Lock

Using a U-lock can be a hassle, as you have to pull it out of your bag, take it apart, then run its shackle through the bike's frame. The bike-mounted V-160 offers a simpler approach, in that you just push it head-first into whatever's at hand.

Chain-style bike locks are nice because they're flexible, although they're kinda limp – like a piece of boiled spaghetti. The Abus Goose Lock 6206K is different, in that it's bendy but it holds its shape – more like a giant pipe cleaner.

While there are now a number of smart electronic bike locks on the market, almost all of them are rigid U-locks. The Lasso is different, in that it's a flexible chain lock … but it can still do the usual things, like wirelessly unlocking and more.

While there's no substitute for a big, burly, ultra-secure bike lock in high-theft-risk scenarios, sometimes a lighter, more compact lock is a bit more practical. That's where the Abus CombiFlex TravelGuard is designed to come in.

Litelok is best known for its flexible textile/cable-based lightweight bike locks. It's now venturing into the world of rigid U locks, tough, with a model that is claimed to be more resistant to angle grinder attacks than anything else on the market.

Surfers may seem like a pretty laid-back bunch, but that doesn't mean there aren't any surfboard thieves amongst their ranks. The surfinlock was designed with that fact in mind, as it allows surfers to lock their boards up like bikes.

Back in 2014, Seatylock turned a few heads with a folding bike lock that was built into the underside of a saddle. The company's new Foldylock Forever is not seat-integrated, but it is claimed to be the strongest folding lock in the world.

Four years ago we first heard about a lockable weatherproof pod called the Alpen Bike Capsule, designed for securely storing bicycles outdoors. The latest incarnation of the device is not only larger, but also features an electronic locking system.

Carrying a heavy bike lock in backpack can be a hassle, and not everyone likes the cluttered look of a frame-mounted lock. That's where the Uplock is designed to come in, as it sits inside a system-specific seat post.

Even with the toughest-looking bike locks, many people still say, "An angle grinder would go right through that." Well, Hiplok's new D1000 is claimed to be different – it's touted as being "the first portable anti-angle-grinder bike lock."

Given the fact that bicycle commuters have to carry a lock with them at all times, we've seen a number of bike parts that double as locks. One of the latest, the ET-one, lets a pedal do the job – partially, at least.

If a thief is sufficiently motivated, they can get through pretty much any bike lock. That's where the PentaLock comes in – it makes a bicycle un-pedalable, regardless of whether or not that bike is also locked up to an adjacent object.