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“Roll Your Own” bike lock with the RockyMounts DialUp

  • Ron 

Whether you have an unusual bike, unusual place to lock up, or just like to DIY, the RockyMounts DialUp is a resettable combination lock to pair with your own chains or cables.

The DialUp ($14) is just one of many locks that RockyMounts released lately. The new line is impressive in its variety and diversity. Most anyone should be able to find a lock to suit their needs.

As much as I would like to keep all of the BWN bike stable in the house, for reasons of room and practicality, it just didn’t work. The kids ride their bikes to school most days and as such, need quick and easy access to their bikes without having to huck them up out of the basement every morning. We have a bike shed to keep them out of the weather and up until a couple of years ago, we just tucked them in their and really didn’t stress about locking them up.

Then, the neighborhood was hit by a rash of bike thefts. As soon as a neighbor just two doors up the hill got hit, we knew it was time to start being more secure.

Luckily, I had just received the DialUp from RockyMounts for review. To be honest, I wasn’t initially sure what I was going to do with it, but as I started noodling about how to lock up the kids’ bikes, it looked to be just the thing I needed. After a quick trip to Menard’s for a 6 foot braided cable and a huge eye bolt, nuts and washers, I had what I needed.

I scooted the bike garage away from the wall and drilled a hole big enough for the eye bolt to go through. I made sure that I was going through one of the 2x4s that supported the back so it had a little more of a meaty hold. I put a washer on the ‘eye’ side, pushed it through and then used a washer, nut and 2 PART METAL EPOXY on the back side.

Why the epoxy, you might ask? Well, while the bike shed is plenty heavy, a truly enterprising bike thief could likely figure out how it all went together and take it back apart. The epoxy basically ensures that disassembly will not be fast or easy.

With the bolt in the back of the shed, I fed the cable through the eyebolt, wrapped it around both bikes and secured it with the DialUp.

I liked how easy it was to change the combination on the DialUp. Where you turn the dial on the side one direction to unlock it, you turn it the opposite way when it is unlocked to set or change the combination. Easy Peasy.

The DialUp has held up remarkably well for being out in the weather every day. No noticeable rust and it still locks and unlocks as easily as it did initially.

For the cyclist that wants to get some beefy chain or cable to make their own bike lock (or anyone that wants to lock up anything), the DialUp looks like its a good solid lock to work with.

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