When buying a bicycle, one of the most important things to purchase alongside it is a quality bike lock (x2). There are many types and brands of locks available on today’s market, all offering differing levels of protection against a thief. If you’re new to cycling or bicycle security, it can be confusing. Sadly, there are thousands of stolen bikes every year so it’s very important to make the right choice.
Whilst this guide gives you a general overview of the different types of locks on the market, different brands and models of the same type of lock offer different levels of protection. So to measure and compare the quality and strength of locks, always go by the ‘Sold Secure’ rating. If the bike lock does not have a Sold Secure rating on the product packaging, don’t buy it. There are four different ratings: bronze, silver, gold and diamond. Diamond offers the highest level of protection.