Is there a better way?

[ourclarioncall]

Chains v cable v D locks etc

Is there a better way ?

Just considering in my mind a better security device with more efficient use of materials for 1.same or  Lighter weigh and or 2. Increases angle grinder defence time

Thinking about the typical chain. One link goes through another. Usually the padlock is a tougher battle so the thief goes for the chain . So everything is focused on getting one individual link open to release the other link and rest of chain. Game over

We need TWO cuts, on ONE SIDE of the link.

For certain reasons the first cut is the hardest and longest (let’s say 10 minutes)  , the second cut can be done let’s say for simplicity sake half the time ( 5 minutes). So 15 minutes total

First thought is , if we melted the link down and used the metal to for a single straight bar, not a link , then the diameter would be much larger. The downside is the thief only needs ONE CUT to get through instead of two, but since the first cut gives the greater time benefit anyway and the fact that the “chain” or rod (whatever we want to call it) is much larger in diameter it might bring the cutting time higher than the link ? speaking in ignorance here, no engineering knowledge!

The rod would be combined with other rods to create a flexible triangle or rectangle or more. A bit like the lock that Abus ? Make with rivets that fold out like a Swiss Army knife. Although think the rivets are weak.

Thinking how to connect these rods together is another line of thought , but the basic idea is a no nonsense THICK heavy(but maybe not that heavy actually ) straight rod that gets from A to B in the quickest possible time while using the same or less materials of a chain therefore increasing diameter of metal to increase hopefully significantly angle grinding time

Hope I’m making sense

Pragmasis have a “round lock” on one there chains which got impressive review from Bennett’s. It’s an alternative to a typical padlock and it’s lightweight I could imagine connecting these rods with something like this round lock

[ourclarioncall]

Here is a review of the round lock aswell as the chain

https://www.bennetts.co.uk/bikesocial/reviews/products/security/motorcycle-chains-and-locks/tested-pragmasis-protector-16mm-chain-with-roundlock-rl21-padlock-review

[ourclarioncall]

The round lock weighs 0.53kg


“ We were unable to break this lock. Using a sledge hammer we repeatedly struck it, leaving only dents in the casing regardless of the angle of attack.

We gave up on the angle grinder after a long test as the grinder was bucking dangerously.

After both tests, the lock still opened and closed.”

[ourclarioncall]

Something along these lines,

https://coolhunting.com/design/altor-titanium-foldable-bike-lock-kickstarter/

[ourclarioncall]

https://altorlocks.com/

[Danneaux]

There are other factors besides which lock you choose and use. Have you decided on a bike color? Some folks have strong opinions on whether it affects theft-attractiveness.

Some folks feel a plain black or otherwise inconspicuous color makes a bike less eye-catching, while others feel a bright color (Tonka Yellow, for example) makes the bike so very conspicuous, it would be too distinctive and easily identified for a thief to steal.

I chose matte black for my Sherpa and then Nomad, mostly because the color is easy to touch-up (expedition bikes can be subject to scratches no matter how careful one might be) and because I think it shows up less when stealth camping. The Raven Tour I rode so extensively on my 2014 tour was a bright Rosso Red. None of my bikes have been stolen (yet) so the jury is still out for me on which might attract or deter thieves.

Differing strategies can help. A friend of mine habitually locked his bike sans front wheel so it would appear disabled. He then locked the front wheel alone to a different rack to make it appear the matching bicycle had been stolen. He never lost either and was willing to put in the extra time to mate the pieces each day he commuted. I used to park my really nice bike on a busy university campus.  used an alarm and a U-lock and heft cable and made sure to park it among junker bikes that were never locked, figuring the extra effort needed to steal mine would cause a thief to choose easier pickings. It seemed to work. I did repeatedly lose empty water bottles until I left some water in the bottom. Apparently, thieves didn't want bottles that had been actively used! 

Best,

Dan.

[Matt2matt2002]

 Great thoughts, 'Clarion'. Got me thinking hard about your topic.

Is there a better way? Well, yes and know! Geddit?
On my '15 ( that's 2015.... ) anticlockwise tour through Kyrgyzstan & Tajikistan along the Pamir highway I took a Chinese cheap helix coil wire combination padlock. For security reasons I gave the combination to my trusted travel companions. I figured that if any ( albeit highly unlikely ) situation arose it would be prudent to have a pal unlock my Raven Tour ( purchased a few years before from Andy ) Interestingly, it came with a fixed rear wheel Dutch frame security lock. A great piece of European engineering. However, on prepping my bike for the above mentioned tour, I found that the 2" tires were 2 (! Wink !) wide for the hardened steel lock. I had no choice but to remove the Dutch lock.
I think I passed it on to a member here. Nothing wasted in the Matt household.

Back to the subject ; let's lock in on it!
You mentioned trees in a previous post as a security base for looping a chain around. Well, yes and no. Some countries have plenty, some not so many. There may well be a tree available but not in the place you want to stop. You are therefore forced to stop where the tree is rather than where the store or cafe is situated.
On my '14 ( 2014! ) North to South trans Scottish end to end self supported tour ( summer ), there were plenty of trees. Usually near my desired resting spot. However, on my Moroccan tour, (2018, summer )very few.

Knowing the country well, my security arrangements for Scotlandshire were less than Morocco. Horses for courses, as my dear departed dad, Ron, would say.
An additional security tip he gave me was to park my stead next to something the same colour. A kinda camouflage effect. Blend it in. That goes for personal security as well.

So far we have concentrated on bike security and color. Not wishing to deviate from the topic but closely allied to it, is your physical and mental security. Perhaps I may venture to suggest you consider these two subjects before your world tour?
My 5/6 weeks in Ethiopia ( 2018, Spring ) were very enjoyable from a scenic a cultural perspective. However it was only my long and well researched prep, that got me through some err... interesting situations.
If I had to choose between a lock on my bike or a mental mindset/ attitude.........

As my ol' pa used to say, " You cannae buy experience........ but you can buy me a beer."
Wise words from a canny ol' cove.

[martinf]

Chains v cable v D locks etc
Is there a better way ?

A completely different take is to use a bike that isn't worth very much and/or is unusual enough to not be worth stealing.

I did this for about a year in all when working away from home in the early 1980's. I had an old ladies bike that I got for nothing, modified to 5 derailleur gears and with an old leather saddle fitted. It had scratched-up paint and rust spots. With a couple of fairly ordinary locks, it was never stolen despite being left in the station bike park every weekend. There were lots of "better" bikes that looked more attractive to thieves. I suppose vandalism might be a problem nowadays.

My current old utility bike is an old French frame with 650B wheels. I fitted a Sturmey-Archer 5-speed hub from the early 1980's, enough for local trips. Hub gears are unusual here in France, and I doubt that this bike is very interesting to most thieves. If I don't need more capability and know I will have to park the bike for a significant time, I take this bike. It would cost me perhaps £200 to replace it with an equivalent used bike.

I didn't worry too much about theft for my 2011 tour to Spain and back. I used an old mountain bike from about 1990, with old front and rear racks and about £350 worth of new bits (drop bars, tyres, wide range gears) to make it suitable for mainly on-road touring.

   

[JohnR]

Is a dirty bike less attractive to the thieves than a clean one?

[martinf]

Is a dirty bike less attractive to the thieves than a clean one?

I used to keep my utility bike reasonably dirty, and not touch up the scrapes and rust spots too often.

Don't know if you can still get them, but a few years ago it was possible to buy false rust spots on transfers to disguise expensive bikes.

[ourclarioncall]

“ Differing strategies can help. A friend of mine habitually locked his bike sans front wheel so it would appear disabled. He then locked the front wheel alone to a different rack to make it appear the matching bicycle had been stolen. He never lost either and was willing to put in the extra time to mate the pieces each day he commuted. “

Ha! What a great strategy 😁

[ourclarioncall]

Yeah, I would be up for plain black. I really like it

“Out of sight out of mind”

Trying to keep the bike “invisible “ is definitely a good ingredient in a complete protection recipie. If thieves don’t see it they won’t want to attempt to steal it in the first place. So I guess for city’s and things there’s the thought of putting the bike a distance away from regular footfall . But a nice “boring” colour like black can blend in nicely with surroundings

At the supermarket the other day, there is a bike rack tucked on the edge of the building . Right next to a car park . Was thinking how easy it would be for a man in a works van (with loads of tools) to cut through the rack and throw the bike in the back of the van and off he goes. So made me think about keeping a bike far away from roads and parking as not to tempt jack the lad 

[ourclarioncall]

Matt

Very interesting on the potential lack of trees. Now I think about it after spending about 6 weeks in Morocco, I don’t remember any trees either , other than the orange trees we drove past on the bus

I guess you would have to do your homework and “know before you go “

I’m trying to think of an alternative to trees? Anything else that could be used to lock up to?

I recently found myself watching crime watch videos on Facebook of fake delivery drivers knocking on doors , then when the owner answered , a gang of thugs just barged there way into the house. The screams were disturbing to say the least. That obviously leads you to think, wow, does that stuff really happen ? What can I go to prevent it? So for a day or so your mind exaggerates reality/probability, but then you forget and go back to your normal casual ways and sometimes even forget to lock the door at night.

I did hear of locals with drug addicts doing similar things in my own neighbourhood. In fact , a guy in my small village I see often on the bus recently robbed the local supermarket garage with a knife and also I think a W.h.smiths which I just missed by 5 or 10 minutes.

So it’s interesting. The balance between becoming paranoid and locking your eyes in on one piece of the jigsaw puzzle instead of seeing the bigger picture , versus , getting over confident and casual thinking that the statistics are in your favour and there’s probably no chance it’ll happen to you

I think I’m some countries the moral standards are so high that if you were to befriend the locals , they would police your bike for you , but in others the local policeman will rip the bike out of your hands if he fancies it !

I guess when it comes to safety you need a lot of tools in your box for all the potential situations you may find yourself in.

[ourclarioncall]

Fake rust spots on transfers

Ha, love it

I did think about asking for the ugliest paint job known to man. Make it look scratched to bits and full of rust haha

[ourclarioncall]

Another thought I had was when leaving a bike , was to test the waters

Leave things in and on or around your bike to test the waters and areas you lock up your bike

Perhaps if you have panniers bags that are fixed to the bike then leave some tempting object in them to see if folk are rooting around in your bags when your gone

Maybe get a couple of cheap phones, and leave one on your handlebars to see if it gets pinched

If a thief comes and can’t angle grind through your chain , instead of him getting frustrated and just sawing through your frame in a rage to spite you, he may be defused by leaving him a consolation prize