Heavy Duty Chain Locks

[Nukuhiva]

Looking for opinions on those really thick chain locks, such as the OnGuard Beast or the Kryptonite Fahgeddaboudit.
Normally, I have no need for really major bike security, the immediate vicinity is fairly safe, I don't have to leave bikes outside in sketchy areas for long, and most people here wouldn't see my bicycles as anything worth stealing, anyway.
I am, however, in the process of building a motorized bicycle based on a 1961 Schwinn Tornado, which would be attractive to them, simply because it has a motor.
Chances that I'll have to leave it unattended in bad areas for any length of time are very slim, but I'm still thinking it might need a little more deterrent power than my other bikes.
I've looked at those heavy chains with the little padlocks, and I can't quite decide if they're worth it or too much of a good thing for my application.
What are your experiences ?

 

[Susimi]

For better piece of mind I would get one of those heavy duty locks and a good thing about most of them is that they come with something wrapped around the chain so there is little chance of it scratching your bike. The big chain also has a psychological effect as in if someone takes a liking to your bike they'll see the big chain and deem it not worth it.

I would say to not skimp on security.

 

[Sunflogun]

Yep, nothing like leaving the bike well chained up, I was surprised once and it was not pleasant.

 

[BobCochran]

Harley-Davidson once ran a full page ad showing one of their motorcycles inside a house, parked in an otherwise unfurnished room. Your eyes quickly zeroed in on the motorcycle, and then the headline: "Life was so simple." Or words to that effect.

If you can, bring your creation inside your home.

As for other areas where you have to park, I don't know how much deterrent the chain will really be: two strong people can probably lift your creation easily, chain and all, and get it in a van. Later on, a little work with a welding torch will get rid of the chain.

Be sure that your creation passes vehicle registration laws where you live. Where I live, they have to be insured and registered and must display license tags.

Good luck!

Bob

 

[moneyman]

I just moved a couple of months ago in the city and I have had several locks. Once I noticed that someone tried to rob my bike but he couldn't break the lock. Now i have in addition a chain lock if I am away more than two to three days.

 

[Susimi]

Harley-Davidson once ran a full page ad showing one of their motorcycles inside a house, parked in an otherwise unfurnished room. Your eyes quickly zeroed in on the motorcycle, and then the headline: "Life was so simple." Or words to that effect.

If you can, bring your creation inside your home.

As for other areas where you have to park, I don't know how much deterrent the chain will really be: two strong people can probably lift your creation easily, chain and all, and get it in a van. Later on, a little work with a welding torch will get rid of the chain.

Be sure that your creation passes vehicle registration laws where you live. Where I live, they have to be insured and registered and must display license tags.

Good luck!

Bob

This is one of the reasons why I would also recommend to chain the bike to something like a light pole or something to make it as difficult as possible for anyone who wants to try and steal it.

It's also an idea to wrap a chain (if you go down the chain lock route) around the back wheel and frame so it makes it very difficult to move if anyone tries to.

 

[Volnix]

These chains are considered even safer then D locks...

Kryptonite now makes a shorter version of one but its still 3+kg...

Looks pretty safe for the occasional pisshead who just wants to grab a bike to just go home and dump in the river later but no lock is safe enough if you leave the bike overnight somewhere...

They are also mucho dinero! I bought my D lock used on eBay. Probably saved 20 EUR...

 

[BobCochran]

In my locality, we have a subway system. Each subway station offers bicycle parking. For many weeks, I noticed that the very same bicycles were locked to precisely the same parking stands, day after day. I looked more closely, and the drivelines were well rusted. Then yellow labels appeared on the top tubes warning that if the bikes were not removed within x amount of time, they would be removed by subway system employees.

Then it dawned on me that the bicycle owners had likely lost the keys to their bicycle locks, and they had simply abandoned the bicycles as a result. So, the subway welders probably showed up one day, and freed the bicycles from their prisons. I'm sure the process wasn't pretty.

Bob

 

[Froze]

The Chains are a great defense against theft, but whenever someone makes a great defense someone makes a better offense! No lock is undefeatable, and especially now that battery powered angle grinders are on the market which can make mincemeat out of a superduper chain.

Also don't count on any locks insurance program to back you up should your bike get stolen because they make the hoops you have to jump through impossible to collect! First and foremost you need a police report, some big cities won't even come out to do a report on a bike theft so you're screwed there right from the beginning. Next you need detailed pictures taken at the same time of day as the theft with the undisturbed lock showing what it was locked to, the area where it was locked, how public was the area, and was there any lighting. Then you need to have the lock to send back along with the original receipt, not a copy, and the original carton it came in with the barcode intact...which all of this is a bit odd since they require that you send in the original receipt and the bar code when you submit your request to start the coverage! Once you send all that stuff in, assuming somehow you were able to, then the company decides if they want to pay, usually they find some excuse not to pay. Then you have to mindful that before the insurance expires that you send money to renew it, after that renewal and that insurance period ends the only way you can get the insurance again is to buy a new lock.

When Kryptonite was asked by a leading bicycling magazine how much in dollars had it paid out in bicycle claims during the previous year, Kripto refused to answer saying it was a corporate secret to prevent competitors from finding out? No, they wanted to prevent the public from finding out that they had spent Zero dollars in claims on bikes. Usually Krypto will send the customer a new lock though! Yippe.

 

[mpre53]

The best lock in the world won't help if you use it like this:

 

[Susimi]

The best lock in the world won't help if you use it like this:

I'd like to think that people here have a lot more common sense than that guy/girl. What's even more baffling is there are better things to chain it to within arms reach.

Just why?

 

[Sunflogun]

These chains are considered even safer then D locks...

Kryptonite now makes a shorter version of one but its still 3+kg...

Looks pretty safe for the occasional pisshead who just wants to grab a bike to just go home and dump in the river later but no lock is safe enough if you leave the bike overnight somewhere...

They are also mucho dinero! I bought my D lock used on eBay. Probably saved 20 EUR...

This looks awesome, at the same time carrying this around seems... heavy!

 

[Susimi]

This looks awesome, at the same time carrying this around seems... heavy!

Well, if someone had this land on their chops at a rate of knots they would know all about it that's for sure!

 

[Damien Lee]

I use a heavy duty chain and have never regretted the investment. My neighborhood is quite safe, and there's no fear of my bike getting stolen when I'm in a nearby location to my home or office. However, if I venture further into town things do start becoming a bit more unsafe. I know that a normal chain will not protect my bike from thieves and that's why I've opted for a heavy duty chain and lock. Apart from the added weight, I have no issues with it considering the piece of mind it gives when I park my bike at the supermarket.

 

[Djordje87]

There are some new revolutionary products but i am not sure that come cheap. I will try to find them and put links here. Anyway, i got my bike stolen recently. This summer to be precise. I was at the Gym, i lock my bicycle on the same spot every time. When i got out from the gym it was gone. Not even a chain lock left. I advise everyone to buy good and strong chains with padlocks equally good and strong. When you leave the bike for longer period you take the seat off if you have those click on/off seats and if you can take off your front tyre. I have seen this in my city where theft is not common as in some bigger cities. When i buy a new bicycle i will do this for sure.
http://gearpatrol.com/2013/08/15/10-best-bike-locks/Here you have some good solutions if you have an expensive bike.