Tested: Abus Granit CityChain X-Plus 1060 review

Date reviewed: July 2017 | Tested by: John Milbank | Price: £189.99 | Weight: 3.22kg | www.abus.com

A combined chain and lock in one, the Thatcham Category 3-rated Abus Granit CityChain X-Plus 1060 (18896) is available in lengths of 0.85, 1.1, 1.4 and 1.7 meters. We’ve tested the 1.4m chain, which has a fully secured, tough yet soft fabric cover. This style of cover can hold water if left in the rain, so take a carrier bag if you’re going to take the lock home in your luggage.

The lock body has a plastic cover over it to protect your paint, with an integral metal gate over the keyway, helping to keep dirt and moisture out. Two keys are supplied, one of which has a small LED light built in.

Size and weight

Our 1.4m chain and lock tipped the scales at just 3.22kg – we also weighed the 1.7m version at 3.82kg. When coiled up, the CityChain covers a diameter of about 22cm.

Resistance to attack: chain

Using 42” bolt croppers, we were able to cut the chain in 27 seconds. With a sledge hammer, and the ideal conditions of an anvil and plenty of space, the link’s weld cracked in two minutes, breaking completely 30 seconds later.

Due to the design of the lock, it was relatively easy to attack with our bench-mark mains-powered angle grinder.

The chain’s link are hexagonal, with a typical thickness of 9.4-9.9mm.

Resistance to attack: padlock

The lock body’s plastic cover shattered, and the metal deformed, but we were unable to break it using a sledge hammer. The body is also more resistant to angle grinder attack than the chain.

To understand how best to use your lock, click here

BIKESOCIAL TEST RESULTS

Product: Abus Granit CityChain X-Plus 1060

Size tested: 1.4m

Weight as tested: 3.22kg

Rolled diameter: 22cm

Bolt cropper attack: POOR

Sledge hammer attack: AVERAGE

Angle grinder attack: POOR

Conclusion

The relatively light and portable CityChain loses out due to poor resistance to attack, but when used correctly – by ensuring it’s kept off the ground – it still offers a deterrent to a thief looking for a target among other machines.

To see the other chains and locks tested by 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