O-LOCKS

mtdelany

does anyone know where I can buy an O-lock (Nurses Lock). wife has a dutch bike, I have a sports hibrid. Would prefer to buy from LBS as they would fit them aswell

(im in D4)

Thanks

feck sake lads

sjs cycles in the uk.

tomasrojo

sjs seem to sell a lot of "utility" equipment that you'd be able to find in the Netherlands in a local bike shop. I bought a right-angled valve extension off them (so that I could inflate very small wheels using a track pump). They seemed to be the only major British online retailer that did them.

Mycroft H

tomasrojo wrote: »

sjs seem to sell a lot of "utility" equipment that you'd be able to find in the Netherlands in a local bike shop. I bought a right-angled valve extension off them (so that I could inflate very small wheels using a track pump). They seemed to be the only major British online retailer that did them.

Sjsc seem to do loads of odd and quirky things. Where else would you find French thread cotter pins? Not many places. Only downside is their price of postage

Doctor Bob

Have you tried 2 Wheels on Sandymount Green? They stock Gazelle and other Dutch brands, so they might have what you need.

kenmc

You do realise that these are essentially useless as the bike can be lifted up and carried off? So you really need a decent ulock to stop this happening. If you have a ulock, you don't really need one of these.....

Doctor Bob

kenmc wrote: »

You do realise that these are essentially useless as the bike can be lifted up and carried off?

That depends on the weight of the bike. I also use a good U-lock and a cable lock, but I'd imagine there are few people who could carry my bike 50 yards before they'd do their back in.

rollingscone

They are ubiquitous in Denmark and southern Sweden.

Being a good paranoid Irish bike owner I couldn't stop wondering why the local scobies weren't wandering around with O locked bikes under their arms.

kenmc

rollingscone wrote: »

They are ubiquitous in Denmark and southern Sweden.

Being a good paranoid Irish bike owner I couldn't stop wondering why the local scobies weren't wandering around with O locked bikes under their arms.

And the Netherlands too. Surprisingly thousands of people are content to leave their bike locked at a train station with just one of these. Bike theft is pretty common there also (had 2 stolen in 18 months), but most people seem to approach ownership as more of a bike-sharing scheme; if you can't find your one close to where you (think you) left it, take the next nearest one you can. Seems to work well for everyone really. Especially as the chance of your bike being taken is low, kind of like the way a herd of zebras confuses would-be predators.

But the OP said they were in D4, which is why I was questioning the usefulness of one of these, as there's nowhere for the poor weakly-protected bike to hide in the herd so to speak.

seamus

kenmc wrote: »

if you can't find your one close to where you (think you) left it, take the next nearest one you can. Seems to work well for everyone really.

Also from my brief time in Copenhagen it appeared that most if not all people rode sturdy but not pretty bikes when pottering about town. So if your bike was taken, you didn't have to look far for another bike of comparable quality and size. There were no €1200 carbon frames being left in public over there.

Multiple bike ownership is probably routine over there, so you wouldn't be too concerned if your runabout went missing as you probably paid peanuts for it.

Doctor Bob

kenmc wrote: »

But the OP said they were in D4, which is why I was questioning the usefulness of one of these, as there's nowhere for the poor weakly-protected bike to hide in the herd so to speak.

I'm in D4 too! Can you have a herd of two?

Though now that I think of it, the Dutch ambassador is also in D4, and he and at least one staff member have Dutch bikes.

(Overshare: I had a dream last night in which the Dutch ambassador featured, except he was the Swedish ambassador in the dream, and I had to pretend to be part of his entourage while we waited in the lobby of the Glenroyal Hotel in Maynooth, although I was worried that my Leinster umbrella was a bit of a giveaway. What's that, Mr Ambassador? Ik begrijp het niet!)

dayshah

kenmc wrote: »

You do realise that these are essentially useless as the bike can be lifted up and carried off?

They are far from useless. They are perfect if you are in a quite area and just nipping into your local shop, or at the park with a book or outside a cafe on a sunny day within view of your bike. They are meant as a casual deterrent to an opportunistic thief and work well at that.

In high risk areas i use my o lock, d lock, and cable. The o lock is so quick to use it adds a deterrent without adding a delay.

I'm surprised they aren't sold here, but then ireland is probably the worst country to buy a commuter bike, what with the general lack of 'complete' bikes on offer.