When it comes to cycling equipment, reliability is crucial for safety and functionality. Tools, pumps and locks have to stand up to everyday use. This is exactly where the tested discounter products fail.
Cheap locks without sufficient protection
The cable and chain locks from Aldi and Lidl appear solid at first glance. However, in the test, all three models could be picked within seconds. This is not due to the locks themselves, but to the inferior steel cables and chains made of soft mild steel. These can all be picked in a very short time using a solid bolt cutter. The locks may be sufficient for short stops at the bakery or bistro in the direct line of sight. If you park your bike for longer periods or in areas with a higher risk of theft, you will not find sufficient protection here. Their quality does not meet the standard offered by cheap brand-name locks and certainly not the security class required by theft insurance companies.
Old tools in the toolbox
The Crivit tool case from Lidl has an extensive range of contents. Many of the tools included are not suitable for the repair and maintenance of current bicycle technology, their material quality may be sufficient for occasional emergencies, but fail in continuous use. Anyone who regularly works on their bikes should therefore invest in brand quality from well-known manufacturers.
Dangerous bracket on a good mini pump
The mini pump from Aldi with its aluminium cylinder and fold-out handle is solidly built and makes a stable impression; in practice, it is also suitable for high pressures on road bike tyres - it is somewhat undersized for large-volume gravel tyres. What bothered us about the set including the screw mount was its protruding holder for the bottle cage threads, because your feet can collide with it when pedalling. Another pointless feature is the integrated storage compartment, which can only be opened by unscrewing the entire holder. It could be used as a secret compartment.
Our conclusion
The discounters have many accessories in their bicycle ranges with a very good price-performance ratio. However, some products, such as the cheap locks from Aldi and Lidl, the tool set from Lidl or the mini pump from Aldi are useless or only offer limited functionality. For safety reasons, the locks should only be used for short stops; the tool set has a few suitable standard tools on board for occasional use with the bike fleet and the mini pump works as a puncture companion, but should not be mounted on the bike with the enclosed holder. One consolation is that all the products cost little money and a bad purchase would not tear a hole in the household budget.
Matthias Borchers
Editor
