Ever worry about leaving your bike unattended at sportive feed stops, or while nipping into a shop?

Here's something to set your mind at ease, it's a tiny combination lock from Squire:

The lightweight cable is best reserved for short-term use in low risk areas.
The lightweight cable is best reserved for short-term use in low risk areas.

We first met the Squire guys at a bike show where their sales rep, thinking I was American, proudly informed me the company had "been around longer than your country."

Established in 1780, Squire offer a wide range of locks, most of them a lot heftier than this one. But for short stops in low-risk locations, the Retrac is highly pocketable and well worth a look.

A three-digit code secures the slender 60cm steel cable. The cable retracts neatly back into the plastic body at the push of a button, and the whole thing weighs just 50g.

The lock is also recodable, which is handy if you accidentally set it to "000" first time round (oops).

The 60cm cable is long enough to secure your frame and front wheel to a bike rack.
The 60cm cable is long enough to secure your frame and front wheel to a bike rack.
 

I've been using the Retrac for a few months now. It's perfect for those occasions - including sportives - when you just want to leave your bike unattended for a few minutes without having to lug around a heavy D lock like a Kryptonite.

Of course, the Retrac won't stop a professional bike thief. A pair of bolt cutters would snip through it in a flash. But for the casual crook, it does instantly make your bike a trickier proposition than any unlocked bikes around it. And speaking of snips, it's currently on sale for just £7.95 at Parkers of Bolton.

Squire Retrac 2 combination lock, from £7.95 (RRP £14.99) - www.squirelocks.co.uk

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