Avenir Seat Locker 3mm feet
This is a 3mm cable. Steel cables of all kinds are inherently insecure. They prevent casual theft and they can be cut with wire cutters or or the smallest bolt cutters or even scissors. Small saws cut through them easily as well. Any lock attached is likely able to be defeated with a hammer or picked or broken by anyone who knows how and has some practice.
What they do provide is protection against people from picking it up and walking away with it. Seats and other accessories are generally safely secured with cables because they are not the primary target of thieves. A thief who sees a good bike, and approached it, and finds it too securely locked for his particular tastes, may take things attached to the bike, such as lights, seats, bags, etc, especially those with quick releases.
My bike is a Folding Bike, as as such, it is pretty easy to take apart. The saddle is not special, however, it has a seat post rear rack attached to it, which has a Rack Light Rear Mounted Light attached to that, as well as a Folding Basket. All together, that is a lot of useful stuff which I bought and I do not want to see it walking away.
It is easy to use and there will be a variety of ways to use this cable. I secured it to the frame by putting wrapping it around the frame and putting the large loop through the small loop, and pulling that tight, and then wrapping the cable around the underside of the saddle frame, and then securing the loop to the rear underside of the saddle with a Master Lock 121T, which is small, secure enough, covered in a black coating to match the bike's scheme, and comes as a keyed-alike set, so I can use the other lock for this bike as well, and use one key for both.
I am very happy with this small cable. I do not think it would be secure with a thicker cable, as anybody will to cut this likely will be able to cut a thicker cable. If one wants to secure one's saddle more absolutely, it would be better to secure the bike itself or to remove the saddle when the bike is unattended.
I have a picture of it being used upload to secure my saddle. This cable can be used to secure any accessory, such as a basket, helmet, bag, etc, provided one can attach it to the item.
Ok this thin cable is not security for your bike.
BalasHapusHowever, it is a deterrant for the snatch and grab of your bike seat.
It keeps the unprepared thief, without tools, from taking your bike seat and possibly looking elsewhere.
With quick releases on most bikes today, it is easy to have your bike seat taken. By threading this cable through your seat and the bike frame does provide a nominal measure of security.
I have had this on my bike for a year now and have not lost my bike seat when leaving my bike unattended. However, I am careful where I park and lock my bike so that it is visible.
Take it for what it is.
This is a 3mm cable. Steel cables of all kinds are inherently insecure. They prevent casual theft and they can be cut with wire cutters or or the smallest bolt cutters or even scissors. Small saws cut through them easily as well. Any lock attached is likely able to be defeated with a hammer or picked or broken by anyone who knows how and has some practice.
BalasHapusWhat they do provide is protection against people from picking it up and walking away with it. Seats and other accessories are generally safely secured with cables because they are not the primary target of thieves. A thief who sees a good bike, and approached it, and finds it too securely locked for his particular tastes, may take things attached to the bike, such as lights, seats, bags, etc, especially those with quick releases.
My bike is a Folding Bike, as as such, it is pretty easy to take apart. The saddle is not special, however, it has a seat post rear rack attached to it, which has a Rack Light Rear Mounted Light attached to that, as well as a Folding Basket. All together, that is a lot of useful stuff which I bought and I do not want to see it walking away.
It is easy to use and there will be a variety of ways to use this cable. I secured it to the frame by putting wrapping it around the frame and putting the large loop through the small loop, and pulling that tight, and then wrapping the cable around the underside of the saddle frame, and then securing the loop to the rear underside of the saddle with a Master Lock 121T, which is small, secure enough, covered in a black coating to match the bike's scheme, and comes as a keyed-alike set, so I can use the other lock for this bike as well, and use one key for both.
I am very happy with this small cable. I do not think it would be secure with a thicker cable, as anybody will to cut this likely will be able to cut a thicker cable. If one wants to secure one's saddle more absolutely, it would be better to secure the bike itself or to remove the saddle when the bike is unattended.
I have a picture of it being used upload to secure my saddle. This cable can be used to secure any accessory, such as a basket, helmet, bag, etc, provided one can attach it to the item.
I wanted something that would secure my saddle (which is sitting on top of a seat post with a quick-release adjustment) and rack-top trunk bag (which is secured to my rack only with velcro straps) against casual theft, and which I could leave on all the time. This cable is the exact length I needed and threads through my saddle rails, a bit of my bike frame, a bit of my rack, and a loop on my trunk just perfectly. The entire cable is covered with a soft material to prevent scratching of the finish on the bike. The price is right and the quality of manufacture seems good.
BalasHapusI am using this inexpensive, small, light lock with this cable:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001M0NZ7M/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00
The cable doesn't rattle against my frame or the rack thanks to the soft covering, and by positioning the lock in the right spot, snug against my soft trunk bag, it doesn't rattle either. When riding, there's nothing to notice: Not the imperceptible bit of extra weight, no extra wind resistance, no noise, and it isn't immediately visible either since the cable is mostly hidden between my saddle and my trunk.
Obviously this cable is useless against any thief with basic tools, even something as simple as a hand-held wire cutter. As the cable's own package states, it's to prevent "grab and run" attacks. As always, security and convenience are inversely proportional. If you want better security, you need a thicker/heavier cable with a larger/heavier lock and quite possibly will have to string it up and break it down each time you lock/unlock your bike. For me, this cable hits the sweet spot; leaving it on all the time adds barely any weight, plus I don't have to think about locking or unlocking it when I secure my bicycle. I feel much more confident that my saddle and bag will be there when I get back to the bike after a stop into the grocery store or movie theater.
This is the second Avenir product I have purchased with a silly typo on the packaging. (It's "anti" not "aniti" - Avenir, I'm available for proofreading and editing!) Other than that, I have zero issues with this product. I'm going to buy more of them, and more of those locks, for my other bikes.
I purchased this Seat Locker with the Kryptonite Evolution Mini-7 Bicycle U-Lock with Transit FlexFrame Bracket (3.25-Inch x 7-Inch) with 4-Foot Flex Cable.
BalasHapusAs intended, i use it to lock the bike seat to the Flex Cable. It works great, isn't too long to add to my locking routine, and works allright. It will certainly not resist a large wire cutter, but it will at least prevent simple "grab'n go" type of thieves.
Used if for three weeks now and very pleased as far.
I have a brooks saddle and use this cable to keep people from using my quick post release against me and running off with my seat. I wouldn't trust it overnight in a bad area of town, but for running errands in the middle of the day it's great! I highly recommend.
BalasHapusI bought this to use to secure my backpack to the overhead bin in a Bus or Train; very small (24" long) and perfect size to wrap around a support, pull thru itself and then lock back to the luggage padlock on my zipper. I think someone with a leatherman or pretty much any type of wire cutters could cut the cable; but it will keep someone from picking up your bag and walking off with it. It is also handy for connecting all your backback and carry ons together while the family is hanging out at the airport. Worth the price, dozens of uses. (1st one so useful; ordered a second for my son)
BalasHapus
BalasHapusSo many of my friends have had their bike seats stolen, but I never have to worry about someone stealing my bicycle seat ever again. I live in NYC and it is so worth the peace of mind. I secured the seat with this cable and a small padlock and haven't thought about it since. So glad I decided to do this.
BalasHapus