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I want to bike to the beach, lock my bike up and swim. I am looking for a high security box that either threads through my U-lock, bolts to my bike frame... so I can keep my wallet and phone in it while swimming. Thoughts? jg

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    While I still feel this is a duplicate, two further thoughts for you: I sometimes cycle to a river and swim. I take my phone, keys and wallet into the water with me in a waterproof pouch (a waist one is best). You can buy various combination padlocks with key boxes built in. You may find one big enough for a phone and you could certainly fit some cash and a credit card in the one I have. They seem rather like having a big sign saying "Valuables in here" unless hidden, and I don't reckon the security is that good.
    – Chris H
    Jul 30, 2020 at 19:38
  • Well, I solved the key problem when cycling another way: I put a keyless lock on my house. I forgot my !&$%(!&@#% key one too many times...
    – Andrew Henle
    Jul 30, 2020 at 21:07
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    I suspect this is a concept that will keep coming around. Fundamentally its like putting a lockbox on the outside of a car and expecting it to be ignored. Instead, try asking on lifehacks.stackexchange.com about how to carry a phone/wallet/keys while swimming. I searched, there's no such question there yet.
    – Criggie ♦
    Jul 30, 2020 at 21:18
  • Murphy's law: if the lockbox attached to the bike can't be opened by a thief, the bike with the lockbox will be stolen.
    – Carel
    Aug 1, 2020 at 11:37

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High Security + Bicycle + Marketable Product is a formula no one has solved. People keep trying.

A lot of them never manage to launch.

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Some seem to have an initial production run then quietly vanish. enter image description here

Those are just two examples I had literally from memory without delving into google.

Basic problems:

  • anything you can carry on a bicycle and manufacture for reasonable costs can be defeated in 20 seconds with tin snips or a battery angle grinder. Moderately 'secure' hardside motorcycle saddle bags cost more than the sort of bicycle you'd generally leave unattended at the beach!
  • as anyone who has ever had their own lock vandalized or fail and needed to "steal" their own bike can tell you, passersby are totally unfazed by brazen broad daylight bicycle theft and readily accept "it's mine, see some kid jammed the lock to prank me." So anything "more secure" than the not-that-hard-to-cut U-Lock shackle is no harder to steal than just the entire bike and now you made it look valuable.
  • the market for this type of thing is a demographic that has extremely exact specifications in mind for the particular thing that is their preferred solution, and is a bunch of avid DiYers....

The best you can do is a 'keep honest people honest' approach of a small hardsided toolbox or similar that the U-Lock shackle can pass through or the type of combo lockbox realtors use to store keys that shackles to a doorknob that you could pass through the U-Lock. If you need to leave a phone make it a cheapo android, don't leave both a house key and an ID with the address of that house at the same time, etc etc.

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    don't leave both a house key and an ID with the address of that house at the same time No kidding. It never ceases to amaze me when I see someone pull out a set of keys with their name and address on it. Even just a phone number can be used to identify you and your address...
    – Andrew Henle
    Jul 30, 2020 at 21:05
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In these early days of a cashless society, a rectangular pouch designed for credit cards and ID's works good and will hold a few bills and a key or two removed from it's chain. None of the items can be wrecked by water from a swim. It's also small enough to fit under the seat- a wide length of Velcro is sufficient, even makes it a bit difficult to remove. The seat needs ample size and the card holder not so much so that it remains out of sight under the seat.

The card holder may fit nicely into the shorts. I've used the pocket designed to hold an mp3 player to hold valuables I didn't want to lose or be paranoid of losing during a workout. Some sport shorts have a large enough "change" pocket--the one that's on the inside of the front waistband, designed with a top that covers the bottom--that will accept a credit card or two. Best to sheath a key put here as damage to the pocket--or other nearby delicates--can occur.

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