locks & bike security (touring)

[nirakaro]

I'll settle any day for a cheapish lock, a cheapish bike, and a good night's sleep!

[RickH]

When I camped in the garden of the West Arms at Llanarmon Dyffryn Ceiriog for the Wayfarer Centenary weekend I didn't bother locking my bike at all, just lay it down beside my tent.

Other places I would choose a lock of suitable security depending on my judgement.

[gregoryoftours]

I usually take a kryptonite evo2 mini d-lock. A large part of the time i don't use it but usually there are a few times in a trip (generally in cities at the beginning /end) where it feels necessary, can go to museums etc. Come to think of it i do also try to lock it to a fence /tree etc if camping/wild camping, or sometimes loop a cable through the frame and attached to something inside the tent. The last though can be a risky strategy if someone decides to tie your bike to their horse!

https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2004/aug/17/china.world

[Darkman]

Some odd/unexpected replies there.

I don't care whether I've paid £50 or £5,000 for my bike. It's mine. I don't want some opportunist scrote to just toddle off with it.

Having grown up in South Yorkshire where folk will nick the steam off your tea if you don't keep an eye on it, I'm never prepared to leave anything to chance. I once knew of a kid who broke into a car just to steal a packet of custard creams and a birthday card off the dashboard.

I'm confused. This is the Touring and Expedition forum, what you got was a wide-ish range of people's approach to the problem. What else did you expect?

If I had replied, I would have said what I do in super safe Japan through to high risk England.

Maybe if you say where you are planning to go, stay, etc people can be more specific.

Edit Just had a look and I did post earlier, 2nd post on page 2. I stand by that, which I wrote in Penang.

I didn't even post in this forum. I specifically asked in the LEJOG forum and someone saw fit to merge it into here.

When threads are already 3 million pages long, as they often are here, I generally don't bother with them cos I CBA to read everything that's already been said.

[simonhill]

Thanks for explaining, you can see why I said I was confused. Sorry.

If doing the LeJoG, I'd be looking at taking an armed guard with me to keep my bike safe.

[mjr]

Some odd/unexpected replies there.

I don't care whether I've paid £50 or £5,000 for my bike. It's mine. I don't want some opportunist scrote to just toddle off with it.

Having grown up in South Yorkshire where folk will nick the steam off your tea if you don't keep an eye on it, I'm never prepared to leave anything to chance. I once knew of a kid who broke into a car just to steal a packet of custard creams and a birthday card off the dashboard.

I'm confused. This is the Touring and Expedition forum, what you got was a wide-ish range of people's approach to the problem. What else did you expect?

If I had replied, I would have said what I do in super safe Japan through to high risk England.

Maybe if you say where you are planning to go, stay, etc people can be more specific.

Edit Just had a look and I did post earlier, 2nd post on page 2. I stand by that, which I wrote in Penang.

I didn't even post in this forum. I specifically asked in the LEJOG forum and someone saw fit to merge it into here.

When threads are already 3 million pages long, as they often are here, I generally don't bother with them cos I CBA to read everything that's already been said.

The question didn't seem to relate to LEJOG at all and these replies make me inclined to CBA to answer further!

[patrickwise]

When I need to make a quick stop and don't want to go through the hassle of wrestling my bike and u-locking it to a pole, I use Abus 4960 lock. The lock is well-made, and I appreciate how easy it is to glide up, jump off, lock up, and walk away.

[TrevA]

It would be more interesting if people who had secured their bike with some sort of lock and had had it stolen explained what the thief had done...ie angle grinder, hacksaw, picked the lock or what? Picking most locks or removing combination locks is childs play.

Please tell us, what happened to you?

Al

I’ve had 2 bikes stolen, both locked with cheapo combination chain locks. The first was locked to a wire fence, someone cut the fence with wire cutters and stole the bike. This was outside my place of work. Sadly, I didn’t learn my lesson about using cheap locks, and about 18 months later, my bike was stolen from the local college, where I was doing a day-release course. This time it was locked to a girder, but the their broke the lock, I think just using brute force.

I now use decent locks if leaving the bike for any length of time. I have a Kryptonite Mini D and a hefty Onguard lock. I’ll use one or both if leaving the bike in a risky place for any length of time. If just nipping into a shop, I’ll use an armoured Abus cable lock. If my bike is locked in the same place regularly, such as place of work, then I’ll leave a heavy D lock there to save carrying it about with me.

[Sweep]

I’ve had 2 bikes stolen, both locked with cheapo combination chain locks. The first was locked to a wire fence, someone cut the fence with wire cutters and stole the bike. This was outside my place of work. Sadly, I didn’t learn my lesson about using cheap locks, and about 18 months later, my bike was stolen from the local college, where I was doing a day-release course. This time it was locked to a girder, but the their broke the lock, I think just using brute force.

I now use decent locks if leaving the bike for any length of time. I have a Kryptonite Mini D and a hefty Onguard lock. I’ll use one or both if leaving the bike in a risky place for any length of time. If just nipping into a shop, I’ll use an armoured Abus cable lock. If my bike is locked in the same place regularly, such as place of work, then I’ll leave a heavy D lock there to save carrying it about with me.

these aren't really touring examples though are they? And in the first example the fence was the weak link unless you were fastened to it with a piece of string.
I have locked to a wire fence on a campsite etc when touring but wouldn't anytime else/in a town.

[foxyrider]

these aren't really touring examples though are they? And in the first example the fence was the weak link unless you were fastened to it with a piece of string.
I have locked to a wire fence on a campsite etc when touring but wouldn't anytime else/in a town.

You sometimes have very limited options on campsites, particularly if you want it close(ish) to your pitch. Picnic benches, chainlink fencing, trees - i've used them all at one time or other. I try to avoid leaving the bike in cities but if i have to, the depths of a well used bike park improve the odds somewhat. (my touring steeds are both black which, despite dripping in Ti and CF, does help with their camouflage!)

[Jamesh]

Thanks for explaining, you can see why I said I was confused. Sorry.

If doing the LeJoG, I'd be looking at taking an armed guard with me to keep my bike safe.

I didn't have a problem on lejog using my oldish carbon bike value £400?

Locked it about 6 times at supermarkets, cafe etc.

I left it fully loaded up which I think is a slight deterrent, someone's slightly less likely to steel a touring bike with panniers or saddle/frame bags imho.

Cheers James

[Ron]

After visiting 16 European countries in a 20 year period, on tours of 3-9 weeks duration without loss, I can heartily recommend Lidl cable locks. There were just a few nights on camp sites when I was a little nervous and pulled one wheel of the bike in close and under the outer skin of the tent and attached it to a pannier in the hope that I would be wakened should it be moved in the night.

[Astrobike]

When I was in France I pulled up at a bar and locked my £400.00 Triban to a fence wonder why I was getting strange looks un till I looked down the fence that was dripping with expensive full carbon road bikes all unlocked of course .

[Sweep]

When I was in France I pulled up at a bar and locked my £400.00 Triban to a fence wonder why I was getting strange looks un till I looked down the fence that was dripping with expensive full carbon road bikes all unlocked of course .

I would still lock it - my view is that if I've been carrying the lock around I may as well use it. I have known some folks think it uncool to lock a bike. Have also known several who have had them nicked, once from outside an Audax stop where apparently it was the norm to not lock.

[CinnabarMoth]

For touring purposes, this year I tried an Ottolock https://ottodesignworks.com/shop/ottolock it is light, compact, available in 60" length, and almost certainly more resistant to normal cutting methods than my 1970s cable lock that I use for domestic purposes. [...] Usually the only time it is out of sight is when I am in a supermarket. [...]

Does it matter how resistant it is to cutting when it only has a 3-digit combination lock? Even if they can't get picks up the sides of the barrel to feel the right setting, 2 seconds per combination would let someone check them all in under 40 minutes, so the expected time to theft is under 20 minutes. If they saw you arrive, you'd probably still be in the checkout queue when your bike leaves.

It didn't take that long to open 3 ring combi locks that were around a few decades ago, the technique was to set the first ring at 1 then spin the second ring while pulling the lock open listening and feeling for a click when the internals engaged, if no click set 1st ring at 2 and repeat and so on up to the third ring, took less than a minute to get those locks open.
I would never rely on such a lock.