 Poster: A snowHead
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Hello! I'm a university student from England and I'm working on a project which involves designing a new product. We'd love to get some feedback on our idea - a sturdy ski lock.
Do you use a lock currently? If not, would you consider using one if you had your own skis? Currently ski locks are all rather thin cables - would you buy a more secure, rigid one that clipped around your skis (+held the poles)?
Thank you!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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yes after some french pikey stole my hire skis.
your product should be smaller, lighter and cheaper than the ones you reference.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Renate, No - I have enough clobber in my pockets without anything else - if we are somewhere that we think is a bit iffy we might split our skis, then they are really a Little and Large pair. Always feel quite secure in the PDS - famous last words I know.
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| Renate wrote: |
would you buy a more secure, rigid one that clipped around your skis (+held the poles)?
Thank you! |
I'd like a Kevlar locking cable tie/handcuff type device with a combo lock. Has to be flexible to fold in a ski jacket pocket, no key to lose, stronger than existing cable locks which I use (the alarm versions).
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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I use a skinny cable lock, in fact I use 2 as you can join them together. Normally they're being used to secure 2 or more snowboards, and a set of skis. Thats the benefit of a simple cable lock - they're simple and flexable in how you use them. We all know a thief will bypass them in very short order, but they will deter the casual thief or an accidental pickup.
Anything that clips around skis will have to take a wide variety of thinknesses and widths, will have to be easily attached to a solid object like a rack, be robust enough to withstand basic assault and the cold conditions on the mountain while being small enough to be unobtrusive when in a pocket, at a price people are willing to pay.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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| hobbiteater wrote: |
yes after some french pikey stole my hire skis.
your product should be smaller, lighter and cheaper than the ones you reference. |
+1 to both, except it wasnt hire skis it was my own.
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| Pamski wrote: |
| Renate, Always feel quite secure in the PDS - famous last words I know. |
It was in the PDS that we had skis stolen!
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Yes, because my insurance only covers skis that are "forcibly removed". I generally try to dine away from restaurants by bus stops, cable car/gondola top stations etc.
Loss of poles is less of a problem. Don't need them to ski, and most punters could probably ski better technique without anyway. Only cost €30 to replace.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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I tend to use a cable lock, like the one in the link below. They are generally smaller than a cigerette lighter, so take up no space at all in my pocket. They may not deter the most determined thief, but it'll do enough to make them look for an easier a target (and it stops anyone taking your ski's by misatke).
http://tinyurl.com/prwx5ah
Last edited by You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net. on Tue 3-12-13 21:55; edited 1 time in total
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^ ^ that's what I use too, because it's small and light. My view is that a dedicated thief will be able to cut through pretty much anything and that this will suffice
to deter the opportunistic thief and keep the insurers quiet.
Please could a mod fix the page width caused by the above link? Thanks.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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andyrew, that was a shame -
I think we are much more cautious if we happen to have stopped somewhere that has a quick getaway by road or gondola for example. I had a friend who was sitting in a deckchair somewhere in the 3V and her poles were planted in the snow in front of her and she saw this guy ski towards them and just pick them up and ski off before she could get herself out of the deckchair. And they were rather special ones, probably why. It would have to be a fairly midget size person who could get much use out of my skis.
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Tostop Page width problems people could use tinyurl dot com
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You know it makes sense.
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I just use a cheapo bike lock that's got a long-ish coiled cable (key not combination). yes heavy-ish, but better than the 2mm wire-and plastic case things (seem v. easy to break).
It cost maybe 4 quid - i did need to remove some plastic so the metal end of the cable (a plug) is narrow enough to go through the bindings.
Does the job in as much as a thief will go for one of the un-locked pairs of skis next to mine.
I guess I could loop the lock though the hand loops of the poles - but never bothered.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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| Quote: |
her poles were planted in the snow in front of her and she saw this guy ski towards them and just pick them up and ski off before she could get herself out of the deckchair. And they were rather special ones, probably why.
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what a nerve! My poles are almost old enough to be verging on becoming valuable antiques. It really wouldn't matter if somebody knicked them. I would replace them with another tatty old pair. I can see the point in having expensive skis - or even expensive jackets, if they are nice. But expensive poles?
I've never used a ski lock, though splitting pairs is common. I did have a pair nicked, but I had rather foolishly left them by a bus stop and hiked off to find a friend in a restaurant. It was a Sunday and the police said that was always a bad day, as there were lots of visitors around.
I probably wouldn't use a lock, especially if it just held the skis and poles securely together, ready for somebody to ski past and tuck them under his arm.
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Poster: A snowHead
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I use a small coiled cycle lock, key operated to keep the size down and a 10mm braided cable so pretty difficult to snip. My touring bindings are worth three times what my skis are, so I don't like taking chances.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Avalanche Poodle, what do you find to lock them to?
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Thanks you everyone, very helpful!
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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I use a small retractable cable lock that cost £8. More to stop people picking them up by mistake than security.
However, it also ensures my insurance isn't invalidated if they are pinched as it means I've taken precautions and not just left them unattended and unsecured. My insurance requires them to be secured to a ski rack.
I also split skis with friends.
I always thought a lock that somehow meant the binding couldn't be used would be a good idea. Not sure if there is anything out there like that?
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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| Boosterfaceman wrote: |
I use a small retractable cable lock that cost £8. More to stop people picking them up by mistake than security.
However, it also ensures my insurance isn't invalidated if they are pinched as it means I've taken precautions and not just left them unattended and unsecured. My insurance requires them to be secured to a ski rack.
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Exactly this. I can pull mine apart with my hands, but it ticks all the other boxes.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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No, don't use a lock with my own or hire skis. Too much far for too small a risk.
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pam w, It's long enough to go round the wooden frame of a ski rack, and narrow enough to fit through the binding mechanism. Only once can I recall not finding anything and we split our skis and locked about 5 odd pairs together through the bindings.
It's similar to this but the lock part is smaller. I have an extension loop I sometimes use for motorbike helmets, if I used that as well I could lock about 6 pairs of skis.
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I don't always lock them high up on a mountain though, it's mostly if we lunch near the bottom, or stay for some Apres.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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I bought a lock, never used it and now can't remember the code 
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I don't have a lock but if I ever did consider buying one, I would want one that electrocuted anyone tying to cut through it. That way you can keep the cable thin and light and give the thief a nasty buzz.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| Quote: |
I bought a lock, never used it and now can't remember the code
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 well that's better than forgetting the code after you've locked the skis outside a mountain-top restaurant.
Last edited by snowHeads are a friendly bunch. on Tue 3-12-13 23:58; edited 1 time in total
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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I'm wondering if I've ever seen a pair of locked skis, round our way. Very few, for sure. There are some paying locking places at one of the restaurants but I don't think many people bother.
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| Quote: |
I would want one that electrocuted anyone tying to cut through it.
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Spot the Saffer 
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You know it makes sense.
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A lot of the cheap combo locks can be picked fairly easily. Mosha Marc, PM me for details. I've tried it on most of the small ones I have and I can find the combo within a couple of minutes.
Last edited by You know it makes sense. on Wed 4-12-13 15:39; edited 1 time in total
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Avalanche Poodle, I'll see if I can find it again first 
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Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I always use a lock, had a pair of kids skis nicked in Courchevel once and had an entire skibag nicked from the back of a transfer bus once (where a ski lock wouldn't have helped) so am a bit twitchy about thieving gits in ski resorts. I use a small cable lock just as a deterrent and hope a thief would choose someone else's unlocked skis. They are my own skis too which replaced the last nicked pair. Tempted to onvest in a small bike lock now 
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Yeah I never remember combos as they are so easy to pick. Although the wire ones are trickier, too much play in the plastic I think.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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| Quote: |
some french pikey stole my hire skis.
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How do you know he (or she) wasn't a British citizen born in Kenya of a Russian mother? For example. 
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Lizzard, that Froome gets everywhere 
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Why can't manufacturers simply build a rfid into their skis, with the unique serial number also embossed into the top of the ski, and manage a simple database so that any stole skis can be tracked back to their owner? This should discourage professional thieves, while a lock should discourage opportunists and prevent unintentional removal of the wrong pair.
After some years of hiring, I have just bought a new pair of skis and so have invested in a Safeman lock to encourage any thieves to nick someone else's rather than mine. I shan't leave them outside a bar in the resort while I drink a glass or two of après-ski toffee lemonade, either 
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Zero_G, I guess the rfid would only need to work at normal temperatures. If the number was also embossed into the ski, a potential buyer could look it up to see whether it had been reported stolen, and the radio check would be be a confirmation for the police or whoever. None of that would stop the opportunist nicking skis for his/her own use, for which you need a lock. Rfid plus lock have been standard practice for motorbikes for some years. I have used the combination for mbikes parked in London streets and none has gone missing - though of course I cannot prove cause and effect.
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Ski passes are RFID based these days so I don't see why temp should be a problem?
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FAQ
