Abus merkwinkel

Things to know about about Abus

Abus was founded in 1924 in Volmarstein, very close to Wetter an der Ruhr, Germany. The term “company founding” is a little over the top maybe, because all August Bremicker did was climb down to his workshop in the basement of his home in order to develop and manufacture a padlock together with his sons. This lock was a great success, more workers were hired, and the cellar soon became too small, so a new production facility was needed. As early as 1929, the company was able to move to a new, larger location nearby. To this day, Vollmarstein is home to one of the five German sites, and there are also 25 branches worldwide, including some in the USA and Asia, from where roughly 4,000 employees worry about our safety every day. The company is still family-owned, with the fourth and fifth generations now at the helm.

Abus bicycle locks and bicycle helmets

Video surveillance, alarm systems, mailboxes or CO2 meters, Abus makes our lives and work safer in many areas, but the bicycle locks and bicycle helmets are certainly among the company's best-known products.

Abus bicycle locks

There are many different ways to construct a bicycle lock, Abus builds them all. Folding locks, chain locks, coil cable locks, frame locks or u-locks – there's a lot to choose from, and you can buy all the accessories like wall anchors, too. But which Abus lock is the most secure?

When you look at the different bike locks here in the BMO online store, you may notice three things. There are different lock designs, there are thicker and thinner locks, and the price range is huge.

Which bike lock is particularly secure?

You can roughly divide Abus bike locks into two categories, there are flexible locks, such as cable locks, coil locks or chain locks, and there are rigid bike locks, folding locks, frame locks and u-locks are among them. The basic rule is: The design of the locks, as well as the amount of material, affects how long it takes a thief to pick the lock. Therefore, a thick, heavy and rigid lock is usually more secure than a thin lock.

To give you an idea of how secure a bike lock is, Abus divides its locks into "security levels." Solid, heavy u-locks, chain locks and folding locks carry security level 15; small, thin cable locks have only security level 1. In between are cable and coil locks, which are suitable for securing cheaper bikes. With bicycle locks, the security level usually increases with the price.

One of the most secure products with security level 15 is the Bordo folding lock. It is available both as a classic bicycle lock with a key or with a code. Abus Bordo consists of 5 mm thick bars, which are made of hardened steel. The robust elements are covered with a soft 2-component coating to protect your bike’s finish. The lock cylinder is designed to prevent picking or other attempted break-ins. For transport, the folding lock can be folded to a small pack and secured in a mount on the frame.

Cetero or Catama are cable locks with security level 8, or 6 respectively, if you want to buy a lightweight bike lock that's also easy to use, these two are great for securing a not-too-valuable bike, provided the risk of theft is not too high. With a small, lightweight cable lock like Combiflex or Star, a bike can't at least simply be pushed away; these locks also secure bike baskets or bags and helmets to the bike.

Here is a good rule of thumb: the more valuable your bike is and the longer you have to leave it unattended, the more you should invest in good security locks! Especially if your bike is parked overnight in a publicly accessible place, only the best lock is just good enough.

The combination of two locks is considered to be particularly secure, one lock connects the frame and rear wheel, the other one ties the frame to an immovable object. Thinner locks with a lower security level are only advisable for securing your bike if you stay close by and can see it. You can also tie a cheap, old bike to a lamppost with one of these locks, or just use it to secure your helmet to your bike so you don't have to carry it around.

Key or combination lock?

Both systems have their advantages and disadvantages, if you buy a lock with a code combination, you can not lose the key, but you do not have to remember a combination of numbers for a lock that needs a key. Abus makes both systems, of course, you can simply choose whatever you like more.

Recently, Abus has come up with the idea of making one key fit all locks, and allows you to combine your bike lock with your front door and other locks. You can have all locks equipped with the same lock cylinder, that way, you only have to carry one key around with you and can use it to secure your bike, door, shed and garage.

Smart bike locks

Many bicycles today cost a small fortune, especially the price tags on e-bikes demand for several thousand euros. Of course, you want such a treasure to be well secured when you need to let it out of your sight. You can buy bike locks from Abus that register an attempted break-in and then sound an alarm, or use the seperate Alarmbox to secure all kinds of items outside.

Abus bicycle helmets

The bike helmets that Abus has been making for many years are not quite as well known as their bike locks, despite their great quality and wearing comfort! After all, the German manufacturer supplies a wide range of bicycle helmets for men, women and children! Among them are not only trekking and city helmets, there are also lightweight road bike helmets and particularly shatterproof mountain bike helmets and cool skate and BMX helmets. You can also find rain covers for your bike helmet here in the online store.

Buy Abus bike locks and bike helmets online

In our online store we carry various bike locks and bike helmets made by Abus. One of the many bicycle locks will protect your beloved bike from a possible theft. And a good bike helmet is of course the best protection for your head in case of a fall or accident.