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I've got a pile of Thule 591 racks on the car roof but I hadn't actually realised quite how easy it was to remove a bike from a locked one without using the key:
Being honest, I'd assumed that the security probably wasn't great so almost never leave the bikes unattended on the rack without using the BFO motorcycle chain, but having watched this, I'll be doubly cautious from now on.
Take care with your bikes people 🙂
Um... I wouldn’t trust a BFO chain or any other lock to hold your bike to a roof rack either, you’d just find deeper footprints in your roof and more damage to the gutters when your bike was stolen as you’d make it possible for more force to be exerted pulling your rack apart. The lock would go with the bike into a van and be removed with a grinder later.
The 591 lock or any other roof rack transport lock is to guard against very casual theives and any risk of the catch bursting in transit, and nothing to do with secure bike storage.
Never leave unattended bikes on a vehicle if you don’t mind losing them and having your vehicle trashed.
This is why I got the model that holds the bike in by a vice-like clamp around the front axle!
Not going to help if someone doesn’t care about destroying your car to get the bike.
Not going to help if someone doesn’t care about destroying your car to get the bike.
No you're right, but for leaving it attached while you pop into a motorway services or to get your uplift pass from reception the axle lock is more than adequate as it prevents opportune thieves, unlike the one posted above which is so easy it almost looks like he's not stealing it!
The Thule lock in question isn’t much better than a couple of plastic lugs rotated 90deg. It’s really to guard against the risk of the catch bursting on the motorway as I said, but people tend to see a key and think ‘security’. I’ve never tried to break a Thule carrier lock, but judging by the videos a good bounce and yank is all that is needed if you don’t mind standing on the vehicle roof to do it.
FWIW, I use a cable lock that I would never trust to lock a bike up with either to ‘secure’ the bike in the rack if I need to leave it to go pee, get ticket etc and cross my fingers but the big message is that no bike rack is suitable for preventing theft. If you’re going to need to leave it for long then you’re much better off taking it with you or removing it and locking to secure features exactly as you would in town, at least that way if the worst happens you still have a drivable car.
I have the freeride racks, and it's the same, the lock is to stop it opening by accident in transit. Never leave a few grand worth of kit on top of car unattended, or even in it on show.
Yup, a thief'll have it off your roof faster than you do it with the key.