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We took an angle grinder to five of the best angle resistant bike locks to see which could really stand up to the attacks! We tested the Litelok X3, the Abus Granit Super Extreme, the Hiplok DX1000, the Onguard RockSolid 8590 and the Squire Stronghold D16 Max. All locks tested managed to withstand our five minute test, however, there really was only one clear winner...
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We have five angle grinder resistant locks that are currently available today
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So we are going to test them with an angle grinder. And of course, they're all linked down below
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We have now concluded testing and we're back in the studio. So, it's time to go through what locks we tested, how we tested them, and what the results were
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To be clear, the angle grinder test we carried out was over a period of 5 minutes of cutting
0:37
time, with the goal being to get in as far as possible while using a high-powered battery-operated
0:44
angle grinder, the kind one may expect a thief to potentially use
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As you'll find out, some locks destroyed multiple cutting discs. So in those cases, we stopped the clock, changed the discs and then carried on
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The Light Lock X3 is an angle grinder resistant lock and it is rated sold secure diamond for
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bicycles and e-bikes. Now, Light Lock actually pioneered angle grinder resistant tech with the
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X1, setting a trend that was followed by brands like OnGuard, Abus and HipLock. The features of
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the X3 are that it is claimed to be 20 times more resistant than a standard U-lock, and it's said to
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be made with Light Lock's proprietary berynium material, which is essentially a fusion of hardened
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steel and composite materials, which is said to offer enhanced abrasion, impact, bending
1:39
and twisting resistance. It has a weight of 2.2 kilos and has a locking area of 195 square
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centimeters which puts both metrics as third best on test and it uses an abloy lock barrel for
1:53
long-term key availability. The lock itself comes with three keys so you should be pretty well
1:58
covered. It has a silicon lock cover and a neoprene sleeve for storage. Now when we were testing this
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lock it's got to be said that it is actually very sturdy and there's very minimal play between the
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locking mechanism and the shackle. It has this soft touch eco rubber coating which is great for frame
2:15
protection and it also just gives it a really nice tactile feel. When you look at the bottom of the
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lock here you can see that there's some silicone which protects the keyhole which is great for
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keeping water and dirt and grime out of the locking mechanism. However it can make finding
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the keyhole just that little bit trickier especially if you're operating in the dark
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When it comes to mounting the lock though if you're not someone who wants to carry this lock in a rucksack or pannier you can buy a mount for it but it doesn't come with the lock itself and
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does cost an additional £20 and it isn't great for small frames. But if you do have a larger size
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bike, it should be fine. On to the angle grinder test and we could actually only cut a small way
2:58
through into the X3. In our five minutes of cutting time, we burned through two discs and
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cut a third of the way through the lock. The light lock was abrasive enough to wear down the discs
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but the angle grinder did manage to keep on cutting. Now this does differ to other locks which
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when you cut to a certain point the angle grinder would actually just kick back
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Next up we've got the Abus Granite Super Extreme. Now this again is a sold secure diamond rated
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angle grinder resistant lock. Despite being pretty heavy and large though it's not actually intended
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to be carried in a backpack or carrier as Abus emphasizes its portability more than ease of
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transport The lock itself uses Wolfram carbide which actually is just tungsten carbide the second hardest substance after diamonds for enhanced durability It has a 27mm square parabolic shackle with a locking area
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of 220cm squared. It weighs 2.1kg, which is the second lightest on test, 100g lighter than the
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light lock, and the lock barrel itself is said to have a high resistance for picking and manipulation
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The lock comes with two keys which is the fewest out of all of the ones we tested but replacements
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are easy to come by if you keep the code card. When we were testing this lock it has to be said
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it also felt very solid and secure and there was no play between the shackle and the lock and it
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has a very satisfying click once it's engaged. I think the sheer size of this thing is actually a
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really good visual deterrent because it is chunkier than the others that we've got. However the coating
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of this lock is a much harder plastic so probably won't be as friendly to bike paint work. The extra
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locking reach of this lock is actually really handy if you're running something with a bigger
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downtube like an e-bike. When it comes to mounting this lock the mount itself is actually very well
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designed and it holds the lock very securely and it doesn't rattle. Now it can be a bit fiddly to
5:01
fit and it's best suited for a pannier rack but it can also be fitted between a chain stay and a
5:06
seat stay. In use, this lock did perform very well, but unfortunately, the granite lost ground
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during our angle grinder tests. Now, we must stress that while the granite SE did not fail
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our angle grinder test, it did show significant signs of lower performance compared to the others
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During our five minute test, we only got through one disc and we were able to cut over just halfway
5:32
through. Now, if we extrapolate that out with potentially two cuts required to remove the lock
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the ABUS would only need either two to four discs and around 20 minutes to remove it
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The ABUS is clearly resistant to angle grinders. However, in a group test where all locks offer
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decent resistance to angle grinder attacks, they must be ranked based on performance
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If you encountered a very determined or well-equipped thief with the time and patience
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the Abus clearly underperformed compared to the competition. Next up we have the Hiplock DX1000. Now Hiplock is known for blending style with security and
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it's now tackling angle grinder resistance with this DX1000. Like the other locks this is also a
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sold secure diamond rated lock and it's designed for bicycles with thicker tubes like e-bikes
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and even motorbikes. This lock features a square profile, a graphene-reinforced hard-in-steel
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shackle, and an anti-angle grinder security system. The locking area is even bigger than
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the previous two at 225 square centimetres. It weighs in though at 2.7 kilos, making it the
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heaviest lock in this test. This lock has a pretty significant rubber to metal ratio
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and ultimately when you look at it from the outside, you can't actually tell where the rubber
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ends and the metal starts. Now the locking mechanism that is inside here is reported to not
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have any picks since it was debuted back in 2021 which I've got to say if true is a pretty decent
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reputation to have. When we start to think about how much this lock actually costs in the UK it's
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300 pounds and over in the states it's 350 dollars I've got to say it almost feels a little bit
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underwhelming due to the noticeable play between the shackle and the lock. Although Hiplock
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have confirmed that this won't affect security. The lock theft has made it cumbersome and
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it is tough to transport without a proper mounting system and it does require storage in a pannier or a backpack but that does ultimately then take up a lot of space Hiplock rubber flap that covers the locking
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system is simpler than competitors and offers better visibility and easier key engagement
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especially when you're bent over a bike rack in the dark. While the DX1000 didn't really stand out
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during usage it also didn't actually cause any issues. That changed though when it came to the
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angle grinder test as it stepped up and performed seriously well as it heavily resisted our attacks
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We applied considerable force when we tried to cut into this lock but ultimately it was the
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cutting disc which suffered as it quickly showed signs of wear. Holding the grinder steady proved
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difficult when trying to reach the centre of this lock which appears to be a part of Hiplock's
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anti-angle grinder security system. Each time we attempted to reposition the cutting wheel
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the coarse material kicked the grinder back. We managed to burn through two discs in our five
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minute test but there was no way we would have been able to cut any further through the lock
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due to the kickback. Next up we have the Engard Rock Solid 8580. Now you might not have heard of
8:52
but it is a subsidiary of Magnum Locks, which specializes in security. This, again, of course
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comes with a sold-secured diamond rating, and it's designed to resist angle grinders
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It has a 15mm hard and steel shackle with a patented rock-solid finish. It has a 1.3kg weight
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making it the lightest in its class, but it does have a smaller locking reach. It has an X4P
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Quattro four-point locking system, a Z-cylinder lock barrel resistant to picking, pulling and
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drilling. It includes five keys, which is the highest among all of the angle grinder resistant
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locks that we've had on test, and the automatic key cover and rubberised coating do offer really
9:37
good durability and weather protection. We think that it's got a really good quality feel with that
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soft rubberised coating and minimal shackle play. There is a slight bit of difficulty when it comes
9:48
to aligning the lock when removing or engaging. However, if you just slow down, take your time
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you will get there in the end. It has a smooth and consistent key operation once engaged
9:59
but the weather guard can be just a little bit tricky. The smaller locking reach may be tricky
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for crowded areas like transport hubs, but I don't think it will be an issue for less busy locations
10:11
The angle grinder test is where the on-guard rock solid really shone. It was by pure coincidence
10:16
that the OnGuard was the last to be cut, and its resilience took all of us by surprise
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During our five-minute test, the OnGuard barely showed a scratch. The patented rock-solid coating
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that's been applied to the 15mm hardened steel shackle effectively sanded down the cutting disc
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launching plumes of grinder disc dust into the air. In well under the five-minute time limit
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we burned through three grinder discs, which is the most of any lock-on test. It was taking about
10:47
30 to 40 seconds for a disc to essentially evaporate into thin air. And when you look at it now
10:53
obviously, forgetting that big hole in the rubber coating, there'd be nothing to stop you from using this again. It barely made a mark
11:00
The Squire Stronghold D16 Max is a UK-made bike lock with a sold-secure diamond rating
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costing £289.99. However, its design has notable drawbacks that hinder usability and undermine its appeal. The lock's plastic cover feels flimsy
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diminishing trust in the product durability Additionally the lock body and shackle exhibit noticeable play although this doesn affect security despite its generous 209 centimeter square locking area the thick
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rubberized coating makes securing a bike fairly cumbersome weighing 2.7 kilos it is one of the
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heaviest locks on test and given its price point the stronghold d16 max faces stiff competition
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from superior options like the hip lock dx1000 which offers better reach security and a similar
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weight for just 10 pounds more now on to conclusions and my overall verdict on all of these locks
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we're going to start with the abus at 260 pounds or 320 dollars the granite super extreme 2500 is
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the third most expensive on this test. However, considering that it includes the superb mount
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and the Lightlock X3 requires an additional purchase, the Abus represents decent value
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While there is some nuance in how well the locks perform during the angle grinder test
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the Lightlock X3 does outperform it, which means the Abus slips into fourth overall
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For many, Abus is a known entity and the quality of the Granite SE is second to none
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So if you like to travel light and keep the weight on the bike and not on you
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there is absolutely no reason not to choose the Abus Granite Super Extreme
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At £300 or $350, the Hiplock DX1000 is not only the most expensive lock in this test
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but it's also the most expensive lock we have tested here at Cycling Weekly
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For this cost, we expected it to stand out from the crowd and be the best
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but the DX1000 does almost the opposite. It's understated and functional and just gets the job
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done. Now, while this isn't a bad thing, the DX1000's extra weight and the fact that it is 100
13:25
pounds more expensive than our overall winner starts to make the hip lock look like poor value
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That being said, its performance in the angle grinder test was impressive and provided hip
13:37
lock's claims surrounding their unpickable lock cylinder stand up, the DX1000 offers a very high
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level of security for your bike. With such a performance, the hip lock secured third place
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Now, if it weren't for the exceptional performance of the On Guard Rock Solid in the ankle grinder
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test, the light lock might have easily secured the top position. Although there is a minor difference
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price of £50 or $50 between them, the extra reach and features diminish this disparity for those who
14:09
need them. The extra expense of the tactical mount brings the X3's price closer to that of the
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Abus Granite. Nevertheless, its performance in the angle grinder test and overall quality
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surpasses competition from either Abus or Hiplock. And lastly, given the sheer amount of security
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that the OnGuard RockSolid offers against angle grinder attacks, you may be surprised to learn
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it's the cheapest on test at £200 or $250. That's £50 or $50 less than the next cheapest
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the LightLock X3. And a massive £100 or $100 cheaper than the Hiplock DX1000
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While we are rewarding the OnGuard the title of best overall angle grinder resistant lock
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It could also be best budget, most secure and most user-friendly. This shouldn't reflect badly on the other locks in the test though, as they all performed well
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None failed the angle grinder test and all offer similar specs and retail prices
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but the OnGuard Rock Solid stood out in a field of outstanding performances
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having that little extra something to give
#sports