Bike security out and about

[jdwhittaker]

Ive got a substantial disc lock, ground anchor and hefty chain on the bike whilst its tucked away in the garage but all of these devices are far too chunky to take with me.

What do people tend to use if you're locking your bike up whilst you go into the shop, on a day out etc. Just smaller more portable chain and disc lock?

[ThatDippyTwat]

Depends entirely where I'm parking. If it's out of the way, work etc then usually just a small disclock, but have 2 disclocks and a cablelock if needed, say in town (bike parking is near where the scrotes like to congregate), or a place with a reputation.
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'98 VFR800 (touring) - '12 VFR800 Crosrunner (Commuting) - '01 KDX220 (Big Green Antisocial Machine)

[Teflon-Mike]

My Disk-Lock is two-parts that have pins to slot them together beflore they lock; So I have a heft garage 'security-cable' which rolls up fairly small, and I thread the eyes on the end over the pins, so that the disk-lock is effectively also pad-lockl for the cable, that's long enough to thread round a lamp-post or similar when out and about.

Its not exactly the hardest security about, BUT, it is 'some' and cable does mean that the bike can be tied down against a wheel-away, wont stop determined t-leaf tooled up with CO2 or lith-ion angry-grinder, but t'll slow down or make them look else-where, a school-kid with a nail-file.

And that's the point; you will NOT stop-em, so its a case of picking 'something' portable that you can and will use, to slow-em doen or make them look else-where. It's the art of compromise. You7 have to make one... just r4emember that 'something' is better than 'nothing' so dont discount even the cheesiest of pound-shop push-bike locks.... IF you can carry it and IF you will use it, it'll do something more than nothing!
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[jdwhittaker]

That's a good point about getting something that you will definitely use rather than something beefy that you might not be arsed to take everywhere.

[Ste]

Park next to something more desirable to thieves than your bike.

[Teflon-Mike]

[pepperami]

My nice bike is clearly marked ‘Data-Tag’ and ‘Spyball’ immobiliser/alarm.
Plus I use a disc lock.
However I still expect scumbags to steal it if I leave it unattended.
There’s nowhere to carry a heavy chain on my bike without damaging it.
On my 250 (RX3) Chinese POS , I have panniers and a top box, so I am able to carry a heavy chain and lock the bike to a post or something heavy.

Ironically the crappy bike would be harder to steal

Park it where you can see it, or buy a cheap dirty crappy ugly bike that nobody wants
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I am the sum total of my own existence, what went before makes me who I am now!

[defblade]

I carry a cheapish, light, cable lock when out, and a smallish disclock.
As I understand, a cable type resists bolt cutters much better than a chain as it squishes and spreads rather than breaking. Neither type will resist an angle grinder for long. Cable is much lighter and flexible than a chain, so much longer for the same weight, easier to use more of the time and so you are more likely to carry it and find a way to use it at any given stop.
I like to have 2 things for the scum to get through, and one of them able to make simply lifting the bike into a van more difficult... you won't stop someone determined anyway, you can just put off the passing git.
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[bigdom86]

not a lock but if can't afford the layout for a full on alarm system you could get one of those tiny flashing red or blue lights somewhere on the dash or on the rear end of the bike which will put people off, when i park up at work there are a few of us with alarm systems so you see the red blinking light, im sure it would put off a thief even if just a flashing light as most thieves are thick and would just assume it is alarmed and has a tracker, obviously your professional thief wont care and will take it and put it to the side somewhere to see if someone turns up to follow the tracker.

i always carry an abus granit disc lock with me though