ABUS Yardo fingerprint lock in long-term review

The Yardo is a chain lock with a fingerprint sensor instead of a traditional key; you unlock it by touch, like a smartphone. Up to 20 fingerprints can be stored in two categories (administrator/user). The initial setup isn't self-explanatory, but basically very simple. After the admin fingerprints were stored in my case, the rest of the family was allowed to place their fingers on the lock so that as many people as possible can use the Yardo.

Tech Specs

The CR2 battery is included and, once mounted, sits behind the rubber cover, but of course is still accessible from the outside and thus a potential target for sabotage. In practice, however, this would be the last concern I would have; after all, it applies to all kinds of locks. Overall, the Yardo is, typical of ABUS, excellently finished.

The biggest advantage of the Yardo is its everyday handling. We've tested numerous locks and use many on a regular basis, but for daily trips, shopping, or just to secure the bike quickly, the Yardo is truly unbeatable. I've never had a lock with which I could secure the bike to bike stands, poles, trees, or other objects so quickly and effortlessly. On the one hand the chain is extremely flexible compared with a U‑lock, without the major security limitations of coil/spiral locks; on the other hand its length is an advantage when it comes to possible attachment points.

Locking it is a click, opening it is a press of a finger. Both have worked almost perfectly for me for about a year now and in all weather conditions — from the icy temperatures of the past weeks to the long‑gone hot summer days in the city.

I've almost always stored the lock on the rear triangle of the frame, wrapped around the seatstay and top tube, arranged so that the light integrated into the seatpost isn't affected. That has proven to work well in practice, once you've learned how to wrap it. That makes every shopping trip twice as enjoyable in the end, because even with a potentially full backpack and a hard‑to‑reach anchoring point in front of the supermarket, unlocking the lock is still just a simple move, and in a fraction of a second the lock is open.

Now and then it takes two or three taps with a finger for the lock to open. This can be due either to the position of the finger or to the sensor being wet from rain. In neither case was that a major nuisance for me, nor did it affect my basic confidence in the lock's functionality and mechanics.

On the subject of mechanics: It's clear that a chain lock, even when wrapped in fabric, is somewhat clunkier to handle than the popular cable locks. In return it offers significantly more security, so I can chain my e‑bike in the city relatively worry‑free for short or even longer shopping trips. For leaving it at the train station overnight, I would, if at all, use exclusively the ABUS Granit Super Extreme 2500, which unfortunately is not yet available with a fingerprint sensor. For anyone looking for something in between, as mentioned at the beginning there is now the new Bordo One 6000AF, which would be my choice for longer locking periods - with the drawback that a folding lock simply isn't as smooth to handle as a chain.

And now that ABUS has presented the fingerprint U‑lock, only two wishful thoughts remain for me before the fulfillment of my ultimate bicycle lock dream: a Granit Super Extreme with fingerprint recognition, and a chain lock similar to the Yardo but with a tungsten‑carbide chain and extra‑secure casing for maximum freedom with the highest possible level of security.