Alarm lock from Abus: Will the nag put the bolt cutter to flight?
15.6.2018
Translation: machine translated
A bike lock has never really set my pulse racing. The Abus Bordo Alarm 6000A is different, because it makes me feel a bit like a thief, even as the owner.
There I am in the open-plan office, holding a howling rattlesnake. I've unpacked something and touched it without reading the operating instructions. Mistake! It was only a bike lock. And now I'm giving everyone a round of tinnitus. My colleagues are still laughing, but I also realise that 100 decibels is not good for the long term. I shake the Abus Bordo Alarm helplessly and finally disappear into the next room to silence it. When it's quiet again, I decide: I'm not finished with you yet. I'm sure there are reasons why you are the way you are.
The path is gone
There are 35,025 of them in the police crime statistics. That's how many bike thefts were registered in 2017. With a clear-up rate of a manageable 2.2%, that means: gone is gone. Gone is not that unlikely. And gone can really hurt. That's why investing in a proper lock is by no means stupid. But then you have to find a satisfactory answer to the bike-lock paradox: on the one hand, you pay good money to make your bike as light as possible - only to secure it with a steel beam of a lock. Perhaps the solution lies ahead of me?
Rubberised and with technology in mind
The Abus Bordo Alarm is not a real lightweight, however. It has 5 mm thick bars and weighs 1450 g at 90 cm long. Compared to my normal folding lock, it is top-heavy - and it has something in its head! It houses the alarm technology and a CR2 battery, which you can of course only access when the lock is open. If the battery needs replacing, you will be alerted by a different acoustic signal. The manufacturer recommends changing the battery after one year at the latest. The rubber coating on the bars is practical, it protects the paintwork and reduces rattling while riding. If you fold the lock, it engages on a first level and can be locked in this transport position without activating the alarm. The Abus becomes loud on other occasions.
The chain dog is sharp
As soon as you fully engage the lock and turn the key, the alarm is activated, which is signalled by the Abus Bordo Alarm with a loud beep. So far, so good. The chain dog is armed. It's best to take your hands off now. Because if you continue to move the lock, five more warning tones will follow. Then the alarm is finally triggered and makes noise for 20 seconds. If it then no longer registers any movement, it quietens down and re-arms itself.
I play explosives disposal squad
A behaviour that causes me problems in everyday life, because parking spaces in front of the office are coveted and my bike is often wedged in between others. If the lock is not easily accessible, I feel like I have to play explosives clearance commando. Any vibration triggers the warning tone, any more could set off the countdown. So I get into position in slow motion before I reach for it. The lock beeps, the key is in, people are already looking. I feel caught out, which is why the unlocking doesn't work straight away, and relieved when I can finally open the Abus before the main alarm goes off. You can see and hear how the alarm function reacts in the video. I tried it out in a quieter place.
Quiet please!
Opening and closing is never completely quiet, which is more or less annoying depending on the surroundings. An automatic switch-off function would be great. As soon as I get close to the key, I don't want to have to endure any warning sounds. Although I'm becoming more experienced in using the lock and no longer accidentally trigger the main alarm, I'm still glad when I switch back to my normal model. It rattles, but it doesn't beep or whine. And that's something I'm very happy to do without. If someone wants to steal my bike, they'll have to come along with some heavy-duty tools. This certainty is enough for me. The answer to the title question is: Yes, the nagging saw may put the bolt cutters to flight - but if the owner swears regularly, nothing is gained.
Conclusion
In my everyday test, the Abus Bordo Alarm failed. An alarm lock may offer great added value if you often have to park your bike in easily accessible, dimly lit corners and someone is still within earshot. That doesn't happen too often. An average thief without a desire for unnecessary thrills would probably move on, the statistics (see above) suggest that he can more easily grab it at the next corner. If the lock were to conquer the mass market, I would no longer enter bike hotspots such as around Zurich main station without hearing protection - and keep an eye on the tinnitus statistics.
Michael Restin
Senior Editor
Michael.Restin@digitecgalaxus.chSimple writer and dad of two who likes to be on the move, wading through everyday family life. Juggling several balls, I'll occasionally drop one. It could be a ball, or a remark. Or both.
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