Bicycle Lock Buyers Guide

Cycling is a great sport or activity to be involved in. You do want to protect your bicycle though and this means making sure it is secure when you leave it somewhere. For this you are going to want to get yourself a good bike lock. This hub has lots of information about bicycle locks and some great bike locks for you to choose.

Cable Locks

With a cable lock you get the advantage of it being very flexible and lightweight. This type of lock is easily portable and very easy to secure your bike to objects with. A cable lock is constructed from many strands of wire, bound and braided together. They are very secure and extremely difficult for a would be thief to cut through due to the way they are constructed. On the downside they are not always the most reliable, and should be best used when you need to make a quick stop. These locks are not sufficient enough to ensure your bike is protected properly if you need to leave you bike for long periods, say overnight.

Chain Locks

This type of lock is very easy to use. They are flexible but are on the heavy side. You get better protection against theft with a chain lock than with a cable lock. The most effective are harden steel chains as they can withstand a torsion force that a would-be thief would try and break the chain with. The way you secure them is with a padlock that requires a key.

Shackle Locks

This type of lock is sometimes called a “U” or “D” lock. There is two parts, a curved U shape piece of metal and a bar that the curved U fits onto. They are cumbersome, heavy and less convenient, these locks are the most effective locks you can buy for securing your bike. You wont both parts of the lock to be made from the same metal and preferably make sure its hardened steel, as they are the most difficult to cut through. A double mechanism one is the most effective type you can buy.