While working on our list of the best bike locks one of the things we identified was how much people appreciate folding locks. Bike shops tend to sell them a lot because they are convenient to use, and you get an easy-to-mount lock that’s got more adaptability than a U-lock. The problem is they aren’t always the most secure option. The Abus Bordo series of locks bucks the trend by offering a Sold Secure Gold folding lock.
Among the options for the Abus Bordo line of locks, the 6500 is the most secure but there are a few variations. The standard key lock is the most common available but there’s also an alarm version with keys and the Abus Bordo 6500 SmartX at the top of the lineup. The SmartX is expensive and cutting edge, but does it work? After spending time testing to see what it was like to use, we are ready to share. If you’ve had your eye on the ultimate folding smart lock, keep reading to see our thoughts on using it.
Design and aesthetics
I’ll say it a few times in this review but the Abus Bordo 6500 locks are essentially the same. That makes for nine variants spread between three model names with the differences being a combination of extra features and length. If you’d rather stick to a key lock, that’s an option in either 85 or 110 cm, you can add an alarm to the key lock version, or there’s the most feature-rich version which we are looking at specifically. The SmartX variation means there is no keyhole and instead it operates with a battery and Bluetooth.
Like the KA version, the SmartX does include an alarm. It’s not the main draw on this version but if it gets hit hard enough it will sound for five seconds before resetting. Keep messing with it and the full, 100db alarm will go off. Consider this feature a deterrent but not the main attraction; just because an alarm is going off doesn’t mean someone will stop and help.
What’s more important for stopping a would-be thief is the same shared design across all the variants. That means a series of 15.5cm long, and 5.5mm thick hardened steel bars. Each one connects to the next with a shielded joint and there’s a rubberized coating to protect the finish of your bike. If it’s a lock with a key, the cylinder is well protected but, in this case, there’s no lock cylinder to protect.
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