ABUS Bordo Granit 6000

The ABUS Bordo Granit 6000 has been the default recommendation for Dutch e-bike owners for years — a lock that meets ART-2 insurance requirements without forcing you to sling a heavy chain over your shoulder. The folding system is what sets it apart: six 5 mm hardened steel links joined by ball joints that collapse into a 21 cm block. You clip it into the included SH frame mount and forget it is there until you need it, which in practice means much less hassle at the station or supermarket because you always have the same lock with you. Quality lives in the details. The ABUS Plus cylinder is the brand's mid-tier anti-picking system and holds up well against lockpicking in the real world. The outside of each link is smoothed so hacksaw blades struggle to bite, and the joints are firmly riveted with no wobble. After two Dutch winters parked outside, most units show a little surface rust around the joints, but the mechanism keeps working smoothly as long as you hit it with a drop of Teflon spray every few months.

On the insurance side, ART-2 is the minimum most Dutch bike insurers (Univé, Unigarant, Centraal Beheer) accept for e-bikes up to roughly €3,000. If you own a pricier speed pedelec or cargo bike, your policy likely requires ART-3 and you should step up to something like the Granit X-Plus 540. Compared to a Trelock FS 480, the Bordo 6000 feels chunkier in the hand but weighs 240 grams more. Against a Kryptonite Evolution Mini-7, you get far more reach for thick NS bike racks or Amsterdam lamp posts — a real advantage if you park at busy stations regularly.

Honest about the downsides: the lock is just heavy enough that many riders will not casually drop it in a jacket pocket, the frame bracket does not fit every frame shape (carbon road bikes and some cargo-bike down tubes are awkward), and the keys are on the flimsy side. Lose them and a replacement set from ABUS will run you 20 to 30 euros.