Locks that work

According to the German BIKE magazine 07/2012 the Kryptonite Evolution Standard isn´t pick proof! Watch this video: http://tv.bike-magazin.de/video/Der-gro%25C3%259Fe-Fahrradschloss-Test/c31cb00a28e266988db45090a66088ee
The used disc style cylinder is quite poor (too less discs and no "fake" discs).

What´s worse the Kryptonite New York series has the same disc style cylinder as the Evo series!

However the guy in the video couldn`t pick the Abus Granit 54. It was test winner!

I'm moving to Southampton next week and so need a more substantial primary lock, at the moment I'm using a Krypto evo mini D-lock with one of their cables if I'm locking it for an extended period of time. Where I live is pretty safe, I regularly see £2k plus bikes locked with crappy cable locks all day and they are never touched.

I've been looking at the fagetaboutit mini, would that be sufficient around the seat tube and rear wheel with my evo mini on the front wheel and downtube. That chain lock that BONOR linked to doesn't look bad but as he mentioned not if its made of cheese.

I will be locking it up at Solent uni regularly, anyone know what bike theft is like in southampton?

Hello from Spain!

I'm sorry about my english skills, I hope don't hurt too much yours eyes with my mistakes.

This year I decided to go to college with my MTB, not very expensive, about 500€ when I buy in 2005-2006?

It's not a very valuable bike, but is "eye catching", but far less than the new bikes.

The college has a CCTV, and a "guard", but is usually open and they don't control the access (No ID check or that kind of things).

The area sorrounding the college is not the best. I see many cars with their windows broken to pick things, about one or two every week, mostly from rent cars or cars without spanish plates. So we have thief.

So, the area is not very good. But the college isn't bad, in fact i think is better than other many colleges.

My main problem is, well, I know a good D/U lock is the best (i read about 20 pages from this thread), and also gigant chains also work, but in my college they only have a lot of stupid round pipes without any shape, and a mix of "barriers" to separate spaces.

I think this barriers aren't enough strong to fix my bike to them, they have far less metal than this one:
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8026/7129395579_6f4442fd3a_b.jpg

You can see an example in front of the college:
https://maps.google.es/?ll=37.183987,-3.595339&spn=0.00054,0.001321&t=h&z=20&layer=c&cbll=37.183938,-3.59542&panoid=28q5gK0gL0wDJCXltohhgw&cbp=12,64.84,,2,11.89

They are bend, even they have reinforcement to avoid bend more.

So I think the best way is fix my bike to the basket pole in the college.

But the pole is bigger to fix it with a D/U lock. So I think i should go to a chain. But they are soooo big and weight a ton. And they are expensive.

I'm thinking to buy a 11mm chain from pragmasis protector, and squire lock, and a alarm disk to call atention.

But here you say "less than 16mm" and you can see your bike lost.

So, maybe a 16mm pragmasis protector and leave just on college?
But if I leave on college I need another lock if I use the bike on the city!
And again, here in spain bike parking are uncommon and the vast of things enough strong to attach a bike are build colums and similar.

So I need another chain+lock. And light enough to carry for long time.

Help?

Thanks again, and sorry about my english.

16mm chain and lock - leave that at college

Abus Granit X 54 - carry this with you, plus possibly an extra, smaller lock for the front wheel.

Great thread, thanks

Hey, is anybody using one of these 'limited edition' Evolution Mini's?

Can't find better pictures / can't figure out what material it is where the 'normal' ones have the bracket fitted..

In need of some lock advice from you GA2G or from anyone who would have a good idea.

I've bought myself a mountain bike for when I go away to Uni next week, the bike itself cost me £280 and I wanted to secure it well enough not to get nicked whilst I'm in shops and etc.

Looking through all the 37 pages I know which locks are best for primary and secondary protection, I thought I knew the perfect way to lock my bike up but now I have found that the width between my wheel + frame would make it around 15mm, of which many of these locks aren't wide enough, so I will have to twist the lock for them to fit and hope they are long enough to fit around a post.

Onto my problem with front security, I can't shove a Kryptonite Mini on the front rim + front frame as I would have a large gap, perfect for some levering or those stubby jacks to fit inside, would it be okay to lock my bike to the arch on the front fork to keep the wheel from being nabbed.

Locking from the front is fine, as long as part of the frame is included. A Krypto Mini, or similar car be used on the rear. I feel that thieves that go to the trouble of carrying a bottlejack, will be targeting higher value bikes, as the increased risk of stop-and-search means that they will be looking for the best possible price on Gumtree or in Brick Lane.

There are a few longer shackle locks that fit the bill for front locking.

I suppose thats true that they will just be out for higher end bikes than mine.

I'll get dimensions of all the recommended locks, bend some wire to the shape and see how they fit for me, will try to find the best way of locking the front wheel to the frame then lock the rear and everything to any posts, I'd feel safer locking the rear and frame to the post. I didn't even think about the fact I'd have a huge gap as I was reading the posts in this thread, I'll post up a picture of how I eventually work it out so I might help someone else in the future

if you have risers and can turn the front wheel all the way around then it usually has a smaller clearance from the frame that makes it easier to lock front wheel and frame together.

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_O7NAx9ZtsLw/TKttLhFtUXI/AAAAAAAAB2M/cgOF-Gka_D4/s1600/bb17+charmer+barspin+clearance.JPG

You genius, I've seen this down before but forgot about it! Thanks a lot, makes my life so much easier now

Good man Hatbeard.

Just like to get some advise from all the (vociferous ;)) lock experts on the forum. I'm using a single Abus Granit 54 around the frame, but with wheels and front fork/handlebar assembly secured by Pitlocks. Is this an acceptable solution for London?
I tend to do a ot of random cycling as well (parks, random roads, offroad, etc), and don't want to carry more wieght than I need to.

(This thread is heckuva useful, by the way. I tip my hat to the originator).

Dix your solution is good. You only need to think of seatpost and saddle security, and you're good to go. Personally, I only use u-locks, but security skewers are excellent......as can be attested by many on this forum.

Dix your solution is good. You only need to think of seatpost and saddle security, and you're good to go. Personally, I only use u-locks, but security skewers are excellent......as can be attested by many on this forum.

pitlock problem fixed?

problem wasn't universal (dependent on key pattern and age/model of pitlock) so I guess if you have them already have a go yourself with as many tools as you can get your hands on to test yours, feel reassured, or otherwise, and proceed accordingly.

ammar, all locks can be broken. The idea is to reduce risk as far as possible. The Pitlock problem will only manifest itself to the most determined of thieves. These thieves could get past u-locks that I use........given enough time.

Freezing bike locks - then smashing.
http://www.popsci.com/diy/article/2012-08/gray-matter-how-science-helps-bike-thieves

Freezing bike locks - then smashing.
http://www.popsci.com/diy/article/2012-08/gray-matter-how-science-helps-bike-thieves

that is a pretty cheap lock and somehow cooling to -25 degrees Celsius and trying to hammer it while it's on the bike is going to be difficult.

Thank-you for the feedback. (My pitlocks are new ones, so I hope that I've avoided the mysterious-sounding pitlock problem.)

does anyone have any experience with an Abus Granit 53 'london' u-lock? It looks pretty decent and is on sale at the mo in Evans.

edit: should say it's to be mainly used in conjunction with a kryptonite mini evo 4 and cable.

does anyone have any experience with an Abus Granit 53 'london' u-lock? It looks pretty decent and is on sale at the mo in Evans.

edit: should say it's to be mainly used in conjunction with a kryptonite mini evo 4 and cable.

It's probably excellent but Abus Granit 54 here for less.
http://compare.ebay.co.uk/like/190730940117?var=lv&ltyp=AllFixedPriceItemTypes&var=sbar&cbt=y

Thanks. I've actually got some vouchers to use (turns out they are cyclesurgery, not Evans as I thought) so need to buy in store.

Its a complete waste of time. Avoid it like the plague. Its discussed on this thread already, and suffice be it to say, that it will never make the list.

Pitlocks are the daddy, but the rest are all good deterrents to opportunistic thieves.

Crypter, you could over-think bike security if you let yourself. All the locks in the list are good. Yes, some have a higher level of security than others, but the WAY you lock your bike is very important too, and no lock over 16mm in diameter has been defeated, when locked in the best way. This has to do with the method of locking, and the location. After that, if you have made good choices, then the chances of your bike being stolen have been reduced to the minimum possible. Is the MasterLock StreetForce 10 available in Germany? I like it alot for its slim and long design. That means easy to fill gaps, and enough length for many options of locking to a post.

Probably bad as this is what GA2G has to say about abus london

ah, thanks. I obviously didn't search very well. I'll be avoiding that then. As it's only an extra £20 I think I'll go the tried and test route of a Kryptonite NY 3000, Cyclesurgery don't seem to sell the M18.