List of Bike Locks That Thieves Have Broken

hey y'all

after seeing the posts of recent stolen bikes, could people who've had bikes swiped let other fglondoners know what security measures were used on your bikes?
it may help prevent future madeline mercian mcann type bike snatches

it's a bit difficult to say 'this lock was broken'. all locks can be broken with enough persistence.

plus other factors such as the way the lock was positioned make an enormous contribution.

Probably safe to say that some can be compromised faster than others tho. Had one of those chain-in-a-tube locks which was taken out with some bolt-cutters really rather easily. Have a mini super-hard d-lock now which nobody has bothered trying to mess with.

All locks can be broken relatively easily - even the very best locks, costing over £100, are rated by how many minutes they can resist an attack - and only a few minutes at that - and even that rating is regularly made to look a little ambitious by various tests that show how these locks give in to bolt croppers in under a minute.

Any determined thief can take your bike in under a minute regardless of what lock you have (within reason) - an opportunist thief can be held off for, at best, 10-15 minutes.

So with regards to the list, there seems little point as any and every lock has a place on that list.

Was talking about this with a guy today - it doesn't really matter the lock you use, if you have a flashy good looking bike the best advice is NOT to leave it on the streets - even if they don't manage to break the lock, they are very likely to damage the bike somehow...

is it better to lock your bike somewhere prominent where everybody can see it (including thieves) or is it better to lock your bike down a dark alley where no one can see it (so the thief can work uninterrupted)?

Visible.. most people will ignore the thief but you never know, one of us might step in and cave their skull in, saving your bike..

visible near other bikes, preferably ones locked with worse locks.

Visible.

lock it outside a kebab shop that stays open late, it might put them off thinking your in there just getting some grub. if it's your local kebab shop and you know them well and have said keep an eye on my bike they'll beat the shits up.

thinking more probably not but will tell them to fuck off.

get a beater, a pub bike, a piece of shit that you have a curious affinity for but if you lose, you lose.

other bit of advice is to try and park on highly visible pedestrianised walkway, preferably under cameras too. that way, they can't drive a van alongside, cut the bike free and chuck it in the back.

An acquaintance of mine bought (several years ago, before the fixed thing became quite as popular) a 'cheap' bike from one of the scallies in the Brick Lane Massive. The kid told him that the small, strong d-locks were the hardest to get through because you needed those hydraulic cutters the fire brigade use (which they nick from time to time...), because there wasn't enough room to get a jack in and normal bolt cutters were useless. Anything with a chain they could get through in no time.

So on the basis of that, I do think what lock you use makes a difference. Yeah, they can get through all of them eventually - especially if you lock your bike to something that's weaker than the lock! - but given that trawling London with bolt cutters discretely is difficult, they tend to go with what they know they can get at quickly.

Nice of him to buy a stolen bike

lucky Nice of him to buy a stolen bike

Yeah, well, some people don't know any better. He regrets it now, if that makes any difference.

I use this abus granite, I'm sure it could be got through but so far so good. Its long enough to enclose the seat tube and rear rim and one of the thinner street posts (stop[s signs etc), I also have a cable for the front wheel, but that could be cut in a nano second. I agree on the beater, the mighty iguanadon is a bit too good to be a beater but looks shite enough that I've been lucky so far, its also fited with pitlocks, besides its heavy which means more exercise. If at all possible I wouldn't leave one of the good bikes in the street.

Yeah, I've also got the Granite, still got my bike, so must be working :)

[urlAbus Granit decoder[/url]
D locks are usually picked, and not cut.

606 Abus Granit decoder
D locks are usually picked, and not cut.

Well, on the basis of this thread: don't lock your bike anywhere. Just leave it at home and take the bus - that way it won't get stolen!

Nobody's claiming any lock is foolproof - trading tips to try to maximise security is not a useless undertaking, though, so all this "it's not worth even talking about it" is counterproductive.

Get a good lock, get insurance, realise that you might still come back and find it gone even if you do take care.

606 Abus Granit decoder
D locks are usually picked, and not cut.

I don't think it is a good idea to post links such as this...

606 Abus Granit decoder
D locks are usually picked, and not cut.

Chance of some junkie having this? 0/1,000,000,000. If a pro wants your bike they'll get it whatever you do. I second pipwish and h2o, lighten up doom merchants or go and keep safe in a nice Volvo.
So, what other locks do people rate/hate?

Always use more than one lock, that's what i think. And make them 2 different types, 1 cable, 1 D-lock. Both locks can be cut in next to no time, but the fact that there are 2 which require their own specialist tools may act as a deterrent. At the end of the day though, the best you can really do is insist on locking your bike up inside, away from public areas.

pipwish [quote]606 Abus Granit decoder[/url]
D locks are usually picked, and not cut.

I don't think it is a good idea to post links such as this...[/quote]

Well I changed the link, but obviously everyone else will have to edit their posts. The point I was making was that even the well respected Abus Granit, though not the most recent models to my knowledge, can be picked. And that though you do get the odd junkie opportunist, you also get professional bike thieves who will pick d-locks (happened to a friend of mine a couple of weeks ago) and cut through chain locks with hydraulic cutters.
I feel its best to be aware of everything that the thieves are, so you can try and counter-act it. I've got an Abus myself which I always lock through wheel and frame, I hope this is the best I can do to avoid losing my bike at the current time. But if anyone knows better ...

I like 2 D Locks, or one strong one. One for the rear wheel inside the rear triangle Sheldon Brown-style. One for the down tube (+front wheel if possible).

Fill the space in the lock. Try to leave less than 1 inch of room. That way, they won't be able to get a jack in there.

Try and lock your bike high up. Lift the back wheel up high on the railing. If you have a chain, this is especially important. Don't leave any part of your chain/cable under knee height. This way, they are much harder to bolt crop.

Try and lock it where you can visible see it, or under a CCTV camera.

D-Locks I rate ..the heavier the better, really. Mini-D's are good because the space is easier to fill. Not a fan of chain/cables, they are easier to cut, and silently too.