While there's no substitute for a big, burly, ultra-secure bike lock in high-theft-risk scenarios, sometimes a lighter, more compact lock is a bit more practical. That's where the Abus CombiFlex TravelGuard is designed to come in.

The TravelGuard is the latest in a growing segment of bike locks which are made for users who are parking their bike for a short amount of time – within sight of where they're sitting or standing – and who don't want to lug along a large, heavy lock if they don't have to.

A good example would be someone who stops at a sidewalk cafe or bar patio on their way back from a recreational ride.

Even though their bike may be parked just several feet away, a passing thief could still grab it and ride away in no more than a few seconds … if it's not locked up. However, if a would-be thief sees that they'd have to take half a minute or so cutting through even a relatively puny lock, they know that they'd likely be spotted and stopped.

As far as specs go, the TravelGuard features a 45-cm (17.7-in) cable – which gets looped and cinched around the bike's frame and an adjacent immovable object – along with a resettable 3-digit combination lock cylinder. The strap has a solid steel core, and is coated in rubber to keep it from scratching or chipping the bike's paint … plus the rubber is one more thing to cut through.

The whole shebang is claimed to weigh in at 80 grams (2.8 oz), and is available in color choices of red, yellow and black for US$34.99. Potential buyers might want to also check out the kinda-similar Z Lok or Ottolok, or even the helmet-strap-integrated Cappuccino.

Source: Abus