We love our bikes. Many of us spend hours every day on them commuting to and from work. When we leave this prized possession somewhere we want to know it will still be there when we get back. Therefore a good bike lock is the second most essential purchase after the bike itself. This is one part of cycling where saving money is a false economy. This guide will take you through what to look for and recommend some popular bike locks.
How to choose a good bike lock
- Security rating – in the UK there is the Sold Secure rating system. This classes bike locks as Gold, Silver or Bronze. The three different levels represent how long it will take a bike thief to breach the lock. If you have bicycle insurance then getting a Sold Secure lock is usually part of the terms and conditions.
- Size – a lock with a bigger locking diameter will mean you can secure it against a wider range of objects. The downside is this gives the thief more space to try and use a leveraging bar to break the lock.
- Weight – obviously this is something you need to carry around with you often and any additional weight on the bike means additional pedalling effort. Usually a better bike lock will also be heavier.
- Maintenance – you should use WD40 to keep the locking mechanism working well and not seizing up especially during cold weather.
- Spare keys – there is nothing worse than losing your keys just as you are about to set off to work. Most bike locks come with at least two spare keys but a third is often very useful.
Best bike locks
Abus Centuro 860mm
Cable locks have a bad reputation for security. They are far easier to cut through than D-Locks. As a secondary lock however they can be a good choice. The Abus Centuro is one of the best of the budget bike locks. The big advantage is that it has a convenient 110cm length allowing you to lock it against a big range of objects. It also comes with a frame mount making it easy to transport and quick to use. In terms of security it has multiple strands making it hard to cut through. Weight: 890g
Abus Steel-O-Flex Granit 1000/800mm
Offering similar convenience to the Centuro but with additional protection. It comes with a gold rating from Sold Secure. This is a popular lock amongst couriers as it easy to secure around your waist. However, it must be noted that this still isn’t as secure as D-Locks. The locks weighs around 2kg.
Kryptonite New York Standard
If safety is your main concern then look no further than the Kryptonite New York Standard. I reviewed this lock recently and it is the one I use to keep my bike safe. It comes with 3 sets of keys and provides protection against all but the most determined bike thieves. The two downsides are the additional weight (1.9kg) and the limited number of objects you can secure it against due to its diameter.
Kryptonite Evolution Series 4
Provides similar protection to the New York Standard but with less weight (1.66kg). This is another lock that is well trusted and has a gold standard rating from Sold Secure.
Your bike lock
I’m interested in hearing what bike lock you guys use and if you recommend it.
See also:
Kryptonite New York 3000 review
How to choose a good waterproof cycling jacket
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As seen on The Guardian, BBC and The Independent.
What the bike shops forget to tell you is to check that a D-lock will actually fit your bike! I bought a Kryptonite Series 2 D-lock and (1) there is nowhere on the frame that I can fit the bracket (and the thing weighs a ton, so would prefer to let the bike carry it) and (2) the space inside the ‘D’ isn’t actually wide enough to fit around the frame-and-back-wheel anyway. Hummph. Think I’ll get myself a chain lock.
Damian—-put the D-lock through the seat-stays, or through the chain-stays (and the wheel of course) onto the street-rack or whatever fixing point is available.
P.R.
Only been cycling in London for a few weeks, made my old crappy old mountain bike look like the worst ‘dog’ bike in london to deter thieves…..still got stolen from outside Peckham Pulse gym this afternoon at 3pm. Had a decent quality Oxford lock on which they broke off.
I read earlier a comment from a wiser London cyclist than me, ” spend £30 on your bike and £80 on a lock”
Beware the hoodie cycle thief…..may they all die aslow painful death
I’m now thinking of using my 30 year old Dawes tourer, perhaps this will be less attractive to the low life thieves?
Steve S……I’ve had 7 bikes since the 60′s, and most have been good quality 531 lightweights, club or race standard, and I’ve never had one stolen. As a teenager, I would often raise the seat up to its limit b4 leaving it locked in a public place, so a potential tea-leaf would assume its owner was a six-foot five inch monster. (Bit of a faff, to say the least..) Another ploy, which I still utilise occasionally, is to remove the front wheel and walk away with it….so at any rate the thieving schmuck would have to far cough and return with a suitable wheel (not difficult I admit).
I believe you’re right in thinking your old Dawes tourer less of a target, but I suspect these plonkers will nick whatever’s left around, just to keep in practice. So although I know I’ve been incredibly lucky over the years (most of my fanatical cycling was back in the 60′s, 70′s, and 80′s before bike-theft became such an epidemic), I do feel really sympathetic and bloody angry whenever I hear of cases such as yours, and I know many people in the same situation. I’d suggest getting the Dawes registered, and if you can’t take the f-wheel off the bike, think about a Q/R seat-pillar and take THAT away when you lock up….anything to discourage the bar-stewards!!
P.R.
Sorry, Oxford is not a decent lock brand, so I’m not surprise they broke it.
You need to go for premium brands like Abus, or maybe Kryptonite, with at least a Silver or Gold rating from Sold Secure; definitely Gold for high risk areas e.g. London.
I personally prefer Abus because their locks and keys seem better engineered.
I recently saw a number of videos on YouTube showing Kryptonite locks opened with a pen
This seems to be a bit of a worry
Yep, think this effected a small number of locks. Don’t think the trick still works but I’m willing to be proven wrong if anyone has managed it recently?
Ride On busted 16 locks to find the best options in Australia. The results are out now http://bit.ly/qkZm9I
Andreas have you heard of this new revolutionary lock?
Not sure whether it has been released yet but it’s made of titanium and sounds like it means business totally take over the bike lock market.
Maybe worth making contact to perhaps review one for the website?
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1051734209/tigr-titanium-lock-as-cool-as-your-bike
Many people think that two medium locks of different sorts are better than 1 maxi security on the basis that your average thief goes equipped for a particular opportunity (e.g. either a D lock or cable) and that a bike protected with both is just too much of a faff.
You shouldn’t be using WD-40 on your lock, ever.
I bought a big Abus D-lock rated at 9, reduced from GBP60. The bike was stolen when I popped in for about 15 mins to Tesco in Old Kent Road, alongside all the other bikes chained outside the main door to steel bars. Apparently bikes are regularly stolen there and the shop does and cares nothing. It seems all locks can be broken in seconds by well-equipped thieves and the money to buy a good one was wasted. Don’t park your bike in SE1.. I had done the police registration but this does not seem to have been any help in the following weeks.
by the way, the quality of the bike is no deterrent, mine was very old and cheap and apparently all are taken indiscriminately
Mate if I remember correctly, abus rating goes up to 15 or even 20 which would mean their own rating of 9 would not be a very good lock. You would need at least a 12 rated lock. However I would not even trust their own ratings. Refer to the sold secure ratings listing and check whether they gave rated your lock first. Only get a gold rates lock and discount anything leer for real safety. Also worth having the bike marked by the police.
Thanks, good advice. Lock was Abus Varedo, sold secure silver, level 9 protection (scale up to 15). So far I hardly let replacement bike out of my sight, but will save for gold standard. I had bike marked by police a week before it was stolen.
If I am not just out for a non stop ride, I do my door to door type shopping with my Brompton. Instead of a bike lock I bought “Easy Wheels” for it and push it around like a shopping trolley, and sometimes IN a shopping trolley
I had a relatively nice bike (scott hybrid) stolen from outside my work about 5years ago, which had been locked with a cheap d lock. But then I got into cycling and racing, so I started using a whacking great 2m long, 18mm thick cable with a huge padlock on my various bikes. Never had one stolen since.
but despite that, I couldn’t resist indulging in a kryptonite NY 3000 when I found it on offer for under £50! My bikes are the only safe ones in my area. 
a few tips that have enabled me to not get a really nice bianchi nicked in 8 years of locking it in London:
Never lock it overnight – it won’t be there in the morning
Take off the front wheel so you can lock through both wheels
Lock it high and awkwardly if possible
Make your bike look cheap – mine is worth over a grand but it looks like its 50 quid with black tape all over it. Plus if you ever want to sell it under the tape you’ve an unscratched bike.
I use a top range abus cable lock that’s the shorter of the two lengths. Harder to lock up but harder to break. I’ve also heard WD40 kills locks. You shouldn’t ever have to use it, if the lock seizes it will fix it. But WD40 will strip the grease from the lock and destroy it eventually, mine still works fine after 6 years.