Slightly embarrassing incident last week – on holiday at parents on the coast, locked bikes up on the seafront and went for a stroll. Went to unlock them and realised I’d brought the wrong keys, the correct key was still at home 100 miles away! Step dad had to come down with a hacksaw 🙂

So I’m in need of a new lock. Doesn’t need to be anything super secure as it’s really just a deterrent while we’re out and about, and we’re not usually far from the bikes anyway. The last one was a Specialized something or other that came free with something or other.

It needs to be:

1) Long enough to get round 2 bikes and a trailerbike (so 3 bikes really). Just through the frames is OK, wheels too would be an unlikely bonus.
2) Lightish
3) Easy to pack/tidy – eg coils easily and doesn’t get tangled up while bouncing around in a pannier
4) Not made of butter.

The choices are quite overwhelming on CRC so I guess I’m just looking at recommendations on brand so I can narrow it down a bit. I’m not bothered about key or combo, although given recent experience perhaps a combo would be a good idea (I have memories of picking them as a child though).

What do folks use for securing pub bikes/kiddie transporters?

Oh, and budget is up to £20.

Thanks

That sort of budget, that sort of length: you may as well use butter.

Or you could use one of these:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ABUS-COBRA-8-200-200cm-LONG-INSURANCE-SECURITY-CABLE-ABUCOB8200-/350716843090?pt=UK_HaG_Lock_Safes_GL&hash=item51a85a5452

With something like one of these:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ABUS-50MM-BRASS-BASIC-PADLOCK-55C-50-/111036526621?pt=UK_HaG_Lock_Safes_GL&hash=item19da4af01d

Not exactly fort Knox though, i’ll warn you!

Yep, that cable looks OK I guess and can be used elsewhere too. Budget can go higher but this is really just an out and about opportunistic thief deterrent. It’s not securing anything too expensive or irreplaceable.

For context – the lock we used until last week took less than a minute to cut through with a standard hacksaw!

Sorry, but any cable is going to be easy to defeat with simple hand tools.

Can put padlocks through the chainrings and stuff to disable a bike so it can’t be wheeled off as it won’t roll. Probably a better deterrent than a padlock through that lock as the cable can be cut.