LITELOK CORE Plus

Looks and feels solid. It hasn’t saved my ride from anything yet but I feel confident when I’m out on the streets of Los Angeles. The smaller version I bought fits snug around my 29 inch waist with little wiggle room. It’s a bit stiffer than it looks which is maybe a good thing but makes it hard to stretch around various chunky poles and trees (-0.5 stars); would’ve bought the bigger version but they’re sold out. Wish the outer mesh weave is tighter or smooth so it doesn’t snag sharp objects or catch debris and is more

comfortable to the touch (-0.5 stars). Wouldn’t recommend it to the majority of the population because of the price (-1 star). Would like to see the company become a B Corp. There’s no way to tell the sustainability and ethics of their supply chain. Using recycled materials for the mesh is one small step though.

I bought this as a package with the X1, and whilst the Core isn’t as secure I find it far more flexible, particularly in collaboration with the X1 for double the security.

It’s long enough to secure around something large, such as a lamp post and still get it around the bike frame, or to lock two bikes to something like a pipe, and allows me to secure the bikes to the bike-rack on the back of the van.

I also appreciate that you can pre-lock it and then just press the ends together to lock (make sure you have the key with you though, and that they keyhole is accessible!)

I did expect it to be longer than it is though, being that it fits a 36” waist, but that length includes the elasticated adapter.

After the first several uses of the LiteLok, I can honestly say I feel less worried about my bike being stolen. Overall, it feels like a level up in bike security coming from a decades long user of quality U locks. It is larger than I expected, and I had to remove my bottle cage for it to fit on my XL frame. It doesn't quite fit my waist comfortably, I prefer it on the frame anyway. It definitely draws looks and may invite thieves to forego stealing your bike and focus on removable parts, like a front wheel or seat. The low weight and the way it's distributed is a big plus, it exceeded my expectations.

I bought this lock as part of a system that I hope will deter back thieves. Most bicycle locks offer very little deterrent to the current set of determined and well equipped thieves. I have a new and expensive (to me)

E-bike, for which I saved up over a long period of time. I will combine this lock with the Litelok X3 and a Sold Secure Gold Chain combo from another leading brand. These three locks I believe should put off all, but the most determined and well equipped thieves. However, I believe it will take even them a very long time, which would make my bike much less appealing to them. The core plus, I believe, will provide flexibility of locking options and a strong visual deterrent to thieves. I have no faith in standard locks for London use and hope I have found something close to a solution with Litelok’s Sold Secure Diamond locks