Bike Locks - any recommendations?

[DestinationTravel]

I’ve decided to buy an ebike thanks to some recent MN threads!

Does anyone have a recommendation of a good bike lock if their bike has been left out and not been stolen? I am in the middle of a heavy bike theft area in London and want to leave the bike for an hour or two outside gyms/cafes so I do need a good locking system!

I get Which consumer magazine. They've just done bike locks and their best buys are....

Axa Newton Pro 190 (approx £35)
Trek U4 Mini (£30)
(Both those are U or D locks)
If you want a different sort like a chain lock, let me know on here and I'll look again!

I use two at a time: Kryptonite D lock and a combination chain lock.

Obviously a good D lock, and then someone on here recommended to me a lock with an alarm as an additional lock, which aren’t expensive or heavy but gives me extra peace of mind. There’s a few on amazon.

Remember it’s also about how you lock your bike, so have a look at guides on the best way to lock your bike for safety.

I really wouldn’t, your bike will go. I thought about an ebike for commuting but discounted it due to the risk of this. Even with a gold rated lock an expensive bike will be stolen. Round here the bike thieves have vans and portable (battery powered?) angle grinders and they cut through even the gold locks in seconds. In broad daylight infront of people, Chuck the bike in the van and drive off within a minute or two.

I am afraid of that @YellowBellyCat! Such a shame you can’t even get a bike any more with all these bike lanes around

I’ve ordered a swytch kit which I’m going to fit to my old hybrid to make it electric. Hybrid hasn’t been stolen in 3 years so I’m hoping it’s not attractive. The battery/motor for the swytch kit lifts off so I will take it into work with me, I’m hoping any potential thieves won’t notice the swytch wheel which is the only other new thing for it….even if they do I hope the wheel without the battery/motor won’t be interesting.

Have a look and see if there are any good parking spots that are central enough for you to park up and walk the rest of the way to your usual locations. Leicester city train station is where my DH uses, you pay them £10 for a fob which gets you access to the underground bike park which is covered by cctv. He still double locks but feels much more secure parking there than on the street and the fob is just a one off payment.

eBikes are expensive, so you'll definitely need to make sure it's covered by appropriate insurance - I imagine this will state that you need a gold standard lock or locks.

@HalfShrunkMoreToGo

Have a look and see if there are any good parking spots that are central enough for you to park up and walk the rest of the way to your usual locations. Leicester city train station is where my DH uses, you pay them £10 for a fob which gets you access to the underground bike park which is covered by cctv. He still double locks but feels much more secure parking there than on the street and the fob is just a one off payment.

We have one of these in my local city and the thieves have paid £10 for a fob. They took loads of bikes a few months ago out of it. I’m not sure if it has cctv inside it but the outside must be covered as it’s at the train station. 🤷‍♀️ It’s so bloody annoying.

I haven't had my hybrid stolen yet either with a regular D lock, that's a good idea thank you

I am in the middle of a heavy bike theft area in London and want to leave the bike for an hour or two outside gyms/cafes

Me too. These days the only place I leave my bike is outside the gym - but the entrance is tucked down an alleyway in the City so unless you're a gym member, you probably wouldn't even know it was there. I have a gold rate hiplok belt I use to secure my bike there. I also have a top-rated Kryptonite Fahgettaboudit D-luck but it's so HEAVY that I rarely take it out with me.

Any other times when I'm out on my bike and want to stop, I only stop at outdoor places where I can keep my bike next to me (i.e. cafes).

The best deterrent to thieves in London is an old looking bike. I have 2 - both good bikes that I've upgraded a lot but old (one of them is over 20 years old!). The paintwork is scratched, the saddles are woen, they're dirty, etc. Not appealing to thieves. They're not the type of shiny new bikes that friends say "ooh your bike is nice". But when I go in a bike shop, the staff fawn over them as they recognise the quality upgrades I've made. It helps keeps the thieves away but I don't take chances, especially now with the Covid related bike shortage. 15 years ago I used to leave my bike locked up all over London. Not anymore.

@HundredMilesAnHour I've been looking for a used/scruffed up ebike for ages, but there's clearly an ebike shortage here! If I buy a new one I will have to insure it fully. Or I might just get an old hybrid and then use Swytch, I would be very stressed leaving a brand new ebike anywhere!

Yes, gym is the main risk location, shops and cafes should be fine as I can keep an eye on it or get an alarm.

I don't think ebikes have been around for long enough for there to be many - if any! - scuffed up, used ones around. I definitely wouldn't leave an ebike locked up in London. Yikes, just the thought of it is scary. You might as well leave £50 notes out on the street.

Gyms do seem to be a hotspot for bike theft. At my previous gym, bike thefts were constant, at least one a month - and no-one left their bikes outside!

I'd be using a motorbike chain lock, I think, like an Oxford Monster. If it's too heavy, you can leave it locked to the gym bike stand so you don't have to cycle home with it. I'm assumingyou'll be keeping the bike indoors at night.

DD’s bike was stolen last week in central London outside her workplace with cctv.

She’s now bought a folding bike and will take it into the staff room instead.

I'd also check your bike is covered by your home insurance,
In some cases you need to specify the bike to be covered if it is out of the house

Yes do check. We paid extra for cover for cycles away from the home

Abus Gold Standard D lock. I think its the strongest one you can get. Still can be cut through in 3 minutes!

Also mark your bike with the UV detection.

Yes it’s covered under home insurance and I plan to take extra bike cover as well. It’s the stress though - if you can’t leave your bike at any time peacefully what’s the point! As you say even the strongest lock can be cut through.

I pay for bike cover and it's around £12 per month and I have to use a Gold Secure rated lock and upload the receipt. I use a cycle shed at work and a bike park when I'm in town.
If I have to leave my bike in the street I at least double or triple lock it including the front wheel and try to make sure there's CCTV in the area. My bike is so convenient to use and I love it but It would be annoying to lose it and even with insurance it would cost me the first £150 plus the cost of the locks the thieves would cut through- approx another £140. We've had vans drive up to the hospital cycle shed and use heavy duty cutters to take the contents - they've not taken mine yet.
Stand alone bike insurance has the advantage of covering you for third party accidents etc. I wrote off my bike and had it replaced. I can claim up to 3 times in so many years before I'm deemed too high risk but at least it doesn't affect my house insurance.
It's well worth riding your bike but try to find a better solution to locking it up - ask for bike lockers at the gym for instance.

Recommendation from police via my employer is a lock worth 10% of the value of your bike.

My insurer insists that I use a minimum of a sold secure silver lock. I actually have a gold one - Kryptonite New York d-lock at work and Abus Granit one which I carry around with me. so I use two locks at work and one elsewhere.

I watched CCTV of someone nicking a neighbours bike - they only had a cable lock - it was cut in seconds and the bike was stolen. Despite their being clear CCTV the policy haven't found the bike/ thief.

There is no lock or chain that a determined thief with bolt cutters can't cut off in my experience