So if you ride a fat tire bike, an electric bike or even a mountain bike, you'll have wider frame tubes and thicker tires. And this will affect which size u-lock is appropriate for you. And if you only need to carry one lock, you'll be saving a lot of weight! What type of bike will it secure?ĭifferent types of bike have different size frames and tires. None of the alternatives will be as secure as secondary lock but they may be sufficient. But there are other options (one of which is the cable lasso I mention above). And I'd recommend that you'd take some measures to prevent that. Wheels that are attached to your bike with quick release levers or regular nuts are very easy to steal. So, if you use both a primary and secondary lock you're protecting your frame and both wheels.īut do you really need two locks? Well, not necessarily. Since it only needs to go around either one wheel and the immovable object or one wheel and the frame, it can be significantly smaller. So it normally needs to be big enough to go around your frame, one wheel and whatever you're locking your bike to.Ī secondary lock is only responsible for making sure the other wheel isn't stolen. Is it a primary or secondary lock?Ī primary lock is responsible for making sure your frame's not stolen. There are number of factors that will determine which size u-lock you should go for including whether it's a primary or secondary lock, how you'll carry it around, what type of bike you ride and where you usually leave it. But you should be aware of this factor when you decide which size of lock you need and how you'll use it. So it's actually more about locking technique than the inherent security levels of different sized locks. But you can still leave plenty of room for an attack tool if you fasten a mini lock around your top tube.Īnd if you fasten a larger lock around your frame, a wheel and a pedal you can make sure that there's no spare room! Smaller locks do have less internal space. So smaller locks are more secure right? Well, sort of. However, the type of metal is important too so they should always be made of hardened steel. Usually, the thicker the shackle, the stronger the lock. This is probably the biggest determiner of how strong a u-lock is. What I'm saying is: some Silver rated locks are more secure than other Silver rated locks! And likewise for Gold rated locks.Īnd if we know which features cause this variation, we'll be better able to distinguish one lock's real level of protection from another. But these ratings are quite broad there can be big variations in the actual levels of security offered by different locks in the same Sold Secure rating. So you know you'll need either a Silver or a Gold rated lock. I don't recommend any locks that are rated Sold Secure Bronze as I don't think they offer enough protection for any circumstances. So, if you're "Lower Risk" from the table above you should go for a lock that's rated at least Sold Secure Silver.Īnd if you're "High Risk", go for a Sold Secure Gold rated lock. But I prefer to use Sold Secure as they test more locks. For example most Silver locks only get 2 stars from ART. And this guide will take you through a simple step by step process to make sure you choose the best u-lock for your individual circumstances.Īnd then at the end, I recommend a few of my favorite u-locks according to the different security levels and sizes available.ĪRT seem to be more demanding than Sold Secure. So you need to think about your specific needs and work through it from there.ĭon't worry! It's actually pretty straightforward. The best lock for one person may be totally unsuitable for another. The truth is: there isn't a definitive "best u-lock". If you're not sure about this, check out my complete guide to the best bike locks where I compare u-locks to chains, cables and folding locks in much more detail.īut if you're already convinced, how can you know which u-lock is best? There’s a bewildering range of sizes, weights and prices from a slew of different brands. Well, I think they offer the best balance between security, practicality and price! If you’re only going to buy one bike lock ( and maybe you should buy two), then a u-lock is usually the way to go. U-locks (aka D-locks) are a bit like giant padlocks that fasten around your bike and whatever you're trying to secure it to.įirst developed in the 1970's by the company that would go on to become Kryptonite, u-locks revolutionized bike security by providing similar protection to chains at a fraction of the weight and cost.
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