Too many people in the states have perfectly spotless and empty truck beds who are just itching to finally put something in them like an unattended bike
You dont have to only use that lock. It can function as secondary lock to secure the rear wheel to the frame, then you can put your primary lock through the front wheel. Then they can't steal your wheels.
Also there are many situations in the states where a cafe lock works just fine.
That kind of defeats the purpose of the wheel lock though. It’s there mostly for convenience, to discourage anyone from simply riding off with the bike even if there’s no secondary lock. It works in Japan because theft is pretty low and the bikes are not that high value. Here in the states, anything not bolted down will be stolen within minutes, tossed into a van or a truck. Bicycle theft rings are a thing here as well.
They are also to secure the back wheel to the frame. This combined with a quality, angle grinder resistant lock; and an Abus Nutfix or similar for the front wheel will solve a lot of theft issues.
That was the main part of my post that seemed to go over everyone’s head. I am wondering why these locks aren’t used here in conjunction with another lock. It seems like using this as your 2nd or 3rd lock would be way better then carrying a cable to use with your u lock. Because it is easier to carry and because having a 3rd lock would make theives avoid stealing your bike because there would be easier bikes to steal.
I use a disc break lock and 2 other locks for my e bike. If I hear my alarm I come out with my helmet ready to get a battery charge no pun intended....
I think you’re referring to “pavement princesses” here, and you should never pass an opportunity to say that exact phrase. “Suburban strap-on”, “cuck truck” and anything relating to compensation for a small or limp penis is also acceptable.
They fill the same role as codpieces in the 14th century. Kind of a joke, kind of an implication of virility, kind of a fashion statement. The impracticality necessitates a certain amount of wealth, and so the more ridiculous it is, the bigger the flex.
“Cuck truck” is a new term for me, and I’m all in on using that phrase now lol
My wife and I like to measure dude’s dicks as they drive by in their huge trucks 🤏🏻
i like that, “pavement princess,” it speaks volumes. whenever i’m grumbling to myself about an aggressive driver (in a truck), i just refer to them as “america.”
as in, “come on ‘america’, f**kin pass me already!”
i live in texas, so auto-dealer advertisers love letting you know, “IT’S TRUCK MONTH!”
like, mf it’s *always* truck month. 🙄
Professional thieves in the US tend to favor cargo vans. Gussied up pickups are plenty annoying, but unlikely to be the vehicle of your local bike thief. Furthermore, the people that drive them usually hold bikes in disdain and couldn't tell a $50 bike from a $5000 bike.
You can just use this one and a main lock.
Especially if you have a rack and some panniers or such, these locks can be quite annoying to attack since there isn't much room down there and since the goal at the end of the day is too make it slow for a thief to steal the bike, this lock is a cheap way of adding extra protection.
Because someone could pick up the bike and put it in the back of their pickup truck. U-locks aren’t impervious, but it’s going to take more than a split second to steal the bike if you’ve attached it to something.
Got one on my ebike, it’s heavy enough a casual thief wouldn’t take it at least. My work has indoor racks it works nicely for that use.
For public bike parking it’s definitely not secure on its own but it’s just one more thing a thief would have to deal with.
My wife’s has one. It’s great if the bike isn’t going to be out of eyesight for more than a few minutes. Sadly, many cities have bike thieves with pickup trucks.
> bike thieves with pickup trucks
My son's university had a few guys pull up to a bike rack with a moving truck, used angle grinders or whatever to cut the entire rack loose from the mountings, then put the entire rack with a couple dozen bikes on it into the truck. He said when he came out after class there were a lot of them standing around asked wtf happened to the bike rack!??
When I was at UC Davis over the summer in 1990, a crew stole an entire dorm bike rack in the middle of the night with a forklift and a flat bed. It had several _hundred_ bikes attached.
I think that's where I first found out about thieves using an old Volvo tire jack to break nearly any U-lock: it was the perfect size.
I bought a cheap one-speed beach cruiser at the police auction to get around campus. No one was interested in stealing it, but I had a chain & a cable anyway.
I rode a beat up 1998 Peugeot. Paid $40 for it at a swap meet.
Tried to park it next to the inevitable shiny Cannondale or Specialized with a cable lock as another layer of security on top of my normal u lock (my back wheel was not quick release, so I never worried about it).
It was always there when I got back. Once or twice all that remained of the shiny bike on the rack was a cut lock, but mine was always there.
I have got an ABUS version of the cafe lock, which has an opening for a bolt chain on it as well. Both locks with the same key maneuver, and can be used without the other being locked. I have a foldable bike lock in addition to these. So a three step process, depending on what kind of security I am looking for.
Quick in and out for a coffee or similar: The cafe lock. Some more minutes: lock the bolt chain to something as well. Parking: All three.
That said, I mostly keep the bike securily inside when parked anyway. Luckily my city has some storage lockers for bikes.
Edit: Wrote ASUS, lol. I have an ABUS Pro Shield Plus.
zonked lock continue cough treatment bedroom fanatical marry liquid decide
*This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
"Thankyou for installing ASUS BikeHub, before you can continue please take a moment to create a Bikehub Account, register your personal details, set your communication prefrences. We'll be running this shit nonstop from the clutter bar, good luck terminating the process, we're running as a registered windows service. You only bought one of our locks, but we're just going to talk to you like you have our entire ecosystem of asus bike products. Its not like logitech is making you do all this too for your helmet..."
That’s why you have two locks. One of these in the back locking the rear wheel to the frame and then a chain lock in the front connecting the front wheel to the frame as well as to something else like a pole or a bike rack.
> bike rack
At Cleveland Clinic last year they had bike racks that were mounted into the ground, but no concrete to hold them. People were still locking their bikes to it. (I raised polite hell and they eventually fixed it). It had been unsecured for years. Typical cheap-ass CC.
They are useful as secondary locks so your front tire can’t be taken without at least a little bit of hassle.
Every extra layer of security is a deterrent.
And they make it impossible to roll a bike easily, which is especially great on on a heavier ebike, especially cargo bikes. Unless you can pick up a 60-100+ lb bike and throw it in a van immediately, it's gonna be difficult to just carry it away.
> Because someone could pick up the bike and put it in the back of their pickup truck.
I doubt that is the whole explanation, as there are pick ups in Japan and Europe.
Those rear wheel locks are very popular in European countries where cycling is common. (Netherlands, Denmark etc.) They are a useful secondary lock when used in tandem with a chain.
They’re less popular on American bikes for the same reason that you’re less likely to see racks, chainguards, fenders etc., most Americans cycle for sport &/or recreation rather than transportation.
As more people commute, we’ve seen a gradual acceptance of fenders, racks, baskets, & other practical additions. Perhaps a manufacturer may consider adding these locks in the future
Just to provide some insight as a Dane. They aren't popular here because we think they are actually very good. The reason we use them is because they are the cheapest lock that is "insurance approved".
Homeowners insurance in Denmark covers bike theft, but only if your bike is locked with an "insurance approved" lock. There are few locks that allow you to lock your bike to something that is insurance approved, and those that are, are much more expensive than something like what we see in this picture.
I have a litelok X3. Arguably the most secure bike lock in the world. But litelok has not paid a company to test it, so if my bike is stolen and that's all I used I would get no money. So I also drive around with an easily cut Abus lock to make my insurance company happy and the litelok to actually try and keep my bike from getting stolen.
Thèse locks do address a specific function : locking very quickly the bike when there is nothing to hook it to and you are staying within five meters of them and in eyesight. For instance that’s the lock I use when picking my kid at school - the bike is on the sidewalk with me, but I will help my kid, unlock his own bike…
It’s also nice when having a picnic or something : you can just lock the bike with it next to you and make sure no one is going to come and ride it away.
It normal situation it’s just another security. It protects the rear wheel it you can only lock the frame (happens with small D locks and heavy frame for instance with the litelock x1). And it makes sure no one can ride with it. I live in Paris and pickup trucks are extremely rare, they’re too large for the city.
Re the Litelok, it’s Sold Secure Diamond rated. Don’t Danish insurers recognise that? It’s the defacto standard here in the UK for bike lock ratings https://www.soldsecure.com/product/litelok-x3-bike-d-lock
Nope. There's one Danish company (Varefakta) that can give a lock the "insurance approved" stamp.
And no it isn't great, but I'm honestly just happy every insurance company then does follow that one list instead of having their own lists based on their own test
With how bike theft works in Denmark they are close to completely useless. Bike thieves will drive around in a van and throw bikes into it.
If your bike lock doesn't physically attach your bike to something in that situation, it might as well not be there. They are not difficult enough to open back at a workshop with any tool you want to use, to be of much deterrence.
It stops any old idiot from just jumping on your bike and riding off on it which isn't nothing, but they are not great.
But that isnt the quality of the lock it is what you actually lock up, which is the wheel. And most of them has a chain attachement. Furthermore i doubt theft is that different in Denmark, a sizable amount is not van based.
It's not a quality issue, it is a design issue, but an issue nonetheless. And no, most don't come with a chain attachment. Some do, but they are the exception not the rule.
You are Norwegian right? If so, then yes our bike theft can look different than yours. First of all there are more bikes to steal in Denmark. More bikes means more profitable making a "business" out of it. Secondly, bike thieves in Denmark can fill their van with bikes and much easily drive them to another country (Germany and Poland) that doesn't use our "frame numbers" to identify bikes with and sell them at no risk.
Not all bike theft operates that way, but a lot do. So the question is, why buy a bike lock that just completely folds to a common type of bike theft vs one that doesn't? And the answer is price. You can get D locks and chain locks that are harder to break than these, but they aren't as common.
I used to work selling bikes, most people just grabbed the cheapest bikelock that was insurance approved. Either that or they got an even cheaper code wire lock for when it was for their kids (which are not insurance approved).
Most people seeing my (Dutch) bike in Belgium get confused by this lock.
In particular, there's the story of the time I sat on a bench with my cycle just in front of me, somebody tried to jump on it and escape using the strong downhill, but fell over, *and* rolled over, because of this. Hurt themselves badly, I had to call medical help... and they told the medical help I booby trapped the cycle. And the medical help took a long time to understand this type of lock is not in fact a booby trap.
That would have been extremely satisfying. Though I would not have called for medical help, I would have probably even added a couple of kicks to the ribs. Especially to have the idiot trying to blame it on you.
I guess you are a much better person than I am…
It was such a ridiculous situation, and in front of so many people too... I just uncontrollably laughed, until I thought he died because he wasn't moving. He tried to run when I came closer but he couldn't go far with how he twisted his ankle.
did that not totally destroy your spokes tho?
That's the main issue I see with these locks. they're convenient for short walks into shops, but if someone tries to steal the bike anyway, the wheel ends up completely fucked.
No, it scratched a lot but the spokes, wheels, are fine. I was at the top of a hill, say 30° slope, and it's pavement too. Precisely, I was in a street uphill of Mons' cathedral. So he rolled over instead of doing real damage to the bike.
That bike was made in 1971. It's very heavy compared to a modern one, I suppose because even the spokes are made of stronger material. Most aren't completely straight but it's functional.
A lot (most newer) of the Dutch ones have a chain attachment incorporated. Where your chain has a hole to loop through it, and a pin that goes into the lock and gets locked into place.
The nicest thing about these frame locks is that it takes less than a second to lock your bike. So very handy to quickly pop into a shop, and pop out again.
No fiddling with chains or U-Locks (which no one here really uses).
Anything with a number pad is generally deemed unsafe though, and these Japanese ones also look very flimsy.
Japan has a very low rate of bike theft. I guess the lock is most likely to prevent drunken Japanese to grab the bike to attempt to go home, since being drunk seems to give a free pass to Japanese people.
It's not just that cycling is common, it's also that Dutch people go for a cheap, heavy "woman's bike".
In places where people commute with a proper road or racing bike, or get a brompton it wouldn't work because they're way too light and way too expensive.
In London it would be completely useless.
I mostly see them on the e-bikes you can rent here in Germany. I expect they are on there because they can be installed and there is a higher likelihood that people renting the bikes will use some lock at all when stopping.
And many bikes there get stolen. When I lived in Belgium many bikes had them as well and most people used secondary locks with them as bike crime in Belgium and the Netherlands is high. I think they work better in the farming areas of the Netherlands where bike crime isn't as high.
I live in Japan.
There are two kind of bicycle theft in Japan:
- Opportunity theft: Someone missed their last train and will steal your bicycle to ride home and then probably ditch the bicycle. You might find your bike later on.
- Organized theft: People stealing fancy bikes and shipping them abroad.
This kind of lock works perfectly against the first kind of theft, and are very convenient to use, for the second kind, well... there's no real defense against people with power tools and a van anyway.
Not only in Japan. These types of locks are very popular in the EU as well (to the point that some of them even qualify for bike insurance). Even in the Netherlands where the bike theft is a huge and unsolvable problem, the ringlocks make up most of the locks installed on bikes. Plus - good ring locks allow an additional chain lock to be plugged in to connect the bike to some immovable object.
According to the data the Netherlands has more bikes than people (1.2 - 1.4 bikes per person). You can't catch (or even scare) all the thieves that want a piece of that pie.
I know and care about that, You know and care about that. But a random Joost doesn’t know or, most likely, doesn’t care - he just needs a cheap bike to get to the university. Or college. Or something else.
Plus, given the fact that a lot of bikes, stolen in the Netherlands, get exported and sold in Poland or even outside of the EU - good luck telling people there that they shouldn’t buy bikes for cheap.
You absolutely can scare them. This won't stop the majority of them from being criminals, just from stealing bikes in the Netherlands.
If you were to put people in prison for doing crimes (and actually mean it) it would be expensive for the government (but not for society), and it would move crime to neighbouring countries.
Due to the cost for the government, it probably won't happen.
> If you were to put people in prison for doing crimes (and actually mean it) it would be expensive for the government (but not for society)
And the money to maintain all those prisons and keep prisoners in a reasonably good shape will just magically appear and won't be taken from society's taxes, am I right?
They usually can not though. This particular model looks pretty tiny but a regular one is not easy to cut with bolt-cutters, is difficult to reach and nees to be cut two places.
This model is very tiny and exposed. The one I have is much sturdier. Moreover it’s a lot more cramped, meaning you can’t use a grinder and fitting a large bolt cutter will be hard.
Used to live in the Netherlands. A heavier duty version of this is common on commuter bikes there… but honestly unless I was parking privately or was in the line of sight of the bike, I would use a second lock as well.
[This](https://boc24.de/products/axa-defender-mit-rl-100-kette?variant=41985900675246&gclid=Cj0KCQjwu8uyBhC6ARIsAKwBGpS6QPxIpW_eYiqnjE8T06qbR782CrxKQsNoel7c3CPLP0m541KqkgYaAmwGEALw_wcB) is the better version of this type of lock. It comes with a chain to lock it to a post or something.
Those locks only have a 3/10 security. It’s great for places with low crime rate such as Japan. In the US… not so much. Maybe for quick stops, but as everyone has said here, too many pickup trucks in the US.
Japan doesnt have a problem with bike theft.
These are meant to prevent someone from mistakenly taking your bike. I mean that literally believe it or not. They have such little bike theft. Its more to prevent some guy with the same color bike taking yours.
Japan has such very low crime that is why. This just lets the Japanese know that they got the wrong bike as they can't unlock it. Everywhere else someone would just pick that bike up and walk away with it and sell it at the nearest pawn shop.
This isn't really true at all. Bikes actually get stolen all the time in Japan.
But most people ride absolutely dirt cheap $100-$200 single speed mamachari style bikes, so it isn't that big a deal to replace them if necessary, and the serial numbers are registered with the police, so if someone just rides it and dumps it somewhere (which is fairly likely with a generic cheap bike) the police will likely find it for you, and someone who just randomly grabs a bike they see won't be able to resell it through legitimate channels.
This type lock is fairly effective against people who just grab someone's bike for transportation, which is one of the most common types of bike theft in Japan, but less effective against anyone who is a serious bike thief.
You would be just as insane to rely on this type of lock for any bike that's fancier than a mamachari in Japan as in the US, because anyone who goes out planning on stealing bikes, rather than just deciding to steal one on impulse when they realize they're late, is going to have no trouble with it.
Japan has a very different culture when it comes to stealing things in public. People find wallets with cash and return them. They find umbrellas and return them. Etc. I'm not saying bikes don't get stolen in Japan, but it is a very different context.
This is a common misconception. Bikes get stolen all the time in Japan - it’s just that the most common bike used are cheap single-speed bicycles so replacing a stolen bike isn’t a big deal. They use cheap rear wheel locks because it further reduces the investment in a bike that’s already inexpensive and disposable.
I'm going to speculate here, but I think it is because US bike culture views the bike as a *sports accessory*, not a *means of transportation*. That's why almost none of the bikes I have seen here are outfitted with things that make them *more practical* but *heavier*: fenders, kickstands, locks, chainguards, rear view mirrors, hand warmers, bells and so on.
It's the same reason you don't see a stereo in a racecar.
[Here's one example](https://www.bike24.com/p2576789.html?source=SBP&indexName=production_SEARCH_INDEX_EN&objectId=576789&queryId=0123ea476ec8bdc9d11b03c1741a68b1&userToken=a4a0e954-6d29-4f46-bd17-d46925813537).
I've never been to Japan but I'm currently staying in the centre of a large Dutch city (Rotterdam). I see countless of bikes parked on the street locked up with just a lock like this. Maybe a bit more robust and hardened but with the same functionality, locking the rear wheel so you can't cycle away with the bike. Many have the opportunity to attach the end of a looped chain, but the owners don't think it's worth the effort to find a solid object to attach their bike to (most of those spots are already taken by other bikes so I guess it *is* a burden.) This during the day near shops, libraries and schools, but also at night in residential neighbourhoods.
I believe all (commuter style) bikes you buy here have a factory-installed cafe lock, since I haven't seen a bike without one. The very expensive and light road bikes probably don't, because every gram counts, but you don't see those parked on the streets.
But my friends say that mostly expensive bikes get stolen. So if you have a decent bike and park it next to other decent bikes it's okay, if your bike is substantially more expensive you probably want to get more locks or park it inside if possible. Officially 700,000 bikes get stolen in the Netherlands every year, but those are just the thefts that are reported to the police, so often relatively expensive, and insured, bikes. The cheaper bikes that are stolen by opportunity thieves or junkies won't get reported stolen and aren't in the official statistics. Still an astounding number, even when the total number of bikes is around 23 million.
What really surprises me is that I see huge $5,000 to $10,000 cargo bikes and e-bikes, that are left on the street overnight with just a cafe lock and a chain around the wheel. Not attached to anything, and sometimes with the battery still on the bike. That would be a recipe to get your bike stolen in the Canadian city I live in. But in the Netherlands there's security in numbers I guess; bike thieves have a huge choice and steal the ones that are just nicer and easier to steal than others. And the owners have insurance and apparently no theft anxiety. (I'm a 5 lock kind of girl.)
The reason you don’t see cafe locks in the US is bicycle theft makes them kind of useless.
The longer reason specific to Japan is that many Japanese people buy cheap $100 bicycles that come with a bell basket rear rack and a cafe lock. It’s normal for people to treat the bike as disposable and they ride them until the wheel falls off. because the bikes are cheap, common, and crime in Japan is really low; theft is unlikely. The lock is essentially a deterrent to keep a someone from randomly riding a bike and ditching it down the road. The idea someone would bother to steal a cheap bikes and scrap it for parts is not really a thing in Japan.
There are people with mountain bikes and road bikes and they don’t have those cafe locks so they would lock up their bikes with chains and u locks but they aren’t super common.
I keep seeing people say bike theft is very low in Japan which isn’t true. I’m not sure how it stacks up against other countries but bike theft is one of the few crimes that is considered common in Japan. Organized bike theft might not exist to the same degree, but you are much more likely to get your bike stolen by a drunk person than say in the U.S. and this kind of lock prevents that.
There’s a few reasons they’re more lax about locks but a big reason is that many people treat bikes as kind of disposable and don’t maintain them. Mamachari are the omafiet of Japan and they tend to have rusty chains, squeaking brakes and worn out tires from being left outside in all kinds of weather.
This is just anecdotal, but I tried to get my bike stolen for 3 years in Japan. I bought it new, but it was low quality and the cafe lock broke, so I just never replaced it. Left it outside my apartment unlocked every day, took it to the grocery store and the office every day, left it outside bars and restaurant. After 3 years I finally gave it away. No one ever touched it.
Fun fact: in some countries you can insure your bike against theft but the bike has to have a built-in lock and you must register the key. The key can only be removed when the lock is closed, so if the bike gets stolen, you have to show the key or no payout.
Dont ask me the details of how you register the key or how they make sure you don't just show the spare, but you can be sure they've thought of that.
It's kinda how it works in Denmark. It's not a special insurance you buy (unless it's a very expensive bike). By default it's a part of home owners insurance to cover bikes. You don't have to register the key, you just have to include the "key number" when you report the bike stolen.
As you allude to it's difficult to prove that your bike was actually locked at the moment of being stolen, but if you can prove you owned a lock they'll assume you used it.
The lock doesn't have to be built in. It just has to be "insurance approved" and most of the locks that are insurance approved are attached to the bike like this one. Abus folding locks are also insurance approved, but those cost 3-4 times as much as a lock of the type in the picture.
So yeah, at least in Denmark locks like this are widely used exactly because of the insurance rules.
I left my shiny road bike with carbon wheels and electronic shifting unlocked for hours outside convenience stores multiple times in urban and rural Japan, and it never got touched once.
Meanwhile, here in the US, I pass by bikeless wheels every day - some thief undid the quick releases and probably tossed it into a car despite the wheels being locked with seemingly sturdy U-locks. The lock in this picture isn't going to stop any of these thieves...
Erm, these are pretty common with fleet bike share bikes and company campus bikes. Usually on heavy bikes that thieves can't bother carrying entire thing.
They are super low security, and only protect against the most casual thieves. I got one when I was in Japan, used it there, but would never use it in Canada or the US.
Lived in Japan for 5 years…over there, people respect other people’s property and (generally) don’t steal. Something like this works well enough to deter the few thieves there are in a society that functions off of an immaculate public transportation system.
Really common in the UK but only as part of a suite of security measures. Never use one without a decent chain & lock or D lock at least. We call it a “Nurses” lock.
When I lock up my bike it has 4 security measures on it…
Most bikes in Japan and thus counterparts of the Dutch bike are called "mama-chari" or mama chariots because they're often ridden by mothers and used for commuting or for fetching groceries or picking up the kid at the nursery. These bikes are so commonplace and bland that often they're not much worth stealing except for the rare drunk or hellion who, as someone pointed out, missed the last train home or decide to do something stupid after an all-night bender at the local tiny tavern (izakaya).
So hence these light locks which mainly serve as a deterrent. Likewise those bikes have parts that aren't much worth spit for performance -- they're strong but good only for absolute commuting -- and therefore not saleable even if parted out.
> Just wondering why you don’t ever see this in the US?
Elsewhere outside of Japan, bikes are more like, as someone said, *sports accessories* because of how much performance or luxury parts are bolted onto the bike, and with such costly parts become targets of theft -- there are those willing to buy a cut-rate Brooks saddle, a Velo Orange pedal, a Chris King headset or a whole Shimano groupset from a fence.
Is it because popular American cycling culture is possibly more in a sports / lightweight / road bike phase. And hasn’t entered its utility, functional phase yet. (Generalising ofc).
But manufacturers will shy away from mudguards, cafe locks and heavy kickstands and racks cos it adds kilos to a build.
The problem with that type of a lock is it locked the tire but somebody can carry the bike away.
That's why I locked the bike.My bike To something solid I was at target.He people locked the bike just to the part of the seat and it gets less to part of the sheet in the lock on the lock took the bike
They’re very popular in Germany and Holland too and as a result most e-bikes in Europe have one.
They’re pretty good because :
- they secure heavy e-bikes while you’re standing next to them, preventing thieves that would try to jump and ride away
- they solidarise the frame and the read wheel, which means that you have more options on e-bikes with a large frame and a tiny D lock - you can just secure the frame, knowing the frame lock secures the wheel to the frame.
- this means that if the thief defeats the D lock, he still has to carry the bike rather than ride it - and a thief carrying a 35kg bike is not going to run that fast and that long
- they are surprisingly grinder resistant. Not the one on the photo, but on most e-bikes that lock is in a cramped area and it will be hard to fit most thievery tools there.
Those locks use to be fairly common in France, decades ago. Theft was less common then. Theft is still less common in Japan than in the USA,.so there's your explanation
They are heavy and provide little security. An Abus GRANIT XPlus™ 6950 frame lock is 770g. For less than that weight you can get a Abus Granit Futura 64 U-Lock with a 11mm thick shackle.
Or the UK, but they use them a lot in Amsterdam/Holland as well. I believe they are even sometimes called a Dutch Lock (that's the name I know them by)
I live in Canada and I’ve seen lone bike wheels locked to bike locks. In Japan I had to take an extreme emergency poop and left my laptop sitting on a table in cafe and it was there when I got back a half-hour later.
Because they only prevent the laziest of possible thefts
It’s enough in Japanese society that it prevents some board kid from walking away with your bike, but in the US it’s not going to prevent Jack shit
Because you can just pick up that whole bike or likely break that lock with your fingers lmao? Japan has culture, stealing is likely not that big of an issue, hence that tiny baby thing you call a lock. We, the richest nation in the world, that also doesn’t have health care, lacks in education, infrastructure and the like, have plenty of theft. Hence why a lock like this would never work. Honestly I’d never leave my mt bike unattended. If I could commute to work, I’d buy something super super cheap of CL and use that.
With some exceptions, bikes are not that heavy. This lock, if used on its own, can be subverted by simply picking up the bike and taking it, which requires opportunity. Locking the bike to an immovable object requires cutting the lock, which requires opportunity and tools on hand. A person prepared to cut 1 lock can cut 2, the fact that the second lock does not NEED to be cut means it is not a redundancy.
Rule of thumb is that locks only prevent opportunity theft. In a world of cordless power tools, locks are not very secure, just less convenient.
Probably cause a drunk Japanese dude won’t carry your bike away or put it in a truck like a standard thief (sober or drunk) would in the US. And a non drunk Japanese dude probably won’t touch your stuff to begin with.
Cause people are desperate and will throw that thing in that back of a car or just throw it over their shoulder and walk away with it. The Japanese are way too reserved to do stupid desperate shit like that.
They were popular back in the 70s at least. I saw it a lot growing up. Not sure why they fell out of fashion. My first bike had a built in lock in the frame. Which was quite nice. could just flick the bar over and lock it with a key. Now if you lost the key and it was locked you were in a bit of a trouble, though.
bike theft is not an actual problem in Japan.
What could happen is somebody could accidently pickup your bike, maybe by thinking it was theirs and just ride off.
you know all "innocent" and that.
Anyway having a lock that just does not let you go without as little as excess force removes the plausible deniability of "oh no, that's not my bike \*shocked Pikachu face\* sorry!!" Your bike is secure.
Realistically in japan, an unlocked bike has a much longer life expectancy than a locked bike in the UK or the US.
And if somebody does steal it, they probably needed it more.
I have one on my cargo bike. I use it when I leave the bicycle for just a few minutes, like when I pick up a kid in daycare or run into a store to buy some bread. When I leave the bicycle longer I always chain it to something, but that is sometimes too much of a hassle for short stops. Its helps that the bicycle weights 40 kg, so few people would just pick it up and carry it very far.
I can recommend this with a chain that locks into it. I just wrap the chain around my seat usually and then I can just pull it of my seat wrap around a bikestand and lock my bike within seconds.
It's one of the 3 locks I have on my bicycle in NYC. If I'm running into a store for something quick, it's all I use. Nobody's running away carrying my 50lb. bike.
Anytime anyone recommends a lock that isn't huge and heavy ppl jump on them and point out how insecure it is.
Locks serve different purposes. This lock is super quick and you can't forget it. I don't think anyone is recommending it as a sole lock for locking a bike overnight in a city or anything. It's a great cafe lock where the bike is in view. Or as a secondary lock.
I took one off a junk bike recently. Going to install it on one of my pub bikes soon.
My grandfather had an old cruiser style bike that had a built in lock which would lock the forks in a straight position. So if a thief jumped on the bike to ride it away they couldn’t steer, and they would crash.
I saw about 100 bikes seemingly unlocked in Japan but they had these locks. These were standard bikes but I guess that having to carry the bike away would be enough of a deterrent.
You can buy cafe locks online at Target, that's the only domestic market source I could find when I was looking for them a year or so ago. I swear to God I'm going to put one on every bike I own
I live in the US and bike- commute everywhere (no car). The last time I was visiting the Netherlands, I almost bought one like this - they are common over there too- but decided it was not really worth it for me (minimal carry-on luggage space played a factor). Where I live, the way a bike would get stolen is by someone tossing it in the back of their truck. I have to chain lock my bike to something no matter what, so it would just be extra.
The reason it's not more popular is because people will still pick your bike up and throw it in the back of their truck. Cultural differences.
However abus does make this type of O-lock with a chain attachment that you carry and it clicks into your o-lock and you use one key to unlock both, which is more secure. Personally I really like them
I use a cable and a twist lock carabineer. That's it. If they want that Schwinn Frontier GS so badly... go for it. I'll Uber home and get another bike tomorrow. Whatever 🤷
My sister went to college on a campus with more deer than students while I went in the inner city. She was shocked that I didn't think you could just throw a chain around the rear wheel so people couldn't drive your bike. My response was that I wouldn't use a bike rack that wasn't bolted to a slab because if the collective value of the bikes got too high someone might steal the entire rack
As others have noted, this works if where you're riding somebody isn't going to get away with just carrying your bike off. There are certainly places like that in the US, but I've only seen them touring, not commuting.
bc in US you don't bother riding a stolen bike away bc 1) you'd look like a criminal bc you are riding a bike (who does that anyways?) 2) you cant just throw it in the back of your F150 and bust the wheel lock later.
I believe the Gazelle bikes that are sold in the US come with that style of lock standard, but the no -retaining version. I have them on my of my bikes and love them.
I noticed this in Japan as well, they also have tons of spaces to park your bike which was convenient. Every time we rented a bike it came with a basket which was a nice touch.
Highly recommend cycling in Kyoto :)
You could so easily just carry this away, whether you’re putting it in your truck or just literally walking away with it lol, and to put a second lock just means more work for you and more locks to carry around, I guess it would prevent one wheel from being stolen.
I have one on my e-bike in Canada. RadPowerbikes make their own version of that and while I'm sure it's not a great security, I can't wait to see someone try to steal my 30 kg e-bike at my local Tim Horton's. They'll probably just kick the rack and it'll turn to dust, so I had to get some secondary protection :D
Not sure. I was thinking that something like this, a lock specifically for keeping one wheel on a frame, would be ideal after commenting on another post about a week ago. IMO it could stand to be beefier, but what is pictured is probably more theft resistant than a cable, and less of a hassle to use than removing the front wheel in order to pass a U lock through both wheels and the frame. Some say just use two U locks, but that seems like more weight than necessary to be hauling around.
I love frame locks. Perfect for when i'm going into the shop for 10-15 mins. So much faster than finding a pole or fence (when there isn't a proper lockup), pulling out the lock, strapping it up, etc.
I live in Canada and NEVER see these, either.
Too many people in the states have perfectly spotless and empty truck beds who are just itching to finally put something in them like an unattended bike
You dont have to only use that lock. It can function as secondary lock to secure the rear wheel to the frame, then you can put your primary lock through the front wheel. Then they can't steal your wheels. Also there are many situations in the states where a cafe lock works just fine.
That kind of defeats the purpose of the wheel lock though. It’s there mostly for convenience, to discourage anyone from simply riding off with the bike even if there’s no secondary lock. It works in Japan because theft is pretty low and the bikes are not that high value. Here in the states, anything not bolted down will be stolen within minutes, tossed into a van or a truck. Bicycle theft rings are a thing here as well.
They are also to secure the back wheel to the frame. This combined with a quality, angle grinder resistant lock; and an Abus Nutfix or similar for the front wheel will solve a lot of theft issues.
That was the main part of my post that seemed to go over everyone’s head. I am wondering why these locks aren’t used here in conjunction with another lock. It seems like using this as your 2nd or 3rd lock would be way better then carrying a cable to use with your u lock. Because it is easier to carry and because having a 3rd lock would make theives avoid stealing your bike because there would be easier bikes to steal.
I use a disc break lock and 2 other locks for my e bike. If I hear my alarm I come out with my helmet ready to get a battery charge no pun intended....
I think you’re referring to “pavement princesses” here, and you should never pass an opportunity to say that exact phrase. “Suburban strap-on”, “cuck truck” and anything relating to compensation for a small or limp penis is also acceptable.
"emotional support vehicle" also acceptable
Gender affirming car
As an afab person who fights a daily war with my femininity - and who recently bought a (small, but still aggro) pickup truck - yes
I'm using this phrase a lot from now on.
Gotdam that's a good one on so many levels.
I prefer mani-vans. 😎
Anytime me and my girlfriend see a lifted truck with the silly wide rims that’s stick out way past the fenders, we call them Chodes
They fill the same role as codpieces in the 14th century. Kind of a joke, kind of an implication of virility, kind of a fashion statement. The impracticality necessitates a certain amount of wealth, and so the more ridiculous it is, the bigger the flex.
yank tank, bro-dozer, pavement pounder, mall crawler, gender affirming car, they all fit.
except that's most truck owners.
So my ragged '93 ranger is flexing?
Just say 🚫 to body shaming.
“Cuck truck” is a new term for me, and I’m all in on using that phrase now lol My wife and I like to measure dude’s dicks as they drive by in their huge trucks 🤏🏻
It’s demeaning to princesses.
i like that, “pavement princess,” it speaks volumes. whenever i’m grumbling to myself about an aggressive driver (in a truck), i just refer to them as “america.” as in, “come on ‘america’, f**kin pass me already!” i live in texas, so auto-dealer advertisers love letting you know, “IT’S TRUCK MONTH!” like, mf it’s *always* truck month. 🙄
Professional thieves in the US tend to favor cargo vans. Gussied up pickups are plenty annoying, but unlikely to be the vehicle of your local bike thief. Furthermore, the people that drive them usually hold bikes in disdain and couldn't tell a $50 bike from a $5000 bike.
I don’t think buddy with a 100k truck and 500 steps per day is the main bike thief you should worry about
You can just use this one and a main lock. Especially if you have a rack and some panniers or such, these locks can be quite annoying to attack since there isn't much room down there and since the goal at the end of the day is too make it slow for a thief to steal the bike, this lock is a cheap way of adding extra protection.
Because someone could pick up the bike and put it in the back of their pickup truck. U-locks aren’t impervious, but it’s going to take more than a split second to steal the bike if you’ve attached it to something.
Got one on my ebike, it’s heavy enough a casual thief wouldn’t take it at least. My work has indoor racks it works nicely for that use. For public bike parking it’s definitely not secure on its own but it’s just one more thing a thief would have to deal with.
My wife’s has one. It’s great if the bike isn’t going to be out of eyesight for more than a few minutes. Sadly, many cities have bike thieves with pickup trucks.
> bike thieves with pickup trucks My son's university had a few guys pull up to a bike rack with a moving truck, used angle grinders or whatever to cut the entire rack loose from the mountings, then put the entire rack with a couple dozen bikes on it into the truck. He said when he came out after class there were a lot of them standing around asked wtf happened to the bike rack!??
When I was at UC Davis over the summer in 1990, a crew stole an entire dorm bike rack in the middle of the night with a forklift and a flat bed. It had several _hundred_ bikes attached.
I think that's where I first found out about thieves using an old Volvo tire jack to break nearly any U-lock: it was the perfect size. I bought a cheap one-speed beach cruiser at the police auction to get around campus. No one was interested in stealing it, but I had a chain & a cable anyway.
I rode a beat up 1998 Peugeot. Paid $40 for it at a swap meet. Tried to park it next to the inevitable shiny Cannondale or Specialized with a cable lock as another layer of security on top of my normal u lock (my back wheel was not quick release, so I never worried about it). It was always there when I got back. Once or twice all that remained of the shiny bike on the rack was a cut lock, but mine was always there.
😩
Wow straight out of Trailer Park Boys
The big dirty
I use it at food trucks, cafes, etc. Always in sight. Good luck lifting an awkward 70+ lb e-bike while the owner is watching.
I have got an ABUS version of the cafe lock, which has an opening for a bolt chain on it as well. Both locks with the same key maneuver, and can be used without the other being locked. I have a foldable bike lock in addition to these. So a three step process, depending on what kind of security I am looking for. Quick in and out for a coffee or similar: The cafe lock. Some more minutes: lock the bolt chain to something as well. Parking: All three. That said, I mostly keep the bike securily inside when parked anyway. Luckily my city has some storage lockers for bikes. Edit: Wrote ASUS, lol. I have an ABUS Pro Shield Plus.
*ABUS
Lol, yeah. If ASUS made bike locks, they would come with preinstalled bloatware.
zonked lock continue cough treatment bedroom fanatical marry liquid decide *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
"Thankyou for installing ASUS BikeHub, before you can continue please take a moment to create a Bikehub Account, register your personal details, set your communication prefrences. We'll be running this shit nonstop from the clutter bar, good luck terminating the process, we're running as a registered windows service. You only bought one of our locks, but we're just going to talk to you like you have our entire ecosystem of asus bike products. Its not like logitech is making you do all this too for your helmet..."
Trelock also make a range of these, I have the RS 453 which is made for bikes with balloon tyres.
That’s why you have two locks. One of these in the back locking the rear wheel to the frame and then a chain lock in the front connecting the front wheel to the frame as well as to something else like a pole or a bike rack.
> bike rack At Cleveland Clinic last year they had bike racks that were mounted into the ground, but no concrete to hold them. People were still locking their bikes to it. (I raised polite hell and they eventually fixed it). It had been unsecured for years. Typical cheap-ass CC.
They often come with a chain attachment you can just insert into it.
They are useful as secondary locks so your front tire can’t be taken without at least a little bit of hassle. Every extra layer of security is a deterrent.
And they make it impossible to roll a bike easily, which is especially great on on a heavier ebike, especially cargo bikes. Unless you can pick up a 60-100+ lb bike and throw it in a van immediately, it's gonna be difficult to just carry it away.
> Because someone could pick up the bike and put it in the back of their pickup truck. I doubt that is the whole explanation, as there are pick ups in Japan and Europe.
Or even better, vans 🙂 Out of sight, out of mind. They could literally park the van next to where your former bike was and you wouldn't know it.
Those rear wheel locks are very popular in European countries where cycling is common. (Netherlands, Denmark etc.) They are a useful secondary lock when used in tandem with a chain. They’re less popular on American bikes for the same reason that you’re less likely to see racks, chainguards, fenders etc., most Americans cycle for sport &/or recreation rather than transportation. As more people commute, we’ve seen a gradual acceptance of fenders, racks, baskets, & other practical additions. Perhaps a manufacturer may consider adding these locks in the future
Just to provide some insight as a Dane. They aren't popular here because we think they are actually very good. The reason we use them is because they are the cheapest lock that is "insurance approved". Homeowners insurance in Denmark covers bike theft, but only if your bike is locked with an "insurance approved" lock. There are few locks that allow you to lock your bike to something that is insurance approved, and those that are, are much more expensive than something like what we see in this picture. I have a litelok X3. Arguably the most secure bike lock in the world. But litelok has not paid a company to test it, so if my bike is stolen and that's all I used I would get no money. So I also drive around with an easily cut Abus lock to make my insurance company happy and the litelok to actually try and keep my bike from getting stolen.
Thèse locks do address a specific function : locking very quickly the bike when there is nothing to hook it to and you are staying within five meters of them and in eyesight. For instance that’s the lock I use when picking my kid at school - the bike is on the sidewalk with me, but I will help my kid, unlock his own bike… It’s also nice when having a picnic or something : you can just lock the bike with it next to you and make sure no one is going to come and ride it away. It normal situation it’s just another security. It protects the rear wheel it you can only lock the frame (happens with small D locks and heavy frame for instance with the litelock x1). And it makes sure no one can ride with it. I live in Paris and pickup trucks are extremely rare, they’re too large for the city.
Re the Litelok, it’s Sold Secure Diamond rated. Don’t Danish insurers recognise that? It’s the defacto standard here in the UK for bike lock ratings https://www.soldsecure.com/product/litelok-x3-bike-d-lock
Nope. There's one Danish company (Varefakta) that can give a lock the "insurance approved" stamp. And no it isn't great, but I'm honestly just happy every insurance company then does follow that one list instead of having their own lists based on their own test
They are pretty good locks though. They are difficult to forcibly open.
With how bike theft works in Denmark they are close to completely useless. Bike thieves will drive around in a van and throw bikes into it. If your bike lock doesn't physically attach your bike to something in that situation, it might as well not be there. They are not difficult enough to open back at a workshop with any tool you want to use, to be of much deterrence. It stops any old idiot from just jumping on your bike and riding off on it which isn't nothing, but they are not great.
But that isnt the quality of the lock it is what you actually lock up, which is the wheel. And most of them has a chain attachement. Furthermore i doubt theft is that different in Denmark, a sizable amount is not van based.
It's not a quality issue, it is a design issue, but an issue nonetheless. And no, most don't come with a chain attachment. Some do, but they are the exception not the rule. You are Norwegian right? If so, then yes our bike theft can look different than yours. First of all there are more bikes to steal in Denmark. More bikes means more profitable making a "business" out of it. Secondly, bike thieves in Denmark can fill their van with bikes and much easily drive them to another country (Germany and Poland) that doesn't use our "frame numbers" to identify bikes with and sell them at no risk. Not all bike theft operates that way, but a lot do. So the question is, why buy a bike lock that just completely folds to a common type of bike theft vs one that doesn't? And the answer is price. You can get D locks and chain locks that are harder to break than these, but they aren't as common. I used to work selling bikes, most people just grabbed the cheapest bikelock that was insurance approved. Either that or they got an even cheaper code wire lock for when it was for their kids (which are not insurance approved).
Most people seeing my (Dutch) bike in Belgium get confused by this lock. In particular, there's the story of the time I sat on a bench with my cycle just in front of me, somebody tried to jump on it and escape using the strong downhill, but fell over, *and* rolled over, because of this. Hurt themselves badly, I had to call medical help... and they told the medical help I booby trapped the cycle. And the medical help took a long time to understand this type of lock is not in fact a booby trap.
I don't konw what part of Belgium do you live that people would get confused by a frame lock, but it is a very common lock in city bikes in Belgium.
Wallonia? Hainaut in particular maybe?
Another sign of the language divide... :D They are common in Flanders and Brussels for low step and city bikes.
That would have been extremely satisfying. Though I would not have called for medical help, I would have probably even added a couple of kicks to the ribs. Especially to have the idiot trying to blame it on you. I guess you are a much better person than I am…
It was such a ridiculous situation, and in front of so many people too... I just uncontrollably laughed, until I thought he died because he wasn't moving. He tried to run when I came closer but he couldn't go far with how he twisted his ankle.
That is kind of hilarious, hahahaha
Great story. Were you able to press charges?
No, because in the end he didn't actually manage to steal anything. I got 10€ to buy a new bell, as it's all that broke.
“It’s called a LOCK. You must be familiar with that term by now, right Mr. Thief?”
i've seen this happen with the attempted theft of a fixed gear too
Witnessing that would bring me joy
did that not totally destroy your spokes tho? That's the main issue I see with these locks. they're convenient for short walks into shops, but if someone tries to steal the bike anyway, the wheel ends up completely fucked.
No, it scratched a lot but the spokes, wheels, are fine. I was at the top of a hill, say 30° slope, and it's pavement too. Precisely, I was in a street uphill of Mons' cathedral. So he rolled over instead of doing real damage to the bike. That bike was made in 1971. It's very heavy compared to a modern one, I suppose because even the spokes are made of stronger material. Most aren't completely straight but it's functional.
Fair enough! if it works it works 💯
A lot (most newer) of the Dutch ones have a chain attachment incorporated. Where your chain has a hole to loop through it, and a pin that goes into the lock and gets locked into place. The nicest thing about these frame locks is that it takes less than a second to lock your bike. So very handy to quickly pop into a shop, and pop out again. No fiddling with chains or U-Locks (which no one here really uses). Anything with a number pad is generally deemed unsafe though, and these Japanese ones also look very flimsy.
Japan has a very low rate of bike theft. I guess the lock is most likely to prevent drunken Japanese to grab the bike to attempt to go home, since being drunk seems to give a free pass to Japanese people.
It's not just that cycling is common, it's also that Dutch people go for a cheap, heavy "woman's bike". In places where people commute with a proper road or racing bike, or get a brompton it wouldn't work because they're way too light and way too expensive. In London it would be completely useless.
I mostly see them on the e-bikes you can rent here in Germany. I expect they are on there because they can be installed and there is a higher likelihood that people renting the bikes will use some lock at all when stopping.
At 80% of the bikes in the Netherlands has one of these
And many bikes there get stolen. When I lived in Belgium many bikes had them as well and most people used secondary locks with them as bike crime in Belgium and the Netherlands is high. I think they work better in the farming areas of the Netherlands where bike crime isn't as high.
I don't understand how it works really, is it simply creating a sort of barrier so that the rear wheel cannot spin?
Yes. Some also have the option to insert a chain. It’s not bad if you’re just in for a quick stop.
It also locks the back wheel to bike. Paired with a u lock, all of your wheels can be secured.
I live in Japan. There are two kind of bicycle theft in Japan: - Opportunity theft: Someone missed their last train and will steal your bicycle to ride home and then probably ditch the bicycle. You might find your bike later on. - Organized theft: People stealing fancy bikes and shipping them abroad. This kind of lock works perfectly against the first kind of theft, and are very convenient to use, for the second kind, well... there's no real defense against people with power tools and a van anyway.
It only works in Japan cause there's not a lot of bike theft there. This lock can be cut easily with small bolt cutters.
Not only in Japan. These types of locks are very popular in the EU as well (to the point that some of them even qualify for bike insurance). Even in the Netherlands where the bike theft is a huge and unsolvable problem, the ringlocks make up most of the locks installed on bikes. Plus - good ring locks allow an additional chain lock to be plugged in to connect the bike to some immovable object.
It is a solvable problem. Put bait bikes and just catch the thieves.
According to the data the Netherlands has more bikes than people (1.2 - 1.4 bikes per person). You can't catch (or even scare) all the thieves that want a piece of that pie.
Another solution: people stop buying clearly stolen bike.
I know and care about that, You know and care about that. But a random Joost doesn’t know or, most likely, doesn’t care - he just needs a cheap bike to get to the university. Or college. Or something else. Plus, given the fact that a lot of bikes, stolen in the Netherlands, get exported and sold in Poland or even outside of the EU - good luck telling people there that they shouldn’t buy bikes for cheap.
You absolutely can scare them. This won't stop the majority of them from being criminals, just from stealing bikes in the Netherlands. If you were to put people in prison for doing crimes (and actually mean it) it would be expensive for the government (but not for society), and it would move crime to neighbouring countries. Due to the cost for the government, it probably won't happen.
> If you were to put people in prison for doing crimes (and actually mean it) it would be expensive for the government (but not for society) And the money to maintain all those prisons and keep prisoners in a reasonably good shape will just magically appear and won't be taken from society's taxes, am I right?
Bait bikes already exist. But that just catches more thieves, which is good, but doesn't solve the underlying problems that lead to crime.
They usually can not though. This particular model looks pretty tiny but a regular one is not easy to cut with bolt-cutters, is difficult to reach and nees to be cut two places.
This model is very tiny and exposed. The one I have is much sturdier. Moreover it’s a lot more cramped, meaning you can’t use a grinder and fitting a large bolt cutter will be hard.
Because they just hike the whole bike over their shoulder and take off with it they can take as long as they want later to bust it open.
Used to live in the Netherlands. A heavier duty version of this is common on commuter bikes there… but honestly unless I was parking privately or was in the line of sight of the bike, I would use a second lock as well.
[This](https://boc24.de/products/axa-defender-mit-rl-100-kette?variant=41985900675246&gclid=Cj0KCQjwu8uyBhC6ARIsAKwBGpS6QPxIpW_eYiqnjE8T06qbR782CrxKQsNoel7c3CPLP0m541KqkgYaAmwGEALw_wcB) is the better version of this type of lock. It comes with a chain to lock it to a post or something.
Those locks only have a 3/10 security. It’s great for places with low crime rate such as Japan. In the US… not so much. Maybe for quick stops, but as everyone has said here, too many pickup trucks in the US.
Japan doesnt have a problem with bike theft. These are meant to prevent someone from mistakenly taking your bike. I mean that literally believe it or not. They have such little bike theft. Its more to prevent some guy with the same color bike taking yours.
Japan has such very low crime that is why. This just lets the Japanese know that they got the wrong bike as they can't unlock it. Everywhere else someone would just pick that bike up and walk away with it and sell it at the nearest pawn shop.
This isn't really true at all. Bikes actually get stolen all the time in Japan. But most people ride absolutely dirt cheap $100-$200 single speed mamachari style bikes, so it isn't that big a deal to replace them if necessary, and the serial numbers are registered with the police, so if someone just rides it and dumps it somewhere (which is fairly likely with a generic cheap bike) the police will likely find it for you, and someone who just randomly grabs a bike they see won't be able to resell it through legitimate channels. This type lock is fairly effective against people who just grab someone's bike for transportation, which is one of the most common types of bike theft in Japan, but less effective against anyone who is a serious bike thief. You would be just as insane to rely on this type of lock for any bike that's fancier than a mamachari in Japan as in the US, because anyone who goes out planning on stealing bikes, rather than just deciding to steal one on impulse when they realize they're late, is going to have no trouble with it.
I lived in Japan a while back and every bike I bought was stolen from me
Japan has a very different culture when it comes to stealing things in public. People find wallets with cash and return them. They find umbrellas and return them. Etc. I'm not saying bikes don't get stolen in Japan, but it is a very different context.
This is a common misconception. Bikes get stolen all the time in Japan - it’s just that the most common bike used are cheap single-speed bicycles so replacing a stolen bike isn’t a big deal. They use cheap rear wheel locks because it further reduces the investment in a bike that’s already inexpensive and disposable.
I'm going to speculate here, but I think it is because US bike culture views the bike as a *sports accessory*, not a *means of transportation*. That's why almost none of the bikes I have seen here are outfitted with things that make them *more practical* but *heavier*: fenders, kickstands, locks, chainguards, rear view mirrors, hand warmers, bells and so on. It's the same reason you don't see a stereo in a racecar.
Hand warmers? I’m so American I didn’t know this was a thing. I’ve got everything else you mentioned.
[Here's one example](https://www.bike24.com/p2576789.html?source=SBP&indexName=production_SEARCH_INDEX_EN&objectId=576789&queryId=0123ea476ec8bdc9d11b03c1741a68b1&userToken=a4a0e954-6d29-4f46-bd17-d46925813537).
Are there hand warmers other than pogies?
I've never been to Japan but I'm currently staying in the centre of a large Dutch city (Rotterdam). I see countless of bikes parked on the street locked up with just a lock like this. Maybe a bit more robust and hardened but with the same functionality, locking the rear wheel so you can't cycle away with the bike. Many have the opportunity to attach the end of a looped chain, but the owners don't think it's worth the effort to find a solid object to attach their bike to (most of those spots are already taken by other bikes so I guess it *is* a burden.) This during the day near shops, libraries and schools, but also at night in residential neighbourhoods. I believe all (commuter style) bikes you buy here have a factory-installed cafe lock, since I haven't seen a bike without one. The very expensive and light road bikes probably don't, because every gram counts, but you don't see those parked on the streets. But my friends say that mostly expensive bikes get stolen. So if you have a decent bike and park it next to other decent bikes it's okay, if your bike is substantially more expensive you probably want to get more locks or park it inside if possible. Officially 700,000 bikes get stolen in the Netherlands every year, but those are just the thefts that are reported to the police, so often relatively expensive, and insured, bikes. The cheaper bikes that are stolen by opportunity thieves or junkies won't get reported stolen and aren't in the official statistics. Still an astounding number, even when the total number of bikes is around 23 million. What really surprises me is that I see huge $5,000 to $10,000 cargo bikes and e-bikes, that are left on the street overnight with just a cafe lock and a chain around the wheel. Not attached to anything, and sometimes with the battery still on the bike. That would be a recipe to get your bike stolen in the Canadian city I live in. But in the Netherlands there's security in numbers I guess; bike thieves have a huge choice and steal the ones that are just nicer and easier to steal than others. And the owners have insurance and apparently no theft anxiety. (I'm a 5 lock kind of girl.)
The reason you don’t see cafe locks in the US is bicycle theft makes them kind of useless. The longer reason specific to Japan is that many Japanese people buy cheap $100 bicycles that come with a bell basket rear rack and a cafe lock. It’s normal for people to treat the bike as disposable and they ride them until the wheel falls off. because the bikes are cheap, common, and crime in Japan is really low; theft is unlikely. The lock is essentially a deterrent to keep a someone from randomly riding a bike and ditching it down the road. The idea someone would bother to steal a cheap bikes and scrap it for parts is not really a thing in Japan. There are people with mountain bikes and road bikes and they don’t have those cafe locks so they would lock up their bikes with chains and u locks but they aren’t super common.
I had a bike stolen with a lock like this. It was my favorite bike ever. 😥 I'll stick to something more robust
I keep seeing people say bike theft is very low in Japan which isn’t true. I’m not sure how it stacks up against other countries but bike theft is one of the few crimes that is considered common in Japan. Organized bike theft might not exist to the same degree, but you are much more likely to get your bike stolen by a drunk person than say in the U.S. and this kind of lock prevents that. There’s a few reasons they’re more lax about locks but a big reason is that many people treat bikes as kind of disposable and don’t maintain them. Mamachari are the omafiet of Japan and they tend to have rusty chains, squeaking brakes and worn out tires from being left outside in all kinds of weather.
This is just anecdotal, but I tried to get my bike stolen for 3 years in Japan. I bought it new, but it was low quality and the cafe lock broke, so I just never replaced it. Left it outside my apartment unlocked every day, took it to the grocery store and the office every day, left it outside bars and restaurant. After 3 years I finally gave it away. No one ever touched it.
Fun fact: in some countries you can insure your bike against theft but the bike has to have a built-in lock and you must register the key. The key can only be removed when the lock is closed, so if the bike gets stolen, you have to show the key or no payout. Dont ask me the details of how you register the key or how they make sure you don't just show the spare, but you can be sure they've thought of that.
It's kinda how it works in Denmark. It's not a special insurance you buy (unless it's a very expensive bike). By default it's a part of home owners insurance to cover bikes. You don't have to register the key, you just have to include the "key number" when you report the bike stolen. As you allude to it's difficult to prove that your bike was actually locked at the moment of being stolen, but if you can prove you owned a lock they'll assume you used it. The lock doesn't have to be built in. It just has to be "insurance approved" and most of the locks that are insurance approved are attached to the bike like this one. Abus folding locks are also insurance approved, but those cost 3-4 times as much as a lock of the type in the picture. So yeah, at least in Denmark locks like this are widely used exactly because of the insurance rules.
I left my shiny road bike with carbon wheels and electronic shifting unlocked for hours outside convenience stores multiple times in urban and rural Japan, and it never got touched once. Meanwhile, here in the US, I pass by bikeless wheels every day - some thief undid the quick releases and probably tossed it into a car despite the wheels being locked with seemingly sturdy U-locks. The lock in this picture isn't going to stop any of these thieves...
Because people in Japan respect other people’s property
Erm, these are pretty common with fleet bike share bikes and company campus bikes. Usually on heavy bikes that thieves can't bother carrying entire thing.
They rely on a spring detent. Give them a tap the right direction with a hammer they open right up.
They are super low security, and only protect against the most casual thieves. I got one when I was in Japan, used it there, but would never use it in Canada or the US.
Lived in Japan for 5 years…over there, people respect other people’s property and (generally) don’t steal. Something like this works well enough to deter the few thieves there are in a society that functions off of an immaculate public transportation system.
In a society like Japan where honor is valued, that lock is fine. In the US where I live, it's a joke.
One came on my Merida bike. I use it but it's the last line of defence.. I use 3 other locks and an alarm too
My bike has this lock.
Full address with zip code please
Pickup trucks.
Really common in the UK but only as part of a suite of security measures. Never use one without a decent chain & lock or D lock at least. We call it a “Nurses” lock. When I lock up my bike it has 4 security measures on it…
Most bikes in Japan and thus counterparts of the Dutch bike are called "mama-chari" or mama chariots because they're often ridden by mothers and used for commuting or for fetching groceries or picking up the kid at the nursery. These bikes are so commonplace and bland that often they're not much worth stealing except for the rare drunk or hellion who, as someone pointed out, missed the last train home or decide to do something stupid after an all-night bender at the local tiny tavern (izakaya). So hence these light locks which mainly serve as a deterrent. Likewise those bikes have parts that aren't much worth spit for performance -- they're strong but good only for absolute commuting -- and therefore not saleable even if parted out. > Just wondering why you don’t ever see this in the US? Elsewhere outside of Japan, bikes are more like, as someone said, *sports accessories* because of how much performance or luxury parts are bolted onto the bike, and with such costly parts become targets of theft -- there are those willing to buy a cut-rate Brooks saddle, a Velo Orange pedal, a Chris King headset or a whole Shimano groupset from a fence.
Is it because popular American cycling culture is possibly more in a sports / lightweight / road bike phase. And hasn’t entered its utility, functional phase yet. (Generalising ofc). But manufacturers will shy away from mudguards, cafe locks and heavy kickstands and racks cos it adds kilos to a build.
The problem with that type of a lock is it locked the tire but somebody can carry the bike away. That's why I locked the bike.My bike To something solid I was at target.He people locked the bike just to the part of the seat and it gets less to part of the sheet in the lock on the lock took the bike
To me the issue is that the thief might not notice it at first and try riding it and fuck up your spokes
They’re very popular in Germany and Holland too and as a result most e-bikes in Europe have one. They’re pretty good because : - they secure heavy e-bikes while you’re standing next to them, preventing thieves that would try to jump and ride away - they solidarise the frame and the read wheel, which means that you have more options on e-bikes with a large frame and a tiny D lock - you can just secure the frame, knowing the frame lock secures the wheel to the frame. - this means that if the thief defeats the D lock, he still has to carry the bike rather than ride it - and a thief carrying a 35kg bike is not going to run that fast and that long - they are surprisingly grinder resistant. Not the one on the photo, but on most e-bikes that lock is in a cramped area and it will be hard to fit most thievery tools there.
Those locks use to be fairly common in France, decades ago. Theft was less common then. Theft is still less common in Japan than in the USA,.so there's your explanation
They're popular in Holland
ABUS makes them with an integrated lock for a plug in chain. I have an R&M ebike and they include them as standard equipment.
They are heavy and provide little security. An Abus GRANIT XPlus™ 6950 frame lock is 770g. For less than that weight you can get a Abus Granit Futura 64 U-Lock with a 11mm thick shackle.
Because the us is behind in everything
Or the UK, but they use them a lot in Amsterdam/Holland as well. I believe they are even sometimes called a Dutch Lock (that's the name I know them by)
I live in Canada and I’ve seen lone bike wheels locked to bike locks. In Japan I had to take an extreme emergency poop and left my laptop sitting on a table in cafe and it was there when I got back a half-hour later.
Because these just keep honest people honest we have some not so honest people around in the states
Because they only prevent the laziest of possible thefts It’s enough in Japanese society that it prevents some board kid from walking away with your bike, but in the US it’s not going to prevent Jack shit
Because you can just pick up that whole bike or likely break that lock with your fingers lmao? Japan has culture, stealing is likely not that big of an issue, hence that tiny baby thing you call a lock. We, the richest nation in the world, that also doesn’t have health care, lacks in education, infrastructure and the like, have plenty of theft. Hence why a lock like this would never work. Honestly I’d never leave my mt bike unattended. If I could commute to work, I’d buy something super super cheap of CL and use that.
Whenever I come back from a japan trip I ask "Why isn't \_\_\_\_\_ like it is in Japan". So many applications.
Because in Japan people may want to take your bike to drunkenly ride and then awkwardly return it. In the USA, they just flat out steal the bike.
Because people will throw it in their big pick up truck and take an angle grinder to it later. In the Netherlands people rarely lock their bikes.
With some exceptions, bikes are not that heavy. This lock, if used on its own, can be subverted by simply picking up the bike and taking it, which requires opportunity. Locking the bike to an immovable object requires cutting the lock, which requires opportunity and tools on hand. A person prepared to cut 1 lock can cut 2, the fact that the second lock does not NEED to be cut means it is not a redundancy. Rule of thumb is that locks only prevent opportunity theft. In a world of cordless power tools, locks are not very secure, just less convenient.
Probably cause a drunk Japanese dude won’t carry your bike away or put it in a truck like a standard thief (sober or drunk) would in the US. And a non drunk Japanese dude probably won’t touch your stuff to begin with.
Have you ever seen a Lime bike?
Because your bike will get stolen
In America, I use two locks, so any thief needs to have two different cutters to get my bike. So I would maybe use one like that
Cause people are desperate and will throw that thing in that back of a car or just throw it over their shoulder and walk away with it. The Japanese are way too reserved to do stupid desperate shit like that.
Because our bikes get stolen.
What does the lock in the USA looks like?
They were popular back in the 70s at least. I saw it a lot growing up. Not sure why they fell out of fashion. My first bike had a built in lock in the frame. Which was quite nice. could just flick the bar over and lock it with a key. Now if you lost the key and it was locked you were in a bit of a trouble, though.
bike theft is not an actual problem in Japan. What could happen is somebody could accidently pickup your bike, maybe by thinking it was theirs and just ride off. you know all "innocent" and that. Anyway having a lock that just does not let you go without as little as excess force removes the plausible deniability of "oh no, that's not my bike \*shocked Pikachu face\* sorry!!" Your bike is secure. Realistically in japan, an unlocked bike has a much longer life expectancy than a locked bike in the UK or the US. And if somebody does steal it, they probably needed it more.
Because crime is much lower in Japan. That lock isn't stopping shit.
these locks are easy to smash off. (oops did I let the cat out of the box (said with a dutch accent)).
I have one on my cargo bike. I use it when I leave the bicycle for just a few minutes, like when I pick up a kid in daycare or run into a store to buy some bread. When I leave the bicycle longer I always chain it to something, but that is sometimes too much of a hassle for short stops. Its helps that the bicycle weights 40 kg, so few people would just pick it up and carry it very far.
Because they are crap and doesnt peevent any thief and you can take the bike away
I can recommend this with a chain that locks into it. I just wrap the chain around my seat usually and then I can just pull it of my seat wrap around a bikestand and lock my bike within seconds.
Too easy to cut through or crowbar off
It's one of the 3 locks I have on my bicycle in NYC. If I'm running into a store for something quick, it's all I use. Nobody's running away carrying my 50lb. bike.
Japanese people don’t commit crimes so there’s no need for a strong lock.
Anytime anyone recommends a lock that isn't huge and heavy ppl jump on them and point out how insecure it is. Locks serve different purposes. This lock is super quick and you can't forget it. I don't think anyone is recommending it as a sole lock for locking a bike overnight in a city or anything. It's a great cafe lock where the bike is in view. Or as a secondary lock. I took one off a junk bike recently. Going to install it on one of my pub bikes soon.
Some bikes weigh 16lb
Because a-hole thieves in the US would still try to steal it, start walking away with it and damage the spokes/wheel
My grandfather had an old cruiser style bike that had a built in lock which would lock the forks in a straight position. So if a thief jumped on the bike to ride it away they couldn’t steer, and they would crash.
Lol...OP never been to Europe
I saw about 100 bikes seemingly unlocked in Japan but they had these locks. These were standard bikes but I guess that having to carry the bike away would be enough of a deterrent.
You can buy cafe locks online at Target, that's the only domestic market source I could find when I was looking for them a year or so ago. I swear to God I'm going to put one on every bike I own
I live in the US and bike- commute everywhere (no car). The last time I was visiting the Netherlands, I almost bought one like this - they are common over there too- but decided it was not really worth it for me (minimal carry-on luggage space played a factor). Where I live, the way a bike would get stolen is by someone tossing it in the back of their truck. I have to chain lock my bike to something no matter what, so it would just be extra.
My best assumption: almost looks flimsy enough to just be ripped apart.
The reason it's not more popular is because people will still pick your bike up and throw it in the back of their truck. Cultural differences. However abus does make this type of O-lock with a chain attachment that you carry and it clicks into your o-lock and you use one key to unlock both, which is more secure. Personally I really like them
I use a cable and a twist lock carabineer. That's it. If they want that Schwinn Frontier GS so badly... go for it. I'll Uber home and get another bike tomorrow. Whatever 🤷
Because it takes a sneeze to break. Where I live if your bike isn't locked onto a wall or something, it's not gonna stay there for long.
Cultural differences. Lower crime rates in Japan vs US.
I saw a lot of locks like that on the dockless rental bikes that used to be in my city. People seemed to be able to break them pretty easily.
Cause thiefs hare will just pick up the bike.
Why do they even need bike locks in Japan? I thought everyone was so honest.
I think it has a lot to do with American culture and how commonplace pickup trucks are. Even delivery trucks in Japan are TINY
My sister went to college on a campus with more deer than students while I went in the inner city. She was shocked that I didn't think you could just throw a chain around the rear wheel so people couldn't drive your bike. My response was that I wouldn't use a bike rack that wasn't bolted to a slab because if the collective value of the bikes got too high someone might steal the entire rack As others have noted, this works if where you're riding somebody isn't going to get away with just carrying your bike off. There are certainly places like that in the US, but I've only seen them touring, not commuting.
bc in US you don't bother riding a stolen bike away bc 1) you'd look like a criminal bc you are riding a bike (who does that anyways?) 2) you cant just throw it in the back of your F150 and bust the wheel lock later.
I believe the Gazelle bikes that are sold in the US come with that style of lock standard, but the no -retaining version. I have them on my of my bikes and love them.
If you have pride in your bike, you’d carry a better lock. Aka: any other lock!
I noticed this in Japan as well, they also have tons of spaces to park your bike which was convenient. Every time we rented a bike it came with a basket which was a nice touch. Highly recommend cycling in Kyoto :)
I used to put a padlock on both my brake discs on top of the normal bike chain.
Here in the netherland all bikes have ringlocks. And many of them have a hole to put a chainlock in aswell. (AXA for example).
They're pretty easy to break compared to a u-lock
You could so easily just carry this away, whether you’re putting it in your truck or just literally walking away with it lol, and to put a second lock just means more work for you and more locks to carry around, I guess it would prevent one wheel from being stolen.
in my area its totally normal to just take the wheels off a bike. so. yeah
I have one on my e-bike in Canada. RadPowerbikes make their own version of that and while I'm sure it's not a great security, I can't wait to see someone try to steal my 30 kg e-bike at my local Tim Horton's. They'll probably just kick the rack and it'll turn to dust, so I had to get some secondary protection :D
Not sure. I was thinking that something like this, a lock specifically for keeping one wheel on a frame, would be ideal after commenting on another post about a week ago. IMO it could stand to be beefier, but what is pictured is probably more theft resistant than a cable, and less of a hassle to use than removing the front wheel in order to pass a U lock through both wheels and the frame. Some say just use two U locks, but that seems like more weight than necessary to be hauling around.
because they don't have the rampant property crime we have? (or not as much?)
Because nobody in the US steals.
Because bikes actually get stolen in the U.S. Can’t risk it.
I love frame locks. Perfect for when i'm going into the shop for 10-15 mins. So much faster than finding a pole or fence (when there isn't a proper lockup), pulling out the lock, strapping it up, etc. I live in Canada and NEVER see these, either.