Testing the Hiplok D1000 & DX1000 Frame Mount Options

When the Hiplok D1000 and Hiplok DX1000 were first released, there weren't any official frame mounts or carry pouches available for them.

Now, however, there are loads of options! Probably too many to cover in my full lock reviews. So I’ve decided to create a separate post that will ultimately cover them all.

So far, I’ve only tested the official Carry Pouch and the BR1000 Lock Bracket (in conjunction with a KlickFix handlebar adaptor [Amazon]).

But I'll also be testing the BR1000 with the Ortilieb system, and I’ll update this post when I have.

First up, the official Carry Pouch. This padded, “water-resistant” pouch, with a Velcro cover, can either be worn on your belt, or attached to your bike’s top bar, handlebars, or pannier rack.

At the back of the pouch there are a number of robust straps (some removable, some sewn into the pouch). And depending on how you set these straps up, you’ll be able to attach the pouch to your belt or the different parts of your bike.

As a rule, I’m not a big fan of wearing these kinds of carry pouches on my belt.

They are a pain to get on and off your belt every time you go for a ride. Moreover, with a heavy, bulky bike lock like the Hiplok D1000, it can be really difficult to get the lock in and out of the pouch, and the weight can drag one side of your belt down quite unpleasantly.

And while I definitely preferred the Hiplok Carry Pouch to the Litelok Restrap Holster (which is much more basic), you can’t avoid the above problems, no matter how well made the pouch is.

So I didn’t enjoy getting the Hiplok Carry Pouch on and off my belt, and it did drag my belt down on the side I was wearing it.

On the bike frame, I liked it a lot more.

It was dead simple to get the two Velcro straps around the top tube (with a third strap securing it to the down tube). The brake cables ran under the straps and the brakes continued to work as normal.

I was a bit worried that my knee or thigh could bang into the lock in some situations, but they didn’t!

And it felt really stable and secure while I was riding around.

On my bike, at least, there wasn’t enough space between the bottom of the pouch and my wheel and front brakes to mount the Carry Pouch on my handlebars. I think you’ll need at least 7 inches (17 cm) of free space from the handlebars downwards for it to work well.

Unfortunately, my bike doesn’t have a pannier rack, so I couldn’t test it there. However, I suspect it works well, with the pouch being secured in three places and being out of the way, at the back of the bike.

One problem though: what do you do with the pouch when your bike is locked up? Do you leave it on the bike? Or do you take it with you?

You might think that no one is going to steal the pouch. But some people will steal whatever they easily can. And since it’s only attached to your bike with Velcro straps, the Hiplok Carry Pouch is very easy to steal!

So you should almost certainly take it with you (in a bag or strapped to your belt or something), which could be a bit of a pain.

The versatility of the Hiplok Carry Pouch (attachable to your belt, your handlebars, your top tube or your pannier), means that most people should be able to find a way that works for them. For me, it was on the top tube.

It’s also not too expensive, so as long as you're OK with removing it and taking it with you every time you lock up (at least in busy, higher risk areas), then I think it’s a great option. Remember, it is only available for the smaller D1000, not the DX1000 though.

The Hiplok BR1000 Lock Bracket is a bit more complicated!

By itself, this small plastic mount will attach directly to your panniers. And seems to work really well here.

But if you want to attach it elsewhere on your frame, you’ll need to buy a third party adapter, which acts as an interface between the BR1000 and the frame.

There are two systems to choose from: KlickFix or Ortilieb (which you’ll have to buy from Amazon or somewhere, as they’re not available on the Hiplok website).

Both systems produce different adapters that will attach to either your handlebars, frame tubes or seat posts.

And each adapter comes in a myriad of different sizes to fit the myriad of different handlebar, frame tube and seat post sizes on different bikes:

To some extent, this explains why it’s so hard to produce a good frame mount (especially for heavier locks), and why Hiplok have chosen to use a third party system rather than do it themselves.

And that is: there are so many different shapes and sizes of frames and components, it’s very difficult to create a frame mount that will work well with all of them. So Hiplok have left that to the experts!

The drawback for us is that we need to buy two separate items: the Hiplok bracket for the lock and then the third party adapter that attaches the bracket to the frame. Which is a bit of a rigmarole.

And remember: you have to be sure which part of the bike you want to mount the lock to before you buy, because each adapter is for just one specific area.

I tried the KlickFix adapter [Amazon] for the handlebars.

The big mistake I made here was eschewing the written installation instructions that came with the adapter (partly because the writing was ridiculously small), for an installation video (not by KlickFix) that I found on YouTube.

Do not use this video!...

Hands down, this has got to be one of the worst installation videos I have ever seen. It doesn’t explain that the 2 bolts have to be inserted in such a way that the holes are visible through the plastic, (so that the cable can thread through them).

Consequently, I didn’t do that, and nearly broke the adapter as I was trying to install it.

This video is slightly better:

Or even better still, just read the instructions!

I found this a strange adapter to be honest. I couldn’t tighten the screws enough to keep the adapter stiff against the handlebars. This meant once I’d installed the cable, it pulled the adapter up towards the sky, to a surprising degree.

When the BR1000 Lock Bracket was clipped into the adapter (with the lock in place), the weight pushed the adapter down again to the expected angle.

But I didn’t anticipate so much movement in the angle of the adapter, and I’m not sure if I did something wrong during the installation, or whether my handlebars were a bit too thin for this adapter?

Anyway, the lock clicks and then straps into the BR1000 very easily. And then the BR1000 clicks into the KlickFix adapter, also very easily. And everything clicks out again very easily when you get wherever you’re going!

Although there is a lot of vertical movement in the adapter when it’s empty, the weight of the lock kept everything in place while I was riding around. And it didn’t interfere with my ride in any way.

So, are there any advantages of the BR1000 and KlickFix combination over the Hiplok Carry Pouch?

Well, the most obvious one is that it will work with the bigger DX1000 lock. If you want to carry the DX1000 on your frame somewhere, then you will need the BR1000 and possibly one of the adapters (if you don’t have a pannier rack).

Also, if you don't have enough vertical space between your handlebars and your wheel for the Hiplok Carry Pouch (you’ll need at least 7 inches or 17 cm), then the BR1000 and KlickFix combination is obviously the better choice, as it holds the locks horizontally.

Both the BR1000 and KlickFix are attached to the frame with various screws and Allen bolts, so they are less likely to be stolen than the Velcro attached Carry Pouch. And if you're really worried, you can add Hexlox or Pitlock Pit-Stoppers to virtually guarantee they won’t be stolen.

However, when used in conjunction, the BR1000 just clips in and out of the KlickFix. So it suffers from the same fundamental issue as the Carry Pouch. That is: to avoid it being stolen, you need to take it away with you when you lock up.

You might be able to slip the BR1000 or the Carry Pouch into a pocket. But not very comfortably. So bear in mind you might need to carry them around in a bag. Which for me, at least, is not ideal, as I never have a bag!

In terms of ease of use and stability (when riding), I didn’t find one option better than the other. Both the mount and the carry pouch performed well.

What about cost? The combined price of the BR1000 and KlickFix is slightly more expensive than the Carry Pouch. But there’s very little in it.

So, my recommendation?

Both options are perfectly useable. If you’ve got the bigger DX1000 lock, you’ll have to get the BR1000 frame mount. If you’ve got the smaller D1000 lock, choose the one that fits where you want to mount it on the bike.

If you’re looking to carry it on your panniers, then the B1000 (which you can use by itself on the panniers), will be cheaper, and you won’t have to carry anything away with you when you’ve locked up.

If you’re looking to carry it on your seat post, then the only option in the BR1000 plus a KickFix seat post adapter. I haven’t tested this yet, though.

If you want to carry it on your handlebars, I’m not sure which is best. The Carry Pouch is slightly more obtrusive (and potentially obstructive, depending on your set-up). And you’ll need to take it with you when you lock up. But unlike the KickFix it leaves no trace when removed.

Next up, I’ll be testing the Ortilieb system and will be reporting back here when I have!

Bear in mind, there are other ways to carry your lock when you're riding. And if you're not sure which lock you need yet, check out my complete guide to finding the best bike lock!