Best Bike Locks

Top-rated U-locks

While experts say that no bike lock is impenetrable, a top-rated lock can net you a lot of protection. A hard-to-crack bicycle lock might be seen as too much trouble for a thief. And thieves read reviews, too -- chances are they have a pretty good idea which locks are more trouble than they're worth.

If you live in an urban area and need serious security for your bike, the top-rated bicycle lock in reviews is the Kryptonite New York Fahgettaboudit U-lock (*Est. $75). The New York Fahgettaboudit U-lock holds up longest under a power-tool assault at Cycling Plus -- just shy of three minutes. It's also the top performer in a test conducted by Men's Journal. Out of three U-locks, the Kryptonite New York Fahgettaboudit U-lock lasted the longest against power tools, and a professional safecracker couldn't pick the lock. In tests at Slate.com, Scott Elder writes that it would have taken almost 45 minutes with a hacksaw to crack the 18 mm steel shackle on the New York Fahgettaboudit U-lock. The downside is that the Kryptonite New York Fahgettaboudit U-lock weighs 4.5 pounds -- it's hardly lightweight.

The Kryptonite New York Fahgettaboudit bicycle lock comes with three keys (one is lighted), and you can register for up to $4,500 of anti-theft protection by sending in copies of your receipts within 15 days of purchase. If your bike is stolen, keep in mind that you will need to send pieces of the broken lock to Kryptonite as "proof of lock failure." Since many thieves may not leave evidence (like pieces of a broken lock) behind, you may not have the proof required to take advantage of the insurance offer.

Kryptonite's New York Lock STD U-lock (*Est. $60) also gets good reviews, and it weighs slightly less at 3.9 pounds. The New York Lock STD U-lock has a longer shackle, measuring 4 inches by 8 inches on the inside, compared to 3.25 inches by 6 inches for the New York Fahgettaboudit U-lock. As a result, the New York Lock STD can be locked around thicker poles and bike frames than the New York Fahgettaboudit U-lock. For toughness, however, Slate.com and Cycling Plus favor the New York Fahgettaboudit U-lock. Still, many testers say the Kryptonite New York Lock STD is a good choice. In a review for Bicycling magazine, editor Loren Mooney says the New York Lock STD is big enough to lock both the frame and rear wheel to a post or parking meter. It's also kept her commuter bike from getting stolen on the streets of New York City for over four years.

Kryptonite's New York Lock STD lock also gets a perfect, five-star rating from Simon Withers at BikeRadar.com, where he calls it "superb, tough and highly-recommended." In their test, two men were unable to pry the shackle off using a leverage bar, but they did manage to cut through the shackle after some serious effort. The Kryptonite New York Lock STD U-lock has less anti-theft protection -- $3,000 in all -- than the New York Fahgettaboudit U-lock. The New York Lock STD comes with three keys and an EZ Mount bracket for transporting the lock.

Other U-locks also performed well in testing, including the OnGuard Brute STD 5001 (*Est. $40). It's significantly cheaper than the Kryptonite New York Lock STD or New York Fahgettaboudit U-locks, and it performs nearly as well as the New York Fahgettaboudit lock in Slate.com's test. Scott Elder says it's the "toughest-looking lock in the bunch and one of the toughest-acting." It gets great marks for security; Elder was unable to saw through the 16.8 mm shackle or dislodge the lock with a hammer, but the transportation bracket doesn't seem sturdy enough for the 4.3-pound lock. The OnGuard Brute STD 5001 also wins a bike-lock test conducted by Maxim magazine. Even though it was broken by an angle grinder, they say "for the price, it's shocking how good this lock is." Testers for The New York Times like the long shackle, which allows you to lock the frame and rear wheel to a stationary object. However, they also note that the OnGuard Brute STD 5001 is large and difficult to carry. The OnGuard Brute STD 5001 comes with a very high $5,000 one-year theft protection plan, but the plan is not available for customers in the state of New York.

If you don't live in a high-theft area, the OnGuard Pitbull STD 5003 U-lock (*Est. $30) will save you some money. However, this bike lock is not as tough as the OnGuard Brute STD 5001or the Kryptonite New York U-locks -- the OnGuard Pitbull STD 5003 lasted a mere 18.8 seconds under power-tool attack in the Cycling Plus test. Still, most thieves don't walk around with power tools, and this U-lock was very resistant to attacks with hacksaws and bolt cutters. In a test for BikeRadar.com, Warren Rossiter finds that the OnGuard Pitbull STD 5003 holds up just as well as the pricier OnGuard Brute STD 5001. The 3.2-pound OnGuard Pitbull STD 5003 bicycle lock has a 13 mm shackle, and you can register for up to $2,250 in anti-theft protection if you live outside New York state.

We also found good reviews for the similar OnGuard Bulldog DT 5012 (*Est. $25), another U-lock with a 13 mm shackle that comes with an additional cable lock. One downside of a U-lock is that while you can fit the lock around your bike frame and rear wheel, your front wheel and bike seat are vulnerable. The OnGuard Bulldog DT 5012 U-lock adds a separate cable lock for securing these components, which gives you some additional security, and it comes with up to $1,500 in anti-theft protection. Like all OnGuard locks, the anti-theft program is not available in New York state.

For very small and light U-locks, the OnGuard Bulldog Mini TC 5013TC (*Est. $22) gets good reviews. It's not as tough or durable as OnGuard U-locks in the Pitbull or Brute series, but it's a good choice if you live in a low-crime area and want a lightweight lock. The Bulldog Mini TC 5013TC bicycle lock weighs only 2 pounds, has a 13 mm shackle and measures approximately 3.5 inches by 5.5 inches. It has an anti-theft protection offer of $1,500 (not available in New York), and it comes with five laser-cut keys and a mounting bracket. The OnGuard Bulldog Mini TC 5013TC gets excellent ratings in owner-written reviews compiled by Buzzillions.com. Owners praise the value, and say it's easy to carry. On a negative note, at least two owners mention that the bike lock can rust after lots of time out in the elements. BikeRadar.com also gives high marks to the OnGuard Bulldog Mini LS 5014TC (*Est. $22), which is nearly identical except it has a larger interior size of approximately 3.5 inches by 9.5 inches. In its test, the Bulldog Mini LS 5014TC resists hammering and chiseling, but it was cut with power tools. Still, Warren Rossiter says "at this price, the Bulldog is one of the best mini U-locks out there."

Best chain locks

In addition to U-locks, chains get a lot of attention in reviews. Generally, bicycle chains don't last as long in attacks as U-locks, and they are heavier and bulkier to carry. However, they look imposing and tough, and experts say that chain locks are a good option for securing several bikes together.

While chain locks certainly look tough, many chain locks can be broken with a pair of bolt cutters. Among chain locks, the Kryptonite New York Fahgettaboudit chain (*Est. $80) garners the best reviews. This burly chain lock is 3.25 feet long (a 5-foot length is also available for $110), and it has 11 mm links. The longer chains are generally sold to motorcycle owners, but a bike owner with more than one bike to secure might consider the 5-foot chain, which is otherwise identical to the shorter one. The New York Fahgettaboudit chain has an advantage over some standard chains in that the links are squared off rather than tubular, which makes it harder for thieves with bolt cutters to get a good grip. Kryptonite offers up to $3,500 in anti-theft protection with this bicycle lock.

The Kryptonite New York Fahgettaboudit chain is Bicycling magazine's choice for when they need to secure multiple expensive bikes. Calling it the "burliest of bike locks," Bicycling thinks the 3.25-foot length is best for cyclists -- the 5-foot version is just too big and heavy to ride with, but it's a good option for a garage. Still, if security is your main concern, reviewers say it's hard to beat the Kryptonite Fahgettaboudit chain lock. Warren Rossiter at BikeRadar.com says "strength-wise, it's simply one of the best." Even with power tools, it took Rossiter's testers nearly two minutes to get through one of the chain's links. In similar tests at Cycling Plus, the New York Fahgettaboudit chain held up for about a minute when attacked with power tools.

The OnGuard Beast 5016 (*Est. $85) chain bike lock is often mentioned as a competitor to the Kryptonite New York Fahgettaboudit chain -- it's even burlier, but it is also extremely heavy. At nearly 20 pounds, the OnGuard Beast 5016 chain lock is not one you'll want to ride with, but it's good security for home use. In the Men's Journal test, the OnGuard Beast 5016 receives the only perfect score for security, but it scores pretty poorly for usability because of its weight. Still, it took their tester 25 minutes to break just one of the chain's links with a power tool; even huge cutters borrowed from a nearby firehouse made little progress in breaking this chain. It's also the top-rated bike lock on Buzzillions.com, where owners say it's extremely strong and durable, but heavy.

If you like the toughness of a chain, but don't want to spend more than $80, the Kryptonite New York Chain with Evolution series 4 Disc Lock (*Est. $60) is another option. It's cheaper than either the New York Fahgettaboudit or OnGuard Beast locks. The Kryptonite New York Chain with Evolution series 4 Disc Lock has 10 mm links, secured with a small 14 mm disc lock. Like most Kryptonite bicycle locks, the New York Chain comes with three keys; it also has up to $3,250 of anti-theft protection. It comes in 3.25-foot or 5-foot lengths. Scott Elder at Slate.com gives the Kryptonite New York Chain with Evolution series 4 Disc Lock high marks for security, but he still thinks "it's a load to carry" at just over 6 pounds. Still, a tester for The New York Times thinks the lock is "pick-proof," and New York magazine calls it "nearly indestructible." Like most chain locks, the biggest downside is portability.

In stores, you might see "street cuff" bicycle locks, or O-locks, which are designed like handcuffs. Cycling Plus found the Master Lock Street Cuff (*Est. $50) passable, but bulky -- they were unable to break it with hand tools. The New York Times' reviewer was more skeptical about the Master Lock Street Cuff after finding that the chain linking the two cuffs broke easily, so this bicycle lock isn't recommended for high-theft areas.