I recently had the chance to test out two very different styles of locks from Hiplok: Their Hiplok Urban D and their Switch 105. They come with unique use cases and security levels, so testing both gave me a unique view of when and where they fit best into my bike lock quiver.
Hiplok Switch 105 folding lock
The Switch 105 is a folding lock, meaning it’s made from several bar sections that are riveted together. It has some of the same advantages of a chain lock, such as its ability to lock around larger and stranger shaped things, but sheds the extra weight and bulk associated with heavier chain locks.
The Switch 105 is the longer version of the 85, giving you a 105 cm (41 inch) locking length. That lets me lock around trees, telephone poles, or other wider structures that would rule out a typical lock like a U-lock.
Below you can also see a strange-shaped bike rack that I recently parked at with my Radio Flyer Loop e-bike, which itself has a strange-shaped frame and thus limits your locking points.
Between the two non-traditional setups, you’d be hard-pressed to fit a traditional lock between that rack and the frame. But the Switch 105 let me get just creative enough to make it work.
Like a chain lock, it wiggled around the weird bends, but it also didn’t add the same bulk as a chain. At just 1.18 kg (2.6 lb), it’s a heck of a lot lighter and tidier than a chain lock.
The Switch 105 also comes with a unique little trick in its mounting holster.
Normally, these holsters take up the space of the bottle holder on your bike, meaning that if you only have one set of bottle bosses, you’ve now got to choose between conveniently carrying your lock or conveniently carrying some thirst-quenching water.
But the Switch 105 has an adapter plate that lets you swap one for the other.
You can keep a bottle holder mounted on the adapter plate, and swap it in place of the lock holster.
That means if I’m going for a fitness ride where water is important (and thus I’m also probably not stopping and locking my bike up), I can use the yellow quick-release tab to quickly remove my lock and swap on my water bottle holder. Then, for my next trip, I can swap the bike lock back on, all without needing to whip out my toolkit.
So the Switch 105 has some neat tricks and also looks slick all bundled up in its holster, unlike an unruly chain lock.
But the downside is that it isn’t quite as secure, garnering just a SOLD SECURE Bronze rating, which isn’t terribly high. The lock’s rivets and somewhat narrower bars aren’t going to stand up to the same abuse as a thicker, chunkier lock. That’s why I see the Switch 105 as a great second lock.
I do use the Switch 105 by itself on occasion, but I’m a firm believer in using two locks whenever you’re even a little worried about a location’s security. And so an out-of-the-way and versatile locking solution like the Switch 105 makes sense.
For its price of US $129 though, it’s a bit pricey for that level of security. You’d better really enjoy the innovative holster and adapter bracket, or really need the folding element, or just really like how tidily it tucks away on the frame.
Hiplok Urban D U-lock
For added security, you’d want something a bit beefier and with a higher security rating. That’s where the Urban D comes in.
Hiplok is of the same mind as people who call these “D-locks”, which are mainly Brits and those whose countries have been uniquely touched by the Brits. I’ve never seen someone write the letter D like this, and so I’m more of a “U-lock” fellow, but I’ll agree to disagree on the naming.
What we can all agree on, though, is that this is a much stronger lock thanks to its thicker 13 mm hardened steel shackle. It’s also rated SOLD SECURE Gold, so it’s better able to stand up to various attacks commonly perpetrated by bike thieves.
I really like how wide the shackle is, too. At 105 mm (4.1 inches) internal width, the shackle can more easily fit around the chunkier tubes found on e-bikes as well as thicker anchor points like parking meters and sign posts.
Plus, the added heft and security only have a small weight penalty, with the Urban D tipping the scales just slightly heavier than the Switch 105 at 1.29 kg (2.8 lb). It’s even a bit more affordable than the Switch 105 at US $89.
The last little thing I like about it is that the lock has a strange cylindrical key profile that I haven’t seen before, meaning that a thief is less likely to have the skills or equipment to pick the lock.
Is it really secure?
The SOLD SECURE Gold rating on the Hiplok Urban D does give me more peace of mind, but it’s not the highest rating out there, either. Sure, it’s going to slow a thief down, but it won’t stop a determined thief.
In the past, I’ve tested Hiplok’s D1000 U-lock, which is an angle grinder-proof lock. To put it to the test, I took my angle grinder to it. You can see a video of me trying to cut through it, where I used up three cutting discs and only managed to get around halfway through the lock’s shackle. That’s the point where I pretty much gave up and admitted defeat to the lock, since even if I destroyed another three cutting discs to get all the way through the shackle, I’d have to run through another six discs (and probably another battery or two) to make a second cut on the other side of the shackle to open it enough to slip out my hypothetical e-bike.
That was pretty darn impressive, since while technically I might have been able to cut through it with a dozen discs, few thieves are going to go through that much trouble (or even carry that many replacement discs with them), and I’d imagine more thieves are likely to just move on to the next bike that looks easier to steal.
As much as I love a good D-lock like the Urban D or its big brother, the D1000, the downside to U-locks is that you’re still a bit more limited in your locking locations. It’s decently long with a 210 mm (8.2 inches) internal length, but you still have to keep your frame close to the anchor you’re locking to. Unlike chains and folding locks, you don’t get nearly the same creativity.
But used together, multiple styles of locks can give the most freedom and protection, allowing bike owners to lock to more things and also often requiring thieves to use different attacks to defeat different styles of locks.
Of the two, I’m not sure which I prefer more. The Switch 105 gives me more locking freedom, but I definitely feel safer with the Urban D. The best option for me is to just use both of them when I can or where necessary, giving me more peace of mind and letting my locking creativity blossom.
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