Looking for a decent lock for a trip to France, Avenue Verte to Paris.

I have searched old threads and looked up recommendations, nothing really suits tho.

We want to lock 2 bikes, partners is new and mine has new wheels [basically all a bit ££ bling so we are nervous leaving them] Currently I have a little cable combo that isn't much more than a 'slow them down shoelace' or a big kryptoflex cable with hardware store padlock, bulky and heavy.

Just wondering if there is anything on the market that is strong and light, pref combination. I know it wont be cheap, see it as an investment

Obviously we can take turns watching bikes and will look for bike friendly accoms in Paris, but it is all looking a bit more towny than I am used to, plus AV will have lots of nice bike traffic, a possible magnet for trouble.

Oh and we leave at the weekend, so not hard to source !

Thanks folks

No lock advice but any way of camouflaging the bikes to make them look worth less than they are. Maybe matt black tape on the frames or covering make of rim etc.

Interesting question. Have just bought another slow-them-down-shoelace myself so it's in my mind.

Sadly I'm not sure there is a 'light, gold-level' lock at any price, cheap or expensive? Holy Grail of cycling accessories methinks . Untold riches for inventor thereof .

From the scenarios you mention, am assuming the 'leave bike locked for quite a while in public place' is not applicable - Ray's suggestion is one of the good ones in those cases, also maybe 'alarm lock', also taking wheel away etc etc.

You mention taking turns to watch the bikes but also looking for 'secure accom' (presumably o/nite).

So what is the lock trying to achieve? A lightweight one won't solve an 'o/nite security' situ (by definition they'll have all night to break it ). Only 99% foolproof solution is keep it in your room or a locked area (you have the only key?) of the accom.

Which leaves cafe stops. If you take turns to watch, doesn't a cheapo shoelace solve that situ? If you're right next to them then no need for anything. If inside the cafe, just need to slow the crims to varying degrees. A good way is to leave a 'mess' to untangle, rather than a quick 'snip and away'. That could be achieved by taking front wheels off and tying/shoelacelock-ing them plus bikes to fixed objects in a 'messy' way. Messier it is the further away you can be - equally, harder for you to un-mess when you return too .

Or have I misread, and you're hoping to solve the 'leave in public for quite a while' with a lightweight lock too? = hardest.

Sorry if above unhelpful or 'negative' sounding - not meant to be cos it's a perennial conundrum for all cyclists and I'd love other ideas too please .

Hi, thanks for reply.

We are thinking of general longer term use, more than just this trip, altho have discussed the scenarios you suggested.

Just had no idea if there is such a thing available, and now agreeing with you that there probably isnt.

Funny how I feel much more vulnerable to such nastiness in a built/populous area, if we were out in the woods I would just take the shoe lace.

Take a look at these

https://ottodesignworks.com/shop/ottolock

Keep pedalling have them in stock

Our strategy is to take a shoelace lock, but one of us to watches them outside shops. At night depending on where we are we may remove wheels or tie guy ropes round the bikes also.

If some git is really wanting your bike no lock will stop them.

SteveM wrote:Take a look at these

https://ottodesignworks.com/shop/ottolock

Keep pedalling have them in stock

I was going to get one of these, but I've seen quite a few very concerning vids / reviews. Lots arriving not working properly, and they're apparently alarmingly easy to shim.

I have an Abus cable/key lock. Suspect it's the racer or prima model...but couldn't say for sure. It's orange, so it's pretty easy to see the bike is locked to something and will require some messing with to steal. But it's just a deterrent and I doubt it would stop a pair of serious bolt cutters.

Something I do tend to do if I'm on my own is take the front wheel out and chain it with the back to the bike rack then take the front axle with me. I'm more likely to come back and find my quick release post/saddle has been nicked which isn't the end of the world, just a PITA.

Greetz

S.

Just an idea but, a cheap combination is fairly light so take three or four. For a kilo in weight you've got a potential thief looking at four locks instead of one.

Have you looked at litelok? They’re gold certified for insurance purposes and weigh about a kilo so not light but quite a bit lighter than a d-lock.

my solution is to remove the chain using the quick link and then use the chain as a lock securing the chain with a padlock
Pluses are
1. this is cheap
2. looks strong
3. pretty long
4. hardly any weight penalty

Negatives
1. You can only fit a small padlock so that will be the weak point
2. might be a bit messy on the chain
3. can be a faff for a quick shop stop

Check this one out - https://www.tigrlock.com/

I don't know how secure they are, but i've seen them in person and they seemed good quality. I know they were selling them at bikefix in Central London (a slightly oddball bike shop where they sell cargo bikes and recumbents, I bought my brompton there). I also saw them at the bike show that was on in london (not the big one, the smaller one that I've forgotten the name of)

Lazarus wrote:my solution is to remove the chain using the quick link and then use the chain as a lock securing the chain with a padlock
Pluses are
1. this is cheap
2. looks strong
3. pretty long
4. hardly any weight penalty

Negatives
1. You can only fit a small padlock so that will be the weak point
2. might be a bit messy on the chain
3. can be a faff for a quick shop stop

Blimey, I couldn't be faffing with that! I'm far too lazy with an aversion to getting my hands oily unnecessarily

I have a Hiplok ( https://www.hiplok.com/ ) chain which has served me well - it's not what I'd call lightweight but certainly seems to work. They do lighter weight versions (Hiplok Lite surprisingly!) and cable tie locks too.
For quick / cafe stops I use a little retractable combi lock (Abus I think). I'll also sometimes put the chain on the big-ring front (I still run triples) and small-cog rear to stop random quick getaways. If bivvying I'll run a guy through the bike wheel or I've even run a fishing twine tied from bike to me before now.

{Random} I once knew someone who had a boss fitted to his petrol tank. Said boss was threaded to accept a small spark plug. When leaving his bike, he would remove an HT lead and re-fit it to the plug in the tank. Luckily, no one ever tried to steal his bike and perhaps more luckily he never forgot

Bearbonesnorm wrote:{Random} I once knew someone who had a boss fitted to his petrol tank. Said boss was threaded to accept a small spark plug. When leaving his bike, he would remove an HT lead and re-fit it to the plug in the tank. Luckily, no one ever tried to steal his bike and perhaps more luckily he never forgot

Sounds like either great fun or a darwin award waiting to happen. Surely that would only work when the fuel is sufficiently low to not cover the spark, and to have enough air to actually combust

(sounds like a lot of faff too. plus round here your bike gets carried into a van with scaffolding poles or nicked my scrotes pushing it along with a scooter)

Surely that would only work when the fuel is sufficiently low to not cover the spark, and to have enough air to actually combust

Yes Ben, boss was welded front / top at 45 degrees. Hopefully? providing enough air inside the tank to allow petrol vapour to ignite.

sounds like a lot of faff too. plus round here your bike gets carried into a van with scaffolding poles or nicked my scrotes pushing it along with a scooter

Suppose he figured someone who shouldn't would try and start it sooner or later.

couldn't be faffing with that!

I have only done it twice but its preferable to the weight penalty of carrying a heavy lock for a month for the two times you might need it and more substantial than those cheap lightweight cable locks
There is no ideal solution to this issue its just which compromise you prefer.

Lazarus wrote:

couldn't be faffing with that!

I have only done it twice but its preferable to the weight penalty of carrying a heavy lock for a month for the two times you might need it and more substantial than those cheap lightweight cable locks
There is no ideal solution to this issue its just which compromise you prefer.

Oh, I can see the sense in it - plus it leaves a chainless bike which is less attractive to someone that just wants to ride away on it.

Another trick if you have disc brakes is a padlock through the rotor.

Bearbonesnorm wrote:

Surely that would only work when the fuel is sufficiently low to not cover the spark, and to have enough air to actually combust

Yes Ben, boss was welded front / top at 45 degrees. Hopefully? providing enough air inside the tank to allow petrol vapour to ignite.

Nice. I'd like to see it set off, just cos like

Kong used to do some decent light cable locks. I used a 1m one on LEJOG a few years back.

Dave Barter wrote:Kong used to do some decent light cable locks. I used a 1m one on LEJOG a few years back.

*Knog? Were cheap at planet X s while back.......
See ere: https://www.planetx.co.uk/c/q/accessori ... bike-locks

Might not be steong wnough for your needs but had been following your thread as I needed someyhing ligher than what I have for an upcoming charity ride which will have lots of climbing.

I just came across this review page and I'm gonna go with the first option which is only about 200g but thwyve rated it as pretty robust (maybe a bronze or copper rating )

http://www.cyclist.co.uk/buying-guides/ ... bike-locks

Just a thought but what about something like a cylinder that clamps around the chain as a ride away deterrent? Could be small and light and if it gets bolt cuttered that would also take out the chain so still not able to ride it.

I've found this quite handy, you can get 3-4 bikes on this, https://www.abus.com/uk/Mobile-Security ... -Locks/205

Interesting that there's now an Ottolock Version 2. I wonder what they changed.

Edit - https://bikerumor.com/2017/12/04/ottolo ... bike-lock/