Choosing the Best Bike Lock for You

Recently, the folks at Bike Attack Playa Vista learned about a young boy's stolen bike and decided to replace it for him with a brand new Marin city bike, compliments of...well, us. This got us thinking, how do our clients protect their bikes?  

Bike theft is on the rise and that's primarily due to an increase in cyclists. It's hard to find accurate statistics because most bike thefts go unreported. Another reason is most bike owners do not register their bikes so when the authorities do find stolen property, it is difficult for them to find out if the bike was abandoned, lost or stolen. The best way to protect yourself is to take preventative measures. 

There are multiple types of locks, and finding the right lock for you can make all the difference in deterring thieves. 

U Lock

There are many variations on the U Lock, which is one of the most traditional types of bike locks. Advantages to this type of lock is there's only one piece to it, and it's generally lighter than most other types of locks. Disadvantages is the shape- you can only lock it in certain ways, and a weakness to the u lock is that i can be pried open with a crowbar or if the u lock is thin enough, cut open with bolt cutters. 

Chain Lock

There are two components to the chain lock- the chain, and the lock. Chain locks are great for customization. You can choose how long you want the chain to be, how thick you want the chain links, and what kind of lock you want to keep it together. Also you can choose where on the bike you want to be chained and how. The thicker the chain links the better, bolt cutters will cut through thin chain links easily, so you'll definitely be better off with thicker chain links. The downside to this is this makes it heavier and cumbersome to carry around. 

If you've chained the bike and the chain lock is on the floor, thieves have been known to make the lock brittle with cold compressed air and smash the lock open on the ground. Simply lock the chain higher off the ground to avoid this. 

Cable Lock

Similar to the chain lock, cable locks are preferred because of their portability and ease of use. The cables usually are pre-coiled so it's easy to wrap into a compact shape, pack up and go. However, the cables do not always come in a variety of widths like chain locks, and are prone to being cut open easily with bolt cutters. Advantages are they can be locked with a pre-installed lock, or you can choose your own (we advise choosing your own, as the combination locks are less secure than keyed locks.