City Cycling Security – part 1 – Using locks
Posted January 29, 2010
An important part of any journey is where you will end up. As a cyclist one of your main concerns will be what provisions there will be for bicycle parking at your destination, and how to make the best use of it. Security and convenience are key factors, let’s take a look at some of the options available to you…
What kind of lock to use
Two broad categories of lock are available to the average city cyclist: the wire lock and the solid D-lock. The wire lock comes in a variety of forms, sheathed and unsheathed, with padlocks, barrel locks or combination locks. The D-lock is less versatile in this respect and usually comes purely with its own in-built barrel lock.
The decision on which type of lock to use is an easy one. Use both! The two types of lock require different tools to break, and a bike thief will rarely come equipped to deal with both. Generally speaking it is sensible to acquire reasonably good-quality locks because it is not envisaged that they will need replacing very often – or else the bike will, too! Expect to spend up to £30 on locks; if your bike is worth much more than this, then the cost benefit is obvious.
Cheaper locks are still an option. I currently use a sheathed wire lock (around £5 or £6 from a very useful high-street shop founded by the son of Mr Wilkin) and, in defiance of my own advice, another wire lock bought for £1 from the Land of Pounds. Proportionally, these reflect the purchase price of my bicycle, which was around £20. However, taking into account optional extras added to any average bike (my own included, I suppose!), the effective cost rises and so should the amount spent on the locks.
How to use your locks correctly
Using your locks in conjunction with each other is a must. It makes me sigh sometimes to see two locks employed on a bicycle, yet configured in such a way as to allow one lock to depend on the other, rendering the second lock useless.
My recommendation is to put your D-lock to work securing the rear wheel to:
- the bike frame and
- a solid object like a bike rack.
This protects the valuable rear wheel, and the frame of the bicycle. The wire lock can then secure the front wheel to the frame, and in many cases can be threaded through a gap in your helmet to enable you to leave this with the bicycle if desired.
How to transport your locks
Locks can be heavy, especially a good-quality D-lock. In another article I will be addressing the means by which to transport items of any significant weight, but suffice it to say for now that a secured weight is easier to transport than a free weight. This means that if your lock comes with a bracket, use the bracket. Your lock will then also be handy every time you stop, without the need for rummaging in a bag or pannier. Wire locks can, of course, be wrapped around the seat post where it joins with the top tube. However, if you value your paint job then secure the wire lock to your pannier rack if available, or slip it in the pocket of a bag.
And may our bikes be forever safe.
Happy Cycling :)
