For a bike lock to work, it needs to be good — the Litelok X-1 is a great choice — and you also need to use it. And good locks can be heavy and bulky, which can discourage their use. So here are some tips to make it easy and convenient to always have that lock with you when you need it.

LiteLok X1 (thanks to LiteLok for sending me one): https://us.litelok.com/en-ca/products/litelok-x1

LiteLok’s Twist and Go Mount: https://us.litelok.com/en-ca/products/twist-go-mount

Ulac’s U Hold: https://www.ulaclock.com/products/u-hold

Oopsmark’s Holster: https://www.oopsmark.ca/products/u-lock-holster?variant=644312901

My favourite pannier, by Two Wheel Gear: https://twowheelgear.com/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=shifter&utm_campaign=tombabin

A huge thanks to my sponsors this year. They support this channel, so please support them. They also make amazing products that I use every day and endorse without hesitation.

Priority Bikes: I happily rode the Priority Continuum Onyx through many Canadian winters before they signed on as a sponsor: https://bit.ly/3tzXTee

Buy my book Frostbike: The Joy, Pain and Numbness of Winter Cycling: https://rmbooks.com/book/frostbike/

I don’t really do proper product reviews, but here are some products that I’ve tried on this channel that I like. (Of course, you don’t need anything fancy to ride a bike, other than a bike, but these are Amazon affiliate links, and I get paid a small commission if you buy them 😉)

• If you ride a bike in the city, you need a good lock. Litelok is a good option: us.litelok.com/SHIFTER
• If you wear a helmet and like to be well-lit, consider the Lumos: ridelumos.com/shifter
• Hindsight sunglasses have mirrors so you can see behind you while you ride. Plus, they look good: https://collabs.shop/f9hvof
• Love these RedShift Acrlight Smart LED Pedals: https://redshiftsports.com/collections/arclight-pedals?aff=40
• Crane Bicycle Bell (the ding is sublime): https://amzn.to/48gsHQ2
• Bicycle Cargo Net (why did it take so long for me to buy one of these?): https://amzn.to/31s1Ovu
• Vaude Cover II Rain Poncho (for higher-end, try Cleverhood or People’s Poncho): https://amzn.to/3jLkift
• Peak Design phone case (the one I use, paired with the Peak Design phone mount): https://amzn.to/48giWS6

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25 Comments

  1. The twist lock carrier didn’t work for me. The lock kept well, twisting out of it…😂 I carry mine on the bike basket. The key also sometimes gets stuck in the lock, the two pieces (the U and the part that has the key lock) need to be perfectly aligned, the rubber coated parts make that hard. But hey, I trust this lock. It gives a sturdy feel of a heavy lock.

  2. This is me getting creative… I'm really thin so maybe I can just have the lock around my neck while I ride on a bike. It's like paying for a lock but also get a unique looking necklace 😉

  3. My U-lock slips right down through the side of my rack- same brand as yours. I carry a cable, too, so I wrap them both with a Velcro strap. I use a strap made for snow skis, which has a convenient buckle for synching it down tight..

  4. the problem with u-locks is that sometimes when you find a spot to park the y-lock wont reach or wont fit so maybe carry a second lock like a chain or something

  5. As per experience, It’s nice to choose a heavy bike lock readily available in case of unavoidable circumstances, (E.g. a thick heavy chain with a heavy duty 60 – 70
    mm. padlock) where you can never tell when time arises where you will need to defend yourself.

  6. Putting metal bars against your spine doesnt seem like a good idea. If you ever fall it will concentrate the force on a specific vertebra, exacerbating the spine damage…
    Same goes with wrapping a chain around your waist.

  7. I put the lock around the seat post and strap the bulky key end down with velcro straps to the panier. If you are worried about scratching you can affix double sided sticky pads to the side of the lock that rests on the pannier.

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