Angle Grinder Resistant Bike Lock
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.
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00:00 I don't know about you, but one of the major deterrents from using my bike for commuting
00:03 is fear of having it stolen. It's a horrible feeling returning to your bike to find that
00:08 it's no longer where you left it. When we talk about bike locks, we very often have
00:13 to caveat what we say with the fact that most of them are deterrents. Though quality bike
00:18 locks are generally rated by independent company sold secure, it's usually bronze, silver or
00:23 gold. Gold rated locks are very, very robust, but they are rated upon how long it took to
00:29 get through the lock and what tools were required. The most robust tools, example being angle
00:35 grinders, will usually get through really any lock. That was why I was extremely excited
00:41 to get a press release from Hip Lock about its new D1000 lock. Launched via a Kickstarter
00:47 today, this lock is reportedly angle grinder resistant. I was even more excited about this
00:52 because I also have an angle grinder. Of course, there are angle grinders and angle grinders.
00:57 They do come with different ratings. This one isn't the biggest of the bunch. However,
01:03 it's still a pretty burly tool and you have to be quite a determined thief to be travelling
01:07 around with one of these in your backpack. What is it that makes this lock apparently
01:12 resistant to this? According to Hip Lock, it's used a material called ferrosafe, which
01:18 is a graphene composite that Hip Lock says is resistant to angle grinders because of
01:23 its physical and chemical properties. In terms of actually how to lock this lock, it uses
01:28 a lock end key. Also, a rubber coating on top, which serves to protect your bike if
01:34 you're going to mount this lock directly to it. Of course, it does weigh more than
01:38 a standard lock. This one comes in at 1942 grams. In order to provide a comparison, Hip
01:45 Lock also sent its D-lock. This one weighs in at 1001 grams, so it is significantly lighter
01:52 and is silver rated by Sold Secure. It is still a pretty hench lock. It would take a
01:58 pretty determined thief to get through it, but it's not angle grinder proof as per the
02:02 vast majority of locks on the market. The Hip Lock D1000 is diamond rated by Sold Secure.
02:10 Diamond is a rating that's usually attributed to caravans or cylinder locks, so it is a
02:14 pretty hench option. Now, angle grinders are pretty significant power tools. So I've roped
02:22 in the stick to give me a hand here.
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02:59 So there you have it. We did eventually get through this lock. However, we had a plug-in
03:07 angle grinder. Most thieves are probably not going to have access to a plug socket. We
03:11 had the benefit of a vice, which made the whole process quite a lot easier. It took
03:16 us well over 20 minutes and we went through one, two, three, four, five cutting discs.
03:22 We also had plumes of smoke, which wasn't really all that pleasant. It would definitely
03:26 draw public attention. So would you trust this lock with your pride and joy? Or would
03:32 you rather have something lighter weight that's easier to carry, but not so robust? Let us
03:36 know in the comments. And if you enjoyed this video, please do hit subscribe.
03:40 [WHOOSH]