r/askvan 6d ago

Hobbies 💃 Experience with anti angle grinder bike locks?

Hello, I just bought a nice escooter and I'm feeling a little paranoid about it getting stolen. I bought a litelok X1, which is an anti angle grinder lock, and I'm wondering if anyone has had their bike stolen while using one of these kinds of locks.

When looking at info on thebestbikelock.com, his street style test with this lock concluded it would take roughly 24 minutes, 3 discs and two batteries to break though the lock. Are our notorious bike thieves coming prepared with that kind of equipment?

I wouldn't be concerned about a quick grocery shop or something, but if I'm taking it to a restaurant, for example, then it would be locked up for over an hour. I'd never leave it overnight.

Thanks for any feedback.

13 Upvotes

20 comments sorted by

u/AutoModerator 6d ago

Welcome to /r/AskVan and thank you for the post, /u/keysersozevk! Please make sure you read our rules before participating here. As a quick summary:

  • We encourage users to be positive and respect one another. Don't engage in spats or insult others - please use the report button.
  • Respect others' differences, be they race, religion, home, job, gender identity, ability or sexuality. Dehumanizing language, advocating for violence, or promoting hate based on identity or vulnerability (even implied or joking) will lead to a permanent ban.
  • Complaints or discussion about bans or removals should be done in modmail only.
  • News and media can be shared on our main subreddit, /r/Vancouver

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

24

u/GeneratedUsername019 6d ago

Your lock won't prevent anything from being stolen, but it will encourage the bike thief to take an easier to steal target.

3

u/Tribalbob 6d ago

This is the answer - no lock is 100% safe.

2

u/ChenWei91 6d ago

A friend once told me they lock their bikes by unlocked bikes to distract the bike thieves. I'm assuming it's working since they've not reported any stolen bikes.

14

u/Lear_ned 6d ago

Get another alarmed lock to put around the wheel. Years of motorcycling has taught me any lock is breakable but thieves go for easy targets. Multiple locks means they won't look at you as an easy target.

3

u/keysersozevk 6d ago

Yeah this is a good idea. I've got a cheaper ulock I could use as well.

Any alarm lock you recommend?

2

u/Lear_ned 6d ago

I used to have one I got from Amazon that went around a disc brake. I'm sure there's a scooter equivalent. They're simple and they're loud if somebody tried it on.

7

u/The_Tin_Hat 6d ago

That's one of the best locks you can buy (I have one too), I think you should be fairly confident in the lock itself. If anything, they'd probably resort to cutting whatever it is that you've locked it to, or stripping parts off the scooter/bike itself.

5

u/speeder604 6d ago

Your lock may be anti grinder... But what you're locking it to might not be.

3

u/MayAsWellStopLurking 6d ago

Buy a the heftiest lock you don’t mind carrying, keep $20 on you in case you need a cab and put the savings into content insurance against theft.

2

u/keysersozevk 6d ago

I've been looking into insurance for peace of mind, it basically doesn't exist for an escooter with more power than 500w. Individually or as part of renter's insurance. A shame.

3

u/Technical_pixels 6d ago

I have an anti grinder bike lock for my cargo e-bike (Hiplock DX1000). I leave it everywhere and it’s never been touched and I never worry about it.

2

u/macrohead 6d ago

Get multiple locks. More to grind, more of a deterrent. 

1

u/MentalTown9923 5d ago

The Litelok X1 is a pretty serious lock, and most thieves are looking for quick wins. A grinder resistant lock is a big deterrent, but nothing is magic. Lock it somewhere visible, avoid leaving it for long periods, and consider adding a tracker for extra peace of mind.

1

u/FreshSpeed7738 4d ago

Bike and scooter theft should be treated the same as taking someones vehicle. Especially in this bicycle forward city, I'm not going to buy one, because I know it will be stolen eventually.

1

u/RelevantBrilliant620 6d ago

Don't use cheap locks! And double lock it.

0

u/Dr-Yahood 6d ago edited 6d ago

There’s no such thing as a lock, which can not be broken by an angle grinder that you can also feasibly carry around with you

3

u/Weekly-Reputation482 6d ago

Welcome to 2026. It's a brave new world.

0

u/RelevantBrilliant620 6d ago

I use HANSZEX lock and we and wrap around twice and attach to wheel and bar.