When you are riding with a bunch of bikes and need to lock them up it can be tricky to get all the bikes secured. If you ride regularly with the kids or in a group having length in at least one of your locks really helps. Read on to discover what we recommend…
Family Riding Environment
The age of your children will influence where it is that you tend to ride with them.  Families will generally be exploring interesting, fun kind of areas that are relatively safe from the risk of traffic.  Bike paths, off road trails, pump tracks and mountain bike parks are some of the more common types of places you will find yourself when riding with the family. These places can be a bit isolated meaning that there is not a lot of people around. Thieves will either be taking an opportunity or be hitting a regular ‘spot’ they know bikes may be. All you have to do is come prepared by choosing to lock the bikes, if you are going to leave them.
Access to fixed objects will be variable and the types of fixed objects will also vary. For travelling families you will also need to be able to secure your bikes to the car. Or if you are bike touring/multi day riding secure your bikes overnight.
Group Riding Environment
The ability of your group will influence where it is that you tend to ride.  Groups could be going for a simple pleasure ride to a destination (cafe, park) or tackling something more serious like an isolated off road trail. Thieves will either be taking an opportunity or be hitting a regular ‘spot’ they know bikes may be. All you have to do is come prepared by choosing to lock the bikes, if you are going to leave them.
Again access to fixed objects will be variable and the types of fixed objects will also vary. For travelling groups you will also need to be able to secure your bikes to the car. Or if you are bike touring/multi day riding secure your bikes overnight.
Best Locks for Family or Group Riding
Choose Length – Length is your friend when it comes to multiple bikes, 1.5m+.  Long cable locks are ideal in this type of situation and with any more than 3 bikes you will probably need more than one long cable lock.  One is used to secure all the bikes to each other, the other is used to secure one bike to your fixed object.  You will also need a long cable lock if your ‘fixed’ object is a bit unusual which can happen when out exploring with the family – we often use trees.  Long non-coiling cable locks are great for car racks to easily thread through the bikes and onto the bike rack – which needs to be securely fixed to the car.
Choose Multiple Locks – For all other types of locks (locks without length) you will definitely need more than one.  So it could be an option that everyone in the family or group needs to carry their own preferred type of lock and all the bikes are locked up individually. We do recommend locking to the other bikes in this situation making it a headache for thieves by not making it easy to take one bike. Read more about The Best Way to Lock Your Bike to see what might work for you.  This also depends on the age of your children and the size of bikes you are dealing with.
Locks We RecommendÂ
Long cable locks give you great length
Multiple coiling locks can be thread through a number of bikes.
Folding locks deal well with unusal shapes and will move through and around several bikes – you will need length
This is a 1.5m chain lock being used on a car to secure bikes overnight or for long periods of time.
Other Locks to Consider…
Incredibly easy to carry, these low security rated locks may be a great addition to your lock choices. At times it is just great to have a deterrent so your gear can not be easily picked up and taken. Thieves will need tools to deal with any locks so they need to have come prepared. The locks below are great for dealing with your families or groups helmets or just to join bikes together making it more difficult to take a single bike.
Ideal for quick stops in low risk areas – Retractable Thin Cable Lock & Light
Security Ties – Perfect for securing helmets or joining bikes togetherÂ
Security tie fixing rear bike wheel on car roof rack
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