The Litelok Core Plus is designed for securing high-value bikes and e-bikes for longer periods or in high-risk areas. It’s a robust piece of kit that you can wear around your waist, but it’s not as comfortable as I’d hoped, and while it proved quite resistant to the angle grinder in our staged attack, it didn’t stand up as long as some. It isn’t cheap, either.
> Buy now: Litelok Core Plus for £139.99 from Litelok
The Core Plus clocks in at 1,563g, making it a substantial addition to your gear. Its design allows it to form a loop, letting you wrap it around your frame and through a wheel, securing them to something immovable, though it won’t stretch to secure both wheels simultaneously, which is something you should ensure in high-risk areas.
It comes in a 75cm length, but there’s a 100cm option coming soon, if you’re looking for something a little longer.
You get three keys, which is a thoughtful inclusion in case one goes missing, and you can register your keys on the Litelok website.
A sliding cover over the keyhole is a nice touch for protecting the mechanism from the elements and keeping it working smoothly for longer.
Litelok claims it’s a wearable bike lock, designed to be worn around your waist (adjustabe, to fit 28-41in waist sizes), but I didn’t find it quite as easy or comfortable as I’d hoped, in practice. It can be done, but you might not always want to. For convenience, I often ended up just tossing it in a bag.
It also comes with Velcro straps for attaching to your frame, but this isn’t the most elegant solution if you’re concerned about aesthetics, or for looking after your paintwork. It is a quick and easy option, though.
Security
When it comes to security, the Litelok Core Plus looks like it means business. In our testing, it proved impervious to bolt cutters, with Dodgy Dave unable to make a dent. He couldn’t get his bolt cutters around the lock because of its thickness, offering a nice immediate deterrent.
It did, however, succumb to an angle grinder in 49 seconds. This makes it the most expensive lock in our recent round-up to not withstand the angle grinder, and some cheaper locks lasted a lot longer.
Despite this, it boasts a Sold Secure Bicycle Diamond rating, as well as ART 3, giving it the highest rating available for non-powered bikes. This is excellent for insurance purposes and general peace of mind. Litelok also offers a one-year warranty.
Value
Priced at £139.99, the Litelok Core Plus sits roughly in the middle of the locks we’ve tested recently.
The best value lock I’ve tested remains the Halfords 23cm D lock, which comes in at a highly impressive £30. It has a Sold Secure Gold rating, and lasted for 33 seconds against Dave’s angle grinder, only 16 seconds less than the Litelok.
Even better value is its Advanced sibling. That lasted 94 seconds against the angle grinder, and still only costs £50.
Those are different designs, though, and if you want something wearable rather than a D-lock, your options are limited. The Core Plus lasted longer than the Hiplok Original – by 18 seconds – but the Hiplok is only £74.99.
Another tenner will get you the Core Plus’s X1 sibling – one of only two locks in our round-up to score full marks, and the cheapest to withstand the angle grinder. Again, though, it’s a D-lock not a wearable lock.
And you can spend a lot more if you want – the Abus Granit Super Extreme 2500 is £280, while the Squire Stronghold D16 Max is £289.99. Both withstood the angle grinder. As you’d hope.
Conclusion
Overall, I liked the Litelok Core Plus for its security and deterrent factor. However, its significant size and bulkiness mean it’s quite awkward to carry over long distances, and not ideal if you prefer a more minimalist setup. If you don’t mind the carrying logistics, though, it’s a decent option.
> Buy now: Litelok Core Plus for £139.99 from Litelok
Verdict
Decent lock that holds up quite well to attack, but heavy and awkward to take places
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road.cc test report
Make and model: Litelok Core Plus
Size tested: 75cm
Tell us what the product is for and who it’s aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?
Litelok says: “LITELOK CORE PLUS is the go-to wearable bike lock for riders looking for maximum security, when locking their ride for long periods of time or in high-risk areas. LITELOK CORE PLUS exceeds Sold Secure Gold and achieves the highest rating of Sold Secure Bicycle Diamond and also ART 3.”
Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?
Litelok lists:
75cm
Weight 1.9kg / 4.1lb
Locking Length 75cm
Wearable for Waist Size 28″ (70cm) – 41″ (106cm)
Mount CORE frame mounts included
Security Accreditation Pedal Cycle Sold Secure Diamond
It’s very well made.
It held up well to the attacks, but couldn’t quite stand up totally against the angle grinder.
The locking cover should help keep the locking mechanism smooth for longer.
It’s quite heavy, which makes it awkward to carry around.
Wearing the lock around your waist isn’t as comfy as I had hoped.
It’s the most expensive lock in our round-up to not beat the angle grinder, but others are twice the price.
Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose
It worked well, and is easy to use, but wasn’t the best in the angle grinder test.
Tell us what you particularly liked about the product
I like the ease with which you can lock up a bike.
Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product
I didn’t really like the method of carrying the lock; I didn’t find it that comfortable or easy.
How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?
It’s nearly twice the price of the Hiplok Original – but it lasted a little longer against the angle grinder. The impressive Halfords Advanced D-lock is just £50, while the most expensive in our round-up is £289.99.
Did you enjoy using the product? It was decent.
Would you consider buying the product? Probably not.
Would you recommend the product to a friend? If they want something big and wearable, then maybe.
Use this box to explain your overall score
It’s well made, and with a good Sold Secure rating, but heavy and pretty awkward to take places with you. If you want a wearable lock, though, it’s pretty good.
About the tester
Age: 25 Height: 174 Weight: 78
I usually ride: Storck Aerfast My best bike is:
I’ve been riding for: 10-20 years I ride: Every day I would class myself as: Expert
I regularly do the following types of riding: road racing, commuting, touring, club rides, fixed/singlespeed, mtb,
