Locks that work

I would appreciate everyone's input/advice on this - I have moved in to a gated community in SW London which has 'secure bike storage'. Realistically, this is just a covered area with this style of bike rack (albeit slightly 'thicker'), that is not visible from outside the estate.

to get access in to the estate, you either need to get buzzed in, or scale a 8ft wall with anticlimb paint - I have heard from other residents that their bikes have been stolen from there (although I do not know what level of security they used).

I really don't have the room to keep my bike in the flat, but it's a Genesis Equilibrium 20 and really don't want it getting nicked. I have a Fahgettaboudit, Evolution Series 4, Kryptonite KryptoLok Series 2 D-Lock & 1.2m Flex Cable at my disposal.

Will the bike rack compromise the security these locks will provide, or am I just being paranoid?

Intreguid to know the answers to this to as there are loads of bike "racks" of that style in my area.

If the DIY hacks are security based can you enlighten us? I'm sure if we all rang Almax they might get annoyed.

I would be tempted to fit a proper anchor point by the rack. Lots/most wouldn't notice and then you just say it was always there a few months later...

People wouldn't notice a useful anchor point in a shared space, @Clockwise? How would you stop somebody else from using it? If the building owners don't see it, you're competing with the neighbours for the use of it. If they do, they're likely to blame whoever's bike is using it at the time - lose/lose (because the way not to take the blame is to have lost the spot)..

That style of rack is practically useless, @timmbo. You can't put a good lock through frame, wheel and rack without blocking spaces that other people should be able to use.

And if you don't do that, you're probably stuck with the poor choices of a good lock only going through your wheel or a weaker one protecting your expensive bike. If you bought a really tough chain - Almax Immobiliser IV at a length long enough to compensate for the poor design of the rack - would you trust the strength of the rack?

Not visible from outside the estate? People have to be buzzed in? Read through the stolen bikes thread to see how many people have had their bikes stolen from shared locations with that level of security.

If you can't persuade the property management people to improve the stands in the open space, I'd find a way to make space for the bike inside the flat. There are bike hangers which don't have to be drilled into walls or ceilings, as I recall. Ones that hang from doors etc. Or just make space.

Blockquotewould you trust the strength of the rack?

Personally no.

BlockquoteThere are bike hangers which don't have to be drilled into walls or ceilings, as I recall.

Now I'm intruiged. Time for some Googling.

Sorry I clearly can't quote yet on this new system.

Contact the building owner if you want to add a floor anchor, get a request drafted with a quote for fitting anchors to all the bike bays, then get other tenants who have had bikes stolen to sign it.

Almax make chains for motorbikes so our discussion centered about that.

He was talking about Alarm Mines (!), booby trapped bike covers with rape alarms (!) proper ghetto fix stuff to catch the chavs out.

Velocio wants an Almax IV immobiliser chain (7kg per metre) which is SRS bidness...

http://www.almax-security-chains.co.uk/index.asp?pg=19

check out vids

A company that hasn't discovered Vimeo or YouTube.

@Velocio the bike cover is quite a good idea as you would have to disturb your movement alarm to get under it, although it may also draw more attention to the bike

Or email....

He's pretty old school, but he spent 25 mins on phone to me yesterday, I ordered a lock and it arrived 9am this morning.

Respect.

That's good service.

OK I got the Almax Immobiliser III. Jesus fucking christ, its fucking heavy...

FWIW I'm using it to secure a scooter...

Years ago I bought an Almax Immobiliser III (1.5m) with Squire SS65 padlock and two MC4 chains (with padlocks). Had it all delivered to work (oh the days of work accepting personal packages). I certainly felt the panniers on the cycle commute home that day.

FYI the 19mm chains are about 40% heavier than that 16mm. (6.3kg per metre, vs. 4.5 kg per metre, same for ours and Almax's.) More bulky and a lot harder to handle (carefully). Some of our customers with a series of previous thefts have fabricated a shelf bracket-like support to take the weight of a 19mm chain so it doesn't all rest on the bike. If the thieves keep coming back then you have to do something to stop them, but a 19mm chain on a push bike is getting extreme IMHO.

Velocio - did a quick search trying to find a shot of your Robin Mather.
Would love to see pic.

Here it is @Pony

Don't know what all the fuss is about

Gonna need a bigger lock.

Just a note about the Abloy PL362 locks. Make sure they come with a key cutting card identifying the key profile. If the keys have anything stamped on them then it's part of a master key system and you won't be able to get replacement/additional keys cut.
I say this because I just had a chat with the guy at Abloy UK and he said that it's solvable by having the disc combination changed (same barrel, new discs) and they (the locksmith) will issue a new cutting card.

Bump keys are now easier to make for the more secure key patterns (such as the Ikon SK6 which can't be made by many key-milling machines):
http://www.wired.com/2014/08/3d-printed-bump-keys/

Abloy Protek and other rotating disc based locks, as well as magnetic encoding (EVVA MCS), sliders (EVVA 3KS) or driverless pins (BiLock) are all unaffected.

Abloy Protek and other rotating disc based locks, as well as magnetic encoding (EVVA MCS), sliders (EVVA 3KS) or driverless pins (BiLock) are all unaffected.

How about the Kryptonite locks? (The fahg?)

I believe that the Kryptonite uses a disc based approach, so should be fine from that style of attack.

To be fair, bump keys have been known about forever. The only thing that has changed is that making the blanks to bump has become a lot easier and cheaper, even for shapes that were hard to mill.

Locks can be made to be bump secure, this is really just an underline that if you're using a padlock or lock with a traditional style key... it's getting easier and cheaper to beat those.

But there are alternatives that remain pretty hard to pick, bump, etc.

What's the lightest "lock that works"? Is it pretty much a trade-off of the lighter it is the weaker it is or are some of the hardened ones (e.g. the hardened Abus) lighter for the same strength (or are they just denser)?

You save lots of weight by having a smaller lock so a fagh can be stronger and weight less than a huge D lock as the shackle is 1/2 as long but 1/3 thicker but won't lock around a chunky lampost and frame+wheel so worth considering locking methods before buying(especially if you have pricey wheels to go stray).