Lock security ratings explained

A rating mark on a lock box tells you that someone tested that lock and gave it a grade. It doesn't tell you how long a thief would need on your street, at your rack, with your bike.

Who does the rating

Rating schemes depend on where you live. Wikipedia says test standards that rate the effective security of bicycle locks are provided by various companies and organizations, depending on location¹.

The best known in the UK is Sold Secure. Wikipedia adds that in the UK, a lock certified by Sold Secure or Thatcham is usually required to insure a bicycle or motorcycle against theft¹. That's a UK point. Insurance terms elsewhere differ, so read your own policy.

The Sold Secure levels

Sold Secure has four levels of rating for bike locks: Diamond, Gold, Silver and Bronze². Tests look at a lock's resistance to angle grinders, drilling, cutting, levering and lock picking².

At the Bronze tier, BikeRadar says you'll typically find lighter-weight products such as cable locks and folding locks².

BikeRadar also notes that Sold Secure is not especially specific about the level of security each rating provides². So don't read more into a tier than it says.

E-bike categories

This part matters at the counter. Sold Secure also tests locks for powered cycles².

BikeRadar says the criteria there are more exacting than for pedal cycles, principally due to their higher value².

That means the same lock can carry two grades. You may see a lock that is Sold Secure Diamond rated for pedal cycles, but only Gold rated for powered cycles².

So when you shop for an e-bike lock, check which category the mark is for. A pedal-cycle mark on a box isn't the same as a powered-cycle one.

What a rating leaves out

Three things the mark can't cover:

• Where you lock up. BikeRadar says the real level of security can depend on factors Sold Secure is unable to assess, such as where the bike is locked up².
• What you lock to. Wikipedia says locks are effective only when used on secure objects¹. What to lock an e-bike to covers anchors.
• Which part is rated. Locks are often sold as a D-lock plus a cable that loops through it. The rating applies to the stronger D-lock and not to the cable².

Reading a box in the shop

Look for the scheme name and the category. Look for which part of a bundle carries the mark. Then check the maker's own page or the testing body's database for that exact model, since a box can be vague.

Other countries use other schemes. If your lock shows a mark you don't know, look up the body that issued it and read how it grades.