Cafe Locks

[vorsprung]

Do you all use "cafe locks"? Small lightweight locks for short stops with the bike nearby, although it might be momentarily out of view
Blog post about my paranoid driven lock buying here.
Is a little lock a waste of time? I don't want to carry a boat anchor around...and sometimes on long trips a cafe stop is unavoidable

 

[RDV4ROUBAIX]

Easy one. For commuting; Kryptonite Evo Mini goes everywhere with me, small enough to fit in any of my jean or short back pockets if I'm not riding with a bag.

As for training, not carrying a lock. The whole point being I'm not stopping for anything while out training, defeats the whole purpose, right. If you really have to stop for something I'm sure it's usually at a cafe where there's always like minded cyclists at any given time of day to watch your bike while you run in for a caffeine purchase. Maybe that's putting too much faith in people? I don't know.

 

[Barrus]

Do you all use "cafe locks"? Small lightweight locks for short stops with the bike nearby, although it might be momentarily out of view
Blog post about my paranoid driven lock buying here.
Is a little lock a waste of time? I don't want to carry a boat anchor around...and sometimes on long trips a cafe stop is unavoidable

For such a short stop I just use this type of lock:

 

[dsut4392]

Do you all use "cafe locks"? Small lightweight locks for short stops with the bike nearby, although it might be momentarily out of view
Blog post about my paranoid driven lock buying here.
Is a little lock a waste of time? I don't want to carry a boat anchor around...and sometimes on long trips a cafe stop is unavoidable

I don't use one because I doubt it would significantly reduce my paranoia levels
Those few occasions when I have to leave my bike unwatched (most longer rides are with a group, solo rides I rarely stop except for a 'natural break') I just suck up the fear and get back as quick as I can - but I don't live where you do.
Where I live, most lowlife scumbags tend to keep mostly to themselves, not venturing far from their welfare-state enclaves, and generally observe strict dress code of hoodie (Fox, Holden Racing Team or Champion), filthy tracksuit pants, visible tattoos and cigarette, making them readily identifiable. So long as one sticks to cafes that can make at least a mediocre espresso, and avoids McDonalds and KFC outlets, bike theft or other random abuse is very unlikely.
Unfortunately for you, your chavs get out more than our bogans do, plus you have a bigger market to shift nicked stuff.

 

[AnythingButKestrel]

I carry a short, thin cable lock and attach the bike to whatever piece of patio furniture is handy and will make the most ruckus if someone begins to covet. I don't have any delusions of it doing anything but temporarily impeding a thief, so I don't leave the bike out of sight for much longer than it takes to make the pit stop.

 

[the student]

be a hipster and carry a chain lock around your waist...

 

[Scoops]

I use one of these

http://www.parker-international.co.uk/11074/Squire-Retractable-Cable-Lock.html

Really handy cos it fits in you back pocket or saddle pack. It's very light and has just enough strength in it to be a deterant.

Shop around because they are available from hard ware stores and ebay. Mate of mine got one for £1 rather than the £9 advertised price from Parkers.

Happy riding!

 

[marathon marke]

I use one of these

http://www.parker-international.co.uk/11074/Squire-Retractable-Cable-Lock.html

Really handy cos it fits in you back pocket or saddle pack. It's very light and has just enough strength in it to be a deterant.

Shop around because they are available from hard ware stores and ebay. Mate of mine got one for £1 rather than the £9 advertised price from Parkers.

Happy riding!

That's the very same one that I use, but it's labeled as "Masterlock". Sure, it can easily be cut by somebody who really wants the bike, but as you said it's a good deterant when you just want to slip inside for a minute and can't keep your eye on the bike when you're out riding alone.

 

[runninboy]

As for training, not carrying a lock. The whole point being I'm not stopping for anything while out training, defeats the whole purpose, right. If you really have to stop for something I'm sure it's usually at a cafe where there's always like minded cyclists at any given time of day to watch your bike while you run in for a caffeine purchase. Maybe that's putting too much faith in people? I don't know.

Yup training is training. Although sometimes i change course a need extra food for additional miles.In those cases i do the cyclist sabotage. undo the QR, and put it on big big combo.then click the ergo all the way to small small. No good against guys who dont try to ride off on the bike, but i can run down those guys.
I want to see someone try to pedal as the rear derailleur clunks down all the gears to the 12 as the chain is dumped to the small and the wheels move in the dropouts slightly from the heavy torque on the chain...

 

[RedheadDane]

No, I don't use those. I just use the lock on my bike. I really don't see any need in using other locks, I've never been the type of person who found it necessary to chain my bike to signs and stuff. For several years I didn't even lock my bike when leaving it outside my grandparents' house. And I've never locked my bike when I sometimes left it on the balcony where my other grandmother lived. (But she lived on sixth floor so, if anyone had managed to climb up the outside of the building and bring my bike down... they'd kinda deserved to keep it...)
As for leaving my bike unattended, well... it's not like I bring my bike into the classrooms. I'd hardly be riding my bike to school if I was afraid of leaving it.

 

[marathon marke]

Yup training is training. Although sometimes i change course a need extra food for additional miles.In those cases i do the cyclist sabotage. undo the QR, and put it on big big combo.then click the ergo all the way to small small. No good against guys who dont try to ride off on the bike, but i can run down those guys.
I want to see someone try to pedal as the rear derailleur clunks down all the gears to the 12 as the chain is dumped to the small and the wheels move in the dropouts slightly from the heavy torque on the chain...

Yeah, I always use that procedure if I'm walking away from the bike for more than 15 seconds.

 

[laziali]

Yup training is training. Although sometimes i change course a need extra food for additional miles.In those cases i do the cyclist sabotage. undo the QR, and put it on big big combo.then click the ergo all the way to small small. No good against guys who dont try to ride off on the bike, but i can run down those guys.
I want to see someone try to pedal as the rear derailleur clunks down all the gears to the 12 as the chain is dumped to the small and the wheels move in the dropouts slightly from the heavy torque on the chain...

Good call. But surely easier and more effective just to unscrew (ie lengthen) the barrel adjuster on your front brake until the blocks are locked on the rim??

I'm speculating because only do cafe stops with group rides and then the odds that my bike will be the one taken plus a watchman make it a very low risk.

 

[Notso Swift]

Yup training is training. Although sometimes i change course a need extra food for additional miles.In those cases i do the cyclist sabotage. undo the QR, and put it on big big combo.then click the ergo all the way to small small. No good against guys who dont try to ride off on the bike, but i can run down those guys....

In cleats?

Seriously though, it isn't a bad way to go in a good area