Keep your bike safe with 6 of the best locks from Squire

With a range of more than 80 different products, and a tradition of lock making that has been passed down father-to-son through eight generations, your bike is in no better hands than when it’s protected by a Squire lock.

From humble beginnings in the late 18th century with a small selection of padlocks, door locks and cabinet locks, to the first lever padlocks in the 1800s, to a breakthrough range of dedicated bike locks in the 1963, Squire has constantly innovated and developed to make sure your property is ever more secure. That approach continues today, particularly with products that offer ultimate protection for bikes at home.

Of course, there is a temptation among cyclists to think that if their bike is in their house - or garage or shed - it’s safe. But that’s far from the truth. Garage and outbuilding doors are particularly easy for thieves to open, and once they’ve broken through that, your bike is easy pickings. Insurance companies know this, too. You may find that, should the worst happen, your insurance policy won’t cover you for a stolen bike even from your own property, unless it’s suitably locked up.

So that is why Squire’s range is so important for cyclists. With the Sold Secure standard you not only get awesome security for your bike, you also get peace of mind that the products you are using will conform with the requirements of your insurance policy. And with Squire’s ‘Toughness Guarantee’, you also get a personal 10-year no-quibble guarantee from John Squire on all Squires locks – you don’t even need a receipt.

So how should you keep you bike safe and sound? Before we look at the options from Squire, here's some general advice...

10 tips to keep your bike safe at home

1. Keep your bike or bikes away from windows and out of sight
2. Choose something solid, secure and immovable to lock them to – a wall or floor anchor is a good idea
3. Use two different types of lock – having to think twice will help to deter would-be thieves
4. Use the very best locks you can afford – these will stay at home, so there’s no need to worry about weight. Consider spending 5-10% of the value of the bike on locks and ground anchors. If you’ve got a £8,000 e-bike, a £15 entry-level cable lock isn’t going to buy you much time against a professional thief 
5. Feed one lock through the front wheel and the main triangle of the frame
6. Feed the second lock through the rear wheel and the main triangle of the frame
7. Try to make the locks fit as tightly to the bike as possible to reduce the amount of ‘wiggle room’ where thieves can use tools
8. Put up a sign or use a sticker to warn would-be thieves that your bike is registered and trackable
9. Make sure the lock isn’t resting on the floor as the floor can be used to gain extra leverage when using bolt cutters, or as a solid base when using a sledge hammer
10. If you have your bike locked up in the shed, get as good a hasp and staple as you can afford. We recommend Secured By Design products. Plus, you must change the hinge screws over to security screws so the door can’t easily be removed on its hinge side.

Sold secure – what it means

Sold Secure is a not-for-profit organisation to which manufacturers can apply to have their products independently tested and verified. It was established in 1992 by Northumbria and Essex Police with the backing of the Home Office, and is now owned and administered by the Master Locksmiths Association. 

Sold Secure approval is classified into three main categories; Bronze, Silver and Gold. The categories reflect the amount of time it takes to overcome the lock, and the tools required to do it. The higher the grading (Bronze is the lowest), the higher the security provided by the product. Many insurance policies require that bikes are secured with Sold Secure Gold locks. 

6 of the best Squire locks

Inigma BL1 £159.99

Always misplacing your bike lock keys? No problem – with Bluetooth technology, the Inigma BL1 D-lock will let you use your smartphone to unlock your bike. You can even share control of your lock with other people - giving and revoking permission easily – and use multiple locks with one smartphone, all done using super secure AES-256 bit encryption. Suitable for use with Android and iOS smart phones, and Apple watches, this is the ultimate 21st Century bike lock. 

The Inigma BL1 is the world's first Bluetooth D-lock with Sold Secure Gold Bicycle Rating and, with the Inigma product range, Squire is the first bike lock manufacturer to achieve the new BSI Internet of Things (IoT) Kitemark for a bike lock. Made in Britain.

• Weight: 1.78kg
• Body thickness: 30mm
• Lock type: Bluetooth
• Sold Secure rating: Gold (Bicycle)
• Perfect for: Fully integrated smart homes 
• Available from your local bike shop via Ison Distribution 
• Webpage 

Stronghold SS50CS/G4 £164.20

If you want a lock that exudes old-school strength and toughness – the kind of product that any potential thieves will recognise as something they won’t get the better of – the Stronghold SS50 is your answer. With a 10mm hardened boron alloy steel closed shackle, a solid hardened steel lock body, electrophoretic anti-corrosion finish and a six-pin cylinder with more than 250,000 key differs, this is one lock that nobody will want to mess with. Made in Britain.

• Weight: 4.41kg
• Body thickness: 26mm
• Lock type: Key
• Sold Secure rating: Gold (Motor Bicycle)
• Perfect for: No-nonsense strength and toughness
• Available from your local bike shop via Ison Distribution
• Webpage 

Snaplok 210 £78.71

It’s not just size and perceived strength that puts thieves off – confusion can play a role too. The Snaplok 210 might not be your main lock but as an easy way to create a bit of added frustration, it’s a gem. This lightweight lock has been rigorously attack tested, achieving a Sold Secure Silver rating and features a 15mm hardened boron alloy steel shackle and a five-wheel recodable lock with 100,000 possible combinations. Made in Britain.

• Weight: 0.84kg
• Body thickness: 15mm
• Lock type: Combination
• Sold Secure rating: Silver (Bicycle)
• Perfect for: Weight watchers and frustration makers
• Available from your local bike shop via Ison Distribution
• Webpage 

Eiger 230 £60.99

For cyclists desiring useable all-round security, the Eiger 230 D-lock is the perfect option. With its 13mm hardened alloy steel shackle and armoured steel lock body with disc tumbler locking mechanism, it has the kind of performance that makes it a very solid in-situ lock for home security. But with its sub-1.5kg weight and bike-mount, it’s a fine solution for commuters wanting to enjoy home levels of security at work, too.

• Weight: 1.47kg
• Body thickness: 44mm
• Lock type: Key
• Sold Secure rating: Gold (Bicycle)
• Perfect for: Bringing home security to the roadside
• Available from your local bike shop via Ison Distribution
• Webpage 

Challenger 260 £38.49

When it comes to locks, we’d always say buy the best you can afford, but Squire knows that sometimes circumstances restrict how much money we all have available. The Challenger 260 D-lock offers all the strength of an octagonal sleeved hardened steel shackle, steel body and four-pin tumbler locking mechanism but at a price that’s light on your wallet. It’s fairly light on the weighing scales, too, so another great option for security beyond the home.

• Weight: 1.1kg
• Body thickness: 30mm
• Lock type: Key
• Sold Secure rating: Bronze
• Perfect for: Saving money without compromising security
• Available from your local bike shop via Ison Distribution
• Webpage

Retrac 2 £17.99

While we’ve mainly focused on the kinds of tough locks that offer ultimate security for your bike’s normal resting place, the Retrac 2 is an easy ‘keep-it-in-your-pocket’ solution for when you stop out on a ride, or perhaps even need to dive back inside home for a second. As convenient extra security, this low cost and lightweight retractable cable lock with three-wheel recodable combination is hard to better.

• Weight: 0.07kg
• Body thickness: 2mm
• Lock type: Combination
• Sold Secure rating: N/A
• Perfect for: Out and about pitstops
• Available from your local bike shop via Ison Distribution
• Webpage

GA6 Ground Anchor £85.99

Okay, you've made your selection from the six locks above, but what do you lock your bike to if there’s nothing suitable at home? For complete security, there’s only one option: a ground anchor. The GA6 is a solid single bridge anchor with a blue powder coat finish that will accept chains up to 19mm thick. It’s fully case hardened to RC60 spec – which means it’s properly tough - and comes supplied with four security bolts with steel ball inserts. All you’ve got to do is get handy with a drill.

• Weight: 4kg
• Body thickness: 67mm
• Lock type: Ground anchor
• Sold Secure rating: Diamond (Motorcycle)
• Perfect for: Having the right place to lock your bike
• Available from your local bike shop via Ison Distribution
• Webpage