Owning a bike is great – but everyone knows that, which is why it’s essential to make sure that your bike is protected and safely locked up with a strong lock. The best type of consumer locks available for this purpose are called U-Locks (or sometimes called bundle locks.) They look like the letter U, and are made of a shackle, a spline, and a crossbar. The crossbar houses the lock cylinder and is where the shackle is secured. These locks vary in durability and strength; here’s a guide to the best bike U lock on the market, as prepared by the security experts at Top Locksmith.
Cocoweb Heavy Duty Bike Locks
This cost effective option is a great choice for those who want their bikes secure but aren’t that worried about crime. This lock can be easily paired with a chain or padlock for excellent security. It has a 14mm steel shackle wrapped with another 2mm of PVC. It’s thick – but the cheapest option on this list, so not a great choice for those that live in high crime areas.
Kryptonite Kryptolok Series 2 Standard
This pioneering lock brand’s feature has a 13mm steel shackle which cannot be bested by cutting or leverage attacking. It’s a secure lock, made more secure by the presence of a high security disc cylinder, and a reinforced crossbar. The lock is lightweight, which makes it a great choice for people on the go.
Blackburn San Quentin U Lock
This high security rated lock is a good option for bikers in high crime areas, and features an 18mm steel wrapped shackle made in unique hexagon shape. It has a dual bolting lock that secures both ends of the shackle, and the lock itself can withstand picking and bumping. It also has a 16 ton cut resistance profile!! For it’s price point – along with it’s 4,000 dollar theft replacement guarantee – it’s a fantastic choice.
OnGuard Brute Mini
This small lock has an under 16mm shackle dimension, being smaller than 6 inches, which gives burglars less room to work on it with bolt cutters. It has a fantastic security rating, which is helped by it’s quadruple locking mechanism, which is almost completely impossible to pick or bump. It’s a great option that offers a perfect balance between being lightweight, and strong.
Abus Granit X-Plus 540
This lock uses a 13mm hardened steel shackle mixed with a high grade lock cylinder that’s impervious to lock picking due to its special type of hardened steel. The lock is assisted with it’s ABUS patented power cells – basically ultra strong custom designed material – which makes all physical attacks against it useless. Even if it’s generally safer to have a tight U lock that minimizes space between the bike and the lock, this lock has a 9 inch extension from the crowbar – but that’s okay, since the lock is already so secure!!
Kryptonite New York Fahgettaboudit
This very NYC bike lock has a 10 out of 10 security rating and an anti theft guarantee. It’s made of an 18mm hard steel shackle which is one of the highest grade security features for bike locks available on the market. The shackle works with a crossbar that’s double deadbolted and married with a high grade disc cylinder. It’s coated with vinyl to make it weather resistant and tamper proof, as well as a hardened steel sleeve. It’s heavy – but effective.
TiGr Mini Lightweight Titanium
This non traditional lock is strangely minimal looking. It has a titanium metal bar that wraps around a part of your bike to keep it in place, and is paired with a locking cylinder. The bar works as the shackle, and the lock cylinder works as the crossbar. It’s very light, weighing under a pound, and it has a push button lock that makes it easy to quickly lock up your bike. The protective titanium band is an inch and a quarter wife, and incredibly strong. While it’s not 100% impenetrable against items like a welding torch, it lasts a LONG TIME against attacks, functioning both as strong security and a fantastic deterrent, making it a great choice for bikers who are traveling long distances and need a lightweight option.