Bike Wheel Lock: A Look at Wheel Locks for Bike Touring
When you are going on a bicycle tour, the chances are you are worrying about whether or not your bicycle wheels will be missing when you come back. Most bikes nowadays are fitted with a quick release skewer to easily allow you to remove your wheels without the use of tools. While they are incredibly helpful if you end up with a flat tire, they are also an easy way for people to steal your rear wheel bike tires, the bike wheel, or even the entire bike frame itself from the bike rack.
So, how do you prevent this from happening if you have a bike with wheels that have a quick release skewer, or even just plain old wheel attachments? The best thing that you can do is to purchase a quality bicycle lock for your wheels.
Since there are so many different types on the market, it can be pretty overwhelming trying to figure out which one is a good buy. We are going to help you out. In this article, you will find a guide that will help you find the right type of bicycle lock for your wheels and help you protect your bike wheels!
Cable Locks
While cable locks do help to prevent your bike from being stolen, they also tend to be super easy to cut with wire cutters. Cable locks tend to be a cheaper option when compared to most other bike locks, which is a plus for most people but don’t just buy it because of that reason. They are a good buy if you are not too worried about your bike pieces being stolen in the area that you are. However, if you are really worried about your bike being stolen stay away from cable locks.
Wheel Locks
Wheel locks are also known as o-locks, ring locks, and frame locks. These types of locks are found on all bikes in the Netherlands, Japan, and most of Europe. These types of locks attach directly onto the frame of your bike to help prevent it from being stolen. Once it’s installed, you will just insert your key and push down the level so that a metal ring slides between the spokes of your back tire to prevent it from being stolen.
They are incredibly convenient too because they are installed right onto your bike. No longer will you have to worry about ensuring that you packed your bike lock when you go on trips or lugging around heavy chains. It’s right there on your bike, all you need is the key.
While these types of locks are great, they are not ideal for overnight security in a big city; anyone could just lift up the back wheel of your bike and be gone. They work best for if you are just stopping for a little break, running into a shop, or taking in a view.
D-Locks or U-Locks
These types of locks are more secure than cable locks, plus more than likely if a potential thief were to see one of these they would walk away. Instead of a cable that can easily be cut with a wire cutter, these types of locks use metal as the loop and then have a lock attached to it. Because of this, they can easily resist just about any type of tool that someone would use to remove it.
If you decide to go with this type of lock, you need to find one that leaves little to no space between it and the area that you are locking it around; this helps ensure that your bike is safe.
Some downsides to D-locks (U-locks) are that they are incredibly bulky and heavy. Therefore, they are rather cumbersome to carry around when you are on a bike tour. They can also be rather expensive and might not actually work to protect the area of your bike that you are hoping to protect.
Heavy Chain Locks
These are a great buy if you are living in a big city and are worried about your bike wheels being stolen. They are incredibly durable and keep your bike secure—you can leave it on overnight and know that everything will still be there in the morning. They resist any type of tool that someone would use to remove it, just make sure that you get a padlock that is just as sturdy.
While these are incredibly secure, they can be super expensive and heavy and bulky to carry around on your trips.
Locking Wheel Skewers
Locking wheel skewers disable the quick release skewer feature on your bike which prevents thieves from using that convenient function to steal your wheels. They are easy to install and they don’t take up any extra room on your bike or on your person. Plus, you can use them on your seat if it has a quick release skewer as well!
A downside to this type of lock is that they can require a special wrench that comes with it in order to install. If you lose this wrench, then you are either stuck without the quick release function on your bike, or without a really good bike wheel lock.
Bike Lock Keys vs. Combinations
Keyed locks are exactly as they sound: Bike locks that require a key to unlock it. They are easy for someone to pick if they want to, sometimes all they need is a ballpoint pen. They usually come with two keys so that you will have a backup if you lose one, but you could also get a new one made by a key maker. You will find these types of locks on U-locks and chain locks.
Combination locks are locks that require a certain code to be entered into them in order for them to unlock. They are super convenient because you don’t have to try to remember to grab your lock keys as you are leaving, but they can also be annoying because you should remember a code. They are a step up from keyed locks, but they can have the same issues as them. You will usually find these on cable locks.
Keyed locks and combination locks work well if you are really not worried about it being picked or if you live in a low crime area, but not ideal if you live in a big city with a lot of theft.
In the end, it’s up to you and your needs to help you figure out which bike wheel lock is perfect for you. But, hopefully, this guide helped make it a little easier for you when you’re out shopping!
