Bike & bicycle lock types and tips
July 29, 2025
Here we'll briefly go through the different types of bike locks available on the market and our suggestions.
Finding the best lock for your bicycle can be difficult. There’s loads to choose from and the wrong decision can have disastrous consequences! The secret to success is choosing a lock that’s both secure enough to protect your bike and easy enough to use on a daily basis.
We've done our research and all the other lists out there are long and tedious and really don't break it down properly. Here we'll start with the 3 main types of bicycle locks and then go through 3 simple steps to choosing the right one for you.
Cable locks
These locks are the weakest of them all. We advise that should you happen to own one of these you dispose of it as soon as possible and replace it with one of the types below. Even the thicker once can be crushed and then cut with bolt cutters. This makes them an easy target for thieves and unless you plan on sitting a few meters away from your bike with it in your field of vision, they're fairly useless.
Chain locks
These locks types depend on two factors, the chain & the locking mechanism. The chain needs to be thick, if the chain is thin it makes the whole system ineffective. Once the chain is of sufficient girth, we need to look at the locking point itself. We see lots of thick chains with code locks for example, these can be easy to bypass and easy to manipulate, to the point where sometimes it's possible to open it using the code. If using a padlock, we advise using a close shackled padlock, these are normally the most effective at a- deterring thieves and b- resisting cutting attacks which are the most common on the streets.
The below Abus chain lock is amongst the few that combine both a heavy and hard to defeat padlock, with a nice thick chain.
U Locks / D Locks
These are definitely top of the list when it comes to bike locks. The ones mentioned above should only be used in extreme situations where you don't really need to secure your bike. D locks come in a few shapes and many sizes but all have the same metal band that is clamped into a metal bar and then locked on. In some cases they are just connected like a padlock, slide the two points into each other and it locks. These Bicycle locks in particular can be very good. They vary from brand to brand, but have the same solid metal core, just choose a thick one and you will be safe.
Now we'll go through the 3 basic steps for choosing the right bicycle lock for your needs.
As I’ve already said, the best bike lock won’t just protect your bike. It will also be easy for you to use on a daily basis.
Of course your individual circumstances are very important here. They include how expensive your bike is, where and how you use it, and how much money you can afford to spend.
And that’s a lot to think about! But if we work through these 3 steps it’s actually pretty straightforward:
- Choosing the right level of security
- Choosing the right type of lock
- Choosing the right lock brand
All three of these things are judged by two rules, financial and usability. If your bicycle only costs £200, you're not going to spend the same amount on the lock. We'll start with number 1 - the right level of security. We advise spending 10% of the value of your bike, on the lock. This makes the financial bit easy, for a £300 bike you would spend £30 which is more than enough to buy a brand new D lock from a mid range brand.
On to number 2, type of lock. If your riding the distance and are only going to leave your bike attached to the bench whilst you drink a coffee during your morning 50 mile trip cycle, then use a light bike lock. As your bike will be in front of you it doesn't need a hefty piece of kit tying you down while you cycle. If you plan on leaving your bike in public overnight, we advise using the heftiest bike lock you have.
and number 3, bike lock brand. A lot can be said for the leading bike lock brands Abus and Kryptonite. They are constantly coming out with new versions and upgrading the old ones to make sure they are as secure as can be. They use a great key system which is difficult for even professional lock pickers as the tools are not widely available, they provide a decent warranty which can often come in handy if it's been a particularly rough winter and they often come in black and another bold colour making them immediately distinguishable from the drab black chinese copies. With that being said, if you have bought a bike for £50, you may want to have a look at those chinese copies, just make sure it has a solid band/ shackle to make the thieves jobs tougher if they do decide to cut it free.
Should you be in a spot of bother, your lock has seized up or you have a jammed bicycle lock , you lost your keys or someone has managed to attack your lock making it inoperable, contact us and we can help. We provide a bicycle locksmith service in London 24 hours a day.
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