tatanab wrote:Never in my life have I spent as much as 20 minutes in a supermarket, at home or on tour.
Have you timed it? It's quite surprising how long the infernal places take, even when you know where things are and don't want much, let alone an unfamiliar shop on tour, possibly with a delegation of two or three discussing what to buy for the whole group.
MJR, mostly pedalling 3-speed roadsters. KL+West Norfolk BUG incl social easy rides http://www.klwnbug.co.uk All the above is CC-By-SA and no other implied copyright license to Cycle magazine.
You ask for strong, but easy to carry (and presumably light). I think these are mutually exclusive, so you have to set some parameters.
A lot depends on where you are going touring. Also how you tour, where you stay, where you leave your bike, etc.
It also depends on your bike. My luverly Surly looks old and tatty now so a bit less desirable than a nice new steed.
But as you asked, I only use a cheapo combination cable lock. Light and very easy to carry in a small sestpack. I also have a very short, very cheap 70p (¥100) cable lock that I keep on the bag loops for very easy access. I put it through back wheel and rack if I'm nipping into shop etc.
As you can see, not very secure, but very light and easily carried.
I mainly tour in Asia, which surprisingly seems much less prone to theft, during the day anyway. Plenty of bikes are not locked at all, motorbikes are left with engines running, etc. Foreign tourers, who insist on their bikes sharing their hotel rooms are seen as a bit mad.
I don't want to tempt fate but my bike is currently locked to door grill outside my hotel. At 23:45 the night man will bring inside. Then at 7 am he will take outside and lock up again. To do this I had to give him my combination. Mad or what. It worked last night and hopefully will tonight.
Under Section 4 (Pedal Cycles) there is no cover for theft unless your pedal cycle is: a) in a locked building, or b) securely locked to an immovable object by a bicycle or motorcycle lock which has been tested and approved to Sold Secure Gold rating.
For a compact (on the bike) gold rated lock Abus's Bordo GranitX-Plus seems good, if not lightweight. It will go round posts/ small trees that defeat a D-lock. The pouch it come with attaches to a bootle cage or straps to a frame tube. You can join 2 together (you can get them keyed alike but that costs extra).
Another gold lock of a somewhat different design is Litelok. It is significantly lighter than the Bordo but, whilst still flexible, doesn't pack away as conveniently. They can also be joined together & can be bought in sets sharing a key.
We've had 2 of each securing bikes in the shed as well as out & about. I can't say how good they are as, as far as I know, there have been no theft attempts (& any deterrence leaves no evidence).
Former member of the Cult of the Polystyrene Head Carbuncle.
I use the £0.99 cable lock/key I use on day rides.
I'm normally on the bike, camping wild the bikes safe enough, when I've fancied a look into a major city like Milan or Auckland I've simply stayed on a campsite/hostel and chatted up the owner to put it somewhere safe. My longest tour took about a year and it's always been safe to date.
Richard Fairhurst wrote:Mini D-lock - does exactly what a D-lock does but is smaller and weighs less! You just have to be a bit more careful where you lock it up, in that the radius is too small to fit round the biggest posts - and it rules out locking the rear wheel. But I usually manage to find somewhere suitable.
+1. I also use Pitlock security skewers on the wheels for added reassurance.
I sed a long 8mm Abus cable with a separate good padlock https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00N9DZ0PK. 2½m long so fine for back wheel to frame, round lamppost/tree/something and back round front wheel and frame (and through pannier handles on occasions).
It probably doe snot meet insurance company requirements (for those that specify lock ratings) but not too heavy and does not take up much space.
Something I started doing to stop my bike being ridden eg when I deposited at a railway station for onward transporting, is to remove the pedals. This could also be part of an anti theft strategy.
It won't stop someone who has a van, or is prepared to run with it, but it would pose a problem for a casual thief or someone who wants a ride home.
Here's an idea...... A light, portable and visible lock. Also around the bike and any stout object a hefty black plastic chain (with rust-paint on some links) and a very stout padlock - a combo which looks (unless closely inspected) to be very strong indeed, but will still be relatively light
Under Section 4 (Pedal Cycles) there is no cover for theft unless your pedal cycle is: a) in a locked building, or b) securely locked to an immovable object by a bicycle or motorcycle lock which has been tested and approved to Sold Secure Gold rating.
From my policy with TSB
We will not cover ..... Theft unless the cycle is a. In your immediate custody and control b. Securely locked to an object that cannot be moved; or c. In a locked building
It doesn't specify what to securely lock it with, it is possible that they could argue the lock you use didn't meet that qualification, but it could also be argued that the lock should match the situation as much as the value of the cycle. I hope I never get to test it...
I use an Abus Ultra Mini D-lock combined with a heavy-duty cable from time to time. When I don't have the D-Lock I use a chunky brass padlock with the cable - it's a 2 metre coiled effort so goesthrough frame, wheels, ralings/lampost/bike stand. The padlock is reasonably chunky but small enough to padlock the end of the cable through the seat rails (I have Brooks saddles on the tourer and the Brompton, the latter has the detachable seatpin).
I have to admit I usually leave the D-Lock at home 'cos I don't leave the bikes very unattended (I'm usually close by or in sight). When I do take it it packs away into a pannier or rack pack
Brompton, Condor Heritage, creaky joints and thinning white (formerly grey) hair ""You know you're getting old when it's easier to ride a bike than to get on and off it" - quote from observant jogger !
Most combination locks can be cracked open pretty quickly by feel. I take a Kryptonite Evo mini d lock when I tour. Mostly don't need it at all, but in those cities where bike theft is a thing a cable lock is no good.
The bike I'm riding at the mo is a Koga belonging to my wife, so it has a nurse's lock and a sort of plug in chain. The local cops' bike lock advice stuck on the public bike shelter says to wrap a chain or cable tightly around whatever you are locking the bike to. Apparently it makes the chain difficult to cut. So I wrap my chain round and round a Sheffield stand. Am I improving things? I don't know.
nez dans le guidon wrote:So I wrap my chain round and round a Sheffield stand. Am I improving things? I don't know.
I think it makes a huge difference, restricts access for the tools they use, particularly don't let it touch the floor, bolt croppers work better when one jaw is against something solid. I also like to leave the keyway facing down, I can insert the key by feel but it makes it harder to access with anything else. Don't be under any illusion though, if a thief who has the tools and knowledge wants your bike they'll have it, and the best of locks will only delay them a few minutes. I have experience of standing in the high st, on a busy day, removing a chain with a hacksaw (Because the key had snapped in the lock) and no one made any attempt to question me about it in the 15 minutes or so it took me.
