Cyclist
Best bike locks 2024 and how to keep your bike safe
With the world still populated by an annoyingly high number of thieves, you need a good bike lock to give your bike a chance of staying put, especially if you’ve spent a few quid on it. Having your bicycle disappear is a sure way to put a dampener on your week/month/year. Whether it goes missing from a garage, a dedicated parking stand or is cropped from a set of railings, the outcome is the same.
The solution is investing in a lock as tough as the mean streets through which you pedal. Yet with a huge degree of choice between various types, dimensions and security certifications, the range of bicycle locks available to discourage thieves is potentially baffling. Fortunately, we’re here to help.
The principal thing we’d recommend is that you allocate sufficient money to this new lock of yours. If your bike will be out of your sight and is worth stealing – and that category is broader than you might presume – you need at least a solid Sold Secure Bronze lock, and having a better lock will help when it comes to getting cheaper bike insurance.
In the bike theft arms race, portable angle grinders are the pro thief’s current top weapon, and there’s a new class of angle grinder-resistant bike locks, which makers claim to be impervious – or at least near-impervious – to attack. We’ve highlighted some of those, as well as more affordable but still well regarded bike locks below.
The best Sold Secure Diamond and Gold bike locks
Angle grinder resistant bike locks
- Abus Granit Super Extreme 2500
- Hiplok D1000
- Litelok X
- OnGuard RockSolid
- SkunkLock Chemical
Full-size D locks
- Litelok X1
- Abus Granit X-Plus 540
- Kryptonite Evolution
- Oxford Shackle 14 Duo
- Onguard Pitbull
- Halfords Advanced 23cm D Lock
- Squire Stronghold D16/230
Flexible and chain locks
- Kryptonite Evolution Integrated Chain Lock
- Litelok Core Flex
- Hiplok Gold
- Abus Bordo Granit X-Plus 6500
- Oxford Linklock GL
Mini D-locks
- Hiplok DX
- Kryptonite Fahgettaboudit Mini
- Abus Ultimate 420 (inc. cable)
- Master Lock U-Lock
What is ‘Sold Secure’?
Sold Secure is a rating bestowed on locks independently tested by the Master Locksmiths Association. Being non-partisan, we’d always rely on its evaluation as a guide instead of any manufacturer’s claims. In our experience, anything below Bronze level will be susceptible to prying, hammer strike, hacksaw and bolt-cutter type attacks.
However, while various styles of lock manage to score a Bronze rating, we’d steer clear of any kind of flexible cable design regardless of its certification. This is because although they might stall an opportunist thief, we’ve not yet found one that couldn’t be defeated with a set of quality bolt croppers.
Instead, stick to a solid chain or D-lock that’s Bronze-rated or above, and any thief will at least need to be in possession of an angle grinder to be in with a chance of nicking your bike.
Hard like a diamond
That said, if you live in a high-crime area, we suggest you invest in a Sold Secure Gold or Diamond certified lock if you can afford one. Formerly the highest certification you could find, Gold locks tend to start from around £40, and many insurers now demand this rating if you want to cover yourself.
The more recently introduced Diamond standard is intended to distinguish between locks at the top of the market. As locks have improved, the previous rating system provided little to differentiate the better ones. The Diamond class is reserved for the best of the best.
Given that this isn’t a market where product novelty is rewarded by anything other than a missing bike, expect to see the same names appear in our list multiple times. Want a lighter lock? The best you’re going to get is one that’s smaller, which might work if you’ve got a skinny-tubed bike.
Almost all locks are based around a tempered steel construction, and weight is usually directly correlated to strength. So while a lock might seem weighty, it’ll be less heavy than your heart should you return to find your bike isn’t where you left it.
Similarly, you should aim to spend 10% of the cost of your bike on its lock – if you can’t find a lock that matches the price of your bike, it means it’s probably too expensive to leave unattended.
It’s not just a question of having a great lock though – you need to know how to use it correctly, so read our post on how to lock a bike, with tips from a reformed bike thief.
Many bikes are stolen by opportunist thieves, when their owners just leave them for a minute or two. A lightweight cafe lock won’t stop a determined bike thief, but you’re more likely to carry and use it if you’re running an errand or stopping mid-ride. A bike alarm, such as the AlterLock, or an alarmed lock can also help deter theft or tampering.
The best angle grinder-resistant bike locks
Abus Granit Super Extreme 2500
- Type: D-lock
- Sold Secure rating: Diamond
- Length: 23cm
- Weight: 2.5kg
- Extras: Bike mount
Abus houses the hardened 27mm thick steel shackle and body of the Granit Super Extreme 2500 in an ultra-tough tungsten carbide shell to deflect angle grinders. It’s the same material as used in cutters and grinders, so the lock is matching like with like, meaning that grinder discs are likely to wear quicker than the lock’s cladding.
There’s a pick-resistant double locking cylinder too and additional security details include a Code Card so that others can’t order spares or replacements for the two keys provided.
Hiplok D1000
- Type: D-lock
- Sold Secure rating: Diamond
- Length: 15.5cm
- Weight: 1.9kg
While Abus uses tungsten carbide, Hiplok’s secret weapon against angle grinders is graphene reinforcement of the hardened steel shackle. The square profile is also claimed to help reduce vulnerability and there are double locking tabs to prevent attacks by twisting. Hiplok reckons that the D1000 is more than 20 times as resistant to angle grinders as a standard steel shackle and can withstand ten minutes of assault without failure.
A little smaller than the Abus lock, the D1000 is also lighter. It’s rubber coated to protect your frame and comes with three coded, replaceable keys.
- Buy now from Hiplok (£249.99)
Litelok X3
- Type: D-lock
- Sold Secure rating: Diamond
- Length: 19.5cm
- Weight: 2.1kg
- Extras: Carrying pouch
Another advanced composite, which Litelok calls Barronium, is used on the X3 to shield its hardened steel D-lock shackle. As with Hiplok, Litelok claims its lock is 20 times more resistant to angle grinders than a standard D-lock. There’s the cheaper Litelok X1 available too (see below), which has a thinner layer to Barronium coating – apparently five times the resistance of a standard D-lock.
In addition, there is anti-rotation protection against twisting, while a self-sealing keyhole keeps out wet and debris. The Litelok X3 is rubber-coated, with reflectives incorporated for extra visibility. There’s a high security lock cylinder to resist picking and the Litelok X3 is supplied with a neoprene carry pouch too. Litelok promises rattle-free carrying from its design.
- Buy now from Litelok (£249.99)
OnGuard RockSolid
- Type: D-lock
- Sold Secure rating: Diamond
- Length: 17.5cm
- Weight: 1.4kg
The OnGuard RockSolid lock is, as with all the angle-grinder resistant locks, Sold Secure Diamond rated. OnGuard claims that its advanced engineering and patented materials provide protection from angle grinders. It also claims that its weight is lower than the competition at 1.4kg, although there’s a decent sized shackle that’s shrouded to add angle grinder protection.
The shackle is secured to the locking bar in four locations, rather than the more usual two, which OnGuard claims increases resistance to twisting attacks and there are over 66,000 different key combinations. Rubber coating protects your frame too.
SkunkLock Chemical
- Type: D-lock
- Sold Secure rating: Not tested
- Length: 23cm
- Weight: 2.0kg
- Extras: None
It hasn’t been Sold Secure tested, but the SkunkLock Chemical has a trick up its sleeve to deter thieves – cut into it and they’ll spray themselves with an aerosol of its contents of foul-smelling, vomit-inducing chemicals, which soaks into clothing and will coat the tools used. The shackle has the same wall thickness as a 16mm solid steel one, so there’s some physical protection built in too.
Not convinced? SkunkLock also sells the SkunkLock Carbon, with a 25mm thick shackle with silicon carbide reinforcement to provide angle grinder and bolt cutter protection.
- Buy now from Skunklock ($179.99)
The best full-size D-locks
Litelok X1
- Type: D-lock
- Sold Secure rating: Diamond
- Length: 19cm
- Weight: 1.7kg
- Extras: Bike mount
The Litelok X1’s shackle is made of a proprietary ceramic material that the brand calls barronium over a hardened steel core. It’s a composite material that Litelok says is resistant to the full armoury of lock-breaking kit, including angle grinders and five times as tough as a standard steel shackle. There’s a natural rubber coating to protect your bike’s paintwork.
Litelok provides reflective stripes on the shackle to help keep you safer when riding and the X1 is Sold Secure Diamond-rated both for bikes and motorcycles. It comes with a mount that makes clipping the lock to your bike simple, quick and secure. Litelok sells the Restrap belt holster separately if you want to carry the lock at your waist rather than on the bike.
- Buy now from Litelok (£149.99)
Abus Granit X-Plus 540
- Type: D-lock
- Sold Secure rating: Diamond
- Length: 23cm
- Weight: 1.85kg
- Extras: Replaceable coded keys, parabolic shackle
Forsaking any pretence of being either fun, jazzy or cool, the Abus Granit X-Plus 540 lock instead focusses solely on being the toughest mother out there. Its square shackle is mega hard, and also reduces the leverage most jaw-type cutting tools can exert when compared to rounder alternatives.
If anyone does manage to cut through, its boxy profile has the second benefit of preventing the lock being twisted open once chopped. This could double the amount of time it takes them to nick your bike, since thieves will need to cut it in two places.
In terms of balancing security and practicality, this is as good as it gets. Heavy and pricy-seeming at first, it’s cheaper and will weigh on you less than losing your bike.
- Buy now from CycleStore £76.50
Kryptonite Evolution
- Type: D-lock
- Sold Secure rating: Gold
- Length: 23cm
- Weight: 1.52kg
- Extras: Replaceable coded keys
Kryptonite’s Evolution is a steadfast bike lock. A 14mm hardened Kryptonium steel shackle paired to a double deadbolt locking mechanism provides extensive holding power. Anti-rattle bumpers keep the shackle snug against the crossbar and prevent unnecessary noise.
It represents great value for a lock with a Sold Secure Gold rating from a big name like Kryptonite. Nothing short of an angle grinder is likely to be getting through this in a hurry.
The bracket isn’t the sturdiest but the bike will probably stay exactly where you left it.
- Buy now from Tredz (£59.49)
Oxford Shackle 14 Duo
- Type: D-lock
- Sold Secure rating: Gold
- Length: 26cm
- Weight: n/a
- Extras: Includes extra 120cm cable
This combo pack from Oxford offers excellent value and high security. At its heart is the Shackle 14 D-lock. This chunky-looking number has been awarded the highest Sold Secure Gold rating and is named for its 14mm hardened steel loop.
It comes in a 260mm length, which is good for general use, although a larger 320mm version is available for those with multiple bikes or attachment issues. The lock includes three keys as standard; however, Oxford also offers a replacement service, so you can always get more if you manage to lose these.
The package also includes a 120cm braided steel cable that can loop through the main lock to secure your wheels or additional items. This is a great extra that’s included at a very reasonable price; just ensure your bike’s frame is secured with the main lock, and you should be all set regarding any insurance you may have purchased.
- Buy now from Decathlon UK £54.99
Onguard Pitbull
- Type: U-lock
- Sold Secure rating: Diamond
- Length: 29cm
- Weight: 6.5kg
- Extras: Mounting bracket, 5 keys, one with LED light, optional cable
The Onguard Pitbull lock is one down from the Brute, which has even more security from a thicker shackle. Nevertheless, the Pitbull is Sold Secure Diamond-rated. There are a range of shackle sizes offered, with 29cm the longest and there’s an optional cable available as well.
Rather than a U-shaped shackle, the Pitbull’s is more squared off, which gives some extra area inside. The Pitbull is a heavy lock, but it’s well priced for the level of security and the quality that it offers.
- Buy now from Tweeks Cycles £28.99
Halfords Advanced 23cm D Lock
- Type: D-lock
- Sold Secure rating: Diamond
- Length: 23cm
- Weight: Not specified
- Extras: Mounting bracket, 4 keys
Being from Halfords, this lock is easy to find. It’s also Sold Secure Diamond-rated with a hardened steel casing and 14mm thick shackle. There’s good frame protection and a grip at the end of the shackle to help you to carry it.
It comes with four keys and a plastic mounting bracket to attach it to your bike. It’s reasonably priced as well.
- Buy now from Halfords (£50)
Squire Stronghold D16/230
- Type: D-lock
- Sold Secure rating: Diamond
- Length: 23cm
- Weight: 2.3kg
- Extras: 4 security coded keys
A 16mm boron steel shackle gives the Stronghold the strength to secure a Diamond rating from Sold Secure. It has a six pin lock cylinder which according to Squire offers over half a million different pin combinations. You get a card with your pin sequence to ensure that it can’t be copied without your authorisation.
The Squire Stronghold range also includes a folding lock, which is Gold-rated, and a Diamond-rated integrated lock and chain set.
- Buy now from Halfords (£140)
The best flexible and chain locks
Kryptonite Evolution Series 4 Chain
- Type: Chain with integrated lock
- Sold Secure rating: Gold
- Length: 90cm
- Weight: 2.7kg
- Extras: Replaceable coded keys
Chain locks may have their disadvantages, but along with discouraging potential thieves, a chain can be stretched around larger objects, meaning you’ll almost always be able to find a secure object to attach the bike to.
In its 55cm length, the Kryptonite Evolution Series 4 weighs less than the Fuhgettaboutit D-Lock, and the Kryptolok can be coiled compactly into a backpack. Its integrated lock mechanism is near impossible to pry open and also makes locking the chain easier than threading a link through a padlock.
With chain links that are only 10mm in width, you might think the Evolution far from the security of the most heavy-duty 16mm chains. Luckily, the Sold Secure Gold rating says differently: this is a very safe pair of hands for your bike.
• Buy now from Tweeks Cycles £55
Litelok Core Flex
- Type: Flexible cable
- Sold Secure rating: Gold
- Length: 75cm
- Weight: 1.7kg
- Extras: Wearable, two colours
Litelok claims that the Core Flex is the lightest Sold Secure Gold-rated lock on the market. The flexible cable means that the lock is easier to wrap around your bike and an anchor than a D-lock and can also be coiled up for easier carrying. The lock comes with an easy-connect bike mount. It can also be carried worn around the waist, coming with two adjustable straps to fit different waist sizes.
There’s layered resistance to attack, with biopolymer and radial reinforcement over a high tensile steel cable core that’s resistant to cable cutters and a plant-based polymer overlay to protect your bike.
The lock mechanism itself is made from hardened steel and closes without needing to use the key.
- Buy now from Litelok (£119.99)
Hiplok Gold
Type: Chain
Sold Secure rating: Gold
Length: 85cm
Weight: 2.2kg
Extras: Wearable, two colours, three coded keys
With an 85cm long chain with 10mm thick links, the Hiplok Gold chain lock is designed to be wearable for those with waist size between 30 and 44 inches. There’s also a version with a hi-viz cover available if you ride at night. It comes with a 10 year warranty as well.
It’s a little heavier than the Litelok, but in compensation the chain is longer at 85cm against 75cm.
- Buy now from Tweeks Cycles £76
Abus Bordo Granit X-Plus 6500
- Type: Folding
- Sold Secure rating: Gold
- Length: 110cm
- Weight: 1.6kg
- Extras: Neat on bike storage, Replaceable coded keys
Folding locks provide the extra convenience of being easier to stash in a bag than a D-lock, and the Abus Bordo Granit X-Plus 6500 also comes with a mount so you can attach it to your bike. That said, given its hefty 1.58kg weight, you might not fancy popping it on your frame, especially if you pride your bike for its lightweight build.
That weight is put to good use, however, because this is one of the few folding locks that has a Sold Secure Gold rating, and it also rates as 15/15 on Abus’s own security scale. The folding design also means you can manoeuvre the Granit X-Plus to attach your bike to more locations than are available with a standard D-lock, though it should be said that the best D-locks are still more secure than the thinner bars of a folding lock.
If you don’t need something as heavyweight as the Granit X-Plus 6450, Abus does offer other folding locks in its Bordo range, including the 6000A, which has a built-in alarm.
- Buy now from Decathlon £84.99
Oxford Linklock GL
- Type: Folding
- Sold Secure rating: Gold
- Length: 90.0cm
- Weight: Not specified
- Extras: Carry bracket, Three keys
The Oxford LinkLock GL folding lock has a 90cm perimeter, so there’s plenty of room to reach around your rear wheel and frame and anchor it. It’s Sold Secure Gold-rated, despite the five joints between the hardened steel plates joints being a potential area of weakness.
The LinkLock GL comes with a carrying bracket, which attaches to your bike frame with hook and loop fasteners, so it can be attached to your bike when you’re travelling around. There’s a barrel lock and it comes with three keys.
- Buy now from The Electric Bike Shop £67.99
The best mini and compact D-locks
Hiplok DX
- Type: Mini D-Lock
- Sold Secure rating: Diamond
- Length: 15.0cm
- Weight: 1.1kg
- Extras: Carry clip, Replaceable coded keys
Hiplok claims that, at 1.1kg, the DX is one of the lightest Sold Secure Diamond-rated locks available. It has a wide plastic cover over the lock body to avoid scratching your frame’s paintwork. It’s designed to be carried on a clip that attaches to your belt or bag straps rather than to your bike frame.
Hiplok also sells the DXC, which adds a cable, should you want some extra length to secure your wheels to your frame. The cable is designed so that it too can be attached easily to the clip.
- Buy now from Tweeks Cycles £59.99
Kryptonite Fahgettaboudit Mini
- Type: Mini D-Lock
- Sold Secure rating: Diamond
- Length: 15.3cm
- Weight: 2kg
- Extras: No bracket, Replaceable coded keys
Kryptonite designed the New York Fahgettaboudit D-lock as an ultimate security bike lock. It scores the maximum 10/10 on Kryptonite’s security scale. Your bike will be safe and sound in the highest-risk urbanised areas, Kryptonite even offers a scheme where it will pay up to £2,500 toward a replacement bike if a thief defeats the lock.
We’ve been lucky enough to have a test sample of the Fahgettaboudit for a few months. From that, we’d say, with the twang of Donnie Brasco’s New York accent ringing in our ears, this lock from Kryptonite is as tough as an American-Italian nonna talking about her cannolis.
Smaller than average, the Fahgettaboudit’s narrow width makes it even tougher. However, it’s worth noting that it’s no lightweight. It’s actually one of the heaviest on the market.
Its 18mm steel-hardened U-lock specs and Gold standard are reassuring, but the U-bar is small so can be tough to fit around bike stands. You need a narrow frame tube and a slender anchor point to really make the most of this lock. On the plus side, it’s easily fitted into a backpack to transport. A great choice if you’re happy to spend time picking your spot.
- Buy now from Cyclestore £119.99
Abus Ultimate 420/140
- Type: Mini D-lock
- Sold Secure rating: Gold
- Length: 15cm
- Weight: 1.25kg
- Extras: Replaceable coded keys
The Abus Ultimate uses a double-locking mechanism and a 13mm shackle that extends through the lock body to better protect against torsion/twisting attacks. The rubberised housing should prevent frame damage.
The short-reach U-bend is also big enough to fit around frames and most stands while small and just about light enough to be considered compact. From our own testing we found the decent frame-mounting system doesn’t rattle around either. A Sold Secure Gold rating at this price is top-notch, and the frame-mounting bracket is great too.
- Buy now from Cyclestore £42.50
Master Lock Mini U-Lock
- Type: Mini D-lock
- Sold Secure rating: Gold
- Length: 12.5cm
- Weight: 0.93kg
- Extras: Includes four non-coded keys
With a choice between 8cm and 10cm wide locks, Master Lock’s Sold Secure Gold lock is built for urban areas and overnight parking.
Its hardened steel body is resistant to cutting, sawing and prying while the double lock can withstand two tones of pulling force and the locking mechanism is built for pick resistance.
It comes with a carrier bracket and the smaller choice makes for easy transportation.
- Buy now from Tweeks Cycles (£29.99)
The post Best bike locks 2024 and how to keep your bike safe appeared first on Cyclist.