New U-lock that resists angle grinder attempts

[Danneaux]

Hi All!

Hope you're all enjoying a pleasant holiday season.

Yesterday, I came across some links to a new style U-lock specifically designed to resist attempts by battery-powered portable angle grinders, a particularly popular means for theft in my area.

The makers claim this is secure enough to allow overnight parking of a bicycle. While the lock might be secure, there are an increasing number of local cases where the rack is cut - or even the bike frame. While this may seem illogical at first, the parts are stripped and sold locally on Craigslist (our Gumtree) or via eBay because they have no serial numbers and are untraceable.

This lock is still a few months from market but looks promising. Basically, it is a double-locking U-lock with a thick aluminum jacket over the steel hoop which is then covered in protective vinyl or silicone. The idea is the aluminum prevents the angle grinder's disc from easily reaching the encased steel -0 the casing bottoms out before the disc can reach its target -- and requires a number of batteries and cutoff wheels to make much headway. Time, effort, noise and attention required are figured to discourage the average thief who wants to get his prize quickly.

The thing is huge and heavy -- it weighs 13.7lb/6.2kg(!) -- so not designed for touring. The makers suggest leaving it attached to a bike rack at the workplace so it provides secure daily parking. The company website also touts a much lighter weight titanium link-lock: https://altorlocks.com/

Anyway, an interesting and different approach. I have no interest in the product, just find it an intriguing approach where I live in an area with extremely high rates of bike theft. Links here...
http://altorsaflock.com/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GaL-HWRVTHU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=riY4xWB0Pfw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1HvMPh6JBBI

Best,

Dan.

[Andre Jute]

 A few ounces short of 14 pounds of deadweight for single small U-lock is indeed (!). As for not having enough batteries for the grinder, one assumes that a bicycle thief didn't buy a grinder but stole that as well. Almost any battery grinder that is good enough to attack a bicycle lock comes with two or more batteries; the one I inspected on a building site was carried in its own high impact plastic case with two chargers and no fewer four spare batteries, each with its own foam cutout.

Their titanium Apex lock is clever but one has to wonder, not about the ti struts, but about the hinges and the locks.

I'm glad I was sitting down before I read their prices. A really good bicycle lock suitable for big-tyred bikes like tourers -- though still too heavy to take on tour unless you don't like eating or clean clothes -- is the 300mm Abus Granite X; I paid under 60 euro for mine, delivered in Ireland. These guys want several multiples of that for their locks.

The escalation of bicycle lock prices (and weights!) will soon make it cheaper to move to a crime-free area than to buy a bicycle lock you can trust.