while the price is good, would you really lock up your bike regardless of its value with one of these?
wire cutters would be through the cable in seconds
VDisillusioned
7 Feb 173#15
It all depends on where you intend to use one. In my town you could leave a cheap bike unlocked outside a shop, in the daytime, and it would probably be there when you came back an hour later. Where we used to live, a few miles away and a bit more rural, we used to leave crappy bikes at the station unlocked for days at a time and they never disappeared. I wouldn't risk leaving a bike here unlocked myself, but I would risk a cable lock for a five minute pop into a shop. If I was going to leave a bike somewhere for hours, or if the bike had some value to it, I would use a good D-lock.
All comments (47)
joehart2
7 Feb 174#1
while the price is good, would you really lock up your bike regardless of its value with one of these?
wire cutters would be through the cable in seconds
dodgymix to joehart2
7 Feb 171#3
maybe if you just had to nip into a shop for half a minute as the op suggests
anything longer and agreed
Cozworth806
7 Feb 171#2
Yep, if you want to lock up something anyway valuable then don't bother
whatyadoinsucka
7 Feb 171#4
it is what it is, i got one the other week and they are pretty good quality, good locking mechanism and thick steel chain, far better than poundland or equivalent locks.
it would stop the opportunist thief, ie climbs on and rides off, rather than the real scumbags who carry bolt cutters and the like..
and for this price you could leave it at your prefered shop location and only have to carry the key
HacKage to whatyadoinsucka
7 Feb 17#6
Leaving a lock at a location where it could be compromised is the worst advice anyone could give.
johnsymes
7 Feb 171#5
Don't waste your money. Every bike rack in Bournemouth has a sign on it saying don't use anything else but a D lock. Use one of these if your bike is insured and you want it to disappear.
cdm22
7 Feb 172#7
If you used one of these to lock your bike at the shops you will end up having to walk back. Just spend a few more quid and buy a D Lock.
Biggunspaul
7 Feb 172#8
I used one of these locks in my garage to secure a set of ladders,unfortunately I lost they keys and thought I was going to have to buy some bolt cutters to get it off,but after a quick look on YouTube I discovered that you could just use some normal wire cutters.Sure enough I managed to cut straight through the cable in under 20 seconds by just nipping away at a few strands at a time.
I wouldn't use one to secure a bike up in a public place,but that said it maybe ok for say a child to use to lock their (probably less expensive) bike up within school grounds to stop others moving it about.
yulu91
7 Feb 171#9
Could imagine how people complaining these locks being not secure but I have one of these on my bike frame all the time and it serves good when pop into the shop for a minute or two so for £2.99 hot added.
ikonanddiva
7 Feb 17#10
Have you seen how quick bikes get stolen?
Nip into the shop or turn your back for 15-30 seconds and you may as well give them your bike. I have a Decathlon Alur 700 road bike that I bought a couple of years ago. It's stored at home but on the occasion that I park it up in public, it's locked with a heavy duty D-Lock every time. Of course, there's quite a few cyclists who also need to learn how to fit a lock properly as many are incorrectly fitted and easily stolen.
Good price for the item but an item I wouldn't recommend fitting on anything other than a kids bike, that you don't mind disappearing.
OperateOnMe to ikonanddiva
7 Feb 171#27
You are right about the d-locks, reminds me of a time 10 years ago in my student days, I went to a cafe for a £2.99 latte with a friend, and left my bike on a rack with a kryptonite d-lock. 2 blokes tried to use tools to open the lock, I had my coffee and laughed, my friend was shocked and could not understand until I told him the bike probably cost less than the lock, if they can open the lock they can have the bike - as they need it more than I do. We went out and asked them if we could help, they told us they lost the key and were trying to undo the bike rack, another friend came over (having been to the gym) and had a friendly word with them whilst I decided to put their tools in the bin, then rode off with the bike.
arthurly
7 Feb 171#11
Voted hot. Surely the purpose of the site is to vote based on the good value of an item and not if it's the best in class. Hot for price but agreed for 2 minute stops and not to be used anywhere else
ikonanddiva to arthurly
7 Feb 171#12
In part, I agree that voting should likely be about the best price available for that item over it's pricing history but inevitably many other variables come into the equation for astute buyers (which many Hukkers are) when deciding which way to vote. Everyone's opinion on how they vote will naturally differ.
For example: availability. Why would an item get 1000' heat if there's only 1 item left on a local shelf and not a national deal? There's also the issue of whether the item is fit for purpose, not to be confused with best in class. If I buy a bike lock, I want some degree of certainty that it's going to keep my bike locked or make it a deterrent against a would-be thief or opportunist. For that reason, cheap items (locks in this case) are essentially high-risk worthless items. I feel that one of the purposes of this site is also to advise other buyers who may not be as knowledgeable. I just watched a YouTube video where 3 similar locks were cut off in less than 15 seconds. In my neighbourhood, there's a refuge for drug/alcohol abusers...literally opposite a row of shops and you can pretty much guarantee some [insert relevant adjective here] person is lurking about or watching who's coming and going, thinking it'll be okay to use a £1 lock on their bike.
I actually voted HOT for the price, although I wouldn't touch this item with a barge pole so the GET DEAL becomes pretty pointless. I dislike voting cold but there are a growing number of listings on HUKD that I now vote cold for the reason that GET DEAL isn't an option, although credit to any OP for finding a great deal for themselves. Without GET DEAL being clicked, HUKD's referral revenue plummets.
But don't let me prevent anyone from putting a £1 lock on their £1,000 bike or 3 separate £1 locks...
whatyadoinsucka
7 Feb 171#13
i'm pretty certain i could leave a bike outside a shop for a few mins with this on and not get it robbed, i live in an ok/good area, this lock will prevent the opportunist. Hence i bought one,
lock it up for a slash, #2 probably not :0)
i have plenty of D-Locks my favoured brand being the on-guard brute, even those can be opened with a car jack.
but they are heavy duty. As always DYOR (do your own research). this will likely go hot, whether you like it or not.
ikonanddiva
7 Feb 17#14
You're right. Even D-locks are susceptible to large bolt cutters, angle grinders etc. There are always new locks coming to the market like LiteLok but expect to pay £85+ for such devices, then there are other new carbon fibre locks that heavy duty bolt cutters struggle with and a lot more secure. Everyone will have a different opinion on weighing up the risk of locking up their valuable/invaluable items. I would use a D-lock for nipping to the shops but nothing less (there are too many shady characters about) - I just wouldn't risk exposing a valuable item that I've saved hard for, protected by a £1 item (that's crazy logic), when I know that it takes just 5 seconds to remove it. I wouldn't use a D-lock if my bike was out of my sight in public for hours; I just wouldn't leave the bike there, so remove the risk entirely.
It's a really good cheap buy if you want a simple lock but I wouldn't use one even if they were given for free unless I was fitting about 100 of them to my bike just to slow the thief down. HOT but no thanks. :smile:
VDisillusioned
7 Feb 173#15
It all depends on where you intend to use one. In my town you could leave a cheap bike unlocked outside a shop, in the daytime, and it would probably be there when you came back an hour later. Where we used to live, a few miles away and a bit more rural, we used to leave crappy bikes at the station unlocked for days at a time and they never disappeared. I wouldn't risk leaving a bike here unlocked myself, but I would risk a cable lock for a five minute pop into a shop. If I was going to leave a bike somewhere for hours, or if the bike had some value to it, I would use a good D-lock.
cb-uk
7 Feb 172#16
A couple of these connected together in series and secured around the average household fridge are perfect for stopping fat porkers from having a secret midnight snack.
In fact, connect a few of these together and you could cable-lock the fat porker to any immovable object. Just think how much weight they would lose, and how much the NHS would save!
Dragon's Den here I come :smiley:
simcolorstay
7 Feb 171#17
see on youtube how quick they get any bike freed from this type of "shackle"
You will never buy this after you've seen how easy it is.
I have a heavy duty chain and u/d lock both on and my bike was jumped, stomped on, shook and kicked to be stolen numerous times.
Biggunspaul
7 Feb 17#18
Out of interest,for those who wouldn't use this lock,what locks do you guys use on your bikes ?
Personally i use one of these,it weighs quite a bit but I don't think the bike would go anywhere in a hurry when it's being used.
I've actually used a similair device on my garden table and chairs and a chimanea for the last 3 years.
Either They work or no one wants my garden furniture :confused:
mac9091
7 Feb 171#20
Voted cold due to the lack of security. A good ragging would probably snap the locking mechianism so no need for bolt cutters.
I would consider one to "lock" my front wheel to the frame, as if it was ragged off the wheel would probably end up damaged, so would be pointless stealing it then.
dry to mac9091
7 Feb 172#25
^ this. I use a cheap lock like this on my front wheel in combination with my 'SoldSecure Gold' D Lock (which locks the back wheel and frame).
Bike locking is like running away from a bear. You only need to make your bike less nickable than the bike you're parked next to. A good quality D lock on the rear and a cheapy cable lock on the front and I figure they won't bother and'll move on to the next bike.
Sorry, but £2.99 for something that is incapable of doing its job is not a good deal. You might save a few quid on a lock, but you'll lose a few hundred on your bike.
Muig1972
7 Feb 171#24
They say that you should buy a lock that's a tenth the worth of your bike.
If you have a £30 bicycle, go for it! :stuck_out_tongue:
ArthurDent1 to Muig1972
7 Feb 17#32
I paid £60 for my bike (off ebay) - so two of these would be ideal.
It's insured for about £500 (that's the list price) - assuming I actually want to keep it. What would you recommend?
AlanClarke
7 Feb 171#26
I use these locks when I'm out on my MTB and want to stop for a drink, even with my bike near me and in full view it stops someone jumping on and peddling off as I can't run that fast in my bike shoes and can't carry a weighty D lock through the forest.
mudisoft
7 Feb 17#28
do yourself a favour and don't buy this if you need a bike lock.
whatyadoinsucka
7 Feb 17#29
Do opportunist theives carry bolt cutters like these though, having seen s any listings for £70 Tesco bikes they are a great deal to go alongside them :wink:
jamesdew
7 Feb 171#30
What about using it to attach a wheel to a frame to deter wheel theft as a secondary deterrent to a D lock
mcrobbj to jamesdew
7 Feb 17#31
I think there are OK for that, if you look at the D locks then the sell a similar cable to these to do precisely that. Honestly I don't think they are any worse than a D lock, there is no guarantee with any lock. I know people that have had bikes nicked from their garage with D locks attached to cemeted in fittings. Angle grinder thru the garage door like cheese and the D lock wasn't much better.
mwa
8 Feb 171#33
I saw some of those solid metal folding locks added almost a kilo in weight, raising the question why did I pay a premium price for a light bike.....
tek-monkey to mwa
8 Feb 171#35
I have one, yup they're damn heavy! I use a big chain at work, but that stays there. I have the folding one for out and about because it's compact, but sure adds to the weight. Tempted to buy a few of these for the old bikes we leave at the caravan though, need something light weight.
ikonanddiva to mwa
8 Feb 171#37
On reading this thread today, I browsed a few videos (as you do) and some inventors realised that very problem that the weight of a bike has become less over the years but the weight of security locks has remained the same or got heavier. That's why I referenced one of many products on the market such as http://www.litelok.com/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXiUg0L5VBk that help keep the overall riding weight down to a minimum, yet offer good security. I don't own that particular lock but like many other new creative solutions, it's interesting. Pricey though at £85 each but it really depends upon how much we value our bikes and the cost of replacement...
If a bike is used for commuting, I've seen some videos that suggest not carrying your lock at all but storing it at work etc, especially the heavy duty motorcycle locks. I think I also saw the metal folding type of lock that was made of carbon fibre weighing in at less than 1/2kg.
Having written all that and like AlanClarke above, I've used a simple cable lock before (my nine year old daughter's lock; similar to this listing) for convenience to tie two bikes together whilst having a picnic than go to the lengths of threading various cables and locks through wheels/seat/frame. The bikes close by and within sight, simply used as a means to stop someone jumping on and riding away in the blink of an eye. The cable locks have their uses, which is why I voted hot but would use a "proper" solution at all other times when out of sight (even when just nipping into a local store) combining two different gold-standard locks.
tom_gov
8 Feb 171#34
had one of these my bike got stolen within 2 mins in shop use a proper lock
callum84
8 Feb 171#36
What does your insurance company recommend?
Usually at £500 they will not consider claims unless a sold secure silver lock is used.
I like the look of that litelok! Sold secure gold as well. Shame its not couple inches longer and could have worn it like a belt.
Would be much easier to carry than my Kryptonite evo 4. PITA carrying big lock on a MTB but like to take it incase I stop anywhere.
tek-monkey
8 Feb 17#39
Saw a cheaper belt one, bronze rating only though :disappointed:
I had a look at the litelok website, and thought the concept seemed impressive, but now I've found this Youtube channel which purports to show the lock being broken in 17 seconds...except we can't view the videos because they've been blocked due to a defamation complaint. Hmmm...
EDIT: I've watched the videos now (Used the flyVPN proxy to pretend I was in Brazil to get round the block). Seem legit. Here's a Reddit about it, including a response from Litelok's founder.
ikonanddiva
9 Feb 17#41
I came across that video too but couldn't view it and also couldn't be bothered to virtually change countries. So, difficult to know whether it was true or just click bait as a growing number of youtube videos can be these days. As with all security, almost all have some kind of inherent flaw. It's all about picking the ones that cause the most hassle for your typical thief.
mac9091
9 Feb 17#42
Just seen the video and glad i commented on this lock now as i have one of the liteloks. 1st impressions were very good and that it has the gold rating convinced me to pre order it.
That said i have now contacted the company with the intent of returning for a full refund. I get that not all locks are impregnable and the company will claim (if not already done) that the bike was incorrectly locked and that will be their "get out of jail free card" but for me that should been part of the gold standard testing, so should still be able to withstand being twisted apart.
joehart2
10 Feb 17#43
so what is the best lock on the market?
mac9091 to joehart2
11 Feb 17#45
always going to be dependent on your needs. Are you bothered about a huge heavy chain? do you want/need something flexible?
richardhung
10 Feb 171#44
Kryptonite New York Fahgettaboudit locks are very good though are heavy.
ArthurDent1
11 Feb 17#46
I'd like something light n easy to carry that's more secure than a piece of string.
My bike cost £60 SH and is insured for £500.
Any suggestions?
mac9091
11 Feb 17#47
Well technically this lock would do. :smiley:
For me a flexible lock that can be wound round the bike and secure item as many times as needed to prevent tools from being wedged in between and prized off should do the job. The problem with flexible locks is that people leave them loose and therefore easy to be compromised.
Its a case of looking for something you feel comfortable with. I was more than happy with the litelok until recently and that has a sold secure gold rating (that will probably be under review). Would i have kept using it if i still used my old cheaper bike (£250) Yes. Am i using it with my new £700 bike. Nope.
Opening post
Top comments
wire cutters would be through the cable in seconds
All comments (47)
wire cutters would be through the cable in seconds
anything longer and agreed
it would stop the opportunist thief, ie climbs on and rides off, rather than the real scumbags who carry bolt cutters and the like..
and for this price you could leave it at your prefered shop location and only have to carry the key
I wouldn't use one to secure a bike up in a public place,but that said it maybe ok for say a child to use to lock their (probably less expensive) bike up within school grounds to stop others moving it about.
Nip into the shop or turn your back for 15-30 seconds and you may as well give them your bike. I have a Decathlon Alur 700 road bike that I bought a couple of years ago. It's stored at home but on the occasion that I park it up in public, it's locked with a heavy duty D-Lock every time. Of course, there's quite a few cyclists who also need to learn how to fit a lock properly as many are incorrectly fitted and easily stolen.
Good price for the item but an item I wouldn't recommend fitting on anything other than a kids bike, that you don't mind disappearing.
For example: availability. Why would an item get 1000' heat if there's only 1 item left on a local shelf and not a national deal? There's also the issue of whether the item is fit for purpose, not to be confused with best in class. If I buy a bike lock, I want some degree of certainty that it's going to keep my bike locked or make it a deterrent against a would-be thief or opportunist. For that reason, cheap items (locks in this case) are essentially high-risk worthless items. I feel that one of the purposes of this site is also to advise other buyers who may not be as knowledgeable. I just watched a YouTube video where 3 similar locks were cut off in less than 15 seconds. In my neighbourhood, there's a refuge for drug/alcohol abusers...literally opposite a row of shops and you can pretty much guarantee some [insert relevant adjective here] person is lurking about or watching who's coming and going, thinking it'll be okay to use a £1 lock on their bike.
I actually voted HOT for the price, although I wouldn't touch this item with a barge pole so the GET DEAL becomes pretty pointless. I dislike voting cold but there are a growing number of listings on HUKD that I now vote cold for the reason that GET DEAL isn't an option, although credit to any OP for finding a great deal for themselves. Without GET DEAL being clicked, HUKD's referral revenue plummets.
But don't let me prevent anyone from putting a £1 lock on their £1,000 bike or 3 separate £1 locks...
lock it up for a slash, #2 probably not :0)
i have plenty of D-Locks my favoured brand being the on-guard brute, even those can be opened with a car jack.
but they are heavy duty. As always DYOR (do your own research). this will likely go hot, whether you like it or not.
It's a really good cheap buy if you want a simple lock but I wouldn't use one even if they were given for free unless I was fitting about 100 of them to my bike just to slow the thief down. HOT but no thanks. :smile:
In fact, connect a few of these together and you could cable-lock the fat porker to any immovable object. Just think how much weight they would lose, and how much the NHS would save!
Dragon's Den here I come :smiley:
You will never buy this after you've seen how easy it is.
I have a heavy duty chain and u/d lock both on and my bike was jumped, stomped on, shook and kicked to be stolen numerous times.
Personally i use one of these,it weighs quite a bit but I don't think the bike would go anywhere in a hurry when it's being used.
http://www.cycle-route.com/bikeshop/2134-Magnum-Plus-110cm-Chain-Bike-Lock.html
Either They work or no one wants my garden furniture :confused:
I would consider one to "lock" my front wheel to the frame, as if it was ragged off the wheel would probably end up damaged, so would be pointless stealing it then.
Bike locking is like running away from a bear. You only need to make your bike less nickable than the bike you're parked next to. A good quality D lock on the rear and a cheapy cable lock on the front and I figure they won't bother and'll move on to the next bike.
If you have a £30 bicycle, go for it! :stuck_out_tongue:
It's insured for about £500 (that's the list price) - assuming I actually want to keep it. What would you recommend?
If a bike is used for commuting, I've seen some videos that suggest not carrying your lock at all but storing it at work etc, especially the heavy duty motorcycle locks. I think I also saw the metal folding type of lock that was made of carbon fibre weighing in at less than 1/2kg.
Having written all that and like AlanClarke above, I've used a simple cable lock before (my nine year old daughter's lock; similar to this listing) for convenience to tie two bikes together whilst having a picnic than go to the lengths of threading various cables and locks through wheels/seat/frame. The bikes close by and within sight, simply used as a means to stop someone jumping on and riding away in the blink of an eye. The cable locks have their uses, which is why I voted hot but would use a "proper" solution at all other times when out of sight (even when just nipping into a local store) combining two different gold-standard locks.
Usually at £500 they will not consider claims unless a sold secure silver lock is used.
Something like a Kryptolok 2 would be ideal. link
Would be much easier to carry than my Kryptonite evo 4. PITA carrying big lock on a MTB but like to take it incase I stop anywhere.
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/hiplok-lite-wearable-bicycle-chain-lock/rp-prod151625
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqPwuXFmwNgulP0lATgK85g
EDIT: I've watched the videos now (Used the flyVPN proxy to pretend I was in Brazil to get round the block). Seem legit. Here's a Reddit about it, including a response from Litelok's founder.
That said i have now contacted the company with the intent of returning for a full refund. I get that not all locks are impregnable and the company will claim (if not already done) that the bike was incorrectly locked and that will be their "get out of jail free card" but for me that should been part of the gold standard testing, so should still be able to withstand being twisted apart.
My bike cost £60 SH and is insured for £500.
Any suggestions?
For me a flexible lock that can be wound round the bike and secure item as many times as needed to prevent tools from being wedged in between and prized off should do the job. The problem with flexible locks is that people leave them loose and therefore easy to be compromised.
Its a case of looking for something you feel comfortable with. I was more than happy with the litelok until recently and that has a sold secure gold rating (that will probably be under review). Would i have kept using it if i still used my old cheaper bike (£250) Yes. Am i using it with my new £700 bike. Nope.