there is no one who wishes weak security protection for his mountain bike. you will spend many thousand dollars in purchasing a mountain bike and also on exchanging its parts it will become your favorite mountain bike for riding hometown trails. the main thing is that there are thieves everywhere who are looking to steal old and expensive bikes. if the lock system of your bike would be weak probably you are giving chance to a stranger to take your bike.
The best method of locking and protecting mountain bikes includes:
- Lock your bike under the eye of the wall camera.
- If a policeman is standing near anywhere lock your bike a few distances far from him/her.
- Lock your bike by using two locks (one for the front wheel and the second for the rear wheel).
- After locking, check the locks by stretching from your hand to make sure the bike is safe completely.
- Lock your bike in sidewalk places where the people are going here and there.
- Lock your bike with a tree where people are gathering too much.
- Install an alarm bell in your bike which would start ringing in case if any stranger would give a touch to your bike.
- Use thick cable chains and expensive locks for a mountain bike.
- Never lock your bike with a Seatpost, the thief will easily uninstall the quick release clamp of the saddle.
- Always pass the lock or chain lock from the frame and wheel of your bike.
- Never lock your bike in the empty streets.
- If you own a new mountain bike, try to remove the brand name with the stickers. the reason is that thieves are wandering to steal new bikes as compared to the junky bikes.
- Try to buy a good long-length lock chain because a few bucks expensive locks will save your thousand-dollar mountain bike.
- Never lock your bike outside your home.it would be better to lock it in your garage, if you are without a garage take your bike to your home.
- If you have a job and you will not return the whole day and your bike would be locked for more than 10 to 12 hours then it would be better to take the saddle and the wheels of your bike with you and then after returning at the end of the day install them again.
- If you are going to spend vacations in rural areas with your mountain bike, the best method would be that lock the bike well and good and cover the bike with clothes and other rags at night time in the camp and never tell anyone that you have a mountain bike.
- Never be lazy that someone will judge your daily routine of bike locking, so if you are visiting a place several times always change the place of bike locking.
- Lock the bike with an immovable object so that it would be strong enough that your bike would be secure.
Types of mountain bike locks:
Although there are different types of mountain bike locks that are different in their shapes, structures, designs, lengths, and manufacturing.
- U-shaped/D-shaped locks
- Chain locks
- Cable locks
U Shaped Locks:
these are difficult to carry due to their shape also these are not much secure as compared to the chain locks. you can lock your bike in a single place by using U-shaped locks without wrapping the whole of your bike with a chain lock. research describes that the U-shaped locks had been broken by the thieves.
the proper way of securing is that you can use two locks one U-shaped and the other chain lock. in this way, your bike will be much secure and the thief will not even look at your bike. remember never to use a thin and cheap U-shaped lock because it will give easy access to the thief to taker away your bike. U-shaped bikes have different sizes, the smaller sizes are also available. the smaller U-shaped locks are more strong, rigid, long-lasting with high durability.
Best U shaped locks:
- Kryptonite Kryptolok Mini-7 12.7mm U-Lock
- Kryptonite Evolution 11-14mm U-Lock
- Via Velo Bike Lock
- Kryptonite New York Standard Heavy Duty
- UBULLOX Bike U Lock
- DINOKA Large Bike U Lock
- Onguard Pitbull STD 8003 Bike U-Lock
- Abus Granit X plus
These are the best U Shaped Locks used for the safety of mountain bikes .you can do research and ask your friends about them and after buying them online or the lock stores in your country.
Chain locks:
Chain locks were designed for high theft area parking places that would be streets, parks sidewalks, single trails camping places, etc. these were approved on the international level by all the mountain bikers. chain locks are strong enough so that thieves would not even try to cut or break them. always lock your bike with a non-movable object so that the thickness of an object would be thick.
chain locks have longer lengths enough to lock the rear wheel, front wheel, and frame of your bike. the cutter bolt does not break the chain locks because of their thickness. never buy cheap chains because the cutter will easily break them.it shows that even two or three persons do not break the chain locks practically.
Best Chain Locks:
Chain locks are different in their width, thickness, length, weight, and size. the chain links are of different sizes and widths. the best-integrated chain would be a 14mm wide chain lock which is much strong .it is impossible for the thief to break a wider integrated lock chain with any type of cutter.
- Kryptonite New York Noose 1275 chain lock
- Kryptonite 999485 Black 14mm New York chain Lock
- ABUS Lock Chain 1010
- Kryptonite Messenger Chain & Moly Lock
- Kryptonite Kryptolok Series 2 995 Mini
- Kryptonite Series 4 1090 Integrated Chain
- Hiplok Gold
- ABUS Granit City Chain X Plus 1060
- Oxford Monster Square Chain Lock and padlock
- Milenco Coleraine Integrated Chain (12mm)
- Kryptonite Fahgettaboudit Chain 1410
All of the above-given chain locks are different in their widths from 8mm to 15mm chain links.
Cable locks:
actually, the cable locks are used for quick rides for just 5 to 10 minutes. also, it is lighter in weight.it means if you are going on a single trail where you know that no one is present on the trails, in such cases cable locks would be recommended. let me give you a bit of advice always use the U-shaped lock and the cable lock together for a mountain bike wherever you are going and staying.
these are old version lock systems for the bikes. Cable locks may be the wrong locking option for a bike because the thieves are finding the mountain bikes locked with the cable lock. even the U-shaped locks are much better than the cable locks. if you have the above-listed locks then you can skip the cable lock for your bike. these are not as strong as U-shaped and chain locks. these locks can be used in the daytime for a few minutes of the gap if you want to buy anything from a store otherwise these are not used to lock a mountain bike outside in the nighttime.
Best mountain bike Cable locks:
- SIGTUNA(16mm)
- Master Lock
- Etronic security mountain bike Lock
- Five Digit combination Lock
- U Shake mountain bike Cable Lock
These are the best mountain bike cable locks with strong and multi-layers of thickness and well material used in their manufacturing.
Mountain bike locks with alarms:
The lock system has been upgraded to an alarm bell system. it is a more secure lock system as compared to the chain and cable lock system. your thousand-dollar expensive bike has more worth from a few bucks of the alarm bell lock. the alarm lock system is usually used by mountain bike riders as compared to road bikers or city riders. because the mountain bike riders are somehow different from the city rides you will face much more difficult trails with silent forests that lack any sound.
you decided to spend nights touring in your camp between the woody forests and also you have been badly tired and you want to sleep peacefully for such cases the alarm bell is mostly used by the mountain bikers because if someone touches the lock of your bike in the dark nights of the touring the alarm of the lock rings loudly and you will suddenly wake up, your bike will be prevented from getting stolen by a thief.
Every lock is cut by a thief in the nighttime because the thief has much more time and he will easily steal your bike from any place, that’s the reason alarm locks were introduced for providing much more security to your bike.
Best mountain bike alarm locks:
- Oxford Alarm-D Pro
- ABUS Bordo Alarm 6000A
- ABUS 770A Smart-X
- Fischer Coil Cable Lock with alarm
- EYPINS Alarm
- Smart keyless Bluetooth Alarm Bike Lock (110db)
- FD-MOTO (11odb)
- Wireless Remote Control Alarm Lock
- Bike U Lock with Cable for mountain bike
- Crystal Vision Anti Theft Loud Alarm(130db)
- Wsdcam Bike Lock Alarm with Remote for mountain bike
- Bluetooth Chain Lock anti-theft mountain bike Chain Lock
These are the best alarm locks used for mountain bikes, road bikes, and other bicycles.