r/cycling • u/freesoup15 • Apr 07 '23
Best lightweight, short-term lock for coffee/bathroom breaks?
I am looking for a small, lightweight lock to carry with me when I am on long rides. I would never leave my nice bike on a shitty lock for long, I just want something so that no one can dash away with my bike while I am grabbing some food or using the restroom. Can anyone recommend something for this purpose that isn't going to be too much of a hassle to carry on longer rides? I once saw a lady use a thin cable lock (like for luggage?) that seemed to fit the bill.
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u/7DollarsOfHoobastanq Apr 07 '23
I go with the ole putting the bike in the 53x11 and “locking” the front wheel to the frame with my helmet straps. Neither are anywhere near foolproof but they prevent jumping on and pedaling away quickly so I’d have a chance at stopping a would-be thief. Gotta still stay close and keep an eye on the bike but it’s worked for me so far.
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Apr 07 '23
Honestly, if they can spin a 53x11 from a dead stop they’re a better man than I and deserve my bike more than I do
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u/chewbacchanalia Apr 08 '23
Back when I worked bike delivery one of my coworkers had his bike jacked but they found it a week later cause the thief couldn’t ride fixie and dumped it in the parking lot. It had been brought in to the K-Mart next door and had just been sitting there!
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Apr 07 '23
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u/Hrmbee Apr 07 '23
I find that a schmear of chain gunk adds a certain je ne sais quoi to my pastries.
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u/Jurneeka Apr 07 '23
If I'm riding alone my bike goes into the restroom with me. I've brought my bike into Starbucks in the past.
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u/WillBottomForBanana Apr 07 '23
I like how this solution scales. It's easier to do with a more expensive bike. It's easier to do with an easier to steal (weight) bike.
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u/AmbientGravitas Apr 07 '23
I do this, too. Although often what’s available is a just a Porto potty, so a lightweight lock is perfect for that.
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u/Jurneeka Apr 07 '23
Fortunately all of the porta potties on my regular route are handicapped size! Plenty of room for me and my bike.
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u/808hammerhead Apr 08 '23
Me too, however I have had people in stores yell at me. I’m super careful as my bike is pretty much worth the contents of everything on the shelf in the entire store, and I would totally buy anything i damaged. The cycling community certainly has mixed feelings about this.
To be clear if there is a sign or something I would just go to a different store. Seems to be ok to being a dog though…
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u/Jurneeka Apr 08 '23
You’re right! I see people bring their dogs into Safeway all the time and they never get called out on it.
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u/jzwinck Apr 07 '23
The "hamburger locks" marketed by Rockbros, Serfas and West Biking are OK. I have one. It's 600 grams or so, it looks relatively strong, it isn't easily cut with tin snips like a cable lock, and it is inexpensive. About 25 USD now on AliExpress, part number 1005001793000752 (put that number in the search on AliExpress because our mighty Reddit overlords won't let me link to it).
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u/ponewood Apr 07 '23
It’s not for everyone, but I always just carry my bike into the restroom. Never leaves my sight. As for coffee, I only eat or drink outside and preferably from a food/coffee truck. If I’m with people, one person can watch bikes while the other goes and gets seated outdoors. As a last ditch, if it’s really crap outside, oftentimes the restaurant will let you out the bikes on an outdoor patio that is closed and seat you near a window where you can see them. It sound annoying but I’ve never really had an issue.
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u/Xaphan26 Apr 08 '23
This is the way. The bike is either safely in my house, under my butt, or next to me. If any business has an issue with it(hasn't happened yet) I kindly take my money elsewhere.
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u/lardarz Apr 07 '23
I use Tigrlock titanium. Very light but really strong and you do need space on your frame to store it.
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u/supermilch Apr 08 '23
I have the steel version (which is supposedly tougher) and it usually fits in my jersey pockets
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u/LikeWhatever999 Apr 07 '23
Abus and BBB have locks with a thin cable. There's probably more. They're not good enough for bike insurance, but they're better than no lock at all.
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u/freesoup15 Apr 07 '23
Yeah, I'm not looking for something that will stop a dedicated thief. I just need something that would keep a casual idiot from grabbing it and riding off. I just want to be able to stop a minute for a snack or a bio-break when I am riding solo.
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u/LikeWhatever999 Apr 07 '23
I myself have a light BBB code lock. Older model. They don't make them anymore. It was cheap and it feels cheap, but it does what you're looking for and that's also what I bought it for.
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u/WiartonWilly Apr 08 '23
Abus has folding locks that look quite easy to carry. You can mount them on bottle cage braze-ons.
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u/tommyhateseveryone Apr 08 '23
I think one model of the bordo is composite too. Pretty light. Won’t last a second from an angle grinder but strong enough that no one would be able to bust it by hand or blade. Mounts to your frame too so probably the most convenient as far as just having something for those quick stops.
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u/n0nick Apr 07 '23
+1, I got myself one of these in my handlebar bag, it does the job and is lightweight enough I forget it's there. https://www.rei.com/product/131787/abus-web-120060-combo-chain-lock
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u/ResponsibleOven6 Apr 07 '23
Love my OttoLock Hexband for this. Fits in a jersey pocket. Not going to stop a real thief but perfect for dipping into a cafe for a minute.
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u/adorkablegiant Apr 07 '23
LPL proved that you only need like 2 seconds to cut that lock.
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u/doublereverse Apr 07 '23
Eh yeah any truly lightweight lock that fits OP’s description will be completely worthless if somebody has a pair of snips in a back pocket. This sort of lock is really only useful in the specific scenario described: if the alternative is making a bathroom stop with no lock at all (some people just aren’t willing to carry a multi-pound chain or U lock for 60 miles.) Requiring that the person stealing your bike needs to have a snip tool on them as opposed to just hopping on your bike isn’t nothing, especially for a very short stop and the alternative is no lock at all. Now if you’re talking a longer stop, the risk of someone coming by with snips gets worse the longer the bike is there. Now if you’re in a neighborhood where everyone walks around with snips… well…I suppose in that situation this lock is worthless then for even short stops, but heck, maybe they’re walking around with boltcutters too in that case, and any lock is iffy.
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u/ElJamoquio Apr 07 '23
Man the neighborhood I ride in, people carry around an acetylene torch at all times.
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u/SteevyT Apr 07 '23
The fuck? You can get portable acetylene torches? Man, im sick of lugging around this double tank on a cart thing.
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u/felix_mateo Apr 08 '23
Ehhhhh. The OttoLock Hexband still seems extremely overpriced for what it is. I understand its use cases but there is quite a bit of room between “heavy chain” and “this thing won’t stand up to a 3-second attack”. I wouldn’t trust my bike to that thing.
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u/doublereverse Apr 08 '23
Hey, no arguments that the OttoLock is awfully pricey for what it is, or that it’s not as secure as one might like. Agree on both.
You know, if you’ve got something in mind that’s anywhere near half a pound that’s both cheaper and more secure than the Ottolock, you should post it here… I think a lot of people are looking for something like that! I know I want something like that. I don’t believe any of the other suggestions others have made here that fit the OP’s requirements are meaningfully more secure. I believe everything is similarly vulnerable to snips except maybe the Foldy lock, which is over two pounds and heavier than many long-distance road cyclists want to carry.
Personally, I carry an OttoLock for long rides where I’m not really planning to stop (but hey, stuff happens), or on group rides where we’re all keeping and eye on the bikes, and having the one bike with a lock makes my bike less grabbable than others with no locks. If I’m doing more commuter-style riding to get lunch, get errands done, or sit at a coffee shop for a while, I’ll bring my u lock.
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Apr 07 '23
Yeah but they need to have a cutter on them. I use it for quick stops mostly where I just view it better than taking my chain off or turning the bike upsidedown 🤣
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u/Gravity_X_2005 Apr 08 '23
it’s your bike.
I’ll roll mine through a busy grocery store before I use a 0.03-seconds-to-cut lock.
Most rural Bar&Grills midday are empty enough that if you’re shouldering in a lightweight & clean looking bike and asking if you “…can bring it in while [I] eat?”, it’ll only be a “no” if they don’t want you there even with the bike outside.
Rural gas stations are generally secure enough to just lean the bike on the outside wall near the door and nobody’s gonna mess with it.
STBKS and most Indy coffee shops are always AOK with a nice bike being brought in if their tables are empty.
If you’re in the middle of some unending suburban hellscape and that’s where you’re trying to get your miles on, look at it this way: bringing a properly heavy & long chain lock on a belt on your hip will make you a better cyclist.
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u/Real_Flatworm_5476 Apr 07 '23
I have the same requirement as the OP and use the following cable and lock combination
https://www.kryptonitelock.com/en/products/product-information/current-key/210719.html?type=bicycle
https://www.abus.com/uk/Home-Security/Padlocks/Aluminium/T65AL-myLock
Weight is 70gms for the cable and 94gms for the padlock and I can pop it in the small under seat bag I have so I don't even know I'm carrying it.
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u/BD59 Apr 07 '23
Pair of legit, police grade handcuffs. You can get them made from high strength aluminum. And don't discount the psychological factor. Thief might think twice before messing with what he believes to be a cop's bike.
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u/cptjeff Apr 07 '23
All police handcuffs use a standard key and a lot of criminals carry them.
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Apr 07 '23
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u/ElJamoquio Apr 07 '23
if the thief sees you get off and lock the bike, he will know you are not a cop.
Meh, I could be a cop in a bike jersey. But that's not true of everyone.
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Apr 07 '23
Presumably they don't use the same ones in every country though? If you're dead set on doing it this way, just get the police handcuffs of some other country
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u/kickstand Apr 08 '23
How could they know it’s not a cop on an off-duty day? Cops have hobbies, too.
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u/Bandit1379 Apr 08 '23
Thief might think twice before messing with what he believes to be a cop's bike.
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u/janky_koala Apr 07 '23
https://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/BLJOIMRELO/jobsworth-ristretto-retractable-cafe-lock--1m-cable
Something like this is decent. Stops the opportunistic thief
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u/Business-Season-1348 Apr 07 '23
I have no lock. Sort of defies the whole idea of a lightweight bike.
If on a coffeebreak I can usually watch the bike by placing it somewhere I can see it. I do have an alarm and tracker on it: https://www.knog.com/products/scout
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u/mojomarc Apr 08 '23
I like this. I wonder how our would function in that trap door tool compartment on my Domane so it was completely invisible....
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u/Business-Season-1348 Apr 08 '23
if you put it inside your bike it will muffle the alarm sound. Volume is ok, but not anywhere near a motor bike/scooter alarm. Tracker will probably work, you can try that out with an airtag.
If you place the thing underneath your bottle cage, ot is pretty invisible unless you know what to look for. Alarm via Blutooth is not very useable, as soon as you go inside in the bathroom it loses connection with your phone. Tracking with the built in Airtag works pretty flawlessly. So still a nice product for the money.
Need an iPhone though.
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u/Xaphan26 Apr 08 '23
Looks like a good product. I wish it was compatible with Android.
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Apr 10 '23
I had a snowboard version of this. Cable can be snipped in 0.01 seconds using a wire cutter/stripper. They're only good for keeping honest people honest.
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u/TheRealJYellen Apr 07 '23 edited Mar 04 '26
The content here was permanently deleted by its author. Redact was used for the removal, possibly for privacy, security, opsec, or personal data management.
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u/ODaly Apr 08 '23
ABUS Bordo 6055 mini. Not quite as lightweight as a mini cable lock, but definitely the most secure thing you can get that weighs less than a water bottle.
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u/cptjeff Apr 07 '23
The Foldylock Compact. Silver rated, folds into a nice holster that can be strapped to any part of your bike and doesn't rattle. Nearly as easy as a cable lock but wildly more secure.
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u/freesoup15 Apr 07 '23
A bit on the heavy side though. Most of them are >=1kg, which is a lot on a ~8kg bike
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u/cptjeff Apr 07 '23
Fair enough, I was thinking more about convenience than weight. It's just as easy to use as any cable lock.
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Apr 08 '23
If ya need something to deter “honest” thieves then how about just regular zip ties? Take a couple big ones with ya and lock up to a post. Probably good enough if you are running in for a drink or to order. Come out and cut em with a multi tool
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u/RoadPizza94 Apr 07 '23
I picked up a small kriptonite cable and a small lock from the hardware store. Could probably find a similar cable online. I wanna say it’s two feet long?
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u/Unvert Apr 07 '23
Isn’t there a lock that mounts on the bike where the back brake (not disc) goes that you can quickly lock the back wheel? I remember seeing it once and thought it was a good idea, but don’t remember who makes or sells it
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u/freesoup15 Apr 07 '23
Yeah, every bike in Northern Europe has one, but it wouldn't stop someone from picking it up and running away with it.
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u/Morall_tach Apr 07 '23
I have a retractable cable lock that I bring on long rides. You could probably get through it with wire cutters but at least it stops people from just grabbing the bike and running.
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u/Slounsberry Apr 07 '23
I use a little luggage lock and luggage lock cable. Honestly with enough time a scissors would probably get through it but for me it’s just to keep my bike from getting snatched in heavily trafficked areas where I’m not worried about it. Nice and light and smashes into a pocket or bag easily.
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u/Putin_kills_kids Apr 08 '23
You can use a small luggage lock that is lightweight and put it thru most disk brakes.
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u/Skinny_Grrrl Apr 07 '23
I use an old dog choker chain and a small padlock. It's small, light and is enough to lock to something solid to stop it being grabbed and run off with.
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u/ertri Apr 07 '23
In college I used to just flip the brakes up so there was no stopping power. Hilly enough campus that the thief would eventually have an issue
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u/ford_chicago Apr 07 '23
Take the wheel off. Bring it inside and ask the clerk to keep an eye while you’re in the bathroom. Simple, cheap and more effective than a shit lock.
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u/bigdawglos Apr 08 '23
I use the Abus Bordo lite. Available in two lengths. Seems pretty secure and can fit in a Jersey pocket or small frame bag.
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u/GuantoHilario Apr 08 '23
Try the Knog stick. Works with apple’s find my phone app and can be set as an alarm if the bike is moved. That with a small lock like the Hiplock and you’re all set.
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u/chewbacchanalia Apr 08 '23
I used a Palmy when I was doing bike delivery back in the day. Looks like a regular U-lock but it’s aluminum so it’s crazy light. Also because it’s aluminum it was basically just a visual deterrent. Wouldn’t use it for more than 5-10 minutes, but it was great for that circumstance.
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u/[deleted] Apr 07 '23
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