Cycling UK Forum

I know NO lock is perfect and they are just a deterrent, but my son and I have two fairly decent bikes, mine £1800, his £800

I have Abus Granite D locks for both

What I don't understand is why no one ever appears to talk about Pin Head Locks for the wheels.

I appreciate they take a short while to get off but we have pinhead on wheels, bars and seats

Is there a reason why people only ever discuss actual locks

Thanks

Probably because it's easier just to lock your wheels along with the frame and you need a fairly fancy saddle or handlebar for that to be worth stealing.

Can a universal pin socket undo a pin head lock? https://www.wonkeedonkeetools.co.uk/soc ... sal-socket

I have a set of Allen keys with pin holes. Also there's a set Torx in the box with holes too.
If I have sets of them, why won't your average tealeaf have them too?

I called in a the bank the other day, and took my bike inside. No way was I going to leave it outside on the street.
This is the best security. Don't let your precious steed out of your sight.

If you do need to lock a bike and leave it unattended, don't ride a good bike with good equipment.

Mick F wrote:I called in a the bank the other day, and took my bike inside. No way was I going to leave it outside on the street.
This is the best security. Don't let your precious steed out of your sight.

If you do need to lock a bike and leave it unattended, don't ride a good bike with good equipment.

Whereas I feel there's no point having a good bike if it's tied to you like a ball and chain making it basically unrideable. Loads of shops and small banks won't let you wheel a bike round. Bigger ones might, if they're managed by reasonable people and the bike isn't dropping mud.

Bottom line IMO is that if you use two good locks (one through stand, front wheel and frame, the other through stand, back wheel and frame) then you're far harder to nick than 98% of nearby bikes and if you don't have anything flash and easily nickable (a Brooks saddle on a Quick Robbery seatpost, for example), then one of the 98% will be nicked in preference. Outside of London, component strippers still seem rare.

It all depends what you want the bike for.
Riding a good bike is a joy, but if you are commuting and have to leave your steed unattended during the day, you may as well use any common or garden bike. For instance, railway stations are a magnet for tealeaves.

Tealeaves will nick what they can sell. If your basic bike is next to a good one, they'll tamper and nick the good one.

get a decent gold rated lock and decent bike insurance (I use Wiggle Elite)

https://cycleinsurance.wiggle.co.uk/

Bike insurance and the required sold secure standard of bike lock according to your insurer's small print. If you can't see what that is contact the insurer and get it in writing. If you're looking it up at home make sure your attaching point is also to the required sold secure level.

Then if your bike gets nicked use the payout to get a bike that's even better suited to you. I'm a firm believer in the idea that with each gear purchase you're one step closer to your ideal piece of kit.

Personally I wouldn't leave an £1800 bike locked anywhere outdoors.
At that price the simplest thing for a thief to do is strip parts: snip the cables, loosen the stem and take the bars, shifters and fork.

Price is relative. For me my £650 bike is too expensive to lose. I get nervous locking it up anywhere I'm not familiar with.

The reality is you need a cheap hack bike if you're riding into a large town or city for a shop or bank visit. If you're on your Sunday best (if you have such a choice in bikes) then surely you should be just leisure riding on it not utility riding? That is you're riding it from car / home out and about then back to car / home without a stop. Other than a cafe / lunch stop where you're sat near your bike anyway.

Get a £249 carerra for into town / commuting use. Or similar.

With a nice expensive bike you do take a risk when you pop into a shop and leave it outside, but I have done that a lot over the years and not lost one yet. If I expect to only be doing quick cafe stops and two minute treks into corner shops I take the calculated risk of using a basic lightweight combination cable lock, combined with parking the bike in a very visible spot where a thief might feel exposed. That is not 100% guaranteed to keep your bike safe, but it has worked for me so far and has saved me carrying D locks around on day rides. It is more about where you park the bike and less about the nature of the lock.

I have taken my own high security D lock off a bike in about 30 seconds using a disk cutter when a key broke in the lock at work.

dim wrote:get a decent gold rated lock and decent bike insurance (I use Wiggle Elite)

https://cycleinsurance.wiggle.co.uk/

useless as the quote form only caters for bike 5 years old or so

Theft risk for any given bike varies a lot by place and time. There are certain locations where, especially after dark (doesn't even have to be late at night), parts will be stripped. They don't have to be good parts, any wheels, saddle, bars, seat post, etc, can be sold.

mjr wrote:

Mick F wrote:I called in a the bank the other day, and took my bike inside. No way was I going to leave it outside on the street.
This is the best security. Don't let your precious steed out of your sight.

If you do need to lock a bike and leave it unattended, don't ride a good bike with good equipment.

Whereas I feel there's no point having a good bike if it's tied to you like a ball and chain making it basically unrideable. Loads of shops and small banks won't let you wheel a bike round. Bigger ones might, if they're managed by reasonable people and the bike isn't dropping mud.

Bottom line IMO is that if you use two good locks (one through stand, front wheel and frame, the other through stand, back wheel and frame) then you're far harder to nick than 98% of nearby bikes and if you don't have anything flash and easily nickable (a Brooks saddle on a Quick Robbery seatpost, for example), then one of the 98% will be nicked in preference. Outside of London, component strippers still seem rare.

I don't think my local supermarket will let me take my bike in to the post office

Bmblbzzz wrote:Theft risk for any given bike varies a lot by place and time. There are certain locations where, especially after dark (doesn't even have to be late at night), parts will be stripped. They don't have to be good parts, any wheels, saddle, bars, seat post, etc, can be sold.

I agree but as my son and I are just good weather LOW mileage park riders "Places of interest" in Wales as an example and stop at the odd Cafe I think Pinheads and Abus Granite D locks are fine at £70 each.

I would not leave any bike in London or a large city, but then I have never been to a City

Mick F wrote:I have a set of Allen keys with pin holes. Also there's a set Torx in the box with holes too.
If I have sets of them, why won't your average tealeaf have them too?

I called in a the bank the other day, and took my bike inside. No way was I going to leave it outside on the street.
This is the best security. Don't let your precious steed out of your sight.

If you do need to lock a bike and leave it unattended, don't ride a good bike with good equipment.

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