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@Jonny69
Thought I'd post a mini review, since these two threads are getting older now and I don't know how up to date the info is.
Background:
It’s normally been quite safe to leave our bikes unlocked at work, but couple of unlocked bikes have gone walkies recently. Suspect it’s got something to do with the large number of contractors working on site at the moment. I felt like I needed a basic mini D for mine. It didn’t need to be anything seriously secure, just good enough to prevent chancers and not easily cut like a cable. For anyone reading in the future, it's currently post-Brexit and Covid period, and all prices seem to be heavily inflated due to supply and demand.
Choices were between:
-Classic Kryptonite. I already have two of these and they're a bit too big to take to the shops without a bag. The lock mechs are good but they're quite spindly.
-Kryptonite Mini Evo. Got one of these and love it, but it's quite heavy and currently EXPENSIVE (see above)
-Unbranded £10 eBay special. Probably would be fine, but not many mini D's.
-Option 4 - branded version of the above
Weighing up option 4, the OnGuard Mini series looked pretty good. £18-£20 delivered depending on shackle length. Shackles between 140mm, 175mm and 190mm from what I could work out. I went for the middle one, which I felt was just big enough to get around a bar and the frame. £17.99 delivered from Hopkinsons Cycles. Funny to then come here to post this and see it in the recommended list. That makes me happier.
Review:
-Initial impression is that it is very light for its size.
-It has a lot of sharp burrs on the plastic moulding, so I spent a little while tidying it up with a Stanley knife blade.
-The lock mech is what they call the Z-Cylinder (a slider/sidebar lock) which offers improved pick resistance, but nowhere near as good as the Kryptonite locks which require a special tool to pick.
-It comes with 5 keys. As with the lock itself, the keys are covered in sharp burrs on the plastic and at the end of the key itself. I'll have to deal with the key because it'll put a hole in my pocket. Presumably, they've cut corners here to keep the cost down.
-The shackle is secured in the lock barrel at both ends.
-It has an adjustable frame hanger which initially looks better than the wedge-type hanger the Kryptonite comes with, which easily gets jammed in.
-Maybe my only worry is the core inside the main lock tube looks like it's plastic. This is probably why it feels so light next to the Kryptonite Evo Mini. It won't be a problem for me, but it leaves it susceptible to plumbing torch attacks. I can't find the LockPickingLawyer/BosnianBill video now, but I'm sure I've seen one where they burn out the core and the lock basically drops to bits. I don't think it's going to happen to me at work or at the shops, but it's worth knowing.
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