Searching for the best budget bike locks is a balance between three main factors: cost, security and usability. There is no point buying a lock that is hard to crack but can’t be practically used on your bike in the circumstances you want to secure it.
The good news is that you don’t have to spend hundreds of pounds to lock up your bike securely. We set ourselves a budget of around £50 and found plenty of options to recommend. However, if you can’t find what you are looking for in this article and are happy to consider spending a bit more, you might want to check out our guides to the best bike locks or the best lightweight bike locks.
Locks come in all shapes and sizes but fall broadly into three groups: D-locks (also known as U-locks), chain locks and cable locks. Cable locks tend to be very easy to cut through with basic tools, so we have only included one in this round-up – and that’s because it is an ultra-lightweight option that may meet the specific needs of some cyclists.
The majority of the best budget bike locks we tested are D-locks, which have long been recognised as a great option for cyclists because the design allows for a single shackle to be made as thick as possible to deter cutting with tools. In comparison, a chain lock is made of many interlocking links that tend to be thinner to keep the weight down – and are therefore more easily cut. We have included some chain locks in this guide, however, as many people find them more versatile in their usability than D-locks which, because of their shape, can sometimes be difficult to get in the right position when securing your bike to certain fixed objects. If you are unsure, we have an explainer on which is the best option for keeping your bike safe.
Thickness of the shackle or links is not the only measure of a lock’s security, however. They are vulnerable to all manner of attacks from picking and prying to twisting and freezing. As a result, there are several bodies that award certification to locks they have put through testing. In the UK, where Cyclingnews is based, Sold Secure is recognised as a leading testing and certification service and is affiliated to the Home Office and police service. Although not a definitive guide to a lock’s security, it is recognised by many insurance companies and we have therefore used this as our main guide to a lock’s effectiveness. Some of the locks included have been given seals of approval from other organisations such as Secured By Design, the…
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