how much people could care less

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbklkFuFk-4&feature=related

Permalink Reply by Sarah D. on June 29, 2012 at 9:39am

This is the saddest discussion! So what do we do? How can we be solely bike-based if nothing is safe out there? I mean, I like to go out and do stuff, not just ride my bike and bring it home...

Boo. Thanks for posting the article though. I guess.

Permalink Reply by daWillinChi on June 29, 2012 at 9:49am

We still go out. I carry two locks myself. 1 Abus Bordo Granit 6500 which also locks my front wheel and frame to bike post, and a second small Abus mini to lock my back wheel to the frame. I go everywhere, and of course I am always mindful where I park.

Like I would almost always park at a bike lock. If none is available, I make sure that the sign post is not a fake one where it can be removed easily just by lifting it.

I don't leave my bike outside overnight, in places where I think is shady. Just use your judgement.

So, don't think like germs are out there and you don't want to get sick, you'll just have to live in a bubble. Take as much precautions as you can and enjoy it.

Permalink Reply by Doug Haynes on June 29, 2012 at 10:07am

There is a lot that you can do.

  • Invest in a good lock, or locks, so that your bike is harder to steal then the other guys; sad but true theft is a crime of opportunity and if there is a bike that is easier picking next to yours you are probably safe.
  • Think about where you lock; locking up for more than a couple of hours in an area where the bike is not easily in sight is never a good idea in my opinion.
  • Beware of sucker poles and other tricks out there that will help a thief help themselves to your bike; make sure what you lock to is secure.
  • Don't ride a super fancy bike and/or make it look both obvious and less desirable.  Covering up or removing the branding lessens the casual appeal of your bike and also helps to make it more recognizable which, I believe, also reduces the chances of theft.



Sarah Dandelles said:

This is the saddest discussion! So what do we do? How can we be solely bike-based if nothing is safe out there? I mean, I like to go out and do stuff, not just ride my bike and bring it home...

Boo. Thanks for posting the article though. I guess.

Permalink Reply by Liz on June 29, 2012 at 10:38am

This is about what I do, I carry 2 decent u-locks and use a heavy chain in addition to the 2 u-locks while its locked up outside my office.  

I almost never leave my nice/flashy looking road bike parked outside in the city, if I do its not for long, I ride that bike, and then go home.  My commuter looks worse than it is, so it doesn't appear to be a nice bike. 

I've known a few people who left their bikes out overnight "just this one time" and it got stolen on that one time. 

Just Will said:

We still go out. I carry two locks myself. 1 Abus Bordo Granit 6500 which also locks my front wheel and frame to bike post, and a second small Abus mini to lock my back wheel to the frame. I go everywhere, and of course I am always mindful where I park.

Like I would almost always park at a bike lock. If none is available, I make sure that the sign post is not a fake one where it can be removed easily just by lifting it.

I don't leave my bike outside overnight, in places where I think is shady. Just use your judgement.

So, don't think like germs are out there and you don't want to get sick, you'll just have to live in a bubble. Take as much precautions as you can and enjoy it.

Permalink Reply by Kevin C Dormant on June 29, 2012 at 10:46am

Adding to what Doug said, there seem to be relatively few angle grinder thieves operating in Chicago. More than half (60%) of the bikes reported to the Chicago Stolen Bike Registry either weren't locked (25%) or were locked with just a cable lock (35%). Taking reasonable precautions as outlined by Doug, should be plenty. And while I recognize the karmic implications of making the following statement, I ride and park my bike everywhere, and have never had a bike stolen. 

notoriousDUG said:

There is a lot that you can do.

  • Invest in a good lock, or locks, so that your bike is harder to steal then the other guys; sad but true theft is a crime of opportunity and if there is a bike that is easier picking next to yours you are probably safe.
  • Think about where you lock; locking up for more than a couple of hours in an area where the bike is not easily in sight is never a good idea in my opinion.
  • Beware of sucker poles and other tricks out there that will help a thief help themselves to your bike; make sure what you lock to is secure.
  • Don't ride a super fancy bike and/or make it look both obvious and less desirable.  Covering up or removing the branding lessens the casual appeal of your bike and also helps to make it more recognizable which, I believe, also reduces the chances of theft.



Sarah Dandelles said:

This is the saddest discussion! So what do we do? How can we be solely bike-based if nothing is safe out there? I mean, I like to go out and do stuff, not just ride my bike and bring it home...

Boo. Thanks for posting the article though. I guess.

Permalink Reply by Kevin C Dormant on June 29, 2012 at 12:15pm

I haven't watched all of these videos, but the two I have watched show: 1) an ABUS u-lock being securely held in a vise, giving a great, stable surface for the angle grinder blade; and 2) an ABUS bordo lock lying on the ground, being cut by an angle grinder. In the real world, the U-lock or Bordo will not be quite that vulnerable. The ABUS lock I have for my bike registry chain (below) has no exposed shackle, nothing to cut. I think the Krypto locks for their high end security chains also have very minimally exposed, or unexposed shackle. I haven't cut one, but Martin has tried, and has concluded that he wouldn't bother if there was a more attractive target in the vicinity.

 

h' said:

Sure, but someone with an angle grinder is not going to try to cut the chain, they'll go for the lock, no?

Kevin C said:

Chains squirm around too much to get a good bite-they need to be zip tied in place or propped against the ground (if there's enough slack to do so). Cables are easier to cut with bolt cutter than angle grinders-the strands bind a bit as they're defeated.

h' said:

and if possible, locks which require different types of tools to defeat.

Seems to me that a thief with an angle grinder can take on any other type of lock as an afterthought, no?

Permalink Reply by Allen Wrench on June 29, 2012 at 4:12pm

Another vote for BikeRegistry chains like Kevin's. I like the Viro Blocca Catena lock if you can find one because it's lightweight and it's enough to protect a Vespa in Italy. You can put a 1 meter chain (better would be 4 feet = $28 at BikeRegistry) around Chicago lampposts and still get a wheel and the frame usually. But the best of all is bring it in and stick it next to your desk at work if you can. And still lock it. 

Permalink Reply by Doug Haynes on June 29, 2012 at 8:44pm

Cutting a chain with a grinder is a cake walk even if you can't get it on the ground.

Nothing is safe.

Permalink Reply by Far'arned Retrogrumpalunkus #63 on July 2, 2012 at 5:02am

Any material that can be made can be unmade.  The issue with U-locks is that they need to be easily and economically manufactured so that they don't cost >$100 each or people wouldn't be as likely to buy them. The fewer people who buy them the more the price goes up as economies of scale decrease.

i'm sure there are high-tech methods to treat steel using laminates that would make it more difficult to cut but working this material becomes much harder by definition.  

An angle-grinder is a brute-force attack and it has the capability of employing a lot of brute force to a focused point.  Bike security depends on the belief of bike owners not thinking about how easily these locks can be defeated, and the bike thieves not having an easy access to the tools to quickly do that job.  It's too bad that cheap cordless angle-grinders are so available these days with discount tools coming from Asia.

My personal security "solution" is of the "Bear & The Running Shoes" variety.  I carry 2 OnGuard Brute locks -one with a long shackle and one with a regular shackle.  One is the older flat key from a couple of years ago and the other has the newer flat key that just came out.  They weigh 5lbs each.  That's 10lbs of locks to carry around but that is the price of Moderate Security. 

kiltedcelt said:

It seems like what would work best in terms of several factors would be some type of U-lock with a coating that becomes friable and would severely gum up a grinder blade rendering it useless. The same thing could work for hacksaw blades. And, of course the shackle material would be stout enough to resist standard bolt cutters. I use only one U-lock right now. I have one of those On-guard Pitbull locks and it's damned heavy enough as it is, let alone having to carry two or one and a giant chain. If I have to lock up anywhere for longer than a few minutes, I dismount my front wheel and lock it up alongside the rear wheel. Of course this prevents someone from stealing my front wheel, but still won't deter an angle grinder wielding thief. You just have to hope some other bike looks like an easier target. I've been thinking about adding an ABUS Bordo lock because it would be slightly less weight than adding another On-Guard Pitbull. Either that or getting one of the short shackle Kryptonite locks and using it Sheldon Brown style by locking through the rear wheel rim and the ON-Guard through the frame and front wheel. I just generally don't run too many errands on my bike so I don't lock up very often. Most often just outside my local grocery store.

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