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Two questions really. First one is the most important, what do people do at bike parks when they need to leave their bike alone for a bit? I'm thinking that when I'm signing on etc, I'll just lock it on to the bike rack and through the tow ball (there's a gap in the plate). Apparently people have had bikes nicked at BPW, so I think something to make it less of an easy target sounds good.
So with that in mind, what to people recommend for bike locks/chains for that?
Secondly any suggestions for beefy chains and floor mounts for the garage where the bike will live most of the time?
If there's a chain that I can use for the car locking side of things and for the garage that'd be ace.
If someone wants a bike from the outside of a car or even a house they will take it- that's my opinion. If someone threatened a member of my family I'd just handover the bike.
So it's about a deterrent to the casual/ opportunists thief.
I bought a massive yellow kryptonite new york lock. It's massive, heavy and obvious. Someone can still get though it with time and noise or threats to get the key. I use it if I have to leave a bike on a roof at a service station.
I've got a massive heavy chain for the garage, but same problem with them getting the keys.
Do you want to confront a nutter who has turned up with bolt croppers/ battery powered angle grinder. I don't. The chain will stop an opportunity, but you could just cut the frame to take the parts. Less convenient for an opportunist.
For on the car - deterrence of opportunists, so kryptonite to slow them down. And try never to leave the car/bikes alone (difficult if on a solo trip)
or your ground anchor and chain/lock, Pragmasis is the supplier of choice.......You can get squire locks that have the same key to make life a bit easier if you have more than one bike and chain
Obviously I'd normally never leave the bike alone and generally I don't find that an issue at trail centers.
Yes, I totally agree that if someone really wants the bike, they'll take it. I just want enough of a chain for the garage, that it'll stop someone forcing the garage lock and walking off with it. The pragmasis stuff looks perfect for that.
But at Bike Parks, where you have to go and sign in, I don't want to leave my bike outside the reception unlocked. Hence the 'locking it to the car' scenario. I'm trying to prevent the kind of opportunistic thefts that have happened recently at BPW where temporarily unattended bikes have been nicked.
For that type of scenario, or nipping in a service station or something, I use a couple of hiplok zip tie locks. Should be enough to prevent an opportunist just lifting the bike off, if someone really wants it, they'll get it no matter how it's locked!
I bought a massive yellow kryptonite new york lock.
I would just cut the alloy rack or roof bar.
I've got a tow bar mounted Buzzrack that weights a tonne. Even if you cut it off you're not running away with it. The bike is tied to it with a mahoosiv Kryptonite chain.
I still never leave it out of sight for longer than an emergency pee stop. I'd never park up and leave it anywhere in the mistaken belief that someone won't knick it or at least make a very expensive mess by trying.
On longer journeys on my own the bike goes in the boot with a black sheet over it. Wheels and frame Kryptonited together.
It doesn't have to be impossible to nick, it just needs to be harder to nick than the other bikes around 😊
Assuming the bike is insured, I would suggest whatever the bare minimum that the policy requires in order for it to be covered should it be taken.
Agree with the above that realistically if someone really wants it they'll take it, but surely you want to make sure the insurance company will pay out if it does? if the insurance policy requires for example it to be locked as a minimum with a sold secure gold lock, just get whatever meets that requirement and suits what you have to lock it around.
I'd imagine most policies will dictate that it's locked to an immovable object both at home and away from home, not sure if a tow bar on a car is considered immovable technically. Might be a question for your insurer if they specify that.
A ground anchor and a big chain is an easy solution at home, something like the pragmasis look good. When I looked recently the Oxford Hardcore range were pretty cost effective for a chain, worth just looking through the list on the Sold Secure website to be honest.
If you can work out a way to lock the bike away from home with a D-lock, it'd probably provide the best overall protection, particularly if you go with an angle grinder resistant D-lock. I don't think any brand has made another style of lock (chain or other) with the angle grinder resistant materials/coatings.
I'm thinking that when I'm signing on etc, I'll just lock it on to the bike rack and through the tow ball (there's a gap in the plate)
Do take care with heavy chains around car bodywork and glass.
My bike insurance provides a list of bike locks it considers acceptable.
When I signed on at Dyfi earlier in the year I wandered up from the car park with my bike, left it hanging on the bike ‘rack’ outside the reception/cafe, went in, got set up. Then had a tea before going for the uplift. There seemed to be many bikes much fancier than mine just resting on the racks.
Once I took a sold secure gold rated chain and padlock to Llandegla. It seemed a bit of overkill as most bikes seemed to use cafe locks or none at all outside the cafe.
Like folks seem to be suggesting, on the move or at a bike park a robust-looking coil lock or similar seems to be the thing. It provides some inconvenience to an opportunist but is easy for you to use and should not result in much collateral damage if you have a determined thief.
Leaving the bike at hotel/b&b/bunkhouse overnight or daytime something more solid like a D-lock or chain and padlock plus an immovable object.
I use a ziplock style cafe lock when i'm actually out riding for the short periods when i'm not on my bike, won't stop anyone for long but will prevent someone just walking off with the bike. Light enough to stick in my pack without any hassle and i have in the past attached it to the bike so that i don't leave it at home.
Got a fairly standard cable lock for use on the towbar mounted rack but figure if someone is able to break the inbuilt lock they would probably manage to get through an extra lock too. Try to leave the car in a visible place and ideally backed up against a wall/into a hedge to make it harder to access
The zip locks seem great for securing my bike at a bike park. Thanks for that suggestion .
I'm one of those riders who's bike is worth a more than the car. The paintwork is knackered. But thanks for checking bikesandboots. I'll be careful near the window.
I bought a massive yellow kryptonite new york lock.
I would just cut the alloy rack or roof bar.
Absolutely. It's purely a visual deterrent for the opportunist. However the sad fact is...
It doesn't have to be impossible to nick, it just needs to be harder to nick than the other bikes around 😊
Almost never leave the bikes unattended, but when we do there's a 4 metre long Pragmasis chain round all four bikes, wheels and the bike rack, total weight around 110kg I guess.
Linked to another 2m Pragmasis chain around the rear axle/ suspension arm / spring thingie on the van.