One of the most popular types of locks on the market is the good old trusty cable lock.
Well, I say trusty.
The vast majority of cable locks you can buy are nothing more than a deterrent. Something that will ‘hopefully’ convince somebody not to get their greasy little paws on your bike.
However, even a bike thief with motivational issues will still easily be able to crack through some of the cheapest cable locks on the market.
If you are spending a whopping amount of cash on a bike, then you need to know that it isn’t going to be stolen. Well, at least has the minimum risk of being stolen.
I don’t wish to disappoint you, but there is not a single bike lock on this page that a determined person will not be able to cut through.
It is impossible to design a bike lock like that, and if anybody claims that they have designed a bike lock that is impossible to break, then you are speaking to a liar.
Bike locks, on the more expensive side of things, are tougher to break. They deter somebody from even wanting to try. If they genuinely want your bike, they will get through the lock.
However, do bear in mind that most thieves are opportunistic and won’t even try when the lock is a bit tougher than normal. If they can’t get it off in seconds, it isn’t worth it to even attempt.
On this page, I want to talk to you about five of what I feel are the best cable locks on the market. Five of them in total.
Each has slightly different pros and cons, but I am confident that no matter which one you end up with, you are going to be happy with it.
They are all about the same price, so it is really a case of finding one which meets your own preferences.
What Should You Look For In A Cable Lock?
Obviously, the main thing that you need to be on the lookout for when you are planning to pick up a cable lock is how easy it is going to be able to break.
The thickness of the cable is sort-of important.
In my opinion, you should care more about how the cable has been produced as opposed to the thickness of the cable.
For example; you could have a thick single piece of wire. This is a lot easier to cut through than braided wire.
The best cable locks on the market will use braided wire, or at least wire that is closely interlocked.
Sure, it can still be cut through with an angle grinder or something similar to that, but it is going to be nigh on impossible to cut through with a pair of bolt cutters. So, you have your deterrent in place there.
The way in which you access the lock on the cable is also important. Basically, it can’t be easy to ‘drill’ the lock out.
A lot of the best cable locks on the market will angle the lock in such a way that it can’t be drilled out. There will also be a plastic covering on the lock to help to provide a little bit of extra protection.
I am the type of person that prefers locks from the larger companies. One of the main reasons why you do not want to go cheap is because a lot of the cheaper companies will cut corners with the production of their locks.
Think about it. If you are producing a lock to a budget, you probably do not want to spend a whopping amount of cash on having a ton of different keys available.
They produce maybe five or six keys to fix the entire range of locks. This isn’t good, because a thief can easily get hold of a particular key and they will have access to a good proportion to all of the locks that accept that key.
Now, this is not the case with the more expensive cable locks on the market. Rather than having half a dozen keys which will fit their locks, they will have hundreds.
So sure, somebody could still get a key which fits their lock, but the amount of hassle that they need to go through in order to get their hands on that key is not going to be worth it.
The larger companies do not just send out keys randomly. They need proof that a person has actually purchased a lock which the key is needed for. So, don’t worry too much about this.
In my opinion, you should actually think about the brand of the lock. I know that there are locks on the market which are a little bit cheaper than the ones on this page but are constructed in a similar manner.
However, a lot of people underestimate just how important the brand is when it comes to a deterrent.
Remember; if a thief is presented with two bikes, one with an unknown brand lock and the other with an Abus lock, it doesn’t matter how similar the two locks are as the thief is going to attempt the unknown brand lock.
Why? Because they already know the quality of the Abus so they are not willing to tackle it. So yeah, I guess that thieves are somewhat brand-focused when it comes to theft. You wouldn’t have thought that, would you?
Remember; always look for good reviews too. All of the locks that you find here have decent reviews, so you can trust people love them.
#1 Master Lock 1 Python Cable Lock
Let’s start with the Master Lock 1 Python, mostly due to the fact that it is the first customizable bike lock on the market.
Now, I am going to assume that you are locking up your bike. I am sure that there have been several situations where you have found that your bike lock is not quite long enough to tie it up somewhere.
The Python helps to deal with this. You have full control over the length of the cable. You can adjust it to ensure that there is no slack (i.e. somebody is not going to be able to cut through it easily). With sizes available up to 30 feet, you will be able to lock up so much more than just your bike with one of these babies too.
The cable is 3/8” in diameter, and has been made from braided metal, which ensures that it is cut-resistant.
If that wasn’t enough, you are also able to enjoy a plastic coating which makes the cable lock a lot more difficult to cut through.
Pros
- Adjustable
- Solid metal lock
Cons
- Adjustability means that the quality of the cable is sacrificed. It is also one extra thing which can ‘break’.
#2 Kryptonite Kryptolock
This bike lock actually comes complete with a U lock, which means that if you are not interested in picking up a U Lock, you may want to take a peek at one of the other four suggestions on this page, as the U Lock is going to add a bit more to the cost.
The purpose of the cable lock here is to provide your bike with a little bit more protection. It means that the U Lock is able to hold a lot more places than a standard U Lock will.
This means that there are more ‘points’ that a wannabe thief is going to need to cut through in order to get access to your bike.
As you may have guessed, since this is a Kryptonite lock, it is going to be made from some of the best materials on the market, which means that you have the protection there too. All parts of this lock are nigh on impossible to cut through.
Pros
- Full bike lock set
- Patented Kryptonite technology
Cons
- You may not need the U Lock
#3 LIMINK Bike Lock
This is going to be somewhat of a weird lock. However, I thought I would bring it up as some of the more technologically minded of you out there are going to be into something like this.
The LIMINK bike lock does not have any keys or combinations on it. Instead, you will need to connect it up to a smartphone.
Your smartphone will act as the ‘key’ for it. Tap a couple of buttons on the app and your lock will be open. Although, remember that if your phone battery goes, your bike is going to be somewhat stuck.
This cable is incredibly thick too. Seriously. The only way somebody is really going to be able to get into this bike lock is if they spend an age going at it with an angle grinder, but I doubt that is going to be happening any time soon.
I love the fact that, despite the technology behind it, you can use it in all sorts of conditions too. Rain, snow, or shine this lock is going to keep working.
Pros
- Don’t need to worry about losing your keys
- Tough lock
Cons
- Is it unneeded technology?
#4 Ardent Cable Bike Lock Combination
If you have multiple bikes, then you may want to go down the route of this bike lock. It is designed to be long enough to keep two or three bikes chained together without breaking.
Although, if you have one bike, you may want to go for one of the other options on this list. I feel that there is too much slack if one bike is chained up, which makes it ‘tougher’ to use.
One of the things that pulled me into this Ardent cable lock is the fact that it is one of the best cable locks on the market which use a combination.
I don’t know how many of you out there are using combination locks, but you will know just how tough they can be to adjust.
However, this lock has been ergonomically designed, and the raised numbers will make it a doddle, even when the rain is beating down on your head.
Pros
- Quality lock
- Nice combination changing
Cons
- Too long for one bike
#5 Thule 6-Feet One Key System
The last lock I want to talk about is one that most of you won’t be interested in. Well, you may be, but bear in mind it is not for everybody.
That is because this lock makes use of the Thule One Key system. Basically, you can change the cylinder to ensure that all of your locks have the same key. It makes using your locks remarkably handy. Even if you do not use this feature, you still have a quality bike lock.
The cable is thick and nigh on impossible to break through. However, do bear in mind that it is the fact that it uses the one key system which pushes the price up. So, if you do not have any use for that, then opt for one of the other bike locks.
Pros
- One key system
- Thick cable
Cons
- Bit on the expensive side due to the one key system
Conclusion
So, which bike lock is the best? Well, all of them on this page are of a high quality. I am positive you would be happy with any of them.
However, as you can see, they all have their own pros and cons.
I feel that the Master Lock one at the start is the best ‘all rounder’, so go for that one if you need something which is incredibly reliable.
