Litelok X1: Angle grinder resistance for peace of mind

The Litelok X1 was launched amid much social media and YouTube hype, with videos of angle grinders failing to chop into it.

• Brand: Litelok
• Product: X1
• From: Litelok
• Price: £149.99
• Tested: by Hannah for 11 months

Pros

• Appears very angle grinder resistant
• Well sealed from water
• No rough spots to scratch a frame

Cons

• Can be tricky to get connected
• Too short for some use scenarios

Made with ‘Barronium’, the Litelok X1 promises Diamond Level Sold Secure security for your bike amid a host of other features:

• Barronium™ fused composite armour repels angle grinder attacks
• Unique anti-rotation feature protects against twisting attacks and single cuts
• The natural finish soft plant-based eco-rubber outer layer won’t damage your frame
• Engineered for smooth and quiet operation
• Quick to affix and remove with our universal ‘Twist & Go’ frame mount
• Reflective strips keep you safe and seen
• Unique, innovative self-sealing silicone keyhole cover means you don’t have to remember to open or close your keyhole to keep out dirt, dust and moisture
• Independently tested and approved by Sold Secure
• Certified Sold Secure Bicycle Diamond and Sold Secure Motorcycle Diamond
• Proudly Made in Britain using precision engineering

I can’t say that I’ve ever been bothered by noisy operation of a lock, but I suppose if you’re trying to sneak home after curfew perhaps this might matter to you. If that’s the case, I hope you have a nice quiet hub. And that you lubed your chain. Anyway.

The security features seem useful, and as I am neither a professional thief, locksmith, or even a trained anglegrinder operator, I’m not going to attempt to break into the lock. Because there are plenty of people on YouTube doing that for me, and what would me (probably vainly) chopping away at the lock tell you? Not very much, other than eventually (over 1 minute is shown on plenty of YouTube channels) you can get through one side with an angle grinder, and your angle grinder will probably need a new cutter before you can get through the second side. And it would leave me with a worn out angle grinder and a useless lock. And I’d damage that plant-based eco-rubber coating. Which, it turns out, isn’t just marketing – not all rubber is plant based, it’s just that the stuff we need for bicycle tyres needs a bit of rubber plant in it somewhere to make it have the properties needed for cycling. In use, that rubber coating has proven pretty robust, which is reassuring when you’re locking up your bike and want to keep the paint looking good.

Reflective strips is a nice extra touch – why not add something eye catching for those that carry it on their frame. The silicone keyhole does seem to keep the muck out, and the shackle ends seem quite well protected from the wet. There’s no sign of rust anywhere, unlike some of my other locks. The shackle fits snugly into the body of the lock, almost creating a seal where the rubber coating of the arms meets the body. However, that snug fit does make it a little tricky to get a ‘connection’ with the lock. Sometimes it takes a couple of goes to get the body and arms to join so that you can turn the key. Couple that with the relatively short length of the shackle and it can be tricky to find a suitable spot to attach your bike and get that connection made. Over time I’ve got more practiced at the knack of getting it to connect, but it’s tricky enough that it’s not a lock I loan to my kids when they take a bike into town.

Another factor stopping me loaning it to my kids is paranoia! I’ve been very careful to keep the spare key stored safely – the prospect of not being able to take an angle grinder to it in the event of a lost key is reassuringly stressful. When you get your lock, you should register it – that way, you can request new keys in the event that you (or your beloved offspring) do mislay a key.

While the short shackle length means it’ll fit inside many frames, it also means you can be limited as to what you can lock you bike to – and you definitely can’t lock two fat-framed mountain bikes with it. If you’ve racks on your bike, you may find you struggle to get near enough in to some cycle racks to lock the frame to the rack. And if you’ve a big fat frame – like some ebikes or cargo bikes – you may find there are a few sweet spots for locking up, rather than loads of choice. I’d love to see a longer shackled version – if there’s two of you out together, it’s nice for one to carry the lock and the other to carry the tools/pump/shopping/picnic rather than both having to lug a lock.

Overall

The Litelok X1 is competitively priced against other similar sized Diamond Secure locks. Securing my bike up in town with this lock gives me a fair degree of confidence that my bike will still be there when I come back to it. My main worry is not that my bike will be stolen, but that a frustrated thief will chop into my bike out of spite when they realise they’re struggling to get through the lock. Not a lot you can do about that though. For giving yourself a fighting chance of keeping thieves away, the Litelok X1 is a pretty good option.

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Review Info

Hannah Dobson

Managing Editor

I came to Singletrack having decided there must be more to life than meetings. I like all bikes, but especially unusual ones. More than bikes, I like what bikes do. I think that they link people and places; that cycling creates a connection between us and our environment; bikes create communities; deliver freedom; bring joy; and improve fitness. They're environmentally friendly and create friendly environments. I try to write about all these things in the hope that others might discover the joy of bikes too.

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