DR ◣◢ Posted January 18, 2021 Posted January 18, 2021 With the amount of bikes getting stollen from racks lately I thought this could be another of my interesting topics. My solution is a 15mm steel cable used to lock trailers to trees looped through the frame of the bike rack and then through both bikes. The cable is then locked around my towbar extension mounting with a Kryptonite New York 16mm steel U-Lock. With this configuration the rack with locked bikes can't be removed as a whole from the car either. While the lock can be picked in less than 2 minutes you do need a professional thief with specialist tools. The cable will need at least an angle grinder to get through it. If I lock the clamps on the bike rack it adds another 2 minutes to the process. Cost me about R2200 for the cable and lock. Well worth it. Less than my excess on the two bikes. Ultimately your best protection is vigilance and insurance. What is your solution?
Knersboy Posted January 18, 2021 Posted January 18, 2021 Thanks for the thread, I will be keeping an eye on it. Travelled with the bikes this festive season, have no lock so my wife and I had to take turns being car guard. I had to tip her too.
DR ◣◢ Posted January 18, 2021 Author Posted January 18, 2021 Thanks for the thread, I will be keeping an eye on it. Travelled with the bikes this festive season, have no lock so my wife and I had to take turns being car guard. I had to tip her too.That is another option. At times I was alone without my bike locked and i jumped in to get a coffee. Made sure i parked right in front of the shop and kept an eye on the bike every possible second. My biggest worry with the “one person playing car watch” is that they are still put at risk of being bike jacked. The world is an ugly place. We shouldn’t need threads like these.
dasilvarsa Posted January 18, 2021 Posted January 18, 2021 I use 5mm Plastic Coated Cable Looped through a bracket in the car with a padlock.Cable and other parts available by the meter from Robot Hardware quite cheap.
Rigardt@Scott Posted January 18, 2021 Posted January 18, 2021 The perfect lock - the one your insurance says you must have so they will pay out when someone inevitably cuts through it.
ChrisF Posted January 18, 2021 Posted January 18, 2021 The perfect lock - the one your insurance says you must have so they will pay out when someone inevitably cuts through it.Most insurance companies requires "signs of forced removal", ie a cut chain, broken lock etc. A bike slipped out of the "locked claws" of a bike rack sadly is not signs of forced removal .... So YES, make sure your claim meets your insurers requirements .... We got tired of watching the car each time we stopped .... bikes are now inside the wagon ....
Fat Boab Posted January 18, 2021 Posted January 18, 2021 Honest question...which is the kryptonite lock that one can supposedly open with a pen?
DR ◣◢ Posted January 18, 2021 Author Posted January 18, 2021 Honest question...which is the kryptonite lock that one can supposedly open with a pen?The very very very old ones with the barrel locks. They’ve updated the design and can no longer be picked that way.
MORNE Posted January 18, 2021 Posted January 18, 2021 disclaimer: possibly offensive stereotype incoming.(please refer to my signature below if bothers you in any way lol) in this country, this would be the best lock....
Fat Boab Posted January 18, 2021 Posted January 18, 2021 Ta muchly. I'm showing my age! The very very very old ones with the barrel locks. They’ve updated the design and can no longer be picked that way.
DR ◣◢ Posted January 18, 2021 Author Posted January 18, 2021 disclaimer: possibly offensive stereotype incoming.(please refer to my signature below if bothers you in any way lol) in this country, this would be the best lock....Not so much in China though.
DR ◣◢ Posted January 18, 2021 Author Posted January 18, 2021 Ta muchly. I'm showing my age! Mine too. I used to have one.
Frosty Posted January 18, 2021 Posted January 18, 2021 Geraint Thomas says, when talking about cafes and stopping for a cuppa, “Ideally there’ll be a place to leave bikes, because it’s very hard to relax over your beverage when you’ve left several thousands pounds’ worth of carbon fibre unlocked in the street outside. If there isn’t, try the old trick of leaning your bike against the nearest wall and letting your fellow riders place theirs on top. Yes, there’s a chance of a cosmetic scratch to the frame. But if some light-fingered individual decides to grab a bike when your back is turned, it’s not going to be the one at the bottom of the pile. Undoing the quick-release skewers on the wheels also helps; unless it’s a fellow rider nicking your bike, the thief won’t have a clue what’s happening when the wheels fall out, and will be even more confused when it comes to putting them back in. All jokes aside, he knows too well that riding in Johannesburg is dangerous too.
cadenceblur Posted January 18, 2021 Posted January 18, 2021 With the amount of bikes getting stollen from racks lately I thought this could be another of my interesting topics. My solution is a 15mm steel cable used to lock trailers to trees looped through the frame of the bike rack and then through both bikes. The cable is then locked around my towbar extension mounting with a Kryptonite New York 16mm steel U-Lock. With this configuration the rack with locked bikes can't be removed as a whole from the car either. While the lock can be picked in less than 2 minutes you do need a professional thief with specialist tools. The cable will need at least an angle grinder to get through it. If I lock the clamps on the bike rack it adds another 2 minutes to the process. Cost me about R2200 for the cable and lock. Well worth it. Less than my excess on the two bikes. Ultimately your best protection is vigilance and insurance. What is your solution?
cadenceblur Posted January 18, 2021 Posted January 18, 2021 Care to post a pic? I have a u Lock and a cable, the u luck is unfortunately to short to secure the bike to the rack and I question the effectiveness of the cable that comes with it.Could secure the bike to the part that the arms attach to, but that could perhaps be unscrewed.. With the amount of bikes getting stollen from racks lately I thought this could be another of my interesting topics. My solution is a 15mm steel cable used to lock trailers to trees looped through the frame of the bike rack and then through both bikes. The cable is then locked around my towbar extension mounting with a Kryptonite New York 16mm steel U-Lock. With this configuration the rack with locked bikes can't be removed as a whole from the car either. While the lock can be picked in less than 2 minutes you do need a professional thief with specialist tools. The cable will need at least an angle grinder to get through it. If I lock the clamps on the bike rack it adds another 2 minutes to the process. Cost me about R2200 for the cable and lock. Well worth it. Less than my excess on the two bikes. Ultimately your best protection is vigilance and insurance. What is your solution?
DR ◣◢ Posted January 18, 2021 Author Posted January 18, 2021 I’ve also used the U Lock to go through the pedals of both and around the middle support on the bottom of the rack. I’ll post some photos tomorrow. Will need to take some detailed ones.
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