Secondary Locks

Quite a few people on here need to lock their bikes with a Sold Secure Gold lock, as it (I believe) stipulates it in either their household, or single purpose bicycle insurance.

I don't buy into it at all though, as its the manufacturer that has to go to Sold Secure, and then pay to get their lock tested and listed. Manufacturers that don't do this remain unlisted, like Xena (with their fantastic alarmed u-locks) and Motrax.

Also, quite unbelievably, some tiny cable locks have been given Sold Secure Gold status, and everyone knows that they can almost be bitten through with one's own gnashers. It leaves me very sceptical of the whole enterprise.

I have very much the same feelings. A lot of stuff with the badge looks well naff. The only reason would be to meet the demands of your insurance company. Another thing which is total BS, is the insurance that comes with locks like some Magnum or Krypto's waaaayy to many clauses such as having to provide the defeated lock. Having evidence you locked it properly, having receipts for your bike and more.. I believe some of them require that your prove no powertools or jacks were used. That they have to have been CUT.

When I did Evans staff training, out of everyone there at head office & trainee's not a single person knew of someone who had sucessfully claimed the insurance money. Yet they trained us to emphasise the value of it anyway for the hard sell!

I am fond of finding chinese/unbranded gems like your GPRS lock. But I worry that there is no way to know the quality of the steel used, if they have any hardening at all.