Effectiveness of Cable Locks Included in Bike Racks Like Kuat Transfer 2 TS02G

Question:

Hello, The Kuat cable lock looks like its only held in place in the rack arms using a single torx bolt. Does this mean that even if I use it to lock my bike, anyone with a torx screw can just remove the cable lock bolt to free the whole lock from the rack? Thank you

asked by: Julien C

Expert Reply:

The Torx wrench required to remove the integral cable lock on the Transfer 2 bike rack TS02G is not one commonly found in hardware stores, according to my contact at Kuat. But yes, this is what is required to remove the cable lock from the rack.

The reality of bike rack locks, and most other types, is that they all can be defeated by a thief with enough time and determination. The true anti-theft benefit of a lock such as the cable type included in the excellent Kuat Transfer 2 hitch rack is that its presence may deter the thief and induce him or her to move on to a less difficult target. Please forgive me if I overstate the point, but even if you were to weld your bike to the rack (just saying this for illustration purposes) anyone with a cutting torch could still steal it. The idea is essentially to make your bike a much less appealing target than the others.

A great way to do this is to use multiple locks that are conspicuously visible. For instance, if you were using the Transfer 2 and had it locked to your hitch, using multiple cable locks - the included one and a visible add-on like # e98891 - would tend to give the would-be thief reason to move on to an easier target.

expert reply by: Adam R