Locks and Lights

[CrouchingWayne]

Hi guys

Having recently upgraded my bike I’m looking to upgrade my lock and lights!

The lock will be used for security at work and a few relatively short trips (<30mins) to the shops. In general the places it is parked up are pretty good so I wouldn’t expect it to be stolen (but stranger things have happened)

As I would like to take it with me the wearable ones appeal - Hiplok DX and Litelok. Are these worth using? Litelok seems to get poor reviews from users online so I am leaning to Hiplok. There are also the cable tie things at a fraction of the cost - secure enough or not?

As for lights I’m looking for something for the front. I don’t have anything just now but it would be good to get something that will help me see as well as be seen. Any reasonably affordable suggestions?

Cheers

[anonymous-user]

I have a 300 lumens front light from Evans, £25. Very reliable and quite durable too.

As for locks, I don’t leave the posh bike anywhere out of sight so never need a lock for it or I take a smallish cable lock for the pub bike to the shops and accept that it may get pinched. Never liked the idea of the wearable ones personally and am not lugging a d-lock around for the pub bike

[leyorkie]

If you are using the lock at work then why not leave the lock there. That way you can have a gold standard D lock and cable. Then buy a good quality cable lock for the short stops, pub, shops etc not too heavy to carry around
Gold standard D locks can be bought from as little as £30 so you could get these for the same price as a hiplok

[CrouchingWayne]

That’s a good idea as well and definitely doable. What good quality cable lock would you recommend? I can see quite a few D locks/cables so could pick up a Kryptonite set for around £30 as you say

[leyorkie]

Check the Sold Secure website they list all the approved locks.
Then shop around I got some Gold standard from PlanetX for £17 each
They test cables as well
Sold secure site is difficult to use try this one
http://thebestbikelock.com/best-bike-lock/sold-sec...

Edited by leyorkie on Friday 20th September 12:50

[yellowjack]

Can't really help with locks much. My boy used an Abus (Sold Secure Bronze) armoured cable lock for his hardtail uni commute bike. It was attacked twice and held off the tealeaf long enough that the bike wasn't nicked. Second time they took his seatpost and saddle (possibly out of spite). My older son uses an Abus (Sold Secure Gold) armoured cable lock, a D-lock, and the cable that came with the D-lock, and parks his bike in a stand on a high street outside where he works. He wears the armoured cable as a belt, looped through the D-lock. He too used to use the same type of Bronze rated cable lock when he was at uni, and came out of a shop to find some scrote almost through the lock with a bolt cutter. Lock wasn't completely cut through, but rendered useless for further use.

As for front lights? I'd strongly recommend Halfords Bike Hut lights. Various ones available, all usb charging, come with a choice of rigid or flexi mounting, loads of brightness settings, and even double as a power bank. I bought a couple of 1600 lumen versions last year, and they've been great. "See and be seen" shouldn't need any more than 1000 lumens, though. I picked brighter ones for MTB trail riding at night (and because higher power = larger capacity battery, so it lasts longer at lower output settings).


https://www.halfords.com/cycling/bike-lights/bike-...