[Closed] Cheap, Light, Visible: Pub Lock?

Having had our bikes pinched from pretty much under our noses at a quiet country pub late one weekday evening, I'd say that's not a good idea at all.

Lock it (properly) or loose it.

We all carry These locks now, a bit weighty but pack small and would take some getting through.

Yeah my brother was sat having a coffee, and came back to both his and his-partners bikes missing. I have got for 15/15 Abus lock, even for short stops.

Do you always go to the same pub? Are we talking mid-ride random stop or a regular Thursday evening pint with a couple of mates at the local?
If the latter a big huge heavy lock and leave it there?

wot AndrewH said ^^^^ too many chancer about now, especially if you stop at the same place regulalry

We all carry These locks now, a bit weighty but pack small and would take some getting through.

That's the kind of thing I'm thinking about.

Do you always go to the same pub? Are we talking mid-ride random stop or a regular Thursday evening pint with a couple of mates at the local?
If the latter a big huge heavy lock and leave it there?

We tend to have 3 or 4 routes so 3 or 4 pubs. Probably a bit OTT to leave a 'big lock' at each of them.

Ours wasn't a regular stop. Its middle of nowhere, nothing else close by. Car park via cattle grid. Noticed a van pull up in car park, didn't think too much of it. Bikes were just below the window we were sat at. 2 bikes with a cable lock. Lifted into van, gone in 30 seconds.

So always now locked to something fairly solid with a reasonably robust lock and kept in sight as much as possible. You can only reasonably do so much, but you just have to make it that little bit more difficult to deter the bustards.

For pub stops we sit outside, bikes resting against the table or close by. If there is no outside seating, we don't stop there. One person always stays with the bikes while others go to the toilet or bar.

...Bikes were just below the window we were sat at...

That's been our approach for the last 15 years in at least two of the pubs - stack bikes up under the window and try to get a table near the window. Then assume any bike robbers will be slow and noisy making it really easy for us to spot and stop them...

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I bought my son a couple of chunky ones for keeping his bikes at Uni and myself one for work - really good prices. All sorts going on there.

My pub bike has a lightweight mini D-lock. Although the main deterrant is keeping it looking crap even though it rides very well. I covered it in reflective tape many years ago, which is now flaking off all over the frame - looks terrible, which is perfect.

If it's an around town / short rides thing then I use a hiplock. It's really easy to click around your waist and you don't really feel it too much. Wouldn't want it there for a big ride though.

Cheap, light visible?
Take a mate along, get him to stay outside with the bikes, and buy him a pint.

YMMV if your mate isn't that light

Seriously, though, never leave your bike unattended (if at all possible)

Something with an alarm would be preferable like the Abus Bordo 6000A. Its strong so they would get through it without something like an angle grinder and even someone faffing about trying to remove lights or bits the alarm will sound alerting you.
This would have been my choice for the ebike only its silver rated and I needed gold rated for the insurance and chose the abus bordo granit x 6500 which is identical in its design, as with 40mpg.

I need gold rated for my insurance too and went with the Abus Ultimate 420. It's small and quite cheap for a U-lock, but not particularly light.

Locks come in two sorts - big and heavy that work and small and light that do not

I do on occasion use a padlock thru a chainring to stop someone riding off on my bike but that would only be in fairly safe places and where I could watch the bike. Out of sight? its the 2.5 kilo kryptonite

I rarely leave my bike unattended but have an On Guard Pitbull mini & cable that I use when needed. Not super light by any means but easy to stash in a bag. 20 odd quid. so pretty cheap.

I've had a bike lock bottle for nearly a decade now linky I assume they are still available or others are avauilable, super handy as leave in car and just put in bottle cage of bike taking to shop, pub or toilet and then lock up.

If I'm going to the pub with mates then I have a chain lock that I wear round my waist. If it's a long ride and I'm on my own I do t stop at a pub I drink a beer when I get back. If there are other people with me and there is a stop planned then visible at all times and a lookout

For my tatty pub road bike I use Hexlox bolts on the wheels and seat post/saddle so means just need to use a small Abus Granit X-Plus 54 Mini D-Lock, quite light.

@doglover how do you find the hexlox system? Seems quite pricy for the hex bits and key, although the skewers themselves are reasonable

My town bike has ended up being one that I'm quite attached to and is fairly valuable so I'm looking at a few security measures!

Thanks for the suggestions.
I've bought a decent length cable lock that will allow me to lock the bike to something fixed and will look locked. It will require 'bike nicking' tools to break it even if someone with the right tools could take the bike in seconds.

I figure it's a good compromise between cost, weight and protection. It's a lot better than what I've used for the last 15 years (no lock at all) and will deter local scrotes and passing van chancers. My defence against dedicated thieves will be to lock my bike up next to the very expensive eMTBs that use the same pubs.

@petefromearth yes they're expensive but does mean wheels don't need locking up plus don't need to worry about locking saddle.

Although my commuter is old I'm attached to it too but have covered it in stickers so only the foolish would want to nick it!

stack bikes up under the window and try to get a table near the window.

I did this at a cafe I was at the other week when I met a mate mid-ride. She said to leave it next to the window in plain sight. I pointed out that, due to the layout of the cafe, all it would mean is that I'd be able to see the thief pedalling away long before I had a chance to get out the cafe and stop them.

I'm a fan of the Hiplock DX - Gold rated, easy to carry, not too heavy.

Make sure that yours is at the back of the stack, ideally with the crappy old one at the front.