Cycle lock. Brilliant but flawed ? (1 Viewer)

Charlie

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Saw this on the AS Owners forum... Its a new cycle lock that seems to have it nailed apart from one I think very important detail .. IE its to blooming short ?

Link
http://www.litelok.com/

A lot of money at (from memory) 75 quid for one and 150 for two..

For me a lock needs to go round whatever the immovable object is plus through the frame and both wheels.. Shame this one wont do it or I would have one .
 
D

Deleted member 29692

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I wouldn't have said so. 29 inches is perfectly usable. I would have said it's pretty much an ideal length and for some reason if you did need a longer one you can join two or more together but there's absolutely no point in carrying the extra weight unless you have a real reason to.

There's another thread about it here: http://www.motorhomefun.co.uk/forum/threads/lite-bike-lock-in-production-may-be-of-interest.123568/

I've got a couple on pre order (y)

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Teuchter

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If it was twice as long I would buy one!!
 
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I have pre-ordered 2 at least they are light !

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Tincataylor

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They cost more than our bikes........................

The Tincas
 
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Deleted member 29692

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A lot of money at (from memory) 75 quid for one and 150 for two..

Quite a bit less than it's competitors. £200 for a decent lock isn't unusual.

For me a lock needs to go round whatever the immovable object is plus through the frame and both wheels.. Shame this one wont do it or I would have one .

Not aware of any proper (i.e. Sold Secure Gold) locks that will do that without removing the front wheel. Cheapo cable types might but they aren't the same thing at all and not what this lock is competing with.

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Minxy

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My only concern is that although they've tested the strap itself they haven't seen how easy it is to smash the coupler, or drill out the pin and whether that would allow the bike to be released ... for the price I'd like to have FULL info on testing on every part of the design.
 
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Deleted member 29692

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My only concern is that although they've tested the strap itself they haven't seen how easy it is to smash the coupler, or drill out the pin and whether that would allow the bike to be released ... for the price I'd like to have FULL info on testing on every part of the design.

That's what the Sold Secure Gold standard is all about. It's not just some random sticker they've found, that certification is pretty comprehensive. The sort of info you're talking about is obviously highly commercially sensitive so there's no way anyone in their right mind would make it publicly available and is the reason why they go to the trouble of obtaining industry standard certification.

The marketing video showing the "attacks" on the strap is nothing more than that. They aren't real tests.

As for the price, as I said in my last post it's priced right at the bottom end of it's target market. Most of it's competitors are well over double the price.
 
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Charlie

Charlie

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That's what the Sold Secure Gold standard is all about. It's not just some random sticker they've found, that certification is pretty comprehensive. The sort of info you're talking about is obviously highly commercially sensitive so there's no way anyone in their right mind would make it publicly available and is the reason why they go to the trouble of obtaining industry standard certification.

The marketing video showing the "attacks" on the strap is nothing more than that. They aren't real tests.

As for the price, as I said in my last post it's priced right at the bottom end of it's target market. Most of it's competitors are well over double the price.


I had no idea locks for bikes could be so expensive ! There must come a point where the risk taken is more economical than the lock ? By that I mean some cycles can be cheap and its not guaranteed they will be stolen .

My bike is not of the cheap variety but there comes a point where locks become unrealistic in price. Unless they really do stand up to the claims made ..

I would and may buy one but not till I've seen reviews on them and have heard what buyers like you Nick have to say when you actually get one in your hands.

I look forward to a NickNic review !

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R

Robert Clark

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My only concern is that although they've tested the strap itself they haven't seen how easy it is to smash the coupler, or drill out the pin and whether that would allow the bike to be released ... for the price I'd like to have FULL info on testing on every part of the design.
It's been awarded Gold security status, which covers the whole device
Can't imagine Gold standard would be awarded if the test was not comprehensive
 
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Deleted member 29692

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I had no idea locks for bikes could be so expensive ! There must come a point where the risk taken is more economical than the lock ? By that I mean some cycles can be cheap and its not guaranteed they will be stolen .

My bike is not of the cheap variety but there comes a point where locks become unrealistic in price. Unless they really do stand up to the claims made ..


I would and may buy one but not till I've seen reviews on them and have heard what buyers like you Nick have to say when you actually get one in your hands.

I look forward to a NickNic review !

Nice bike (y) My road bike is from Specialized.

How much is unrealistic? If you bought your Carve new then one of these locks is somewhere between just under and just over 5% the cost of the bike. Looking at it in those terms it's not so much.

The other thing is the weight. You don't want to end up with a cheap lock that weighs more than the bike.

Obviously if your bike cost £40 from Halfords and weighs half a ton then you wouldn't bother with a decent lock.

I dunno about a review. As long as it weighs what they claim there's not going to be much more to say about it as long as my bike doesn't get nicked :LOL: I'm certainly not going to have a crack at breaking into it for you :LOL:(y)
 
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Charlie

Charlie

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Nick I meant unrealistic for those who have cheaper bikes. I mean a bike can be had for £100 quid second hand.. My bike like yours was not cheap so the point where the cost becomes unrealistic rises ..

Now come on just have a wee go at busting one ? :D

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Robert Clark

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We've ordered two locks and are looking forward to giving them a good test
I particularly like the fact that if you order a pair of locks that they share the same key
A lightweight alternative to a traditional bike chain is very welcome
 
D

Deleted member 29692

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A lightweight alternative to a traditional bike chain is very welcome

That's my thought. It's not so bad with a mountain bike but with a road bike the weight is critical.

It's pointless spending a fortune getting the bike as light as possible only to put all the weight back on again with the lock.

This one's a third the weight of a similar length Kryptonite Evo
 

Minxy

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Why do they only do one size? They aren't that long at only 29 inches - look how tight up to the lampost the bike in the picture is and also 'stored' on the bike's frame - if you're trying to secure a bike with a larger frame or to an object/railings where you can't get the bike so close then you could find you have a lock that you can't use at all. They suggest if you need a longer one you buy two ... this is far from ideal - if they make different lengths and sell them at sensible prices, eg £75 for the small one shown at 29", then say £85 for 40", £95 for 50" etc, then that would make more sense but having to buy 2 is IMV very silly - whilst people will spend a fair bit on a good lock, to have to spend another £75 just because you need it a bit longer is not really on and will probably cost them sales - I for one would be interested in getting one which is longer as we always lock our bikes together to an object it so as it stands one wouldn't be long enough and I wouldn't pay £150 for 2 of them.

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Minxy

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I've just emailed them asking them about doing longer lengths and explaining why, so I'll let you know if I get a response.
 
D

Deleted member 29692

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Why do they only do one size? They aren't that long at only 29 inches - look how tight up to the lampost the bike in the picture is - if you're trying to secure a bike with a larger frame or to an object/railings where you can't get the bike so close then you could find you have a lock that you can't use at all. They suggest if you need a longer one you buy two ... this is far from ideal - if they make different lengths and sell them at sensible prices, eg £75 for the small one shown at 29", then say £85 for 40", £95 for 50" etc, then that would make more sense but having to buy 2 is IMV very silly - whilst people will spend a fair bit on a good lock, to have to spend another £75 just because you need it a bit longer is not really on and will probably cost them sales - I for one would be interested in getting one which is longer as we always lock our bikes together to an object it so as it stands one wouldn't be long enough and I wouldn't pay £150 for 2 of them.

You make a valid point.

Remember that they are a startup and have been crowdfunded. I doubt they have the finance to produce multiple lengths at present, the additional manufacturing costs would probably shock you, but I wouldn't be surprised if that's already planned as the next step if/when this phase kicks off.

Personally I think 29" is about right. I definitely wouldn't carry anything bigger unless I knew for certain I would need it - as I said in my last post weight is everything on a road bike.

I also quite like the idea of a pair of locks sharing the same key both for extending and for sharing with say a partner. It gives me the flexibility to keep the weight down under normal circumstances but be able to easily extend the lock if I know I need to.

I've pre ordered two and if they are as good I hope they are I shall probably buy two more.

Cost comparison for you: http://www.evanscycles.com/products/kryptonite/new-york-legend-chain-lock-and-padlock-ec035398

That one is only slightly longer, £60 dearer and 4 times the weight.

Or a D-lock for £200 - http://www.evanscycles.com/products/abus/granit-extreme-59-lock-ec011408#features Effectively much shorter and 3 times the weight.

Neither of these two meets a higher standard.

As @Charlie said earlier if you don't have high end bikes then these locks might seem excessively expensive but if you do then 3-5% or so of the value of the bike isn't much to pay for proper security.

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Anthea M

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I've just emailed them asking them about doing longer lengths and explaining why, so I'll let you know if I get a response.
I think I saw a video of two joined together will that be long enough Minxy?
 

Minxy

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Minxy

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Minxy

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You make a valid point.

Remember that they are a startup and have been crowdfunded. I doubt they have the finance to produce multiple lengths at present, the additional manufacturing costs would probably shock you, but I wouldn't be surprised if that's already planned as the next step if/when this phase kicks off.
The problem is that if they DON'T offer it now people who need a longer one but are not prepared to just buy two for an extra few inches (steady you smutty lot ...:X3: ) will probably just not bother waiting and buy something else instead that IS long enough and then not want to pay again when/if they DO bring out a longer one, so lost customers.
 
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The problem is that if they DON'T offer it now people who need a longer one but are not prepared to just buy two for an extra few inches (steady you smutty lot ...:X3: ) will probably just not bother waiting and buy something else instead that IS long enough and then not want to pay again when/if they DO bring out a longer one, so lost customers.

Possibly but I think their initial target market is the people who are paying more money for heavier Kryptos and similar at the moment and there really is nothing out there at that end of the market that even comes close to competing on the weight. Someone who spends 5 grand on a bike will think nothing of a hundred quid on an extra lock they don't use - 2 or 3 short ones and a couple of long ones will look good on the rack in the garage :D Those people will probably buy a set in each colour to make sure they match whatever bike they're riding that day.

Targeting the people who currently have cheaper bikes and therefore cheaper locks, which will obviously be a much harder sell, will come later. It will probably be easier to convince those people to part with their money if the lock is already popular with the hardcore crowd. That popularity will filter down through the clubs to start with and eventually, if they're lucky, spread from there.

That's the market who will only want to buy one to suit every eventuality and where I think you're absolutely right that multiple lengths will be a winner. At that point the people who bought 2 short ones in this first batch will probably come back and buy one in every available length just so that they've got them.

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Minxy

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That will be their response.
The video shows two joined together.
If you want any length its a case of buying as many as it takes.
... and that is the flaw in their marketing ... why would I pay for two when I only need one that is slightly longer? If they don't do different lengths they will LOSE custom, either because people will only buy one and then use it with a 'normal weight' one, or not bother at all.

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