When I used to cycle regularly, I was never quite sure what sort of bike lock to use, I settled for a D-lock for the tough protection, but it weighed an absolute ton and if I put it on the frame of the bike it would always get in the way of my knees. Being the type of person who would rather complain than do anything about it, I put up with it. If I had known these existed, I would have certainly given them ago, at only 20g they are super lightweight and at 420mm long they are so compact. They come in a bright Lime colour which is easy to spot in low lights, or alternatively you can get a subtler Black or Red option. The pack came with two zip ties and two keys, and have a locking diameter of 40cm, this means you can attach your bike to a bike rack or railing and then attach a helmet to the bike as well.

The release key is also small, so you can attach it to your keys without too much bother, I will warn you however that the key is spikey so bare this in mind before shoving it in your trouser pocket, a little cover on the end would be useful to avoid accidents by clumsy people like me. The Z-Lok has a double-sided ratchet design with reinforced steel core making it much tougher than it looks, this is the first secured reusable zip style tie. I REALLY wanted to like these as the convenience of the weight and size is brilliant, but the release mechanism is what lets it down, getting the key in can be fiddley to start with and even when fully inserted there were times when it just refused to release, this inconsistency is frustrating to the point that I decided not to even bother with them. RRP £14.99

1.5 out of 5

Buy now

Pros

Compact

Lightweight

Bright

Excellent idea

Cons

Unfaithful release system

Frustrating