Bike locks

[cipher]

I posted a while back about ideal lock to thwart 99 percent of attacks: bolt cutters, saws, twisting (twist a steel rod in larger U-locks and they snap), and easy picking (the old U-locks could be picked with Bic pens).

The highest rated (most expensive; about $80) Onguard and Kryptonite locks are the supposed solution. I don't know much about steel hardness ratings, etc - so can you guys tell me if these prices are due to marketing hype - or unparalleled security, or what? "Max-performance" hardness? How can I possibly compare specs with industrial locks?

[Jaakko]

Just look if the lock has gone past some testing standard and read the standard to know what they have tested and how.

As for picking, I'm sure it is one minute job if it is those ABUS style keys, but picking them is advanced material, so nothing specifics about it in here.

[raimundo]

there are different manufacturers of U locks and different mechanisms, I have seen 6 pin tubulars, tubulars without the keyslot stem pickup, (they push the pins around to move the stem) this type also has a drill frustrating ball on the top of the stem. and of course the abloy tumbler that is now used,
I once cut a kryptonite boron steel shackle, it took almost an hour with a carbide grit hacksaw blade, but I have seen little 6inch cutoff wheels on power tools do it in a couple of minutes. I have heard of people using automotive sissors jacks to break them open. but all together they are really OK security, get the one with the abloy tumbler.

[cipher]

There are U-locks with Abloy tumblers?

As for security ratings - they seem to just make up their own, and in terms of bike specific locks there aren't many comparisons. Seemingly the only alternative to Kryptonite and Onguard are non-bike locks on a bike.

[nothumbs]

If one were to use a non-bike lock (a padlock I assume), what would you pair it with? Chain, cable, what would you wrap around the bike, wheels, frame?

[freakparade3]

If one were to use a non-bike lock (a padlock I assume), what would you pair it with? Chain, cable, what would you wrap around the bike, wheels, frame?

I would use heave cable. Contrary to popular belief bolt cutters will not cut it easily. They only smash it. A few strands will break, but there is no way they will get through it quickly.

I used to be a fur trapper and I make hundreds of cable snares. I found only 2 things that will cut cable easily. One is a cable cutter, the other is a cold chisel and anvil.

[cipher]

I was thinking - what about a huge thick, short, rope with steel ends sewn on for the pad lock to clip to? It would still be significantly lighter than the bigger chains - it would just be bulky.

[Jaakko]

I was thinking - what about a huge thick, short, rope with steel ends sewn on for the pad lock to clip to? It would still be significantly lighter than the bigger chains - it would just be bulky.

..and a hacksaw or a lighter would go through it in matter of seconds.

[bcameron]

Kryptonite has a chain and a set of Cuffs that are made from Boron and given a strength rating of 9 out of 10 on Master's scale. Supposedly it takes around 35,000 lbs of cutting force to cut those. No bolt cutter would do it. I can't tell you how it would stand up to a grinder but its going to be longer than a few minutes.

[raimundo]

bcameron speaks of masters 'street cuff' design. I know of one set of these that has been on a bike stand at 15th and Nicollet in front of the beauty shop for a couple of years, it has a bite mark in it from a bolt cutter, and the keyway makes the lock mechanism a real mystery since I have never had one of these to look at.

Master makes two models, the expensive one and the more expensive one. neither is a really good bike lock, they can only attach one tube of the frame to a street sign pole. You cannot get a frame tube and a tire into the shackle which is the right way to do it. This prevents people from taking the wheels and leaving the frame locked to the pole.
The 'streetcuff' is not useful if you need to attach to something a bit larger than a street sign pole such as those small trees that are planted in iron grates. the design should have a few inchs more chain between the cuffs so that you could put one cuff around the bike frame, this could be a much smaller cuff then pass the other cuff through a wheel and lock it onto a pole. Also, a larger cuff for this end would be good if it were designed so that you could make it tighter if necessary, that is it would need to have more than one position to lock in. one for large objects and a couple of smaller positions as well.

[n2oah]

There are U-locks with Abloy tumblers?

They do have an Abloy-like operating principle, but the quality of U-locks with these mechanisms is nowhere near the quality of a real Abloy.