The Cycling Chat Thread

[Mation]

Break it down like this:

"The bicycle must be secured to an immovable object through the frame and any quick release wheels with an approved lock."

Bicycle secured to object is easy. As is through the frame (securing it just by the wheel isn't going to cut it).

Then we've got the wheel clause... It specifies quick release, so if the wheel isn't quick release, none of this applies. That's why you might be fine with what David suggested, or with axles that aren't quick release in the first place.

If your wheels are quick release, you then get to the bit about securing them. It uses 'and' and 'any', so I think you've really got to interpret this as saying that quick release wheels need to have the protection of a rated lock. The cable won't be enough.

Thank you - "the cable won't be enough" was what I was getting at, as the wording for that clause is ambiguous.

I have a quick release wheel, which is why I was asking. The wording for securing the frame isn't ambiguous, so I got that bit.

However, why would gold rated locks come with a cable that isn't sufficient? Are they sold by the insurers parent company, or something?

 

[Orang Utan]

i think how they appear as a deterrent is more important than how much they withstand tools. Most cables are easily cleaved with wire cutters. a battery powered angle grinder will cut through anything. But stick enough on there that’ll slow them down and they might think twice

 

[Artaxerxes]

It doesn't matter if you can't beat the thieves, what matters is you out secure the bike next you so they go for that instead

 

[Bahnhof Strasse]

There's the issue of carrying all these locks, they are heavy. Hardly ever leave my bike unattended for more than a minute or so, the only place I do it is at the swimming pool in direct line of sight of the reception and CCTV, and we're hardly Hackney...

But wear this around my waist:




And this attaches to my belt:




And these attach to my bag and tie the wheels to the frame:




Still worry like crazy even with all that lot on.

 

[David Clapson]

Aren't you going to tell us what they are?

 

[Orang Utan]

Aren't you going to tell us what they are?

it says HipLok - good gear, I have the chain belt, have used the pocket d-locks but found them too short to lock a frame to some racks

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

I’m extremely glad I can just leave my bike backstage at work and not have to worry about all this. Not sure I could cope with the stress every day otherwise.

 

[Bahnhof Strasse]

Long d locks can be forced open quite easily, small ones only an angle grinder can get through.
The cable ties I have punted here before they are metal, bolt croppers will get through them in an instant but thieves in public don’t relish the idea of getting croppers out and angle grinders, looks a bit iffy. And yeah, all HipLok products, seem designed for cyclists, also have one of their wall-anchors in my garage. But nothing will deter the committed tealeaf.

 

[Mation]

Long d locks can be forced open quite easily, small ones only an angle grinder can get through.

How come?

 

[Dogsauce]

How come?

Usual method I believe is sticking a car jack in there and eventual the lock mechanism will just break under the pressure. With a short lock there isn’t room to get the jack in as the frame will be in the way.

 

[Orang Utan]

Usual method I believe is sticking a car jack in there and eventual the lock mechanism will just break under the pressure. With a short lock there isn’t room to get the jack in as the frame will be in the way.

i have done this to my own d-lock

 

[David Clapson]

I've been comparing u-locks for bicycles and motorcycles. They get tested in the same way by the ART Foundation in the Netherlands. Home – Stichting ART The Sold Secure Gold level, a British standard, is equivalent to two stars on the ART scale, which goes up to five stars for the toughest motorcycle locks.

A pair of Gold two star locks weigh about 3 kg. An alternative would be to carry a single U-lock which gets 3 or 4 stars from ANT, e.g. Abus Power 58 or Granit X-Plus 54 or Kryptonite New York Fahgedaboutit. They weigh about 1.5 - 2 kg. The full list of four star u-locks is here

Is my lock approved? – Stichting ART

www.stichtingart.nl

No u-lock gets more than 4 stars. The 5 star things are chains with padlocks and weigh about 7 kg.

 

[rubbershoes]

No u-lock gets more than 4 stars. The 5 star things are chains with padlocks and weigh about 7 kg.

You can get lighter bikes!

 

[Cid]

To be fair 2 minutes against LPL is really a mark of quality rather than something to be worried about.

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

To be fair 2 minutes against LPL is really a mark of quality rather than something to be worried about.

Yeah, most last about 10 seconds or so

 

[Bahnhof Strasse]

Do many bike thieves pick the locks?

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

Do many bike thieves pick the locks?

I doubt it. Bolt cutters and/or small angle grinders seem to be the tools of choice.

 

[maomao]

Do many bike thieves pick the locks?

I doubt it because you need to be able to listen/feel for tiny little clicks. Might take him two minutes in his workshop but I doubt he could do it squatting next to a bike rack in front of a library next to a big road. Very impressive though.

 

[Dogsauce]

There’s also the fried and tested method of just cutting the bike rack if the lock is too strong, then dealing with the main lock back home at leisure. That requires a van rather than nonchalantly riding off with it though.

 

[Winot]

This is how quickly it can be done. Broad daylight outside Angel tube Islington:

Insurer’s warning as bike thefts still on the rise since start of pandemic

The warning comes as a cyclist has shared CCTV of a bike thief using an angle grinder in broad daylight

www.cyclingweekly.com

 

[Bahnhof Strasse]

Why do these things even exist?

 

[Cid]

Why do these things even exist?

View attachment 284832

Because they’re really useful site tools.

 

[Bahnhof Strasse]

Should be made longer so they don't fit in a backpack.

 

[DownwardDog]

The Makita is good because they have 3,000-8,000 rpm speed control.

 

[Cid]

Should be made longer so they don't fit in a backpack.

The whole point is that they’re a nice compact tool you can use 20ft up a ladder.

 

[magneze]

Sounds like locked 30ft in the air would be the safest place for a bike then.

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

Why do these things even exist?

View attachment 284832

Because they’re really useful tools if you’re a builder?

 

[maomao]

Because they’re really useful tools if you’re a builder?

Do builders really use a lot of cordless stuff? I was trained as a bricklayer 26 years ago, worked on sites before that and everything was plugged in in those days. I can imagine it being useful for the odd nooks and crannies where you don't want to stretch or dangle an extension cable but constant recharging would be a pain surely?

 

[sleaterkinney]

I’m extremely glad I can just leave my bike backstage at work and not have to worry about all this. Not sure I could cope with the stress every day otherwise.

When I couldn't leave my bike at work i cycled an extra 10 mins so i could lock it at a NCH car park which had a guard walking around.

 

[Leafster]

Do builders really use a lot of cordless stuff? I was trained as a bricklayer 26 years ago, worked on sites before that and everything was plugged in in those days. I can imagine it being useful for the odd nooks and crannies where you don't want to stretch or dangle an extension cable but constant recharging would be a pain surely?

When I've had any work done, the first thing any construction workers seem to do is plug in a charger or two for their spare batteries.