I am looking for a very light weight bike cable that I can bring with me on longer rides to prevent my bike from being stolen when I run into a store for a muffin or gatorade. It won't be theft-proof by any means, but will prevent someone from riding off on my bike while I have my back turned.
Now that I've spent all of this money on a lightweight aluminum bicycle, it seems silly to wrap a heavy steel chain around it. The lightest cable locks that I have seen weigh 0.8 lbs. This is approaching 5% of the weight of my bike, which seems kind of silly. On the other hand, I still have a few pounds to lose around my waistline so maybe I shouldn't be thinking about this :)
Does anyone have a recommendations? Is 0.8 pounds as good as it gets?
Ben
Anti-
"I'm not sure how much they weigh and have never actually used one but have seen them used to ""chain"" notebook PCs to a desk. They're made of a single(?) strand of wire and, I believe, some may emit a signal if circuit is broken (= cut?). Chances are they're light at least.
"
Something like this:
http://everestnews.altrec.com/shop/detail/9966/0
Clever thread title, BTW ;^/
"A very simple, albeit low tech, deterrant is to simply use your helmet strap to ""lock"" the front wheel to the frame of the bike for very short stops like the one you describe. This can provide enough of a time cushion against a true convenience criminal to thwart the attack.
Also, Kryptonite makes a very lightweight seat/seatpost cable, that, in combination with a small padlock, makes a very elegant, light lock package."
...makes a very lightweight retractible wire lock that works just fine for anti crime-of-convenience. You can usually get them in luggage stores. They were originally designed to lock luggage to your seat in the airline terminal while you dash to the bathroom, but forget about that use these days.
I use a snowboard lock that I got at Paragon. Coiled cable and simple three-digit combination lock, fits in my pocket, inexpensive--won't stop anyone who really wants your bike from getting it, but it won't walk away either.
I have a thin, light-weight wire lock which I originally bought to lock up skiis when you go inside. I use it to lock my bike when I go into a deli, etc., where I won't be away from my bike long, but want at least a little deterence without the heavy weight. Conrad's carries some, and ski shops probably sell them, too.
"""If you spend $700 extra for a frame that shaves seven pounds off the weight of your bicycle, you will then be forced to protect your investment with a locking system that weighs seven pounds, and you will carry it with you everywhere."" --Aloicius Xavier Murphy, formulator of Murphy's Law of Absolutely Everything
However, you might try a lock with an eloganted hasp (that's the U-shaped part that sticks out of the lock) available at some locksmith shops and hardware stores and capable of connecting the rim of one of your wheels to your frame. That should slow down the SOBs.
Your pal,
Etoain"
