If you happen to’re commuting to work and leaving your bike unattended in a metropolis, it’s not simply your body that you’ll want to defend. It’s additionally a wise thought to lock your wheels, as these are sometimes focused by thieves too. The basic answer is to loop a cable by means of your wheels and use one among one of the best bike locks to safe it, and the body, to an immovable object. Nevertheless, that is fairly a cumbersome system.
Self-proclaimed to be the “world’s smallest lock for bike elements”, I used to be intrigued to check Hexlox’s anti-theft system to see the way it works – and discover out whether or not one thing so tiny is usually a dependable system for such an necessary activity.
Building
If you happen to’re utilizing the Hexlox system in your wheels, it consists of three elements: a Hexlox thru-axle for every wheel, a Hexlox key and two Hexlox tiny 6mm stainless-steel inserts (which match into the bolt of every thru-axle).
Importantly, how does Hexlox’s anti-theft system work for securing your wheels? Primarily, you insert the Hexlox into the socket of the thru-axle, which blocks entry. If a thief comes together with an Allen key, they merely can’t insert it into the bolt to unscrew the thru-axle – so that they’re unable to take away the wheel out of your bike.
The HexLox system is easy and weighs subsequent to nothing.
(Picture credit score: Future)
The Hexlox insert can solely be eliminated along with your particular Hexlox key as the form of the Hexlox key and Hexlox insert are matched precisely (and so they share the identical three-digit keycode which is totally distinctive to the set).
It’s necessary to notice that the rationale why Hexlox inserts keep within the head of the bolt is as a result of they’re magnetic. Nevertheless, most thru-axles that come commonplace in your bike are aluminum – which means that you’ll seemingly need to buy a metal via axle for the Hexlox insert to work. Hexlox sells an enormous vary, so it is best to have the ability to discover one which is suitable along with your bike. Or, should you do occur to have a metal thru-axle knocking about, you’ll be able to simply use that.
(Picture credit score: Future)
Hexlox’s system cannot solely be used on wheels, but additionally for basically each bolt in your bike. You may drop the inserts within the bolts in your saddles, seatpost, handlebars, stems, pedals – the record goes on. It’s extra seemingly that at the very least a few of your bolts is likely to be metal (and can due to this fact work with the magnetic Hexlox inserts), but when not, Hexlox does promote a wide range of alternative bolts for various functions, too.
I put the system to the take a look at on the thru-axles of my commuting bike. Right here’s the way it went…
The arrange and trip
As talked about, most thru-axles are aluminium – and mine are not any totally different. To ensure that Hexlox’s system to work, I first needed to swap in entrance and rear thru-axles which have metal heads. The entrance is Hexlox branded, the rear was despatched by Hexlox, however is definitely from Robert Axle.
As each the Hexlox key and insert are magnetic I used to be in a position to decide up the tiny insert with my key and place it into the thru-axle. I then turned the important thing anti-clockwise to lock the insert in place. Actually fast and simple to do.
I additionally like that the secret’s tiny and far smaller than every other bike lock keys I’ve. Once I added it to my set of home keys I might barely discover that I had added one other key.
The set up course of is fast and easy
(Picture credit score: Future)
It’s somewhat trickier to take away the bolt – even along with your matching magic magnetic key. I discovered that I needed to actually push the important thing in – and be very exact with eradicating the insert fully straight (not even at a slight angle). This isn’t the simplest factor to do whenever you’re crouching by the facet of the highway on an impromptu cease – more than likely when you will have a puncture and have to take away your wheel. Fortunately I haven’t really had a puncture on my commuting bike to this point this 12 months (because of Schwalbe’s glorious G-One Allround tyres), and so the one motive I attempted eradicating the bolt was for the advantage of this take a look at!
Anyway, because the insert isn’t one thing you’ll have to take away every day and even every week or month (hopefully), the truth that it’s somewhat tough to take away isn’t a lot of a difficulty in my view.
Given the problem and frustration I skilled even eradicating the insert with the right key, I’m fairly assured it is going to a hindrance to thieves. Most are opportunistic, so in the event that they’re attempting to jam of their Allen key however discover it will not match, hopefully, they’ll simply transfer on.
The Hexlox system may be very discreet however may be fiddly when attempting to take away a wheel.
(Picture credit score: Future)
I made a decision to attempt to take away the insert with a magnet that I pulled off my fridge door simply to see the way it’d cope and I wasn’t in a position to take away the insert. I don’t have every other stronger magnets round to check it with, however Hexlox claims that it’s not attainable to take away the insert with a extra highly effective magnet. It says: “The Hexlox is held in place in your bolt with a really small magnet however the important thing doesn’t use magnetic drive to take away the Hexlox – there’s a mechanical bond.” I had no success in utilizing pliers to take away the insert both.
After these assessments, I really feel assured leaving my bike unattended with only a D-lock and these bolt-blockers. A extremely motivated thief may have the ability to drill out the Hexlox insert utilizing a cordless drill. However I might be shocked at anybody going to that a lot fiddly effort on the wheels – if the ability instruments are being damaged out, it makes extra sense to go straight for the D-Lock.
There are different steps I take to be ok with leaving my bike locked up unattended, comparable to close by CCTV and in areas much less frequented by thieves. There’s all the time extra you are able to do to keep off thieves and supply extra safety, however Hexlox appears to be steadiness between safety and neatness for me.
I’ve been impressed by how discreet Hexlox’s answer is. And I’ve additionally appreciated not having to lug a lock cable round with all my issues for work.
When it comes to getting arrange, it’s fairly straightforward to work out which measurement Hexlox you want for the bolts in your bike. Merely insert an Allen key into the bolt and whichever measurement Allen key matches the opening, that’s the scale Hexlox you’ll want.
Worth and conclusion
A single Hexlox prices £14.00 and Hexlox key prices £14.00, which provides as much as £42.00 for shielding your entrance and rear thru-axles. If you happen to want a entrance and rear thru-axle to go along with it (as a result of your present setup doesn’t have a magnetic metal head) then that’s an additional £54.99 for every. This brings the complete price as much as €151.98. That is definitely a steep funding and a substantial quantity greater than merely utilizing a cable along with your D-lock. For instance Kryptonite’s Kryptoflex prices simply £14.99.
