I’ve just found the ultimate hipster bike lock! It’s a 7 mm steel chain, secured with a brass padlock, made by Shinola in Detroit. Both the chain and the padlock are encased in a Horween Essex leather cover which is available in three colorways: black, natural and orange. And it costs, wait for it… $285!
It does look fantastic. In fact, I think I’d rather wear it round my neck than waste it on my bike.
But while the leather sheath should adequately protect the paintwork on your custom fixie, the chain and particularly the padlock will not protect the bike from a tooled up thief. An average sized set of bolt cutters will slice through that padlock shackle like a knife through butter. But you will look good and feel smug until your bike is robbed.
It’s so pretty and so expensive, maybe we’ll start to see thieves stealing locks and leaving bikes. But until then, you’re probably best off with a chain lock that’s rated Sold Secure Silver or better.
