To revisit this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories.
To revisit this article, select My Account, then View saved stories Lock Out Padlock
If you buy something using links in our stories, we may earn a commission. This helps support our journalism. Learn more. Please also consider subscribing to WIRED
How long does it take for you to hop onto your bike and pedal away? Not long, right? That's as quickly as a thief could make off with your bike, and no matter how brief you are, there's not a single errand quicker than a bike thief. Grab a takeaway coffee, drop off a package, whatever. It's all long enough for an opportunistic thief to snatch your ride and pedal away forever. Bicycles (and electric bicycles) are amazing machines, but one of their downsides is that they're incredibly easy to steal. Because thieves are most often lazy opportunists, they target the bikes that look the least secure. More than 2 million bicycles are stolen every year in North America, and less than 5 percent of them are recovered.
While nothing can prevent a really determined thief from making off with your bike, you can deter many of them by securing your bike properly with a strong, well-designed lock. Locking up your bike takes only a few seconds, so you should always do so when it's unattended. These are the best locks I've used. I've also included some tips for locking your bike up properly.
Updated September 2023: We've added the TiGr Mini, Abus Goose Lock, Kryptonite KryptoLok Combo U-Lock, and Hiplok Z Lok Combo Lock. We've also updated pricing and availability.
Special offer for Gear readers: Get WIRED for just $5 ($25 off). This includes unlimited access to WIRED.com, full Gear coverage, and subscriber-only newsletters. Subscriptions help fund the work we do every day.
U-locks are the most secure. Thicker equals better, so a 16-millimeter U-lock is, all else being equal, a better bet than a 14-millimeter U-lock. They might be a little heavier, but they're not that heavy compared to a chain lock. That's why I focused on testing only the thicker ones on the market.
Chains are flexible, but heavy. A chain lock is easier to use on crowded bike racks (and with thicker or cheaper bikes) than a smaller U-lock. However, they are the heaviest type of lock. I tested the Evolution 4 1090 because it was "only" 6.1 pounds and had decent security (though not as good as the Kryptonite New York U-Lock). I tend to use chains for scrambler-style ebikes that have very thick frames, such as the Super 73 S2.
Folding locks are compact, but not as secure. The pins that bind the links are weak spots that can be drilled out. However, they're compact when mounted and a good option if you mainly use your bike to lock up quickly at the convenience store or coffee shop. I do have to note, however, that I would not use them to lock up a bike all day and that it's also easy to mount a U-lock on your down tube or carry something like the Hiplok on your body.
The KryptoLok's U-bar isn't quite as thick as my other favorite locks, which means it wouldn't take as long for a thief to cut through it, but it's almost as secure. For $35, it's a great deal for a U-lock, which is my favorite type of bike lock, and at only 2.9 pounds it's also relatively lightweight. It comes with Kryptonite's Transit FlexFrame bracket, which lets you mount the lock to your bike's frame for easy transportation around town. I'm not a fan of the fabric mounting straps, as they can loosen over time, but at this low price any mounting bracket is welcome. Most of the more affordable locks don't come with one at all.
The Granit X-Plus 540 is pricey, but if you have an expensive bike (or you just love it a lot!), you should consider this top-end model. Both ends of the U-bar lock into the cylinder, so a thief would need to grind through the lock twice—once on either side of the top curve—thus doubling their time spent hunched over a wailing angle grinder. The Abus' metal bars are 13 millimeters thick compared to our previous top pick, the 16-millimeter-thick Kryptonite New York, but the Abus' mounting bracket is more solid since it relies on screws to grip the bike's frame tight, rather than the Kryptonite's slip-prone fabric straps. The Abus is also lighter at 3.3 pounds, versus the Kryptonite's 4.5 pounds
The Steel-O-Chain 9809 strikes a good balance between weight and utility. Chain links might be a little harder to use with angle grinders because it's more difficult to hold the chain steady. They're also more flexible than a U-lock and easier to maneuver on a crowded bike rack. It's 4.5 feet long and 6.8 pounds, while also being pretty secure, with 9-millimeter-thick square chain links. Like all bike chains these days, the links are wrapped in fabric to keep the metal pieces from scratching your bike's paint or finish.
The New-U Evolution Mini-7 locks in two places in the key cylinder, so a bike thief would need to make two cuts to break through it. The tubes are 13 millimeters thick, instead of the Kryptonite New York's 16 millimeters, and being a "Mini," the loop of the U is narrower. However, the included cable can be threaded through your front wheel, so you can secure your bike without carrying a second lock. (See the end of this article for more tips on how to properly lock your bike.)
The Hiplok Gold is a 4.8-pound bike chain that doubles as a belt. There's no need to carry it in a bag or wrap it around the top tube of your frame. As long as your waist measures between 30 and 44 inches, just adjust it to fit your body and wear it while you ride. When you're ready to lock your bike, the chain attached to the belt is quite secure. Here's a video showing how it fits/works. The bike lock itself is 33.5 inches long—a little short, but it should work in most situations.
Hiplok's strongest U-lock doesn't need to be mounted to your bike when you aren't using it. It has clips that let you hook it over a belt or a backpack strap. It's 14 millimeters thick and weighs only 2.4 pounds, but that's because it's a very small U—2.8 centimeters shorter than the already short Kryptonite Evolution Mini-7 and 5.3 centimeters shorter than the Kryptonite New York.
You might not be able to loop the lock through the frame and rear wheel to attach both to your lock-up point, especially if that point is a thick post or bike rack with particularly thick bars. If you run into that problem, use the Hiplok with a chain, a second lock, or an add-on cable threaded through your front wheel.
Whichever lock you go with, make sure it can loop around your lock-up point—a bike rack, a secure fence—and through the triangular part of your bike frame, plus the spokes of your rear wheel. The photo above shows this method. Don't forget to remove accessories before you leave your bike.
Thread the lock through the loose points. Bikes are easy to disassemble, so make sure you thread the lock through the rear triangle in the frame, as shown above, and that both wheels are secured to the lock-up point. It's very easy for thieves to steal an unsecured front wheel, especially if the wheel has a quick-release skewer. Some people use two locks; you can also buy separate cables to combine with any of the locks I mentioned.
Keep your U-lock away from the ground. Thieves like to take a bottle jack, normally used for jacking up a car, and place it inside the U. With enough pumping, the jack can break the lock open. If you get the U-lock away from the ground, it makes it hard for them to do this. You also want to get a U-lock that has as little extra space inside the U as possible. The less extra space, the less room there is for thieves to jam crowbars or other tools through it.
Inspect your lock-up spot before you decide to park there. Thieves are known to dislodge poles and signposts from the ground and then place them back in the hole. All they have to do is wait for you to lock up your bike and leave, then they can lift the post out of the hole to free your bike—no tools or noise required.
Check out bike racks, too, especially if you see tape wrapped around them. Bike thieves are known to saw through racks and then wrap the cut section in tape to hide their work. When bike owners walk away from a locked bike, the thief can yank the tape off, pry the severed bike rack apart enough to slide your lock out, and be on their way.
TurboTax coupon: Up to an extra $15 off all tax services
Extra 20% off sitewide - Dyson promo code
GoPro promo code to save 15% on your next order
+30% Off with this Samsung promo code
Deal of the Day Best Buy coupon: Enjoy up to 50% off
Lockout Tagout Devices © 2023 Condé Nast. All rights reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement and Your California Privacy Rights. WIRED may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Condé Nast. Ad Choices