The New York Cinch lock gets a 9/10 security rating from Kryptonite, and they’ll cover up to $1,500 if bike thieves can defeat this lock and make off with your bike. We like it because of the lock’s stout design and ability to “noose” around a wheel or frame tube.

This simple feature makes this 4.25-foot-long chain one of the best we’ve seen, allowing users to tether their bikes to a variety of stationary objects, or lock a wheel through the frame itself. At nearly 10 pounds, this isn’t the easiest lock to tote around, but with weight comes strength.

The lock's hexagonal links are made of hardened steel, and the last link in the chain is a wide open O-ring, allowing the user to pass the opposite end through and operate the thing like a giant heavy duty slip knot, effectively increasing the lock's useable length, and making it as effective as heavy duty chains that are much longer, but without the "cinch" function.