Kryponite or Onguard?

[jrenaut]

My feeling here is that, if you’re at the point of a thief cracking your u lock, the brand probably doesn’t matter. Get a decent one, get a cable to go through the wheels, and then stop worrying. Four feet sounds plenty long for a cable.

[brownnugen]

I’m not “worried”, just wanted to get some opinions on here since you all probably can speak of your good/bad experiences. Would you say both brands are pretty much on par with each other? If so, then I might as well go for the one that is cheapest (of those 3 choices).

I also noticed they are a lot cheaper on Amazon versus REI. I am an REI member and know you can return things there anytime you have problems; are these products trouble-free enough to save $10 to $20 by purchaseing through Amazon vs REI?

[jrenaut]

I have a Giant u lock that I got when I bought a Giant bike. No one has yet stolen my bike, but it spends most of its time either inside my house, or locked in a cage at work where you need a badge to even see it.

I’m skeptical that there’s much difference between u locks beyond marketing. I suspect you have thieves who will be deterred by any u lock, and thieves that will crack any u lock. I think the chance that one u lock stops a theft that another one wouldn’t is pretty slim.

But, as I said, I don’t depend on my u lock for long periods, or in bad situations.

I will give a vote for buying your lock at your local bike shop – mine has never broken, but I thought it broke. Turns out it was just a part of the mounting bracket that got knocked out of place and prevented the lock from engaging – it took my LBS about 15 seconds to show me what was wrong, at no charge.

[brendan]

My solutions for the cargo bike (which makes it more feasible): two very small but beefy u-locks and a cable for the wheels, and keep it parked indoors or somewhere well lit and visible. The locks each have a different kind of key too. The more of a pain it is to steal…

Granted, I’ve had accessories stripped off the bike when I got lazy about repeatedly parking it on the street overnight. Don’t tempt fate.

Brendan

[vvill]

Depending on where I’m running my errand I’ll go with up to 2 u-locks and a cable, and I’ll ride my beater MTB if necessary – but I am slightly paranoid about having one of my nicer bikes stolen.

I have 2 OnGuard U locks. The older one is smoother to lock and unlock, but I’ve never actually had either of them fully “stick” on me. I don’t know that there’s that much difference between Kryptonite and OnGuard – although I would probably go with Kryptonite if I had no budget constraints only because my newer OnGuard is a little fiddly.

[Dickie]

Great thoughts from everyone. I am much like Jrenaut and tend to lock my bikes up for very short times. I am lucky in that I own my own business so I always have a place at home and at work for safe storage. I tend to use the lock for grocery shopping, bar hopping, BA Happy hours and such so never much more than a few hours at a time. That said, I am still very cautious. I use a Kryptonite New York lock (http://www.kryptonitelock.com/Pages/ProductInformation.aspx?PNumber=180104) and chose it specifically for its quality and reviews. I am sure most people are correct that most U-Locks are built equally, but I figure if I am going to spend so much money on my bikes are gear, why skimp on the lock? I never use a cable, instead preferring to remove the front wheel and lock it to the frame with one lock. This does a few things, it makes the lock far more snug and difficult to rotate/cut, and it also is another deterrent since the thief will now have to assemble the bike as well. If this is inconvenient, try walking home in cleats wihtout your bike! I also always remove my lights, GPS, and even my bottles….not that I care about my bottles being stolen, but rather to remove any temptation to approach my bike.

Here are some obvious locking suggestions from the Kryptonite site… good luck and happy commuting, glad to have you on-board!

• Always lock your bike, especially at home. This includes your garage, patio, yard, college residence hall, apartment building, when carrying on a car rack, etc.
• Lock your bike in a well-lit area where there are other bikes.
• Do not lock your bike in the same location all the time.
• Make sure your bike cannot be lifted over the object it is locked to.
• Create a snug fit with wheels and frame so that there is little space in the u-portion of the u-lock for a thief’s tools.
• Do not lock your bike to itself – front wheel or rear wheel to frame.
• Always position your u-lock with keyway facing down..
• If you’re only locking one wheel, it is recommended that you capture the rear wheel as part of your lock-up. Replacement cost for the rear wheel can be up to double the cost of the front wheel.

[KelOnWheels]

I got an OnGuard (this one) in December. It’s hella fiddly, especially in cold weather, which is great when you’re standing outside freezing and trying to get your @#$%*^! bike lock to lock so you can go inside and get a @#$% cup of @#$%^&* coffee to warm your @#$%&*+ hands up on. @#$%!!! 😡

Also, one of the silver end caps fell off (twice) and now the lock guts are all exposed. Of course it was the end with the serial number on it

I’m going to get a Kryptonite, they don’t have stupid end caps to fall off.

[DaveK]

@KelOnWheels 47450 wrote:

I got an OnGuard (this one) in December. It’s hella fiddly, especially in cold weather, which is great when you’re standing outside freezing and trying to get your @#$%*^! bike lock to lock so you can go inside and get a @#$% cup of @#$%^&* coffee to warm your @#$%&*+ hands up on. @#$%!!! 😡

Also, one of the silver end caps fell off (twice) and now the lock guts are all exposed. Of course it was the end with the serial number on it

I’m going to get a Kryptonite, they don’t have stupid end caps to fall off.

My OnGuard is older and looks more like this – http://www.amazon.com/ONGUARD-BULLDOG-5013-MINI-U-LOCK/dp/B001XURAGI/ref=sr_1_10?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1364391688&sr=1-10&keywords=onguard+mini

I’ve never had any issues with it and the design is much simpler. It seems like there’s fewer pieces to fall off or break. Another case of changing something just to say they changed it, apparently.

[Dirt]

I’ve got a lot of locks. I tend to buy the nicest ones available. Both the Krypto NYC u-lock and the top of the line OnGuard U-lock have worked very well for me. Both companies make mini u-lock/big honkin’ chain combinations that have been rock solid for me, though they weigh a ton. I tend to use them on rides when I need the extra workout value.

I really like the idea of using 2 small u-locks and a cable. That seems like a really good idea, though I have no practical experience with that yet. Might be my next set-up.

[Tim Kelley]

@jrenaut 47425 wrote:

I’m skeptical that there’s much difference between u locks beyond marketing. I suspect you have thieves who will be deterred by any u lock, and thieves that will crack any u lock. I think the chance that one u lock stops a theft that another one wouldn’t is pretty slim.

If they really want it bad enough….

[Bilsko]

I have three main locking options:

1) Krypt. NYC Faghedabboudit Chain – really heavy, top-of-the-line, essentially a motorcycle/scooter lock which resides more or less permanently at the office.
2) Krypt. NYC Faghedabboudit U-Lock – Super super solid lock that is my go-to if I’m locking up anywhere outside for any extended amount of time.
3) Older Onguard Bulldog Mini – this one feels really flimsy compared to the Krypt. U-Lock. I only use it around my neighborhood and as an extra U-lock with I’m riding with the Chariot trailer.

In addition to the locks, I have two cables – a 4-footer and a 6-footer. Only reason I have the 6ft cable is for riding with the trailer. I’ll lock up my bike with one U-lock and 4ft cable, and then the trailer will be locked with the other U-Lock plus the 6ft cable.

I can’t say much about the build-quality of the newer OnGuards – but I suspect sure they’re comparable to the Kryptonite on a dollar-for-dollar basis. I have been very happy with the two Krypt. NYC locks.

As for buying – I got mine on Amazon b/c of price (just make sure that its coming from Amazon or a well-known 3rd party and not some strange dealer); getting it from REI may cost a bit more, but – if you’re patient and a member- you’ll get that 10% dividend back to spend later.

[Tim Kelley]

@Bilsko 47458 wrote:

I only use it around my neighborhood and as an extra U-lock with I’m riding with the Chariot trailer.

What’s your method for a Chariot lock up?

[dasgeh]

I have an On Guard. It’s not as “nice” as a Kryptonite. Once, when we used it to lock bikes to a car rack, it wouldn’t open for 12 hours. Then it would. No idea why.

Before you plunk down a ton of money, you might think about when/where you’d be locking your bike. Are you running errands around Clarendon mid-day on Saturdays? Or are you hitting bars in the District? You can get away with less lock for the former than the latter.

Of course, I leave my personal bike in the guarded bike corral at work, and use CaBi to get around DC during the workday. That’s pretty solid security.

[Bilsko]

@Tim Kelley 47460 wrote:

What’s your method for a Chariot lock up?

Its not pretty and it varies depending on what I’m getting locked up to, but usually the cable will go through the metal frame piece where the plastic housing to attach the trailer arm goes (right below the Chariot Logo in this image):

Then if I can manage to get the U-lock around something else solid on the trailer frame I’ll try to get it locked up to either the seattube or downtube on my bike.

So: 1) bike locked to post, 2) cable around trailer frame and post, then 3) U-lock trailer to bike frame.

Doesn’t always work out that way, but usually something like that.

[vvill]

Just for clarity my “older” OnGuard looks like this

while my “newer” one (which comes close to locking up on occasion) is more like the one Dave K posted.

Those newest ones are a bit ghastly!

[Author]

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