Bike security chains (Tied to wheel)

[dave100]

What is the best chain to buy to tie my bike to any solid structures.

How big should the links be in order to reduce the chance of some bike theft cutting them.

Product referals appreciated

[Maha]

I have one of these http://www.oxfordproducts.com/motorc...n_and_padlock/
I paid $299 for it in 2014. Seems they are cheaper now.

When I had to (unfortunately) park my bike outside for a while. I wanted something substantial, Sales person said any would be thief would need an angle grinder to cut through it.

This would be the Krytonite equivalent http://www.cycletreads.co.nz/product...hain_and_.aspx

12mm links instead of 16mm like the Oxford.

[GazzaH]

Thieves have battery-powered angle grinders ... but making lots of noise and sparks tends to attract attention, provided you haven't parked up a dark alley or back street. That's a clue.

Alarms, engine immobilisers and multiple locks help. Make it hard (slow, obvious, risky) for the thieves. Even a hunk of alkathene pipe over the cable might help a little: it's not so obvious to a passing thief what he's up against.

Oh and if other nice bikes in the area are less well secured, the thieves will hopefully go for them instead of yours. [Hopefully they are all adequately secured, so the thieves don't even bother.]

Not parking in the same spot regularly is another suggestion. Don't make it too easy for them to line-up your bike for the grind.

Last resort is your insurance. It's "only" a bike!

[pritch]

There was a recent segment on TV looking at cycle locks, I was concerned to see that the expert actually laughed at the item I use. So I wouldn't leave it all day, but hopefully it's OK for a short time. There are clips on Youtube though where the thief has freed the bike in seconds. The advice was that if they can get a bolt cutter on to the chain, your bike is not secure. That's just as relevant to motorbikes as to cycles.

There are disc locks too, but the potential for making a complete dick of yourself seems quite high.

[Swoop]

Anything with a linked chain is piss-easy cutting and totally silent as well using bolt cutters.

A braided cable is much tougher going and takes time.

Any method only adjusts the time or difficulty it will take for a determined cunt to get through.
Just make things difficult so the retarded cunt decides to steal the harley fergusson parked next to your bike, that provided better returns for the parts.

[GazzaH]

Just the once, surely?

Aside from the day-glo curly lead things, there must be some way to sequence or safety-interlock the keys so it's not physically possible to start the bike until the disc lock is off - some sort of disk lock holder thing that only releases the bike key when the disk lock is in the holder maybe? Or a disk lock holder that needs the disk lock in place to complete the ignition circuit?

[HenryDorsetCase]

There are disc locks too, but the potential for making a complete dick of yourself seems quite high.

100 per cent in my case. My then new to me Triumph Scrambler. clutch lever, handlebar and bent gear lever.

[Flip]

These days I would fit a tile or similar tracking device.

[dave100]

Anything with a linked chain is piss-easy cutting and totally silent as well using bolt cutters.

A braided cable is much tougher going and takes time.

Any method only adjusts the time or difficulty it will take for a determined cunt to get through.
Just make things difficult so the retarded cunt decides to steal the harley fergusson parked next to your bike, that provided better returns for the parts.

Can you link some braided cable products

[pete376403]

chain links made of square section steel are apparently harder (more difficult) for bolt cutters than round section.

[OddDuck]

GPS locator (some have fence functions, if it moves outside the fence it alerts you), full insurance, and park somewhere public. Chains or cables do work but are a hassle to move around with you, it's not so bad if you can leave them on whatever you're locking the bike to. I've had a disc lock and yep it can get pretty embarrassing (not to mention hard on the speedo cables).

Freakonomics discussed the Lo-Jack effect on car theft in the States - made for pretty interesting reading. Areas where 2% of the driving population fitted a Lo-Jack saw car theft fall by 50% or more. Yes it's cars not bikes but it'd be interesting to see what happened to bike thefts in NZ if there was more uptake of locators.

[george formby]

chain links made of square section steel are apparently harder (more difficult) for bolt cutters than round section.

Yeah, my chain has hex links so they roll in bolt cutters, apparently. I upgraded the lock to a Thatcham rated one, insurance bench mark. They are rated by how many blows it takes with a sledge hammer to break. I up-rated because most bike locks are not shouldered, so it's easy to get purchase on them. Another thing with cheapish locks is that they are cast so if you freeze them they shatter easily.
Most important thing with a chain and lock is to keep them off the ground. If you watch vids of the thieves using huge bolt cutters one end is always on the floor, they are too big to use like a bull worker. Same with a grinder, it's a PITA trying to cut something that's wobbling around.

Alarmed cables can sometimes be almost silenced with shaving foam. You need something that really shrieks.

IMHO 3 or 4 different locks, are better than one big one. A pain in the ass putting them on is even more of a pain in the ass, and time consuming, to smash them off. Easier to transport smaller locks, too. A 4-5ft hardened chain and proper lock is very heavy and unwieldy.

I've heard, anecdotally, that a few years ago the scrotes in the UK upgraded from lithium ion grinders to Li plasma cutters.

Check out insurance ratings on products and have more than one type of security.

[babysteps]

Anything with a linked chain is piss-easy cutting and totally silent as well using bolt cutters.

A braided cable is much tougher going and takes time.

Unfortunately you're incorrect, I sell wire rope (Braided Cable) and chain for a living. 10 mm chain is way harder to cut than 10 mm wire rope.
You cannot cut 10 mm Transport Chain, the stuff you see on trucks holding down diggers/logs, with bolt cutters if it is in the air. You would need to be the size of Arnie to have enough strength

Any method only adjusts the time or difficulty it will take for a determined cunt to get through.
Just make things difficult so the retarded cunt decides to steal the harley fergusson parked next to your bike, that provided better returns for the parts.

That part is true.....

[Swoop]

Can you link some braided cable products

This is similar to what I have. Mine is around a metre long and the wire is close to an inch diameter (25mm) with lots of small strands. The strands tend to crush down and are difficult to break with boltcutters.
https://www.amazon.com/Master-Lock-8.../dp/B000XUA5SO

Have a look at some "motorcycle thieves in London" videos and you will see what they are using (mainly boltcutters and angle grinders).

Ive used the biggest boltcutters (around 1m long) and they just walk through hardened steel chain and also the shackle of padlocks. As Babysteps has posted, if your lock is close to the ground it is easier to get extra leverage on the boltcutters.

[Big Dog]

Just the once, surely?

Aside from the day-glo curly lead things, there must be some way to sequence or safety-interlock the keys so it's not physically possible to start the bike until the disc lock is off - some sort of disk lock holder thing that only releases the bike key when the disk lock is in the holder maybe? Or a disk lock holder that needs the disk lock in place to complete the ignition circuit?

Or get am alarmed one... they let you know quickly of you forget about them.