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In this report

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Bicycle Locks: Ratings of Sources
Total of 16 Sources

For an explanation of how we rank reviews, see our ratings criteria page.

1. Slate.com
Apr. 18, 2006
Avoiding the Bicycle Thief
by Scott Elder
5 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment

Author Scott Elder, himself a bike commuter, went after bicycle locks himself with an "arsenal" that included an 18-inch crowbar, 30-inch bolt cutters, a hacksaw with extra blades and "my trusty claw… hammer." He tests nine bicycle locks, including chains, cables and U-locks, rating each on strength, ease of use and value. The report is clear, humorous and concise. The easy winner is the New York Fahgettaboudit U-lock. Cable bicycle locks offered the least protection. This is the only comparative test we found of bicycle locks sold in the U.S.

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2. Cycling Plus magazine
May 2007
Tested Locks
by Warren Rossiter
5 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment

This huge article in a special issue looks at 30 different bicycle locks. It's a substantial report that clearly denotes which locks passed test number one (hand tool attack) and gives times for how long… those that passed test one survived test two (power tool attack). Editors describe parts of the lock, features, rating systems and anti-theft warranties. Because this is a UK cycling mag, many of the reviewed bike locks aren't available in the U.S. Among bicycle locks that are available in the U.S., the New York Fahgettaboudit chain lock and U-lock are highly rated, along with the Squire SS50 chain lock. As a budget bike lock, the OnGuard Pitbull STD 5003 gets the nod.

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3. Ride On magazine
Feb./Mar. 2007
Lockbusters
by Mark Horner
5 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment

This excellent article from Australia's Ride On magazine has one drawback: Only three of the 11 bicycle locks tested are available in the U.S. Those three products are all made by OnGuard (known as… BikeGuard in Australia). This review is thorough and systematic: Mark Horner breaks down bicycle locks into categories of light to medium cable (not recommended), armored cable (also not recommended) and medium-security U-locks (which he calls D-locks). The Trelock BS400 and the Abus Sinero -- neither of them readily available here -- resisted manual and portable power tool attacks for the longest time. Horner upgraded to "industrial power tools" before he could break these two. Of OnGuard locks, the Pitbull STD 5003 held up the best

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4. Consumer magazine
Mar. 17, 2006
Bike Locks
by Editors of Consumer.org.nz
4 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment

This New-Zealand based magazine is a nonprofit that's similar to Consumer Reports. For bike locks, editors test six cable locks and five U-locks, deciding none of the cable locks were worth buying. Several… of the models are not available in the U.S., and some are no longer made. The Magnum UL2 and OnGuard Bulldog are the two best U-locks, which resisted attacks from hacksaws, bolt cutters, lock picks and brute force for more than a minute. Testing is competent, but aside from a ratings chart, bicycle locks aren't discussed in detail. Editors also don't tell us which OnGuard Bulldog model they tested -- there are several in production.

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5. Choice.com.au
Aug. 2007
Bicycle Locks
by Editors of Choice magazine
4 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment This Australian consumer magazine also tests bike locks. As with other articles from foreign publications, the testing is great, but bicycle locks just aren't always available in the U.S. At press time, this article wasn't yet available online, but in bike forums, we read that the Trelock BS400 and Abus Sinero were top-rated.
6. The New York Times
Aug. 2, 2007
It's My Bike And You Can't Have It
by Stephen Krcmar
4 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment

This review and slide show is based on observations of Brad Quartuccio, editor of the bicycling magazine Urban Velo. Short writeups for five bicycle locks include some mention of testing. Quartuccio is… consistent with other reviewers, saying the Kryptonite New York Faghettaboudit U-Lock would take "forever to hacksaw through," and the OnGuard Bulldog DT 5012 (U-lock with cable) is "pretty perfect for most people." Quartuccio does not recommend the Master Lock 8200DPRO Street Cuff for high-crime areas.

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7. Bicycling.com
Not Dated
Flic A Bic
by Joe Lindsey
3 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment This article isn't dated, but since it covers the big Bic controversy, we can guess it dates from 2004. This lengthy article covers the whole issue, but doesn't test or recommend bike locks. Rather, it's a good background article.
8. Amazon.com
As of Aug. 2007
Bike Locks
by Contributors to Amazon.com
3 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment Amazon.com includes plenty of anecdotal reviews by consumers. Bikers tend to have strong opinions and clear priorities. This is a good site to find information on the how long padlocks or combination locks work in the long term, because independent testing organizations don't generally use the locks for long periods: they just try to break them.
9. Epinions.com
As of Aug. 2007
Bike Locks
by Contributors to Epinions
3 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment There are quite a few bike locks listed on Epinions. Unfortunately, most have only one comment from an individual owner, so there's no way to glean any kind of a consensus view on which bike locks might be best overall.
10. BikeForums.net
Not Dated
Best Bike Locks -- 2005 Tests
by Contributors to BikeForums.net
2 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment This discussion site includes personal information on bike locks, including advice on how to care for them. There's plenty of information on esoteric complaints and links to more information. Also discussed is the 2005 version of the tests at Cycling Plus (UK).
11. MTBR.com
As of Aug. 2007
Extras
by Contributors to MTBR.com
2 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment Frustratingly, this bike-review website doesn't include a section specifically for bicycle locks, but visitors can pick through a lengthy list of "extras" to find a handful of bike-lock ratings. There are some comments here for Master Lock bike locks. While some of the individual comments are helpful, there just aren't enough of them.
12. TotalBike.com
As of Aug. 2007
Locks
by Contributors to TotalBike.com
2 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment

The bike reviews here are well organized, but most locks have only a single comment from an owner. The OnGuard Bulldog Mini DT gets the largest number of comments (seven), most favorable, none rating the… lock lower than 3 stars out of a possible 5. This is a good site to find comments on bicycle locks not included in professional reviews, such as the Schwinn 12 mm Combo Cable Bike Lock, which gets decidedly mixed reviews.

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13. RoadBikeReview.com
As of Aug. 2007
Bike Locks
by Contributors to RoadbikeReview.com
2 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment This is another site that allows owners to review their bicycle locks. It has a long list of locks to review, and several locks that have no reviews penned yet, but the comments are helpful. In addition, if you don't want to read the reviews, the average rate (using a 1 to 5 system) is visible on the opening page, so you can do a quick comparison.
14. Bicycling.com
Not Dated
Kryptonite Evolution 4
by Joe Lindsey
2 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment This is a fairly quick review of the Kryptonite Evolution 4. It's clearly written, but does not mention testing the lock. It defines the features, but does not compare the lock with any others.
15. Good Housekeeping
May 2005
Keep your bike safe
by Anthony Losanno
2 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment In this very short article, editors say they tested six bicycle locks. Editors don't tell us which locks they tested, only that the Kryptonite New York lock "best withstood our attempts at lock busting." We wish this model included more than one paragraph
16. RoadCyclingUK.com
As of Aug. 2007
Bike Lock Reviews
by Contributors to RoadCyclingUK.com
2 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment Several locks are reviewed by consumers, with the added benefit of discussion forums. This is a UK organization, so some of the locks may be unavailable in the U.S., and there aren't that many reviews.

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