Location, location, location: Whenever possible, you should secure your bike on a secure stand in a high traffic area. This alone will keep many opportunistic thieves away, as it’s not worth the bother of attracting attention.
Use a bike rack on a more vulnerable anchor point, as it must be properly secured and bolted to the concrete. This is not always the case (I recently found a bike rack in my area with a loose bolt at the base), so be on the lookout.
Types of locks and positioning: There are many ways to lock your bike securely, some of which will depend on the type of lock you use and the bike you are locking.
For a full-size U-lock, you’ll typically want to lock the bike around the frame and rear wheel, if space allows. Some methods suggest simply locking the rear wheel, but this can leave the rest of your bike vulnerable. You’ll want to keep U-locks off the ground, especially on concrete or asphalt, to prevent thieves from trying to break them with a hammer or using leveraging devices like a tire jack or crowbar.
If you have a quick-release wheel, you may want to consider a dual-lock setup like the Kryptonite Evolution Mini-7 with flexible cable (though it’s not a grinder-resistant lock). Alternatively, you can use multiple locks, such as a grinder-resistant lock for the frame and rear wheel, plus a chain or cable lock for the front wheel.
Chain locks can work well for securing both the frame and the wheel, though they do have their drawbacks. They tend to be quite heavy, especially the thicker ones, which can better withstand heavy bolt cutters. They’re also generally not as resistant to grinders as our favorites. Again, keeping the chain off the ground will help protect against bolt-cutting thieves.
Security Tags and Trackers: A key trick to tracking your bike is to use a Tile either Apple AirTag Hidden somewhere in the frame or under the seat so you can keep an eye on its position. Unfortunately, this method has some real limitations.
Both AirTags and Tile devices are limited by the range of their Bluetooth antennas. Tile devices have a maximum range of 400 feet for the Tile Pro, while the Tile Mate and Slim offer 250 feet. Apple doesn’t specify the range of AirTags, but it’s also limited by Bluetooth; most tests put it at around 30 meters or 100 feet.
Both AirTags and Tiles offer some tracking features when out of range. AirTags can connect through the Find My Network, using other people’s Apple devices for anonymous tracking, while Tile devices can similarly track the device’s last known location through Android phones, but this is far from perfect. Neither offers real-time GPS tracking, and both systems require other devices to track.
AirTags support Ultra Wideband technology for precise location (compatible with iPhone 11 or later) that can locate your device more accurately than Tile trackers. The downside is that AirTags will beep when they move away from your phone as a security measure, which can alert thieves to their presence.
There are also real-time GPS trackers, such as the Invoxiawhich charges an annual subscription fee. These devices are more expensive, but potentially more effective, as they don’t rely on Bluetooth, instead using real-time GPS location tracking. They are typically larger and harder to hide than AirTags or Tiles.
What about smart locks? Smart locks are relatively new to the world of bike locks and have not yet made a huge impact. Smart locks like the I block it more (which we haven’t tested) can offer conveniences like keyless unlocking via your phone and even a smart alarm with a shrill sound of up to 110 decibels. That said, you’ll likely be carrying your keys with you on most trips, and alarms can be accidentally triggered, potentially causing more problems than it solves.
Even the most expensive smart locks we’ve seen aren’t pick-resistant, so you’re sacrificing some security for convenience. As mentioned above, we recommend making sure any lock you choose has an independent security rating from Sold Secure or ART to ensure objective testing for the best protection.