The Reason for the Season

RIM Roadkill

Bicycle U-lock & Cable: Wrap & Stash

I use a Kryptonite U-lock and plastic-sheathed steel cable to lock my bike up in the city--you can almost always find someplace secure to lock up in any given half-block stretch. It took some trial and error, though, to figure out how to carry the thing. I could never get the frame mount that came with the thing to stay in place on the frame, and of course the first time it came loose, the sheet of rubber meant to protect the frame was in the wind.

I ended up using the cable itself to secure the lock to the frame, and here's how I do it:

First, bring the ends together, folding the cable in half, then pass the bend through the two loops.

Next, drop the straight end of the U-bar through the hoops, with both the single and the doubled cable-bends on the outside of the U.












Pass the doubled cable-bend over the angled end of the U-bar, and use the single cable-bend to pull it just snug, not too tight. You don't want too much slack in the remaining length of cable.










Now wrap the single cable-bend around the straight side of the U-bar, and pass its loop over the angled end, just as you did the doubled bend.











And you're done! Attach to your frame as pictured, and the cable will provide enough tension to hold the lock firmly in place.













Depending on how sensitive you are about the paint job on your frame, you may want to wrap a bit of inner tube around the top of the frame where the top of the lock will rest, securing it with some tape. I was a little concerned at first that this arrangement might be hard on my rear brake cable, but it hasn't been a problem.