Bike security advice/almax yay or nay?

There's only 1 disc lock that any good but i can't remember what its called. They're easy to smashing off though if you don't care about damaging the disc, plus they don't stop the bike being lifted!

[Pete7]

Originally Posted by agy

Arrrgghh I just don't know what to do anymore... another mates says a £20 disk lock is useless

There are some rather disturbing videos on you tube of opening locks with barrel keys using a biro pen. So if a £20 lock is fitted with one of these then yes, useless.

An alarm disk lock at least is going to make a load of noise whilst they have a go at it.

I would choose the chain I think.

Pete

I just don't get it.... what's the point of all this security equipment if every single one can be smashed in no time. why does anybody bother buying them?

[Mark_h]

You don't need to make your bike theft proof it just needs to be harder to nick than the one next to it. Any thing is better than nothing, best is better than OK and OK is better than rubbish but it's all better than nothing. At the end of the day if someone really wants your bike, they'll have your bike you just need to make it as awkward as possible so they nick someone else's instead.

[Pete7]

You're trying to deter the "couple of yoofs and a tranny van" from picking it up into the van and driving away. Ride Magazine did an article about 6 years ago were they parked a fireblade (I think) in a town centre high street during the day time. 30 minutes later they drove up, 4 lads picked up the bike with the alarm going, carried it into the van and drove off. Lots of people about but no one blinked an eye lid.

I don't think you will stop a determined theft who is going tooled up and who has seen your bike previously. However, the opportunist pikey yoof with a large screwdriver for the ignition, well you will slow him down and stop him pushing the bike away somewhere quiet to do the locks, even deter him so he goes off in search of something easier. Hence the suggestion of alarms for noise and a chain to physically secure it to something immoveable. Sure you can cut chain but how many yoofs are going about with a 42" set of bolt cutters at £200 a set. A large screwdriver is a different matter.

Hmmm ok. Maybe it's not worth buying a £150 chain then.... perhaps I'll just get a decent disk lock since other than at night at home, the chain will not be used anyway

[yorkie_chris]

There's no reason you can't negotiate with your insurers to say the chain will be in use at home but not when out and about. If you go down this route getting it in writing would be a good idea.

An almax and alarmed disclock combo would be hard to beat.


My opinion is not many theives would try to pick locks.

[timwilky]

From what I have read, the Squire lock supplied with the Almax chain was upgraded some time ago to prevent picking. Although I suspect there is no such thing as an unpickable lock, it just takes the right skill, right tools and sufficient time.

[yorkie_chris]

I was playing about with a locksmith friend of mine the other evening, a standard cheap pin cylinder took me about 5 minutes with no prior experience. A rather more expensive one with several anti-pick features took an hour, but I got it. He can annoyingly do those in minutes.

[jambo]

Originally Posted by Mark_h

You don't need to make your bike theft proof it just needs to be harder to nick than the one next to it. Any thing is better than nothing, best is better than OK and OK is better than rubbish but it's all better than nothing. At the end of the day if someone really wants your bike, they'll have your bike you just need to make it as awkward as possible so they nick someone else's instead.

This is the best way to look at it.

I know of one couple who had an Almax chain around a tree by their house. Got back one day to find the chain gone. They are not impervious to attack. There was no bike theft, so I don't know if the chain was removed by the council, or by someone for resale (there would be some irony in that I guess).

Anything that stops the bike being picked up and put in a van is worth more than something that doesn't. A tatty bike cover can actually have some value as it looks like there's a tatty bike under it, but nothing at all will stop someone nicking your bike if they're determined.

Jambo