Pros
- Lightweight and portable
- Combo lock gives a bit of extra security over the standard Z Lok
- Cheap
- Long enough to take in the down tube and rear wheel
- Easy to operate
- No keys to lose
Cons
- Will not stop a concerted attack with tools for long
Price as reviewed:
£19.99
It’s a bike rider’s conundrum: what do you do to keep your bike safe while you’re stopped and away from it? A good quality D lock or chain lock is secure, but also really heavy to ride around with, whereas anything lighter is likely to be flimsy and not keep a thief at bay for long. The Hiplok Z Lok looks to address this.
However, it’s worth saying before we get started that some specific bike insurance is worth considering as no lock is unbreakable.
The Z Lok weighs only 70g, so you’re not going to feel burdened by it if you stuff it into your pocket or clip it round your frame. The design is like an oversize zip tie and inside the plastic covering is a steel ribbon. If you use the Z Lok to secure your frame to a post or railing, it’s enough to stop a thief from walking away with your bike, although it’s unlikely to stand up long to a bolt cutter. Its steel band design is significantly more robust than other lightweight locking options, which tend to use thin cables, though.
Three 10 digit wheels let you set your own combination
At 40cm long, there’s enough length to secure your frame to something immoveable and possibly your rear wheel too. Because of its zip tie-like design, you can also shorten the loop to make it harder to get leverage with a cutter.
The standard Z Lok costs £9.99 and comes with a small key with a couple of pins to release the lock. The Z Lok Combo is more sophisticated, with a three dial combination lock. You can set your own three digit combination, with each dial having ten positions. Once locked, you can tighten the loop, but you’d need a lot of leverage to force it open. There’s a release lever to undo the ratchet when unlocked.
Hiplok suggests using the lock when you’re leaving your bike on a car carrier and it would work well for skis and other kit too. The Z Lok Combo comes in three colours: teal, black or yellow, so you can go for something more stealthy or more visible. It’s a clever, useful bit of kit to carry around for the coffee stop or quick errands on the bike and cheaper than a full-strength lock too.
Verdict
The Hiplok Z Lok Combo is a lightweight way to keep your bike secure in lower risk environments. It’s easy to carry around and to use. The combination lock gives a bit more security than the two pin unlocking mechanism of the standard Z Lok.
Details
Weight: 70g
Contact: www.zyrofisher.co.uk
