Best small U-lock? and other locking strategies?

Bolo Grubb

What are your suggestions?

I need a new one as it is time to retire the old (and I do mean old) Kryptonite.

I am looking at the various minis, but if ther eis a good argument for a larger one, I will listen.

It only need to be big enough to lock my rear tire to the bike racks. I use Sheldon's method to lock the bike. sheldonbrown.com/images/locktechnique1.jpg

Also I hear alot of people saying get 2 different types of locks, but I also here that cables are a very poor choice and chains of any use are very heavy.

So what do you reccommend for locking the front tire? Should I lock it up with the back on one U-lock?

Use a chain and just deal with the weight?

Other?

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mikesbytes

I use a thick cable. Lighter than a chain, bolt cutter proof and you don't need to remove your front wheel.

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sogood

According to informed source, a good secure solution is to use stainless steel cable which are much harder to snip than all cable lock products out there. He suggested that it's easy to make up a SS cable, just go to a sailing rigger and ask them to make one up with loops on both ends and crimp and have a vinyl tube cover over the whole cable. Match it with a solid padlock. It's probably lighter than those extra heavy commercial solutions and more secure.

I haven't got around to getting one made yet...

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Morphed Bianchi Camaleonte IV 2006, Ridley Damocles 2006, Garmin, Mac

SEAcarlessTTLE

I only rely on a cable to discourage people from taking my wheels and don't really rely on them to secure my frame. I use an OnGuard Bulldog mini to lock my frame to the rack and a cable for the wheels, although I also sometimes use the Sheldon Brown method, too.

I found this quite informative, if you haven't seen it yet...

http://www.slate.com/id/2140083

I was happy to see the Bulldog wasn't completely useless, since I had already been using it for a year when I saw this story.

tumbleweed77

I don't neccessarily leave my bike in extremely vulnarable spots, but I bike to college where bikes do get stolen... I use a kryp. u lock to lock the rear wheel to the frame and a krpt. cable lock that goes through the front, frame, rear and the rack though i've been thinking to use the u lock to lock frame to rack and the cable to lock wheels to frame and to rack... both locks i keep in my locker

SEAcarlessTTLE

I'm assuming that the cable is the weak point, and I don't want someone tossing my bike (U-locked rear wheel and all) into a Van of Evil so they can take it somewhere private to saw or grind the lock apart at their leisure. My wheels are stock and not flashy (tons of spokes (: ), so it seems less likely that someone will go to the trouble for those... Of course, now I have my eye on those celeste rims Velocity makes!

Ny Cykel

OK now, U-bolts are very strong, but you can't use them half the time
Do like this guy said only better. Look up Wire Rope and Rigging in the phone book. Walk, drive or ride to it, have them make you a STAINLESS lifting sling with loops on both ends with heavy steel sleeves. It doesnt need to be over 3/8 diameter, its allready stronger than anything youve seen. stainless is hard to cut.
Now, get a hot air gun and a glue stick and plasticoat it your self, so it dont scratch your bike. or stop at the electrcal store and buy a shrink tube.
Make the thing like 6 feet long, so it can go thru the frame and both wheels and the trigger lock on your 44 mag and around that fat 12 inch pole you parked by.
I made mine 1/4 rope, they wrap around my seat posts, and I did buy a KRYPTONITE pad lock.

sogood

Unfortunately I did exactly that and the guy at the marine rigging place suggested that I should think of something else. He said that even the thickest cable he has (greater than 1/4") can be easily cut using a hand cutter. And the hand cutter is sold right there too.

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Morphed Bianchi Camaleonte IV 2006, Ridley Damocles 2006, Garmin, Mac

Ny Cykel

ANYTHING can be cut quickly with the propper tools, I drive a service vehicle and I got the tool to cut anything fast, but your bike is still safer that anything else you can do at a parking lot.

I mean who carrys cable cutters.