A U-lock is, arguably, one of the best ways to secure a bicycle against theft. When you buy one, it comes with a holder to carry it on the bike frame. Now, while the lock, basically made of hardened steel, is very tough and will probably last more than ten years, the holder is made of plastic, and will fail after a couple of years. Then, like most cyclist, you will have to carry your lock on the rack, which is far less practical.
There are several ways to make a U-lock holder; here is mine, which I have never found documented, so I may have actually invented it. It requires very simple material, it is very easy to implement, and it is quite durable and practical to use.
Material
- a short length of plastic pipe, chosen so a lock arm can slide into it, and cut so it is about one centimetre longer than the rack width;
- some duct tape, ideally with the same colour as the rack.
Oh, and you need to have a rack on your bicycle. Some racks may not be optimally compatible with that, sorry if that happens to be your case. You will also not be able to carry your lock that way together with bicycle bags.
Instructions
This is so simple that this photograph may be enough to explain it. You will find text instructions just below.
- Put the pipe on the two arms that attach the rack to the seat stays, so it is perpendicular to bike frame. Try to find a place where it can be held stable;
- Attach it with some tape.
- Open the U-lock.
- If your rack has a spring-loaded clamp, open it and hold it that way.
- Slide one of its arms into the pipe, the other one relying on the rack.
- Release the rack clamp, if you have it, otherwise use a bungee cord to secure the lock against vibrations.