You are cycling around with your precious bike. Suddenly you think a cup of coffee would be great. You go to a coffee shop and park the bike outside it. After having a great coffee and some snacks, you come out of the shop and can’t see the bike where you locked it. Your bike is stolen! Your precious is gone!
That has to be one of the most heartbreaking moments ever to witness. Now that the bike is stolen, maybe you would think, “I should have bought a better lock”. You are absolutely right, then.
Many bike thefts are happening every day, and if you don’t want to have the same fate, you should know about some of the best bike locks in the market.
In this article, I am going to share with you some great locks with which you can consider protecting your bike.
Best Bike Locks to Protect Your Bike From Thief
1. Kryptonite New York Standard U-Lock
In the biker community, Kryptonite has always had a reputation for making high-quality locks. The Kryptonite New York Standard U-Lock is another feather on their colourful cap. The 16mm U-lock, made of hardened steel, is one of the best locks in the current market.
The lock has been rated “Gold” by Sold Secure, a European company that specializes in lock testing. Moreover, the lock is strongly built with a dual locking mechanism. This means that even if one can cut through the “U”. he won’t be able to pull the “U” apart enough to get the bike out of it.
Key Features:
As mentioned earlier, it’s 16mm hardened steel made. The product dimension is 4” x 8” (10.2cm x 20.3cm). and the weight is 4.45 lbs (2.02 kgs). Its hardened double deadbolt design provides an extra layer of protection against twist and cuts attack. The disc-style cylinder is drill resistant.
The lock comes with a wear-resisting vinyl coating. It has three stainless steel keys and one LED replicable key fob.
2. Kryptonite Evolution Mini-7 W/ 4′ Flex
This is another excellent stuff offered by Kryptonite. Kryptonite Evolution Mini-7 W/ 4′ Flex is a budget lock, quite less expensive than the Standard clock. This clock is a versatile one that comes with a U-lock as well as a cable.
The cable allows a rider to lock the front-front tire as an added protection. Although the cable is somewhat less effective, it can provide great protection when combined with the U-Lock. For example, it will create an inconvenient situation for the thief to cut the cable even after cutting through the U-lock. However, it would help if you kept in mind that the wire won’t be as much as effective without the U-lock.
Key Features:
The dimension of the lock is 3.25″ x 7″ (8.3cm x 17.8cm), and the weight is 3.15 lbs (1.43 kgs). The lock comes with a 13m hardened steel shackle that gives protection against bolt cutters and attacks. The 4′ Kryptoflex is a double loop cable that provides that front tire with an extra layer of protection.
The rotating dust cover protects the cylinder, and the anti-rattle bumpers reduce the noise while you are riding the bike. Similar to the Standard lock, it is also coated with vinyl. It has 3 stainless steel keys, a LED bulb, and a battery.
3. Hiplok Original: Superbright
This lock was developed with keeping in mind one grave limitation of other great locks. While all those locks give superb protection, they were not easy to carry around, due to their designs. Hiplock comes with a quite innovative design that is conducive to carrying the lock with ease.
It’s a wearable lock, that is, you can wear it around your waist. It is also adjustable so that it can fit your waist, a great and innovative way to carry the lock. Sold Secure rated the lock as “Silver”. This means it can tackle the medium/high risks.
The padlock is almost impossible to be smashed, given the limited amount of time a thief can have. The chain also works superbly against chainsaw. But you can expect as much protection as you can from the Kryptonite Standard U-lock, for example.
Key Features:
It’s a 10mm hardened steel lock with a diameter of 8mm. The chain is 85 centimetres in length. The weight is 1.9kg (4.18lbs), making it a bit heavier than the other two locks mentioned earlier. It’s washable, and the sleeve is removable as well.
4. ABUS Chain Lock 1200 Web
The common problem with the three locks discussed so far is that they are quite heavy to carry around. Maybe you want something lighter with a moderate level of security. If that is the case, ABUS Chain Lock 1200 Web would be a great choice, an easily portable lightweight lock.
Unlike most of the lightweight locks in the market, this lock provides better security than you might expect it to. Its steel chain, together with a nylon sheath, offers great protection. The thief will have to struggle a lot before he can cut the lock open.
Key Features:
The lock is 4mm hardened steel made with a textile sleeve that protects the paint job of your bike. The lock is available in two different lengths – 60cm and 110cm. The weight of the lock is 200 grams, making it ultra-lightweight.
5. ABUS Granit X-Plus 540 U-Lock
German company ABUS offers another excellent product. If you are looking for a high-quality lock that can last for a long time, this Granit X-Plus 540 U-Lock would be a great one to consider. Sold Secure has rated the clock as “Gold”. It also has got three stars out of five from the ART Foundation, a Dutch organization that focuses on anti-theft provisions.
Of the abovementioned locks, only the Kryptonite Standard lock has got one more star from ART Foundation. Although it’s 13mm hardened steel made, it’s in no way a weaker lock. ABUS’s patented temper-hardened steel bar makes it stronger than most of the bars. The square-shape bar makes it a bit lightweight along with structurally sound.
If a thief attempts to smash this lock, he is going to need more powerful tools than hacksaws, hammer, bolt cutter, etc. The power cell technology of ABUS provides great protection against any attempts to cut open the lock.
Key Features:
The 13mm hardened square lock comes in only one colour – black. The height of the lock is 230mm, and the weight is 1500gm. It comes with two keys, one of which has an LED light. The automatic keyhole protects against dirt and corrosion.
Final Words
Now that you know about some of the best bike locks in the market, you should get yourself one as soon as possible, especially, if you are living in a somewhat theft-prone city. There are also some excellent locks offered by companies other than Kryptonite and ABUS. Whatever you buy, just make sure it provides your desire level of protection.
