Abus Alarmbox

It's all well and good locking up your pride and joy, but sometimes you might want that bit more reassurance. The Abus Alarmbox fits quickly and easily to any bike and emits a loud alarm when moved. It's heavy enough that you might want to reserve it for that gnarlier tourer, though, or only for parking or storage. Or for the lawnmower.

Exactly what the name suggests, this is a compact alarmbox that fits to pretty much anything you might be worried could get lifted. It's designed to strap securely to a frame or tubular metal affair using a rubberised pad together with bendy metal cable ties.

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The box itself feels rugged and presents a smooth, impregnable face to the thieving world. It's not the most compact for mounting on a bike, but nor is it inconveniently cumbersome. The main issue for lighter bikes is the additional weight of the 417g unit, while perversely, of course, these are the bikes you are most likely to want to set an alarm on.

Personally I liked the extra peace of mind when using it on my commuter bike, but I'd definitely look at using it on a shed-dwelling road bike when in storage. The alarm can be removed and replaced fairly easily as required (but obviously not when armed!).

Powered by a CR2 battery, the alarm is armed with a simple button push, and disarmed with a turn of the key.

It's sensitive in three dimensions and gives a little grace of about 5 seconds of warning beeps if it's moved, or something bounces off it, for instance, before it goes into full-on wailing mode.

The manufacturers claim a 100db alarm and it certainly seems enough to shock and inconvenience any would-be thief, though perhaps not loud enough to alert people from within a building if the bike was outside.

Once fully activated, the alarm lasts for 15 seconds before automatically re-arming itself, so if the bike continues to be moved then it will go off again, but if the opportunist (or accidental) movement stops, then it won't run out of power. A quick turn of the key disarms it.

We've tested very few bike alarms on road.cc, so there's little to compare the Abus Alarmbox with in terms of what you get for your money, but its rrp of £44.99 feels like an acceptable amount for something that might genuniely contribute to the safety and continued ownership of your pride and joy.

> How to choose and use the best lock to protect your bike

Dave tested SG Locks' Tough Stuff back in 2015, and that was nearly £50, though you did get a lock as well as an alarm – albeit not a very good one.

There's also Bouh's SR600 for £95, which we've yet to test, but that's combined with a 600-lumen front light.

For your lightweight carbon bike you might want to consider the Nextscape AlterLock, which hides under a bottle cage and weighs just 50g; it's currently discounted to £85 (full price £114.99), plus a monthly or annual service charge. It's not actually available until May, but we'll have a full test as soon as we can.

> How to protect your bike from thieves

Overall, the Abus Alarmbox is well made, easy to use and sufficiently loud that I doubt any would-be thief (or passer-by) would be happy ignoring it, and it's a decent price too. It's simple and effective, and while it's not something you'd be likely to use on the road with that high-end carbon road bike, it's a good option for additional in-shed safety. For commuters, tourers, kiddy trailers and the like, it's well worth considering.

Verdict

Effective, easy to use and straightforward to fit – inspires confidence but isn't the lightest for on-road use