Bike Lock Holder

by tmiron

68K6427

Intro: Bike Lock Holder

Hear is a neat and easy way to make a bike lock holder that stays on your bike.
more specifically this is for the U-Bolt type bike locks.
the cable ones, you can usually just wrap around the seatpost,
but the U-bolt are a little more difficult to carry around while your biking.
this can be built for around $3.50 (less if you already have some of the parts) and take about 10 minutes.

STEP 1: Materials and Tools

You will need
-one foot section of PVC (for my lock i used 1 1/4" pipe, but it may ne different for your lock)
-2 hose clamps

tools:
-saw
-sharpie
-3/4" drill bit
-drill
-clamp (not required, but helpful)

STEP 2: Marking Your PVC

hold your PVC pipe under your lock and mark how long it is with your sharpie.
i marked both ends to be cut, since they didn't cut it straight at the hardware store.

STEP 3: Cut Your PVC

Next you will cut the PVC.
if is very helpful to hay a vice, or a clamp.
you also want to use a saw that has relitively small teeth.
i prefer a hand saw over an electric because it allows me to work slower and make less mistakes.

STEP 4: Mark the PVC for Holes

Next, hold your PVC under your lock again,
and mark where the holes in the lock are.
for this, you'll have to have the lock open.
you could simply make the pvc short enough for the lock to go through,
and then you wouldn't even need holes.
however i opted to drill holes so that the lock wouldn't swing back and forth.

STEP 5: Drilling Holes in Your PVC

Next, drill the two 3/4" holes in the pvc.

STEP 6: Check to Make Sure Your Lock Fits

Before putting the lock on the bike, make sure it fts in the PVC.

STEP 7: Attaching the Holder to the Bike

Next use your two hose clamps to attache the holder tot he bike.
i wrapped elecrical tape around my tube, so i wouldn't scratch the paint.
to use, simply unlock the lock and use it.

24 Comments

TreeT2 6 years ago

Thanks for the write up! Here's my little rendition. Local hardware store did not stock a pipe less than 10ft...Hoping the cable ties will hold up. Gear tie at the bottom to prevent lateral movement.

Cheers!

KevinA216 6 years ago

This is an excellent design idea! I've got an oversized U-lock and a thicker frame, none of the mounts on the market work.

rjmeyer67 6 years ago

I used a length to span my shackles and tees on the end, allowing me to mount the lock on the side of my top tube or the side of my rack.

killerjackalope 16 years ago

well I recently got sick of having the big industrial strength U lock clanking around the bottom of my headset so first I hit it a hammer to see if I could unstick the mechanism and open it with a key but nay! my effort were no good, 5mins later I had hacksawed a cut just wide enough to jam in a super long flathead screwdriver, bend the bar and open the lock bolt by pulling it open... now there are weaknesses that both locks have however a strong full encased padlock and hardened steel chain wins out if you put 2 links through the lock. the baddies bust their hacksaw cutting one link. unfortunately this option is heavy but a big chain is handy to have around...

lidaye 8 years ago

Couple years ago, the big(my small finger) chain on my mtb was cut cleanly (you can tell it was a wire cutter).

Kactapuss 15 years ago

if you put two links through the lock..... wouldn't you just cut ANYWHERE else on the chain and then remove it (lock still locked) and yoink the bike?

stncilr 15 years ago

negative. because most bike u-locks need you to turn the key to lock it. It is not automatically locked by a spring (like normal padlocks) The shim is only good for locks that are self-locking (that is, the key is not required to lock the padlock).

ChrisCanMake 17 years ago

Great Instructable! thanks!

Just a note for those thinking of making this ulock holder:
IT ONLY works for locks with the keys that fit into the END of the lock "bar" (the part where the lock mechanism is.)

With both my newer cyclinder key and flat key locks, the key enters the lock perpendicluar to the "lock bar".. so this design won't work (as the key would have to morph through the PVC tube AND would end up in the bikes crossbar!) SEE ATTCHED PICTURE

HOWEVER, i'm working on a mod for this design (since its pretty slick) to accomidate this type of lock. i'll put it up soon =)

jaime9999 15 years ago

Here's a variation of the Bike Rack Holder for owners of newer U-Locks-- - mount the tube to the side of your Bike's Top Tube (requires a mounting that won't slip down to the bottom-- perhaps using blocks of rubber, or epoxy). - thread one LEG of the U, not the shackle, of the lock through the tube. (no holes are needed in the tube, though perhaps notches are helpful to limit movement). Thus, the lock sits in the tube like a sideways U (more like a C). That leaves the entire shackle out in the air, where you can lock it. Alternatively, mount the tube on the Seat Tube (vertically, and then the lock can hang in a U or inverted U shape, though you'd need to find position where you could insert the lock without hitting the crank or the bottom of the frame. The previous-generation Kryptonite mounting brackets worked this way, which is brilliant- use the lock's own locking ability to secure the lock to the bracket. Kryptonite added a spline to both the tube and a little part that secured onto the shackle, to prevent the lock from moving around too much.

lidaye 8 years ago

Thanks! good thought.

bo88y 13 years ago

Here's another alternative for using this concept when the keyhole is located on the side of the bar instead of the end, using the same pipe, installed the same way.
~~ Instead of drilling holes in the pipe for the shackle to pass through, make slots that extend 1/4 of the way around the circumference of the pipe, so that the lock can swing 90 degrees to one side when it's in place. Drill another hole through the pipe at the location where the keyhole will be when the lock is swung up to the side. Putting the lock in, and taking it out of this holder takes place in the swung-up position, and gravity will hold it down for the ride.
~~ Given the geometry of the pipe and the crossbar and the key, you probably wouldn't need the full 90 degrees of swing to get access to the keyhole. No sense cutting more than necessary, so make the slots for an 85 or 80 degree swing, and cut the keyhole-hole in the appropriate spot. Each slot is made by drilling a hole at either end and sawing out the space in between with a keyhole saw, first by laying the pipe down and cutting in the usual manner for cutting pipe, and then by slipping the saw into the slit and cutting the rest with short strokes, to avoid cutting past the holes.
~~ If you're worried about the thing flapping around, and are lucky enough to have a bike with a crossbar that inclines upwards at the front, make the slots "L" shaped, by drilling another hole behind the bottom ends of the slots, and connect them by sawing, so that the lock will naturally slide backwards into the place where it can't swing. You could mount this version on the seatpost, too.

Skyfinity 14 years ago

I have seen so many people that carry their U locks by shoving them down their pants. I have a hard time this is comfortable, effective, or doesn't leave a U shaped mark in the seat of your pants. Though I don't own U bike lock, this is a very good idea, and I may build something similar to hold regular locks. Thanks!

Waddib 15 years ago

if your bike has a key hole opposite the connections for the bike lock then drill a third hole right there and mount on top of bar

chephy 16 years ago

Good idea, but this will only work if the keyhole is on the side of the U-lock's bar, rather than in the middle. Unfortunately, the side design is in general less secure, so it's only used in pretty cheap U-locks these days.

theRIAA 17 years ago

..arnt those the ones you can open with a BIC pen?

Almax9633 16 years ago

Bic pen caps are sooo yesterday, no but you can see the Kryptonite Fahgettaboudit chain and Abus Granit City Black X-Plus go with manual bolt croppers in 11 seconds and 6 seconds. Alan thinks they don't use bolt croppers in the real world! In fact this film shot in Europe showing similar tools being used as we used at ITV must be faked!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1yImVLW_Q0

We only used, silent forms of attack on the ITV show, Bolt croppers and wire cutters. We did not have the miniature bottle jacks at the time of testing, however I have now and they are very very effective at attacking U locks.

If you want to avoid a minuature jack being used on a U lock, make sure you don't leave enough room for a tennis ball. Other wise the miniature jack fits in between both sides of the shackle at the body end, then proceeds to split the body in two.

It makes less noise than opening a crisp packet!

A

Maybe alan is right and the scrotes only steal cycles with non approved locks, or maybe they don't care. Maybe they know, like we have found in the last couple of weeks that most of the stuff approved is little more than a minor inconvenience.

Wake up Alan, scrotes use bolt croppers, wire cutters and miniature bottle jacks. I do feel for you chaps, the selection of approved stuff we tested for ITV was utter crap.

Change however is coming, Sold Secure and Thatcham are going to struggle to wiggle out of this one.

Almax9633 16 years ago

Hi, watch out for ITV (London SE) 24th July 7.30pm or SKY 993! alanbikehouston, with regards to the chap who earlier lost his bike to a Kryptonite 3000 16mm U lock, well if you knew your onions you would have realised that the locks body turns full cirle once the shackle has been cut! You persist in showing little knowledge, the double locking mechanism employed by the Kryptonite does not prevent this! Its a round shackle Ooops! You simply cut one side and twist the body round. Try it yourself, its easy peasy. Some of the Abus stuff employs a square shackle, which is much better than the Kryptonite system! As its a square peg in a square hole, not nice to twist around, unlike the Kryptonite. Now stop sprouting waffle, alanbikehouston and grow up! Alan if you could just get of the Kryptonite band waggon, and look at what we are trying to do. We are trying to get Sold Secure and Thatcham to up their testing standards. You seem however to prefer to see nothing changed! Why?

Almax9633 16 years ago

Eric Stanton Check out www.almax.security.chains.co.uk I aint trying to sell u anthing, contact via the website, urgent! I'm Alex the grey haird chap on the video I would like to find out if U locks and the larger D locks are getting broken by the pro's. I have a very interesting video yet to be released, which involves this exact lock Kryptonite 3000 16mm D lock ( possibly the 18mm as well)
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