Tested: Milenco Coleraine 9mm chain lock review

Date reviewed: August 2020 | Tested by: John Milbank | Price: £44.66 | Weight: 2.98kg | www.milenco.com

The Milenco Coleraine 9mm chain lock is a lightweight 9mm chain with an integral lock body that makes for a compact, very affordable – and most importantly, portable – solution to locking your bike when out and about.

While a relatively new name to the motorcycle security market, Milenco is a well-established engineering company that’s been producing chains and locks for some respected big brands for a long time.

This will fit easily in most luggage or under a scooter seat, or on a motorcycle with no storage space by using the optional £13.33 Milenco chain lock bag. As with any locks, it’s not advisable to carry it in your rucksack unless you’re wearing a back protector, though given the light weight, this wouldn’t be too bad to lug about, as long as you’re protected in the event of a crash.

The chain is covered with a tough fabric sleeve that’s retained by the lock body at one end and a rivet at the other to protect your bike’s paintwork. The lock has a plastic cover.

The Milenco Coleraine 9mm chain lock is tested to Sold Secure Motor Scooter Silver – a lower standard than many locks we’d recommend, but this is a portable solution. It comes with three high quality stainless-steel keys (duplicates of which can be made by Milenco) that are unlikely to deform like some cheaper brand’s disc-detainer keys.

The keyway in the lock body is not protected from the elements like some of Milenco’s other locks – something to consider if you use this outside in the rain.

Size and weight

The Coleraine 9mm chain lock has square links with a typical thickness of 8.2 to 9.0mm. Rolled up, it covers a diameter of about 22cm.

Our 1.4m test sample weighed 2.98kg, but it’s also available in 1m and 1.8m lengths.

Resistance to attack: chain

Given its light weight and portability, it’s no surprise that 42” bolt croppers will defeat this chain. Using a sledge-hammer and anvil – with plenty of space – will also smash it after a few good blows. Keep the chain tight and off the ground though, and this noisy attack is pretty much impossible.

An angle grinder did cut quickly through it, as expected, but our data proves that using any security on your bike will make it far less likely to be stolen.

Note that while we no longer publish angle grinder cut times, the data is still used to determine the order of performance on our league table.

Resistance to attack: lock

While the lock body showed signs of cracking under a sledge-hammer attack, it’s too big for bolt croppers and an angle-grinder attack is pointless given that a thief will get through the chain. Ultimately, the lock is more than up to the task of complementing this chain.

Picking will be achieved using specialist tools and plenty of skill, but it’s irrelevant in real motorcycle theft.

Bennetts BikeSocial test results

Product: Milenco Coleraine 9mm chain lock

Size tested: 1.4m

Weight as tested: 2.98kg

Rolled diameter: 22cm

Bolt cropper attack: POOR

Sledge hammer attack: POOR

Angle grinder attack: POOR

Milenco Coleraine 9mm chain lock review: Verdict

It’d be easy to dismiss the Milenco Coleraine 9mm chain lock as a weak form of security, and of course there are more effective products out there, but they’re less portable.

While I’d recommend carrying a 12-13mm chain and lock if you can, if this is all you can take with you then it’s perfect; the best lock is the one you use.

The price is excellent; compared to the Litelok for instance, it’s significantly cheaper, and while the Milenco scores more poorly in the bolt cropper and sledge-hammer attacks, it’s on a par with the angle-grinder cutting time. To be honest, I’d go for a chain over the Litelok as a chain simply looks harder to defeat. It's also easier to roll up and tuck away.

The Milenco has good-quality stainless-steel keys and is thoroughly corrosion-tested; this should last well and continue to offer a useful level of security when you’re out and about. At the price, it's a bargain.

BikeSocial members can save 10% on all Milenco motorcycle security products

To see the other chains and locks tested by Bennetts BikeSocial, click here

Find out how and why we did this test

Consumer editor John Milbank explains how you can get the best out of your chain and lock, and how this test was done