Our Top 5 ABUS Bicycle Locks

Can’t decide which lock you need for your bike? You’re in the right place.

ABUS makes a huge range of bicycle locks, all for different purposes. We’ve made a list of our top five locks below, so you can see what they’re like before choosing which to get for your bike.

ABUS Amparo 485 Frame Lock

At ca. 770g, the ABUS Amparo lock is relatively lightweight and can easily fit into a saddle bag or rucksack. You can clip it onto your wheel so that it can’t turn anymore, thereby stopping anybody from hopping on your bike and riding off with it. A handy little lock, and very easy to use.

— Amparo locks usually take ABUS T82 keys.

What we like: It fits on pretty much any bike, it’s compact, and it’s not very heavy.
What could be improved: While it’s made of tough materials, it only prevents your wheel from spinning. This means that your bike can still be carried away by a thief. As such, it’s only really a medium-security lock.

ABUS 1060-Series Granit X-Plus City Chain Lock

Sometimes simple is best, and you can’t get much simpler than a hardened steel chain. The ABUS City Chain is nice and long, allowing you to wrap it not only through your bicycle wheels, but also around any lamp post, to properly secure your bike. The lock is attached to the chain with special tamper-proof technology to offer maximum resistance against hitting and pulling attacks.

— This type of ABUS City Chain lock takes ABUS X-Plus keys.

What we like: It’s straightforward to use, and very secure. The fact that it’s a chain means it fits into pretty much any rucksack or saddlebag.
What could be improved: At 2.39kg, it’s pretty heavy. Carrying this around on longer journeys is not for the faint-hearted.

ABUS 950-Series Steel-O-Flex Lock

This Steel-O-Flex lock is part of ABUS’s range of cable locks. It’s a high-tensile cable encased in a flexible plastic tube, with an ABUS Plus locking mechanism. It’s designed to be resistant against drill and pull attacks. The metre-long cable coils nicely so that it can be ‘folded’ and stowed in a bag. It’s long enough to wrap around a lamp post and through your bike wheel.

— The 950 series Steel-O-Flex locks typically take ABUS Plus keys.

What we like: Convenient shape that fits easily inside any rucksack, not too heavy (1.7kg).
What could be improved: The natural coil of the cable makes it a little harder to bend around whatever you’re locking your bicycle to.

ABUS uGrip 5700-Series Bordo Folding Lock

The ABUS uGrip lock is a convenient device allowing you to securely attach the frame of your bike to a lamp post. It’s 80cm long, weighs about 1kg, and is made mostly out of steel. Folded up, it’s nice and compact and could even fit in your trouser pocket. It comes in all kinds of different colours, which makes this one of ABUS’s more funky locks.

— ABUS uGrip folding locks usually take ABUS Bordo keys.

What we like: Comes in a selection of colours. It’s compact and convenient.
What could be improved: It’s less flexible than a chain or cable lock, and therefore can’t be easily slid through a wheel. It’s only really able to secure the frame. This leaves your wheels vulnerable to theft, and is ultimately why this lock is only good for low- to medium-security applications.

ABUS Sinus Plus 471-Series D-Lock and Cable Set

The ABUS Sinus Plus is a sturdy D-lock, allowing you to lock your bike’s wheel down tightly. The Sinus Plus usually comes with a flexible cable, too, so that you can wrap the cable around a lamp post at the same time as locking your wheel. The shackle and lock body are made of hardened steel.

This lock is also usually sold along with a clamp that lets you attach the lock to the frame of the bike while you’re riding. This makes it harder to forget the lock at home, and it also means you don’t need to carry the weighty lock on your back.

— ABUS Sinus Plus locks usually take ABUS Plus keys.

What we like: Comes with a handy clamp to attach it to your bike when you’re not using it. The double-whammy of D-lock and cables gives added protection, even in high-crime areas.
What could be improved: It’s a little on the large side. In spite of its hardened-steel shackle, the longer the D, the easier it is for a thief to attack with a saw or an angle grinder.

While we like all of the above locks, not all of them are ideally suited for high-crime environments (e.g. city centres). Moreover, no bike is truly secure without both wheels being secured and without the bike being firmly attached to something like a railing or a lamp post. While carrying several locks around can seem like a chore, it’s the only way to properly deter bike thieves.