Angle Grinder Resistant Bike Lock

Cycling Weekly

Portable angle grinders are increasingly becoming the tool of choice for bicycle thieves and, sadly, there are very few compact bike locks that can withstand sustained attack from a 'grinder blade.

Transcript

00:00I don't know about you, but one of the major deterrents from using my bike for commuting

00:03is fear of having it stolen. It's a horrible feeling returning to your bike to find that

00:09it's no longer where you left it. When we talk about bike locks, we very often have to caveat

00:13what we say with the fact that most of them are deterrents. Though quality bike locks are

00:19generally rated by independent companies sold secure, it's usually bronze, silver, or gold.

00:24Gold rated locks are very, very robust, but they are rated upon how long it took to get

00:30through the lock and what tools were required. The most robust tools, example being angle grinders,

00:36will usually get through really any lock. That was why I was extremely excited to get a press

00:41release from Hiplock about its new D1000 lock. Launched via a Kickstarter today, this lock is

00:48reportedly angle grinder resistant. I was even more excited about this because I also have an

00:54angle grinder. Of course, there are angle grinders and angle grinders. They do come with different

00:59ratings. This one isn't the biggest of the bunch. However, it's still a pretty burly tool

01:04and you have to be quite a determined thief to be traveling around with one of these in

01:08your backpack. What is it that makes this lock apparently resistant to this? According to Hiplock,

01:16it's used a material called a ferro safe, which is a graphene composite that Hiplock says is

01:21resistant to angle grinders because of its physical and chemical properties. In terms of actually how

01:26to lock this lock, it uses a lock-end key. Also, a rubber coating on top, which serves to protect

01:33your bike if you're going to mount this lock directly to it. Of course, it does way more than

01:38a standard lock. This one comes in at 1,942 grams. In order to provide a comparison, Hiplock also sent

01:46its D-Lock. This one weighs in at 1,001 grams, so it is significantly lighter and is silver rated by

01:54Sold Secure. It is still a pretty hench lock. It would take a pretty determined thief to get through

02:00it, but it's not angle grinder proof as per the vast majority of locks on the market. The Hiplock

02:06D-1000 is diamond rated by Sold Secure. Diamond is a rating that's usually attributed to caravans or

02:13cylinder locks, so it is a pretty hench option. Now, angle grinders are pretty significant power tools,

02:21so I've roped in the Stig to give me a hand here.

02:43So, there you have it. We did eventually get through this lock. However, we had a plug-in angle grinder. Most

03:08thieves are probably not going to have access to a plug socket. We had the benefit of a vise,

03:13which made the whole process quite a lot easier. It took us well over 20 minutes, and we went through

03:19one, two, three, four, five cutting discs. We also had plumes of smoke, which wasn't really all that

03:25pleasant. It would definitely draw public attention. So, would you trust this lock with your pride and joy,

03:31or would you rather have something lighter weight that's easier to carry, but not so robust? Let us know in

03:37the comments. And if you enjoyed this video, please do hit subscribe.

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