Bicycle Locks Reviews

Four reviewers, one from the U.S., one from England, one from New Zealand and one from Australia are best at testing bicycle locks, attacking locks with an arsenal of hacksaws, picking devices, bolt cutters and assorted objects of blunt force. The New York Times also weighed in recently by reporting on five locks observed in action by Brad Quartuccio, editor of the city-cycling magazine Urban Velo, who "tested locks in his day-to-day travels through Pittsburgh."

Slate.com's tester, Scott Elder, tried to break nine bike locks with a crowbar, 30-inch bolt cutters, a hacksaw, three types of blades and "my trusty claw hammer." We found references to UK-based Cycling Plus magazine's tests of bike locks all over the Internet. The magazine's most recent torture test covers 21 bicycle locks in an article that also discusses related bike-lock issues. This year's Cycling Plus test included an assault with power tools; if a lock could withstand five minutes of attack with hand tools, it was then timed for its ability to hold up to a power drill equipped with a metal cutting disk.

A New-Zealand-based publication, Consumer.nz.org, is the least detailed test of these bike lock reviews. Editors neglected to test any chain locks. They stuck with U-locks and cables, which they attacked with hacksaws, bolt cutters and "other force." Reviewer Mark Horner, from the Australian biking magazine Ride On, tested 11 products, but only the OnGuard locks are available in the U.S. In addition to these excellent comparative reviews, we also looked to owner-written accounts on bike forums, as well as retail sites like Amazon.com. These reviews are helpful in assessing ease of use.

All experts agree that no bike lock is un-hackable. Given enough time and the right tools, a thief can break any lock. Even the top-rated bike lock overall, the Kryptonite New York Fahgettaboudit U-Lock (*est. $75) , didn't survive attacks with power tools. While it's sobering that no bike lock offers absolute security, the best bicycle locks can make it inconvenient for a thief. Thieves might move on to an easier mark with a quicker-to-crack lock.

Our Consensus Report shows how many times products are top-ranked by reviewers included in our
All The Reviews Reviewed chart.

The four most credible reviews we found favor U-Locks over chains and chains over cables. In fact, no reviewer recommends cable bicycle locks at all. The best U-locks are heavier, stronger and easier to handle and transport than chains and, if snug, they are good prevention against pry-bar attacks. The Kryptonite New York Fahgettaboudit U-Lock, improved recently, is the smaller of their top-line bicycle locks, and it proved toughest in several tests. OnGuard's Pitbull, Bulldog and Brute locks also scored highly in tests, particularly for value. Both manufacturers offer one-year theft warranties, but you have be sure to register after purchase to be eligible. A chain is a good option if you have several bikes to secure. We found the best reviews for the Kryptonite New York Fahgettaboudit Chain.