TiGr mini Review

Performance Comparison

Security

This titanium loop and lock appear robust, and sometimes, that's all you need to deter a potential thief away from your biking gear. It fits around most frames and wheels, especially if you remove the front wheel and lock it to the back wheel. There's one huge caveat to this, though: if you have an aggressive mountain bike or a fat bike, there's no way this lock will go around both tires.

When we pulled out our bag of lock-destroying tools, the TiGr felt much shorter than we expected. They easily survived the wire snips, but we could defeat it with a hammer and a hacksaw. We will admit if you position this lock off the ground, it will be much more challenging to defeat it with a hammer, and sawing it with a hacksaw takes about 10 minutes. But, it's possible, and a hacksaw costs less than $10, as does a hammer.

Most surprisingly (and contradictory to a highly viewed video on youtube), this lock took no longer than five seconds for us to snip through it with 36" bolt cutters. Unlike locks like the Kryptonite New York Standard U-Lock, which requires two cuts to be entirely defeated, the TiGr only requires one cut to free a bike. A pro thief with the right tools could get away with your bike pretty darn fast with the right tool.

Ease of Transport

If bulk and weight make you balk at U-locks and chains, this is where the TiGr mini shines. At only one pound, you're not going to notice the extra weight of the lock much, no matter if it's mounted to the frame of your bike or in your backpack. Granted, you're not stuffing this thing in a saddlebag or your jersey pocket unless you have a ridiculously large saddlebag or jersey pockets, in which case you might get some weird questions like: "Is that a TiGr in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?"

The bike mount was one of our favorite features. It's easy enough to secure to the top or down tube, replacing a bottle cage. We tested this on some pretty small bikes (a 48 size road bike frame), which still fit on the downtube. The bad news? You're out a water bottle, which isn't the end of the world for most commuters. If you're using the lock in conjunction with longer training rides, though, having only one bottle on your frame is a bummer, and you might look into wearing something with ridiculously huge jersey pockets.

However, the lock fits nicely into a backpack, and it doesn't take up more space than a book (not a hardbound dictionary), unlike some of those U-Locks out there.

Ease of Use

It doesn't get much easier than a lock and key, and the TiGr mini certainly delivers in that respect: the locking mechanism is high quality and easy to use (just don't misplace the keys!).

For those of you who have trouble with the pat-your-head-and-rub-your-stomach-type activities, there might be a bit of a learning curve on how to remove the lock (you have to squeeze and pull at the same time to release the lock and squeeze and push to reattach it). Still, like our reviewers, we are confident that you will get the hang of it rather quickly and enjoy the convenience of such an easy-to-use locking device.

Versatility

We didn't rate the TiGr mini as highly here as other locks included in this review simply because its size limits what you can lock your bike to (especially if you have a larger frame or wheels.) Even for a road bike, though, larger structures, like trees and lampposts, are obviously out of the question, so you better hope there's a bike rack where you're heading.

Should You Buy the TiGr mini?

The TiGr mini is an impressively lightweight and portable lock that offers just decent security. Its limitations also include its size and shape, and it might not be suitable for fat or mountain bikes or areas that do not have bike racks. If you want more protection than a cable lock but hate the heaviness of other U-Locks on the market, this lightweight option might be just the solution to unlock the lock dilemma.

What Other Bike Locks Should You Consider?