Strengths: base plate and 16mm(5/8ths)'hoop' are very chuncky/solid.quite a neat/attractive/clean piece of kit,could be put up in a flat etc without looking stupid.steel'hoop'is pretty big,so you can get a big lock/chain through it,like a kryptonoite new york.you get all the fixing hardware you need inc 2 masonary drills.you also get some ball bearings to whack into the hex drive of the fixing bolts,then some stell plates(size of a 10p piece)to whack onto the ball bearings to completly cover the bolt head.
Weaknesses: dome'd cover plate is plastic!but very thick.fitting it can be a little tricky,you need to drill the holes well or the base plate wont line up.a few blows with a pick axe would have it out the floor/wall.bit noisy!!!!!
Overall: once fitted with the bearings and steel plates it aint going no where!!!!somthing to bear in mind before you fit it.if you move house this aint going with you.!!you could leave the bearings and plates off if you think you might want to move it,but all the thief would have to do is cut off the dome'd cover and then undo the 3 fixing bolts to steal your bike.this would still be very hard though!!you could epoxy all the fixing bolts and dome screws aswell,if you did it would be virtualy imposible to remove,enless you used an angle grinder to grind away the base plate/hoop or a pick axe on the floor/wall.still very unlikly.if you've got an expensive bike, get a dirrrrty great lock and lock it to one of these.
Strengths: absolutly f****n massive.could moor a ship with this bad boy!!!!!£2000 anti theft guarantee.key registration.comes in two lenghs 3"3' or 5"5'.lock and chain have got good covers/sheaths.
Weaknesses: it wont kill the wanna be thief.anti theft guarantee is only for one year.got to be carefull when removing it or putting it on as the sheer wheight of it swining about will dent an ali frame.
Overall: picked mine up for just under £80,thats about the same as the other new york locks with less protection or theft guarantee,still very good locks though!!(searched on google)most of them were about the £100-£110 mark.£80 is still alot of £££££ but if you want a lock to look after your pride and joy why skimp on a cheap lock?????
Strengths: kit comes with 3 transponders (unlike cycle kit)and a pot of microdots(unlike cycle kit).transponders are about the size of a grain of rice.iv'e put mine in the frame,swinging arm and fork on my patriot 7+ using superglue.you get 1000 microdots in a nail varnish type pot.datatag say they cannot be removed 'easily'.in the kit you get-3 transponders,1000 microdots,2 holographic warning labels,6 ultradestuct id labels,stencil/scriber and a registation form(which is free/no subscription)you should get your bike back if the police find it somewhere.
Weaknesses: bit worried about the long term holding strengh of the microdots.also if i break the swing arm/fork and get a replacement part it will be 'unprotected'.dont think datatag can supply replacement/copy microdots and 'ultradestruct' labels.have to get new kit????if the thief nicks your bike and can see the dots/labels etc,they will be able to remove them.ie strip the paint off and re-paint.microdots can be very tedious to aply because there so small.bike must be VERY clean,preferably new.dosnt physicaly stop your pride and joy getting swipped.
Overall: get a dirty great lock/ground anchor and lock it in a garage/shed/wherever.hopefully the thief will just see it as to much of a pain in the arse to be worth nicking with a datatag kit aswell.(the kit comes with some warning stickers about 50mm by 25mm).you can be very crafty where you put the microdots.they only measure 1mm in diameter!!.hopefully its these 'hidden' dots that will end up getting your bike recovered.once you have tagged your bike keep hold of the pot,you should have quite a few left!everytime you stip the bike down for maintenence etc put some microdots in hidden areas like ends of bolts,behind covers etc.
Strengths: like all disc breaks,good in s**te weather.
Weaknesses: pretty flimsy.the excess cable on mine got caught between the rotor and pad,this slammed the breaks on and sent me flying!the"arm" bent and internals went all loose makiing it pretty useless.same old s**t with cables needing constant servicing to keep them slick.not much power.need a bit of bedding in after a clean out and wash.
Overall: you can get a hope mini for another tenner! are you mad?????there proper hyd stoppers far superior to the avids.got a mini on my gt and never looked back.dont bother with the avids honnest.
Strengths: very positive in and out.nice solid clunk when clipping in.can handle mud,stones,rain whatever with ease.look flash.no moving parts so nothing to go wrong/break.easy to clip in and "find" the cleat.nice amount of float but never fell out even on fast downhills.
Weaknesses: there not free.
Overall: much better than scratchy spds that cant handle anything but road use (i.e. s**te weather).i had to trim my shoes down(s"lized comps)just the tread area to get them fitting propper which was very easy.not sure about servicing them,no info in manual when new.
Strengths: cheap,light,very compact when folded down.good fit.pretty tight around neck and wrists.material IS 100% waterproof no doubt.
Weaknesses: not breathable!!!.like wearing a greenhouse if doing anything more than sitting still!transparent cool???????smells like a rubber dingy.wont survive any type of stack.you get very hot.
Overall: wore this for the 10 minute ride to work,did keep my dry but you end getting damp from the condensation.GOT to wear a long sleeve top to soak up the sweat,plus you will need a change off top when you get off.even on the stroll to work.shell out for a proper breathable jacket,or use as an"emergancy" jacket in the backpack.
