If you’ve been a cyclist for some time, it’s almost certain that you’ve suffered a loss like no other…

…a bike theft.

The loss of a bike is a loss like no other, especially when you’ve put a considerable number of miles under the bike and grown rather fond of it!

You walk to the spot you locked your bike, which is followed by a few, seemingly long, seconds where you brain is trying to work out what is missing from the scene. When the realisation hits that the scene is exactly the same as you left it, minus your bike, the anger/sadness/despair is overwhelming.

One of the sad truths is that if you leave your bike locked up with even the thickest of locks, there is still a chance that a total scumbag will come along and steal your bike regardless, however there are a number of awesome locks that do a great job of deterring, and stopping, thieves and ensuring your bike is exactly where you left it!

Today, I thought it might be cool to take a look at a few of these locks!

– The first lock I wanted to look at is the Kryptonite Evolution Mini 7 Lock and 4 Foot KryptoFlex Cable (currently £42.49) which has a Silver Sold Secure rating.

Kryptonite make really reliable locks that are extremely sturdy, and as they have years of experience with making great locks, I have never had a bike stolen when using the combination of a Kryptonite D-Lock and KryptoFlex Cable (an attempt was made, but they couldn’t get through). Also, it’s worth noting that generally, bike theives will only carry the tools to get through one type of lock, so having a cable AND a D-Lock significantly lower the chances of someone stealing your beloved bike!

– The next lock I wanted to take a look at is a really cool lock which caught my eye when it came in stock at work, and it is the Hiplok Easy Carry D Lock (currently £52.79) which also has a Silver Sold Secure rating, although is recommended for High Risk usage.

Besides the fact that this lock is made of hardened steel with a tough nylon outer shell which will deter bike theives, and keep your bike safe, it also looks great. They come in a range of colours, if that’s where you get off, and is actually wearable! The lock has a built in clip which you can slide into your trousers, or over your bag strap, or wherever you can fit it, in order to ensure you’ve always got your lock with you. It’s also worth noting this lock only weighs 1KG, and is big enough to fit around your frame & anchor point whilst being compact enough to carry around with ease!

– If you were looking at spending a little more on a slightly higher security lock, the Knog Strongman Steel U-Lock (currently £65.99) has a Gold Sold Secure rating and is extremely sturdy.

This is another great looking lock, again if you are that way inclined, and is made of hardened steel. One of the best features of this lock, in my opinion, is that it has a UV resistant sillicone covering, which means when you lock your bike up, the frame will not be scratched by the lock which can happen with some of the locks with no covering. This lock also is a fairly small D-Lock, considering how heavy duty it is!

– The final lock I wanted to mention is a personal favourite, which is the wonderfully named Kryptonite New York Fahgettaboudit Mini Lock (currently £85.49) which also has a Gold Sold Secure rating and an ART 3 star 4156 rating.

This is the next lock I plan to purchase, as although it is slightly pricier than the others, and is a fairly heavy lock, the New York Fahgettaboudit range are unquestionably some of the strongest bicycle locks you can get, especially as the Kyrptonium Steel will resist bolt cutters! This mini version is fairly small, however it is so sturdy and secure you can be fairly confident with where you lock it, so finding an anchor point to fit it around wouldn’t be a big problem. It’s also worth noting that this lock has a vinyl covering to protect your frame from those scratches you do not want!

With a huge range of locks, at a huge range of prices, it can be difficult knowing which one to go for, but hopefully this overview will shed some light on what locks would be a good choice! It may seem tempting to go for a much cheaper lock, but remember that you definitely get what you pay for and purchasing a good, sturdy lock is far cheaper than replacing a whole bike!

Be sure to let me know what you think of this post on twitter @danielsride, in the comments below, and don’t forget to ‘like’ my facebook page for regular updates and cycling news and posts from other blogs and websites!

– Daniel 🙂