This unusually shaped lock is made of 12mm diameter hardened steel with a tapered parabolic shape. The lock mechanism is a five-number combination that slides over the joint. It’s good to see that the steel shackle is encased in a protective plastic sleeve to prevent frame damage, and the Snaplock weighs in at a reasonable 969g. It can easily be carried in a bag, slid into your belt or even fitted onto your bike with the optional mount.
The five-number combination means there are no keys to lose, and the lock’s shape means putting it around the seat-tube and through the rear wheel is a good close fit when attaching to a railing, rack or wall anchor. Looping from the down-tube to the front wheel is also an option if you add an accessory cable. The tapered shape means the lock can be slotted through a belt securely. We had no issues with removing it even when riding.
The clever shape means that attacking the Snaplock with traditional levering methods is all but impossible, as long as the device is fitted to your bike properly. It covers as much area as a standard U-lock so we’d recommend adding in an accessory cable to slip through the other wheel as well. The 12mm diameter steel resisted a saw for a couple of minutes (2 mins 12 secs to be exact). A rotter with decent bolt croppers might be able to get through faster, but it’s certainly a decent deterrent.