I received a message via the UKgravelCO instagram account from Jack at apexbikingaccessories.co.uk to see if I’d be able to test one of his products from the new bike accessory venture he had recently started. there are various interesting items on the site but he was keen for me to test the bike lock seen here.
the lock is very compact compared to my usual lock, the dimensions are 12.8cm x 6cm x 2.8cm but it easily wraps around my seat tube and around a post. The lock has a black finish and feels like a quality item, it is locked and unlocked using a key, of which there are three supplied. After two weeks of using it daily to lock my bike up at work the bike remained unscathed and thankfully not stolen!
short of attacking the lock with bolt cutters or a grinder or inviting bike thieves to try and take the bike it’s hard to fully test the lock to destruction, but even the most expensive lock in the world can be beaten by someone determined enough with the right tools. The name of the game is to make the thief look at the lock and make them think it’s not worth the hassle of trying to remove it and for them to move on to easier pickings. This lock certainly looks and feels like something that a thief would think twice about.
the website describes the lock as super lightweight and it comes in at 751g which compared to some locks is light but it’s not silly lightweight rendering it easy to break.
The only thing I’d change is that to lock the lock you need the key, you can’t just snap it shut in a hurry. I usually leave my usual one unlocked for “i’m late for work” emergencies so i can lock the bike and run without fumbling for keys. However you do need to check that you have the key with you or risk locking your bike until you can get home and fetch the key!…….this is why i keep a spare key in my locker at work 😉 So they probably have the right Idea to need the key for both operations!
I must mention the delivery time, the website is up front about it and states delivery is 30-40 days, this is fairly accurate, mine took around 4 weeks to arrive. the lock is sent direct from China, of course Covid probably has a lot to do with this and hopefully will improve in time. Jack says that only half the products come from China and the rest from mainland Europe and that these usually take half the time the lock did to arrive. Apex also have just signed a deal with a large Italian brand and those products will only take 3-4 days to arrive.
Conclusion The lock is lightweight but not stupidly so, it’s well made and would make an effective deterrent to bike thieves looking for easy pickings, I’m happy to continue using it on a bike that has to be left out of sight for long periods with the caveat that the same as any lock, given enough time it can be defeated.
As with all my tests, this is an impartial and real world review. I’m not sponsored and I’m just an average rider like most of the cyclists out there. I do inform anyone who sends me things to test that It will be an honest review good or bad
UK GRAVEL COLLECTIVE 