For years Christine and I have used u-locks and while such locks provide a good level of security, they are bulky and heavy. Also a u-lock isn't very adaptable when it comes to locking your bike to unusually shaped objects. The Trelock FS 300 is a different kind of a lock, more secure than a cable, more flexible than a u-lock. When the folks at Cantitoe Road offered me a Trelock FS 300 for review, I took them up on their offer.
At 750 grams the FS 300 is lighter than many u-locks. The lock consists of six metal plates that are riveted together. The plates are coated in a rugged plastic to keep the lock from scratching your bike and the rivets pinning the plates together look substantial. The lock folds into a compact package and comes with a nicely designed mount that can be either bolted to the bottle bosses on your bike or secured to your frame with some sturdy nylon hose-type clamps. The lock comes with two serialized keys and key replacement service is available. The locking mechanism is smooth and secure, consisting of a steel cam that rotates 180 degrees to completely capture the mushroom head of the last of the lock's pivoting plates.
Folded, the lock is smaller than a water bottle and unfolded the sum of the length of the plates is 85 cm.
Christine has always preferred to use a Camelbak or a bottle that she carries in her bike basket, finding that more convenient than reaching down for a bottle crammed between the twin tubes of her Allant's compact frame. The FS 300 lock fits into that space perfectly.
I have not tested the FS 300 by leaving a bike in a rough neighborhood overnight and I'm not going to destroy a perfectly good lock to see just how tough it is. My sense in examining the lock is that it could be defeated with some determined work with a saw, chisel, or a very big pry bar. While the manufacturer has a video showing the lock resisting a ton of leverage, I think a hardened steel u-lock is a better solution for the highest risk situations.
While u-locks may be the standard in security, they tend to be bulky and it's hard to find a good place to carry them, especially on smaller framed bikes. The FS 300 fits into tight places and is a good, medium security lock.
Keep 'em rolling,
Kent "Mountain Turtle" Peterson
Issaquah, WA USA
4 comments:
Looks like a clone of the Abus Bordo lock series. How does it compare to them?
I don't have a Bordo, so I can't really compare them. The two locks do seem to be VERY similar.
$120 lock? They have got to be kidding.
Is actually too short, too bulky and overweight for me, it doesn't use it anymore, because deterrence has been sufficient already in our place. However bracket and security are certainly thought-who is really willing to lug the actual tank, certainly like exactly what useful.
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