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We have added a new option, Kryptonite Keeper 585, which is a folding lock, suitable for anyone who wants more flexibility than a U-shaped lock but lighter than a chain. It also has a longer 100 cm version.
In the previous era, people who stole bicycles were bad enough. However, due to the bicycle boom associated with the epidemic-which has led to a shortage that continues to this day-bicycle thieves have become a plague. The first line of defense: a good bike lock. In order to find the best bicycle locks, we ordered 32 of the strongest locks we could find, then sawed, shredded and cut them into pieces. We understand that almost every lock can be cracked in one minute, but Kryptonite New-U Evolution Mini-7 offers enough security advantages in its price range to prevent ordinary commuter bikes from becoming an easy target for thieves.
No lock can stop a determined thief forever. But a good person might persuade the thief to turn to an easier target.
We used hacksaws, two sizes of bolt cutters, cordless drills and angle grinders to destroy 32 bicycle locks from 14 companies.
Our main selection, upgrade selection and favorite chain stores have insurance, but you must register your lock to take effect.
Our upgrade option has lasted the longest with power tools-its insurance covers Manhattan bikes (different from our main option).
Kryptonite New-U Evolution Mini-7 is equipped with a double-locking hardened 13mm shackle, the included cable and one year of free anti-theft protection, providing a good deterrent at a reasonable price.
*At the time of publication, the price was $73.
In most cases, Kryptonite New-U Evolution Mini-7 should be able to withstand all attacks except power tools. After our test started, we immediately saw the huge advantage of this lock over the competition: its 13mm hardened shackle (the big U-shaped ring in the name of the U-shaped lock) can withstand bolt cutters, eliminating a large part of it Potential thief. It is 7 inches long and weighs less than 3 pounds. It is the perfect size for most people-long enough to lock the wheels and frame of most bicycles to the frame, and almost no one can use a spudger or The car jack is wedged inside. Most importantly, the shackle in this design has an extra cut at the end, which makes it more difficult to rotate (and therefore remove) it after cutting. New-U Evolution Mini-7 uses a disc lock mechanism, which is more difficult to pry open than a typical wafer lock. Except for the smartest criminals, everyone can use professional tools to frustrate it. It is also equipped with a 4-foot cable to secure the front wheels, and Kryptonite anti-theft protection for one year free of charge. Two caveats about the latter: You must register your lock within 30 days of purchase, and the anti-theft protection of this lock does not apply to residents of Manhattan, where the theft rate is very high. (The company's New York lock series-including our upgrade pick and chain pick below-are even covered in Manhattan.)
This is the safest lock we have tested, but it is much heavier than our preferred lock.
*At the time of publication, the price was $130.
Kryptonite New-U New York Fahgettaboudit Mini is equipped with an 18mm double lock hardened shackle, which is more resistant to cutting attacks than any other lock. Even with the electric cutting wheel, our testers took more than a minute to make two necessary cuts to remove it-the grinding time is four times that of the New-U Evolution Mini-7. However, this lock does not come with a cable. It weighs nearly 4.5 pounds, which is one and a half pounds heavier than the Mini-7. However, if you are in a high-risk area, you can buy this lock. Like our preferred product, it uses a very safe disc fixing device, and it is long enough to fit on your bicycle frame and wheels without becoming too bulky. In order to give you more peace of mind, it also provides the highest level of anti-theft service with kryptonite for free for one year. (Similarly, you must register your lock within 30 days of purchase for the insurance to take effect.)
If your lock requires a longer length and weight is not important, then the 10-pound Fahgettaboudit chain is really strong.
May be out of stock
If you want to protect more than the bicycle frame and wheels, if your cargo or electric bicycle needs a longer lock, or your favorite lock location is near the street, please choose Kryptonite New York Fahgettaboudit Chain, this is us One of the strongest chains ever tested. We encountered other chains that were more difficult to cut, but they were either more expensive or heavier. It has 3 feet long 14mm hardened links, held together by 15mm Kryptonite New York Disc Lock, it should be able to stop all thieves except the most stubborn thieves.
This relatively light folding lock is easier to wrap at odd angles than a U-shaped lock, and is safer than a cable lock-but it is not as strong as a chain, and it is also very expensive.
*At the time of publication, the price was $65.
If you only care about safety, we recommend that you skip the folding lock altogether, because the rivets are easy to break. But folding locks can meet some special requirements, while other options cannot: you can lock them around large or strange shapes such as handrails or lamp posts, they are much stronger than cables and much lighter than cables. Chain (one pound lighter than our top U-shaped lock, even minus its cable). We believe that Kryptonite Keeper 585 is the best combination of safety, weight and price in folding locks. It also has a longer 100 cm (39 inch) version, the Keeper 510.
The Keeper 585 is 85 cm (32 inches) long, weighs 1.7 pounds, has 3 mm hardened steel rivets, and offers $500 kryptonite theft protection. Is your bike worth more than $500? This should tell you everything you need to know-get a stronger lock.
Kryptonite New-U Evolution Mini-7 is equipped with a double-locking hardened 13mm shackle, the included cable and one year of free anti-theft protection, providing a good deterrent at a reasonable price.
*At the time of publication, the price was $73.
This is the safest lock we have tested, but it is much heavier than our preferred lock.
*At the time of publication, the price was $130.
If your lock requires a longer length and weight is not important, then the 10-pound Fahgettaboudit chain is really strong.
May be out of stock
This relatively light folding lock is easier to wrap at odd angles than a U-shaped lock, and is safer than a cable lock-but it is not as strong as a chain, and it is also very expensive.
*At the time of publication, the price was $65.
Duncan Niederlitz has been in the bicycle industry along the coast of the United States and abroad since 2002. He owns many of the locks we have tested, and has worked in stores that sell all of them, and sometimes has to cut them off the bicycle. Between this and the work he did for this guide, he spent hundreds of hours researching, selling, using, and testing bicycle locks.
Eve O'Neill is a senior writer responsible for outdoor gear at Wirecutter. She started as our first cycling reporter in 2014. After seven years of work, she continues to test and review products for many of Wirecutter's bicycle guides.
We contacted John Edgar Park, a fanatic unlocking enthusiast and lecturer with more than 20 years of experience, and we sat down to review all the locks we received to see if they had unlocking vulnerabilities . In addition, we also arranged to get in touch with the unlocking team and visited the high-security disc lock in one night. The meeting was held in an unmarked room in an unmarked building, and everyone who gave a presentation used their Def Con code name.
We also communicated with Mark Podob of Metlab, a heat treatment and metallurgical consulting company, to gain insight into how unlocking is constructed.
We finally chose four kryptonite locks, and we knew what that kind of thing would look like. But we think the data speaks for itself. In 2004, Duncan was working in a bicycle shop when the Bic pen failed miserably (he appeared on the local news station to demonstrate the technology), so we were skeptical of this guide and skeptical of any lock manufacturer's statement.
If you ride a bicycle and need to be left unattended, you should bring (and use) a sturdy bicycle lock-at least if you want the bicycle to be there when you return. Also, if you live in an area where garages or bicycle houses in apartment buildings are often broken into, you may even want to lock your bicycles while your home looks safe. Unfortunately, as we have discovered through our tests and our own painful experience, no lock can stop a determined bicycle thief forever. However, a good person may persuade the thief to move to a target that is not well-defended.
We spent a lot of time researching all the locks offered by major brands in the bicycle industry, attending trade shows to see options that are not yet available, reviewing earlier versions of this guide, and searching for well-reviewed ones from smaller companies or smaller companies Locks-well-known brands.
The manufacturer makes a series of locks of similar styles. However, considering their so-called different levels of security and proprietary rating systems, it is difficult to determine which locks are comparable except blindly based on prices or ratings from independent research organizations (such as ART in the Netherlands and Sold Secure in the United Kingdom) . Unfortunately, these agencies use different rating standards, and not all lock manufacturers submit all locks for testing. Although these independent laboratories return ratings, they have not disclosed to the public the reasoning behind the ratings (or the tests they used to reach that conclusion), so checking their ratings still only gives us a rough idea of safety Any lock.
We decided that our only way out was to order the most expensive locks from every company we could order and test whether they were broken, setting a benchmark for what each company considered its highest level of security. Then, we ordered budget locks from the previous guide, as well as some upgrades from companies that performed well in our first round of testing, and conducted destructive testing on all of them. We eventually destroyed 32 locks from ABUS, Altor, Artago, Blackburn, Foldylock, Hiplok, Knog, Kryptonite, Litelok, Master Lock, OnGuard, RockyMounts, Schlage and TiGr.
To truly test the effectiveness of bicycle locks, you must think like a bicycle thief. Based on our years of experience working in stores and interviewing professional bicycle thieves (yes, we have done this), we have created a list of the most common tools used by bicycle thieves to crack bicycle locks. It becomes a list of choices that every model in our lock group needs to survive to become a choice.
To be clear, the following content is not a guide to stealing bicycles. But to evaluate the safety of bicycle locks, you must first truly understand how they were stolen.
Unlocker: These require a lot of skills to use, different locks require various tools, and the difficulty of unlocking is also different. However, once the thieves have the tools and proficiency to quickly open a particular lock, the process becomes a problem of walking on the street and looking for the target lock in the bicycle rack that they think is easy to open.
Cable cutters: Thieves use a pair of simple diagonal cutters to carry out a large number of bicycle thefts (probably most). Unfortunately, the only reason simple diagonal cutters are so effective is that many people continue to use only braided steel cables and padlocks or basic cable locks to lock their bikes, although in most cases these devices should be strictly used as accessories Lock. A good set of bypass cutters can cut these locks in one pass, while a small set of diagonal cutters can be cut multiple times.
Bolt Cutters: Duncan has heard hundreds of bicycle theft stories during his years of work in the store, and has seen many broken locks, most of which (excluding the cut cable locks) used broken wires Cut with pliers. Bolt cutters can be very small and can cut some types of locks quickly.
Hacksaw: The hacksaw can quickly go through the non-hardened lock. Most chains in hardware stores, cheap U-locks and cable locks can be defeated with a hacksaw. The hacksaw may be slow on thicker locks, may get stuck and restrained when trying to cut cables, and usually requires some physical strength to use.
Cordless drill: This is a relatively rare tool for bicycle thieves, because it is only suitable for a few types of locks, and it is easier to crack most of them using other methods. But occasionally drilling does work (most commonly when trying to drill out the lock cylinder). However, drillable locks (such as folding locks) have become more popular.
Angle grinder: If there is enough time, a thief using a battery-powered angle grinder will crack any locks. For thieves, the biggest disadvantage of a grinder is the noise and sparks it makes when grinding hardened steel. In the past, cordless tools did not have the power for this purpose, but battery technology has been advanced enough, and their performance is as good as corded tools, so they have changed the pattern of bicycle safety. It's hard not to notice one of these tools, but a thief who can mask the noise and use the tools shamelessly enough may successfully steal the bike.
We did not use a car jack to pry open any locks, because the jack must be installed in the shackle (video). You can make this attack more difficult by using good locking techniques, which means choosing a lock size that leaves very little space inside the shackle to install the tool-all the locks we tested are too small. Can't hold the jack.
After we get the list, we need to decide how the test results let us sort the locks. We believe that any form of security depends on its weakest part-for example, think of a locked house with open windows, or a computer operating system with a back door. So we decided that the faster a lock can open, regardless of its performance in other areas, the lower its score.
The first test will show whether any locks can be opened (some can). The second one will reveal whether anyone will be a victim of bolt cutters (some people do), hacksaws (sadly) or drills (no problem). The last one will demonstrate how long it takes to cut each lock with an inexpensive portable angle grinder (faster than you think). After completing all the tests, we rank the locks based on safety and price, look at their locations, and then we consider features such as durability, weight, portability, and ease of use.
We contacted John Edgar Park, an avid lock enthusiast and lecturer with more than 20 years of experience, and we sat down to check all the locks we received. After a quick visual inspection and a few pokes from one of the many pointed tools in the folding leather bag he brought, Park immediately picked out how each mechanism works and the easiest way to break each lock. Park also taught us how to open the lock, and he managed to manipulate a model in less than 30 seconds. This is a simple tilt technique (video) that requires very little skill and basic tools; someone can do it with a few scraps of metal from a car wiper or a pair of hairpins. We always thought MacGyver was a joke!
To be sure, we also got in touch with an unlocking team, and we visited disc locks one night, which is a high-security mechanism used in some bicycle locks. The meeting was held in an unmarked room in an unmarked building. We learned that even the more basic disc buckle locks we brought were difficult to pry, and no one at the meeting had the right tools to install the smaller keyholes used by most bicycle locks. Therefore, we are sure that the disc lock style can withstand most unlocking thieves.
In February 2021, a YouTube expert named LockPickingLawyer released a video. In the video, he said that tools for picking disc locks are becoming more and more common-in fact, he designed a Tools that can be found on the Internet, he used to open our first choice in 46 seconds and our upgrade option in 58 seconds. Given that the brute force method we tried takes less time to break the lock, but compared with bolt cutters and angle irons, we have fewer concerns about lock picking.
The next test: bolt cutters. These tools are available at any home improvement store and usually only make a sound during the theft when it is too late, the lock is broken, and the thief leaves your bike. You may be less than 20 feet away from the bicycle, but still can't hear it. In our tests, we used two tool lengths, a pair of 24-inch HDX from Home Depot and a 36-inch Tekton 3421.
Some of the locks we tested claimed to be resistant, but most ended up on our bolt cutters. The easiest U-shaped lock to cut through seems to be only surface hardened, which seems to have little effect on stopping the bolt cutters, because the jaws of the tool can crush and split the softer metal under the hardened shell. More expensive locks are hardened more thoroughly through different heat treatment processes.
We did not expect that the hacksaw test would have significant results, because even ordinary case hardened steel will usually stop the hacksaw. However, the Altor and TiGr locks we tested are made of titanium. Although hard but not very hard, the hacksaw proves this: with the hacksaw, we cut through the vise in less than 30 seconds. Each lock clamped. Using a vise may shorten the time than most real-world scenarios, but a skilled thief has vise-like skills (using a zipper or leaning against a bicycle to stabilize it). The RockyMounts U-lock we tested uses stainless steel. This material is rare in bicycle locks. In our opinion, it does not seem to be hardened. Although the shackle of the lock is large in diameter, our hacksaw takes only 90 seconds. Cut through the inside.
Although small cordless drills are louder than bolt cutters, they are still almost imperceptible in the sound of busy streets. The electric drill we used in the test is 12 V Milwaukee Fuel, which is small enough to fit in a jacket pocket. Although Altor succumbed to bolt cutters, and the ABUS folding lock Bordo Granit X-Plus did well through our efforts, the rig easily defeated both. We just need to take a quick look and find that the hinge may be the weakest part of each system. We can quickly remove the lock by directly drilling through the rivets that hold the hinges together.
We know that all locks will drop to the 7,000 rpm of the alumina disc-we are just not sure how long this will take. After years of listening to anecdotes from bike shop customers, reading marketing literature, and removing weird locks everywhere, we estimated that it would take more than a minute to complete a cut.
No lock can resist the cutting time of modern tools for more than one minute.
We charge all the batteries of the cordless grinder, make extra coffee, and mentally prepare for the grinding time before us. Then it took 14 seconds for the first lock to be cut off. Next, 15. Some locks cannot survive beyond the 10 second mark; the thickest and strongest only resisted for 30 seconds before we cut into one bite.
We learned that no lock can withstand the cutting time of modern tools for more than one minute, even if it is a chain or has a double lock shackle and requires two cuts to remove. It is true that we conducted these tests under ideal conditions, with each lock in the vise in order to create an equal setting for the lock, but tested the lock in a more awkward and unrestricted position and only saw a slight increase in time After that, we can say that our results are not far from what you expect in the real world. As shown in one of our favorite videos, even if it is obvious that the bicycle has been stolen, it seems to raise almost no alarm or attract attention.
So why lock the bike? Unfortunately, it comes down to defeating the bike owners around you-after all, you don't need to run a bear, you just need to run with other people with you. If you can ride a cheaper bike and lock it properly with a better lock in a safer location, you can eliminate the temptation of a thief to pick up your bike at an easier target.
Kryptonite New-U Evolution Mini-7 is equipped with a double-locking hardened 13mm shackle, the included cable and one year of free anti-theft protection, providing a good deterrent at a reasonable price.
*At the time of publication, the price was $73.
The Kryptonite New-U Evolution Mini-7 U-lock combines a wider combination of anti-theft features, and is not twice the price or twice the weight than almost anything we have seen. It has a more thoroughly hardened double-locking shackle, smaller locks do not, it is equipped with a safer disc holder locking mechanism. It also comes with a 4-foot cable and one year of free company theft protection (as long as you don’t live in Manhattan and remember to register your lock within 30 days of purchase). This model is nearly $30 more expensive than the New-U KryptoLok Standard, which shares some of its technology (especially the locking mechanism and double-latch shackle), but it includes a one-year Kryptonite protection range, up to $2,500. (You must pay $10 for KryptoLok's first year of protection, and the insurance will pay up to $1,750.)
The Evolution series does not only use surface-hardened locks, but uses a harder steel lock and hardening process. Although it is not technically "fully hardened", in our tests, Mini-7 can still lock us better than others. To withstand more abuse in the test. The same price. We only use 24 inch bolt cutters to cut smaller locks, but the New-U Evolution Mini-7 can even withstand our 36 inch bolt cutters, leaving only a few small scratches.
The New-U Evolution series also uses locking tongues on both sides of the shackle instead of using non-locking bent feet on one end. The advantage of the new type of handcuffs is that the thief may need to cut twice with a power tool to pry it open. After cutting these wounds, the thief needs to twist off the shackles; on the New-U series, Kryptonite adds a small cut at both ends to make it more difficult to twist off.
The lock also includes a more secure disc lock mechanism. This type of keyway and mechanism is not easy to pick and requires professional tools, patience and skills. After consulting many unlocking enthusiasts and experts, we believe that the possibility of being picked on the street is very small, compared with the possibility of some other lock types we tested. (YouTube celebrity LockPickingLawyer released a video in February 2021, showing how he used the tools he designed to select New-U Evolution in less than a minute. However, considering his professionalism and working conditions— —Able to hold the lock in the hand with sufficient light — we believe that brute force attacks will cause more problems in real life.)
All major parts of the New-U Evolution have a durable rubber protective coating to prevent scratches on the bike’s paint. It is also available in a variety of sizes, but we think the 7-inch size (which weighs about 3.5 pounds, including cables) is the ideal choice for most people. If you commute to get off work on a bicycle with big tires and need to lock two wheels, the Mini-7 may not be long enough to cover the tires and frame. You can solve this problem by adding a locking wheel, but Kryptonite also sells a larger New-U Evolution without a cable. If you are not sure whether it fits, please check at your local store.
We still believe that due to the hardness of the lock and the difficulty of inserting the car jack into the correctly locked New-U Evolution Mini-7, it will prevent most attacks (except angle grinders) at this price better than any other lock. However, if you are in a high-risk area, or if you live in Manhattan, and the only lock covered by Kryptonite's anti-theft protection is the New York series, you should probably upgrade to Kryptonite New York Fahgettaboudit.
Although the Mini-7 is equipped with a better mounting frame that can be attached to the bicycle frame, it does not make much sense. U-locks are the bane of bicycle mechanics everywhere, because the mount always seems to be in an awkward position or loosens over time. If possible, putting this lock on a shelf or in a basket is definitely the preferred method, but installation is sufficient.
This is the safest lock we have tested, but it is much heavier than our preferred lock.
*At the time of publication, the price was $130.
The Kryptonite New-U New York Fahgettaboudit mini U-shaped lock is a workhorse. You won't find any special features or decorations, only a lot of locks-worth £4.55. It uses hardened double locks and extra metal in the crossbar to improve safety. The cross-sectional area of the 18mm shackle is twice that of the 13mm shackle of the New-U Evolution, so it takes twice as long to pass through. Since this lock belongs to Kryptonite's New York series of locks, even in Manhattan, it is protected against theft by the company.
Like the New-U Evolution, the lock uses a disc lock mechanism; like the New-U Evolution, the New-U New York Fahgettaboudit cannot withstand the attention of YouTuber LockPickLawyer for more than a minute. However, like the New-U Evolution, compared with bolt cutters and angle grinders, we are less concerned with lock picking.
In addition to the price increase over New-U Evolution, the only significant disadvantage of this lock is that it is heavier. But as our tests have shown, harder metals (and more metals) are the key to improved safety. The New-U New York Fahgettaboudit Mini also does not contain any mounting hardware for attaching it to the frame (though considering the weight of this lock, we suspect that the mount will even stay in place), and is different from our first choice The thing is, it is not equipped with a cable.
If your lock requires a longer length and weight is not important, then the 10-pound Fahgettaboudit chain is really strong.
May be out of stock
Sometimes you need a chain lock. Kryptonite New York Fahgettaboudit Chain is the best fund chain under high security conditions. It uses 14 mm penetrating hardened links and has a fairly standard 39-inch length (weighing more than 10 pounds) and a huge 5-foot version (over 15 pounds). The chain is connected by Kryptonite's 15mm New York disc lock, which uses a double lock and a disc lock mechanism. And because it belongs to the New York series of Kryptonite locks, it is within the scope of the theft protection of the Manhattan Company.
Although the time we took to cut this chain with an angle grinder did not take as much time as we did in the New-U New York Fahgettaboudit Mini, we found that it provides almost the same safety; it also has a more useful length. The only chains that required us to cut longer were Kryptonite New York Legend Chain and Artago 69T100E, both of which were much more expensive at the time. If you are particularly worried about safety, we think it would be a smarter purchase to spend money to buy a strong second lock used around the front wheel (except for the lock you already use on the back of the frame) and will pay you the same amount Provide more security.
This relatively light folding lock is easier to wrap at odd angles than a U-shaped lock, and is safer than a cable lock-but it is not as strong as a chain, and it is also very expensive.
*At the time of publication, the price was $65.
There is a small crossroad in the world of bicycle locks, where the features of U-shaped locks, chains, or cables cannot be neatly triangulated. Maybe you often find yourself in a position where a U-shaped lock cannot be installed where you are trying to lock the bike, but the chain is too heavy for you to carry, and the cable lock is not secure enough (in any case, we do not recommend using the cable lock alone , Because they are easily cut). In this case, the folding lock may be the solution to your problem. Among the models in this category, Kryptonite Keeper 585 provides the best combination of safety, weight and price.
The Keeper 585 folding lock is 85 cm (32 inches) long, weighs 1.7 pounds, and provides $500 kryptonite theft protection (this protection is the same as all kryptonite locks that are not part of the company’s New York series and is invalid in Manhattan). Folding locks are not very safe, because the rivets in the hinges are easily damaged by the drill bit. Compared with U-shaped locks, folding locks do not have so many advantages in terms of weight or size.
The rivets on the Keeper 585 are 3mm hardened steel. You can find folding locks that use thicker 5mm rivets, such as Rocky Mounts Hendrix and even other Kryptonite models, but we drill through them for almost the same time as we drill through smaller rivets. From our survey results, we can say that it needs more than an additional 2mm metal-more like 10mm (you will find it on our preferred 13mm shackle)-to hinder power tools.
Giving up those larger rivets and using Keeper 585 will make your locks nearly a pound lighter and cheaper by 10 to 30 dollars. It still carries the Bronze rating of Sold Secure, the same rating as all other Kryptonite folding locks, even the larger and more expensive versions. The folding lock with the highest sales safety rating is the ABUS Bordo Granit X-Plus, but this is a 4 pound lock and the price is more than $100. If you need something very strong, for example if you want to lock an electric bicycle, we recommend that you use a folding lock and use a thick chain instead-the price is the same, but you can get 14 mm steel and 5 mm steel. For higher security, this is a wise choice.
In addition, Kryptonite's folding locks provide an anti-theft warranty, in this case, if the lock is stolen, it can be up to $500. (Similarly, you must register your lock within 30 days of purchase.) There is also a longer version of this lock, the Keeper 510. It is the same thing, but 100 cm (39 inches) long, so it adds an additional 0.2 pounds of longer length.
From water droplets to rain to snow to road dirt, locks are subject to many abuses. Fortunately, maintaining the lock of our choice is easy: just open the lock, wipe off any dirt you can see with a cloth, if it feels grit, spray some degreaser, and then spray a dry lubricant (e.g. Tri -Flow Advanced Dry Lubricant or Finish Line Dry Lubricant) and turn the key in the lock several times. Kryptonite even provides easy-to-follow instructions on its website.
If you need a lock for a bicycle storage room or garage: consider the Kryptonite New York Legend Chain, which is the strongest chain we have tested, but it is too large and heavy to carry around. (It weighs nearly 15 pounds and is 5 feet long; unlike the New York Fahgettaboudit chain, it does not have a shorter, lighter version.) The size of the New York legend chain makes it most suitable as an in-situ lock, not that you would carry it with you and use it every day Many times.
If you want a folding lock with more theft protection: check out Kryptonite KryptoLok 685, 610 and 610 S folding locks, they are all stronger versions of our folding locks. The main difference is that their rivets are 5 mm thick instead of 3 mm. We will not spend extra money on any of them just for this reason, because in our tests, the exercises are still easy to beat them. However, they all come with a larger insurance policy: $1,750, and our top foldable option comes with an insurance coverage of $500. If this is valuable to you, then upgrading to one of these versions will be a worthwhile investment. Among the three, we will choose the 610 S; all other things being equal, the narrower design is good, and if the 610 S is installed on the down tube, it will be more streamlined.
Kryptonite Evolution Mini-7: This model, our previous first choice, was replaced by our current choice, New-U Evolution Mini-7. (Although you may still see it on sale at some retailers and Amazon, it no longer appears on Kryptonite's website.) The main difference is that it only locks on one side, unlike the New-U Evolution Mini-7 , The latter has a double lock.
Kryptonite New-U KryptoLok Standard Edition: This U-lock uses the same disc brake mechanism as the New-U Evolution, and now uses the same double deadlock design as our preferred product. (The version we tested did not.) However, the biggest problem with this lock has not changed: bolt cutters can cut through it. We believe that spending more on stronger locks, such as New-U Evolution, can greatly reduce the percentage of thieves using the necessary tools to cut locks.
Kryptonite KryptoLok Series 2 995 Integrated Chain: The biggest disadvantage of this chain is that the thief can cut it with bolt cutters, but in our tests, the 9 mm square chain tends to slip out of the jaws of the cutter and needs to be removed. Quite a lot of work that broke us. This model will be a good auxiliary lock and chain.
Kryptonite New York Cinch: This chain is lighter and cheaper than the New York Fahgettaboudit chain, so the safety is slightly reduced. If you already need so much security that you are considering using this model, it makes more sense to get the New York Fahgettaboudit Chain.
OnGuard: In general, the OnGuard lock performed very well in our strength test, and the cutting time was close to our first choice. But when we tested, we found that the huge flaws of OnGuard locks, including OnGuard Brute STD, OnGuard Beast 8016 and OnGuard Pitbull STD, are the lock mechanism itself. At that time, OnGuard used chip locks, which was in contrast to the more secure disc lock style we chose; the chip locks were particularly easy to choose, without the need for fancy tools or advanced skills. Since then, OnGuard has changed the cylinder of its model to a slider type, depending on the number of sliders involved. We put these locks back on our list for testing.
ABUS Folding Lock Bordo Granit X-Plus: Although Folding Locks are attractive due to their lightweight and compact design, they are not as safe as the manufacturer claims, because the thief can drill out the unhardened locks. Pins to easily beat them to link together. With enough patience, we were also able to disassemble the chain links of this model by inserting large bolt cutters into the joint, as House of Chain demonstrated on the smaller version of the folding lock Bordo in this video. Bordo Granit X-Plus is suitable for areas with low crime rates, but its price is too high relative to the level of protection it provides.
ABUS Folding Lock Bordo Alarm 6000a: This upgraded version of ABUS Folding Lock has all the same advantages and disadvantages. It will emit a constant beep every time it senses movement.
ABUS U-Lock Granit X-Plus: Although this U-lock is the lightest in its size, compared to cutting Kryptonite New York Fahgettaboudit Mini, we have much less time to cut it.
ABUS U-Lock U-Mini 40: At first, we thought this lock was the best lock competitor because its design was very similar to the design of Kryptonite Evolution. Unfortunately, it is one of the easiest ways we can cut with bolt cutters.
Hiplok Gold: The design of this chain lock allows you to wear the chain around your waist without locking it. (Wearing a lock is something you should never do-the key is lost, the lock is stuck, an accident occurs, and the caregiver needs to be able to easily remove the lock in an emergency.) This is a great feature, but it shortens the time Because this lock is one of the fastest locks in our test, the real breaker is that we can quickly cut it with large bolt cutters.
Hiplok D bicycle lock: This lock has a double shackle and is hardened so we can't cut it open with bolt cutters. It uses a wafer-style locking mechanism (which is less secure than the disc buckle on our paddles), although much better than the OnGuard model we tested; the thief can still use more basic tools than the disc buckle mechanism requires To steal it, but to us, it seems much safer than any OnGuard lock. Despite this, even with the double lock, Hiplok D showed some movement in our tests after one cut, enough for a thief to remove it from many bike racks.
RockyMounts Compton Large: This 18mm lock is one of the heaviest locks we have tested. It is made of stainless steel, which is harder than mild steel, but definitely not as hard as hardened steel-we proved this in our tests because we were able to cut through it in a little more than half the time it took to break through Artago, and krypton Stone locks, both also use 18mm locks. In addition, this is the least ergonomic lock we have tested, with sharp steel edges that are not rubberized.
TiGr Mini: This is our favorite frame installation of all the locks we have tried, but the biggest problem is that it can be easily cut by bolt cutters, despite the manufacturer's claims to the contrary. We found a serious weakness between the main shackle and the locking mechanism. This gap can open the lock even with a small bolt cutter. In addition, titanium is tough but not necessarily hard. When we put it in a vise, we can see through the TiGr Mini in less than 30 seconds. TiGr now makes a "hardened steel" version of the lock; this version is in the list of locks we will test next.
Litelok One: We found that without power tools, the strap of this lock is difficult to cut. Laying cables on flat metal strips is a smart idea and is particularly suitable for slowing down these types of attacks. Case solver: We only used a pair of small bolt cutters to lock the mechanism (this is where most thieves actually cut many cable locks because it tends to be faster), and the entire mechanism unfolds. The second cut through the post separates the lock.
Master Lock Street Cuff Locks: This motorcycle lock is not suitable for the cycling world. The cuff design cannot be installed on the rear wheel of the bicycle and the frame at the same time, so you cannot use it to lock the bicycle correctly. In addition, the locking mechanism is one of the most insecure mechanisms we have seen. YouTuber LockPickingLawyer clearly demonstrates this problem (video).
RockyMounts Hendrix: A folding lock, Hendrix is more compact and lighter (0.2 pounds) than our folding pick, but this is because it is 10 cm shorter (only 74 cm in total). This length limits its usefulness-for example, it is not suitable for the mountain bikes we try on.
Foldylock Classic: Although this model received a Sold Secure silver rating-one step higher than the Kryptonite Keeper 585 rating-we found that the security upgrade of the folding lock is almost negligible. (That is, the rivets on this lock are still susceptible to the impact of the drill.) Foldylock Classic is one pound heavier than our first choice of the same length and more expensive. Although Foldylock Compact is "compact", it has the same problem because it is still heavier and more expensive than our paddles of the same length. And neither of these two versions have any anti-theft protection.
John Edgar Park, manufacturer, writer and unlocking enthusiast, with more than 20 years of experience, face-to-face interviews
Mark Podob, Vice President of Marketing and Sales at Metlab, email interview
Shane D. Johnson, Aiden Sidebottom, Adam Thorpe, Issue-Oriented Guide Series No. 52 for Specific Guidelines for Police Issues: Bicycle Theft (PDF), US Department of Justice, June 1, 2008
Eve O'Neill is a senior writer covering Wirecutter's travels and outdoor activities. She remembered that the names of the books on the bookshelf in her childhood made her move in this direction: the air was thin, and the wild calling on the road. She has always been attracted by the idea of how to connect and play with the wilderness.
After using 23 smartphone bikes to ride more than 90 miles of flat and rough roads, we believe that our phones can use the Quad Lock bracket.
Authors: Eric C. Evarts, Rik Paul and Jack Smith
After testing 70 bike racks (including hooks, luggage and roof models), we recommend Kuat Sherpa 2.0 hook racks as the best way to carry the bike on the car.
After more than 30 hours of research and testing, we believe that the Delta Cycle Michelangelo Gravity Stand is the best bike rack for storing bicycles in homes with limited space.
You don’t have to own a bicycle, but if you want to repair a bicycle at home, a sturdy and easy-to-use stand will definitely make it easier for you. After testing eight of them, we believe that the feedback motion motion mechanical workbench is the best for most people.
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