AXA Defender Rear Wheel Lock
My experience:
using the AXA Defender lock on an Electra Amsterdam Classic 3, for approximately one month.
RESULTS:
Usability: 5/5
Installation: 3/5
Security: 5/5
Overall: 4/5
Summary:
The AXA Defender rear wheel bicycle lock is a tough, sturdy, and heavy rear wheel lock that can fit onto most bicycle frames and, with its optional plug-in chain, can lock both the rear wheel and the bicycle frame very securely. The only drawbacks are its weight, which is substantial, and the lack of clear installation instructions.
Standard issue on many Dutch style, european city bicycles, but rare here in the U.S., a key-operated rear wheel lock can provide a great deal of additional security for your bicycle when parked in an urban environment. By itself, it can lock the rear wheel fairly well by inserting a metal bar in-between the spokes of the wheel when engaged.
I purchased the AXA Defender lock from an online merchant, as I could not find any available in Austin. The price was approximately $60 including shipping for the lock itself, and $30 more for the plug-in chain- an option only available on the Defender series of locks, which are heavier duty than AXA’s normal line of locks (the “Solid” line). Arrival took close to a week.
AXA Optional Plug-In Chain
Installation:
The AXA Defender lock arrives in a small plastic package with cardboard backing, and printed on this backing are the only instructions that come with the lock for installation, along with several tiny illustrations. There are options for installing this lock on frames that have holes already drilled for this type of lock (probably a rarity here in the U.S.), for attachment to rear-brake braze-ons, and finally for attachment to a frame that has enough clearance for the lock but no pre-made surface for attachment- which was the case on the Electra Amsterdam.
No more coat guard: initially, I tried to make room for the lock to fit through by cutting an appropriate section out of the Electra’s skirt/coat guard, but the appearance was never satisfactory, and since the guards were a constant source of problems on the bicycle anyway, I decided to remove them permanently.
Unclear mounting instructions: for a frame with no built-in attachments, the AXA Defender lock is supposed to attach using the included metal coils, which wrap around the seat stays and then are screwed into the lock itself. Unfortunately, there is one additional step that is unclear, which made the first installation
Plug-In Chain Looped Around a Bicycle Rack
attempt a failure. The metal strips themselves, no matter how tight, will not make the lock secure enough that it does not wobble back and forth, but there are no other instructions to go on. Included with the lock is a small translucent strip of plastic, which we decided to cut in half and use in-between the metal strips and the frame, which made our second installation a success and the lock very firmly attacked to the frame.
Usage:
Use of the lock is very straightforward. When locking the bicycle, the lock can be used in one of two ways: alone, simply use the red latch while turning the lock key to apply the rear wheel lock, then use another lock such as a u-lock to secure the frame to a rack or object. With the the additional chain attachment, you loop the chain around the object, and optionally around the bicycle frame itself, and then plug the end of the chain into the rear wheel lock before it is engaged. This would free up your u-lock to lock your front wheel to your frame, for example, locking your bicycle very securely. I found the lock and plug-in chain a joy to use in normal everyday usage, and the additional flexibility of using the chain quite beneficial for those times when the bicycle needs to be locked up to irregular objects.
Frame and Rear Wheel Securely Locked
on Sep 23rd, 2008 at 4:49 pm
Do you think the axa defender will fit on my Electra Amsterdam Balloon 8?
Good job on the review! Enjoyed it!
http://www.bicycling.com/gear/detail/0,7989,s1-16-80-1183-0,00.html
on Sep 23rd, 2008 at 5:00 pm
It probably will fit, might be a bit tighter, though. There’s probably about 2/3 of an inch of leeway or so, which I would imagine is plenty for your tire clearance. Of course, I’m not sure if the frames are identical, either.
on Sep 24th, 2008 at 2:10 am
Really? Even with the width of my wheels being 2.25 inches?
on Sep 24th, 2008 at 9:59 pm
I’m just worried my tires may be too big even if it fits on the frame.
on Sep 25th, 2008 at 12:01 am
I think you are probably OK as long as you don’t also have fenders installed. If you look at that top picture, there is still clearance even with the tires and fenders.
on Sep 25th, 2008 at 6:25 am
Nope, the Axa Defender will not fit a 60mm tire. Its too narrow. On the Abus Amparo ring lock will fit Schwalbe Fat Franks and other huge tires, and only after grinding away some metal. The Amparo is at least as good a lock as the Defender, but there’s no option for a plug in chain.
-Henry
on Sep 25th, 2008 at 9:54 am
Thanks, Henry. I was thinking about tire height and forgot about width.
on Sep 25th, 2008 at 12:14 pm
I’ll check out the Abus Amparo ring lock. Thanks guys for your help!
on Sep 25th, 2008 at 12:20 pm
Wwould the abus protectus 5000 fit?
http://www.abus.de/us/main.asp?ScreenLang=us&sid=25632876218410725092008755525337&select=0104b04&artikel=4003318429552
Or the Trelock RS 440?
http://www.trelock.de/trelock/t2/en/produktdetails.php?id=rs440&pfad=schliess
Thanks!
on Sep 25th, 2008 at 12:34 pm
The Abus looks like it has tons of room. The Trelock looks about the same as the AXA Defender so I’d pass on that one.
on Dec 19th, 2008 at 4:25 pm
Actually Henry, ABUS makes the Amparo 4850 that has plug-in extensions.
http://www.abus.de/us/main.asp?ScreenLang=us&sid=8490411642317121912200870822699&select=0104b04&artikel=4003318375606
on Feb 2nd, 2009 at 1:44 pm
[...] I would say that the bags have seen extremely heavy use as well, because I use them to hold my AXA Defender plug-in chain for my rear wheel lock, a cargo net, and sometimes a U-Lock, at the very least. Not only that, but they have been used to [...]
on Nov 3rd, 2009 at 5:25 am
The AXA DEfender RL is designed to fit almost every bike. Maybe foldable bikes or childrens bikes could give problems.
on Dec 11th, 2009 at 11:32 pm
Someone just gave me an axa solid lock like this- problem is- i can’t get the key out! when locked or open, the key won’t budge! am i missing something? I’ve tried everything… help!
on Dec 12th, 2009 at 11:38 am
Rich,
You have to have the lock fully engaged for the key to release. This involves moving the ring back and forth to find the “sweet spot.” The Defender model is pretty solid, but I’ve used other more budget versions that required quite a bit of fiddling to get everything engaged right.
on Jan 23rd, 2010 at 3:26 pm
so i hear that this manufacturer had a serious security problem with their locks a year or two ago – from what i can tell somewhat analagous to the problem with kryptonite’s problem of being able to open their U locks with a ballpoint pen. the specific issue was that you could open their locks (at least certain ones) with a blank key. it seems to have been well publicized in europe (including a demo on what appears to be a major tv talk show).
i’m have one of their locks on my bike (an SL7 model, not the defender). i am trying to figure out whether my lock suffers from this weakness. does anyone have any info as to whether the manufacturer has totally solved this problem wrt their new products? there’s relatively little info on these products readily accessible to people in the US (like myself).
on Jan 23rd, 2010 at 6:24 pm
David,
The problem was uncovered about two years ago and was fixed. My understanding is that the Defender model was not affected by this but some of the lower end locks were. I’m not sure about the SL7.
on Sep 24th, 2010 at 8:28 pm
Does anyone have a link to an on-line vendor to purchase the Defender and will ship to the USA?
Thanks
on Sep 25th, 2010 at 11:32 am
Byron,
Clever Cycles out of Portland, OR sells and will ship the Defender lock, various lengths of the plug in chain, and the adapter for cantilever bosses here: http://clevercycles.com/products/accessories/locks/
If all you need is a basic frame lock, Velo Orange also sells their ring lock here: http://www.velo-orange.com/ringlock.html. The Velo Orange version does not have the option of the plug in chain but it’s 1/2 the price.
on Sep 21st, 2011 at 2:02 pm
[...] to a bike, locking the front wheels of Secunda’s and Tertia’s bikes together. It was an Axa Defender, and I happen to know that that’s too tough to saw through with my little handsaw. So I went [...]