I’m thinking about commuting by bike from home to my french classes, but the thought of my bike being stolen worries me and I’d like to hear your opinion.

I think that Onguard’s Pitbull 8003 U lock would be good enough for my current situation, since my class only lasts about an hour and my bike would be inside the school.

I paid around $450 for my bike years ago, it’s an aluminium road bike with shimano sora shifts. Would you say that it could eye catching?

I’d be glad to hear your thoughts!

  • Rentlar
    1•3 months ago

    Weigh your risk factors, but overall that lock appears like a solid protection mechaism for between a frame and a bike parking stand.

    The most important thing is to ensure the parking structure is secure and robust such that the lock can’t be wiggled out. Never use a thin/short tree, a road sign or other thing whose bolts can easily be undone. Second, is to attach the frame, or better a tire and the frame to the bike parking structure, never lock only the wheel.

    Risk Factors (you don’t have to answer the questions or anything, just stuff for you to think about):

    • Location: Indoors/Outdoors, Notoriety of area for thieves, urban, suburban, campus, how many people pass by the area
    • When and how long: Time of day/week/year. Will it be unattended for 5 minutes vs. 1hr vs. 3hr. vs. Overnight?
    • presence of streetlamp and/or camera nearby
    • Value of your bike as a target: dirty/shiny? Unique? Electric or have any sensors? Saddle bags? Other accessories?
    • how easy it is to remove your tire(s) and seatpost.

    Register your bike in your local system if you worry about it being stolen and/or resold. In my part of the world, 529 bike garage has a program to help track, find and return stolen bikes.