In case you’re commuting to work and leaving your bike unattended in a metropolis, it’s not simply your body that it is advisable defend. It’s additionally a smart concept to lock your wheels, as these are sometimes focused by thieves too. The traditional answer is to loop a cable by your wheels and use one in all the perfect 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 components”, 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 essential activity.
Development
In case you’re utilizing the Hexlox system to your wheels, it consists of three components: 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? Basically, 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 not 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 straightforward and weighs subsequent to nothing.
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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 (they usually share the identical three-digit keycode which is totally distinctive to the set).
It’s essential to notice that the explanation 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 probably should buy a metal through axle for the Hexlox insert to work. Hexlox sells an enormous vary, so you need to have the ability to discover one which is appropriate along with your bike. Or, in the event you do occur to have a metal thru-axle knocking about, you may simply use that.
(Picture credit score: Future)
Hexlox’s system cannot solely be used on wheels, but in addition for basically each bolt in your bike. You possibly can drop the inserts within the bolts to your saddles, seatpost, handlebars, stems, pedals – the listing goes on. It’s extra probably that at the very least a few of your bolts could be metal (and can subsequently work with the magnetic Hexlox inserts), but when not, Hexlox does promote quite a lot of substitute bolts for various functions, too.
I put the system to the check 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 capable of 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 straightforward to do.
I additionally like that the hot button is tiny and far smaller than every other bike lock keys I’ve. After I added it to my set of home keys I may barely discover that I had added one other key.
The set up course of is fast and easy
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It’s a bit of 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 best factor to do whenever you’re crouching by the facet of the highway on an impromptu cease – most certainly when you have got a puncture and have to take away your wheel. Fortunately I haven’t truly had a puncture on my commuting bike thus far this 12 months (because of Schwalbe’s wonderful G-One Allround tyres), and so the one motive I attempted eradicating the bolt was for the good thing about this check!
Anyway, because the insert will not be one thing you’ll have to take away every day and even every week or month (hopefully), the truth that it’s a bit of tough to take away isn’t a lot of a difficulty for my part.
Given the issue and frustration I skilled even eradicating the insert with the right key, I’m fairly assured it would 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 capable of 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 power 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 exams, 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’d 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 at all times extra you are able to do to push back 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.
By way of getting arrange, it’s fairly simple to work out which dimension Hexlox you want for the bolts in your bike. Merely insert an Allen key into the bolt and whichever dimension Allen key matches the opening, that’s the dimensions 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. In case you 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 total 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.
