Review on 🔒 BELL Catalyst U-Locks: Top-Notch Security for Bicycles by Adolfo Goins

There is some confusion in the questions and answers and some reviews here, probably because you can order several different Bell U-Lock models here, varying in size, locking mechanism and function. and come with various accessories. Questions and Answers and Reviews are grouped and are not always distinguishable by model. I bought the 500 U model, here's what I can share with you here. Somehow I got it for only ten bucks when I ordered it in early June 2016 - I assume it was a glitch or a bug in the system. There was a wait of several weeks, maybe that was the reason. But compared to similar locks, that's still a good deal at full price. For starters, THIS SPECIFIC BELL 500-U LOCK DOES NOT have the round key that Bic Pen picking issues are prone to. In fact, this key looks more like the key to my VW car than any regular key I've ever seen with a bike lock. (See attached photo for key and open keyhole.) The silver bat is a cylinder or sleeve that rotates slightly to either open or close the keyhole. Hopefully this will keep the keyhole free of dirt and debris. One of the buttons has a small built-in LED (red button). Have no other. Pretty cool, but I'll probably use the one without the light because it's smaller. It comes with a bike mount. You can see it in the photo. it has a red latch (sorry the photo is a bit dark). The steel on the U is designed for heavy-duty applications. The material is actually oval in shape and is approximately 0.625" x 0.5" thick (excluding gum). The cable is about 0.45 inch thick including the rubber outer sleeve (there was no exposed cable to measure without the sleeve). Bell rates its security as a "5” on a scale of 1 to 5. I am not sure if there is any lock. You can buy this to deter someone who can pick locks. This applies to almost every castle. You won't cut through a U-shaped part with bolt cutters unless they're ridiculously large or hydraulic. You're not going to cut through any flex cable lock quickly with anything less than a large bolt cutter, but that'll only get you through the front wheel. My understanding is that bike thieves use very long metal levers that they can apply enough leverage to actually pry open the U-lock. Seems like it's about the same expense for a hundred-plus-dollar lock like this one. Police say the best way to prevent this type of theft is to not have room inside the "U" for a large lever. Shackle in - so get a smaller U-lock. But if you downsize to smaller U-locks you can't get a "U" around your bike and a stationary object, so what's the point? And as they say, if someone is dying to steal your bike, they will just do it. Enough said. A coated flex cable does have a "memory", but it's a short cable, so it's kind of not very comfortable with it. I usually hate storage cables, but I love this shorter, thicker cable - it comes back in a nice loop, so you don't even have to use the included Velcro to keep it tidy. Being such a heavy duty lock, there is an unfortunate downside that this thing is also very heavy to carry. Mine weighs about half an ounce over 4 pounds with everything you see in the photo including both keys. But I only use it to go to the store where I'll be carrying a bunch of groceries anyway. The cleverness and ingenuity of bike thieves pose an interesting dilemma - one of the main causes that usually add significantly to the cost of a bike is weight. The more carbon fiber components you have on your bike, the more expensive it becomes and the more thieves will want to rip it off. So you spend all that money shaving grams just to weigh yourself down with heavier and heavier locks and chains and whatnot. Perhaps instead of a more expensive lock, some will consider riding a cheaper bike if they are going to leave it unattended for a very long time. a ridiculously expensive bike and I really like this u-lock and tether-lock system. "I don't understand what you get when you spend A LOT more money on kryptonite or some other supposedly secure lock. The YouTube videos kinda reassured me that they're not going to protect your bike any better.