Arnaud and Geocycle, I shall employ a combination of your tactics. My wife loves holidays, so perhaps I should book a cycling holiday and, after a couple of days in the saddle on her sub-£100 bike, let her try the Raven? Also the cost of congestion charge and hike in public transport prices recently particularly help in the justifications.. Little by little.
Regarding the questions of security, nnnmvg, I agree with julk's reply with one extra comment, which is that, in order to get the best security, using high quality cable (through the front wheel, with pitlock skewer) as well as frame, in addition to a good U-lock, means that any thief needs two different types of equipment.. ONLY if you don't use the U-lock to secure the cable: use a good padlock with an armoured hasp for this. In practice it is much quicker than it sounds. Particularly if you pre-secure one end of the cable by feeding itself through it's own eye and around the rear triangle upright, leaving only one end to secure with the padlock on a daily basis.
There is good advice from Harvard after a spate of bike thefts recommending a U-lock simply around a section of the rear wheel within the rear triangle and to a solid post. Furthermore, using a relatively small U-lock makes it more difficult for a thief to get his cutters, or commonly their 'jack', into the centre of it to cut through; but this also limits you to the use of only small posts.
Of course, we are simply hoping to deflect thiefs to an easier target. A determined thief, with time and a quiet corner will, unfortunately, get through any lock.
Concerning S & S fittings, they are pretty obscure and it is unlikely most thieves would know what they are.. And, as for their strength, I am also an engineer and I think that my mind has been put to rest here; and my engineering curiosity and the convenience that they offer are now the overriding factors.
Pleased to get all of that off my chest.
Best,
Ellis
