Looking for a Good U lock for Bicycles (NOT Kryptonite Locks!)

[HappinessNow]

Looking for a Good U lock for Bicycles (NOT Kryptonite Locks!)

I am looking for a good U lock for my bicycle, something other then Kryptonite U Locks.

Kryptonite locks are a great example of "Planned Obsolescence" (made for the dump in about 6 months), after only about 6 months of use the key to the Kryptonite lock constantly sticks to the point that I am afraid I will not be able to open it, the same thing happens to a friend of mine (and graphite does not help).

Looking for a new bicycle U lock, any suggestions?

EDIT: after doing some research (Amazon reviews are helpful) I am looking into chain locks (Chain locks with small U Locks also):

The OnGuard Beast looks Good:


http://ubuntuforums.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=128204&d=1252662294http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41qRSnPwsNL._SL500_AA280_.jpg

[schauerlich]

Go to a bike shop and ask the person behind the counter what they use.

[HappinessNow]

Go to a bike shop and ask the person behind the counter what they use.
Looking for advice from a trusted source of Ubuntuforums users not some random bike shop guy who may be bias.

If anybody has a good word of mouth referral for a good bicycle U lock based on experience I would greatly appreciate some input.

I found this helpful article:


Avoiding the Bicycle Thief

The best locks to protect your wheels.

By Scott ElderUpdated Tuesday, April 18, 2006, at 6:24 AM EThttp://www.slate.com/id/2140083

This is a good review but limited to what he bought and tested in the USA, it is also over 3 years old!

Any better products from Europe or elsewhere?

I would prefer to order online if there is a better product available.

[schauerlich]

Looking for advice from a trusted source of Ubuntuforums users not some random bike shop guy who may be bias.

Personally, I'd trust someone at a bike shop because people who work at smaller hobby shops like that tend to be experienced in the hobby that they sell gear for. But, if you'd rather ask the internet, by all means.

[HappinessNow]

Personally, I'd trust someone at a bike shop because people who work at smaller hobby shops like that tend to be experienced in the hobby that they sell gear for. But, if you'd rather ask the internet, by all means.

You are only stating the obvious; which I already did!

I asked the bike shops, not once but 3 different times they all suggest the Kryptonite Locks which are NOT reliable. So since that did NOT work I am looking for an obvious solution from a World Wide audience of users who may have experienced the same thing.

The U locks suggested by the bike shops is the third worst bike lock according to this article:
http://www.slate.com/id/2140083

Based on experience, I would rank it as the worst I have used yet.

[arinlares]

Bell and Masterlock make decent U-locks. I've had the same Bell one for years.

[HappinessNow]

Bell and Masterlock make decent U-locks. I've had the same Bell one for years.

Thanks for actually posting from your user experience, I'll research both Bell and Masterlock.

[bobbob94]

I work in a community bike workshop and we've had various people bringing in old bikes from their garage to renovate which had locks attached to the frame with long lost keys, so we've had to get them off. In my experience cable locks are rubbish, cheap u-locks are rubbish and good u-locks are a pita to remove, unless you're using power tools like an angle grinder, in which case anything at all comes off in a few minutes. The better Kryptonite locks are good security wise but i agree that the locking mechanism seems to break pretty easily. Personally i use an Abus Granit X Plus 54, comes out well in tests (haven't tried slicing up my own 60 quid lock tho!), and i've had it for several years now, with just the odd squirt of wd-40 in the mechanism and had no probelms at all, and more to the point never had my bike nicked!

[HappinessNow]

I work in a community bike workshop and we've had various people bringing in old bikes from their garage to renovate which had locks attached to the frame with long lost keys, so we've had to get them off. In my experience cable locks are rubbish, cheap u-locks are rubbish and good u-locks are a pita to remove, unless you're using power tools like an angle grinder, in which case anything at all comes off in a few minutes. The better Kryptonite locks are good security wise but i agree that the locking mechanism seems to break pretty easily. Personally i use an Abus Granit X Plus 54, comes out well in tests (haven't tried slicing up my own 60 quid lock tho!), and i've had it for several years now, with just the odd squirt of wd-40 in the mechanism and had no probelms at all, and more to the point never had my bike nicked!

Now this is the kind of review I was hoping for and the Abus Granit X Plus 54 looks like a damn good lock!

Thank You!

[Blacklightbulb]

I don't know about you but when I used to ride a bicycle, I used to find a good place to leave it like in an office building nearby where the secretaries where kind enough to let me leave it behind the door (inside the building). Or there was the guy who'd let me lock it behind his store's gates.

So if you can find a safe place where you put it, it would much safer and cheaper than leaving it tied outside.

Otherwise this friend of mine had a masterlock which he equipped with a simple device that would send him a call to his cellphone if the sensor experienced vibration of x magnitude for t time. In the meantime the lock would keep the thief busy. A good idea I think but never gone proven till now.

[t0p]

If you want to find a good lock, ask a reformed bike thief. (Make sure he's reformed though, otherwise he'll recommend some piece of crap then come back later and rip off yer cycle!)

:p

[Stex]

Bike security means a good lock, but most important is how you actually use it. Try to lock the frame and the wheel, and definitely make sure the lock cannot touch the ground. The quickest way to break a lock in public is sudden impact, for that you need a good surface to hit it against (eg. the ground).

[Skripka]

Bike security means a good lock, but most important is how you actually use it. Try to lock the frame and the wheel, and definitely make sure the lock cannot touch the ground. The quickest way to break a lock in public is sudden impact, for that you need a good surface to hit it against (eg. the ground).

Actually bike security means BOTH a cable lock and a U-Lock.


Any old lock or locks can be popped open real quick. All you need is a diamond-coated circular saw, not subtle-but fast. The idea is to make the thief want to go after other prey.

[HappinessNow]

Actually bike security means BOTH a cable lock and a U-Lock.


Any old lock or locks can be popped open real quick. All you need is a diamond-coated circular saw, not subtle-but fast. The idea is to make the thief want to go after other prey.

Exactly!

[markbuntu]

You don't need a saw. All you need is a can of freeze spray. spray the lock until it frosts over and then just give it a whack. kryptonites fail totally but a big fat master lock is much harder to break.

Best is to just have a crappy bike and leave your good one at home. Thieves will not bother a crappy bike but will go to great lengths for a nice one.