Locks that work

It's outside London... It's dead to me.

Is that why I feel so cold?

Hi - I've spent a worrying amount of time reading this thread (and others) recently, so I thought I'd better post and see if anyone can help:

I recently bought an Onguard Brute STD 8001 off Amazon (~£25), hoping to increase security compared to my current setup - a Bulldog mini and Abus centuro armoured cable.

The Brute is advertised as having a 16.8mm shackle. However, while most of it is that width, there is about 3cm at each end (the bits that go into the bar) which taper down to about 13/14mm. Since I foolishly removed the plastic covering from the bar (because it was huge before), these narrow 13mm bits are exposed to bolt cutters, angle grinders etc, making the 16mm part effectively useless.

So now, what to replace it with? Having read a decent amount of this thread, I'm now choosing between the Abus Granit X-plus 54 (13mm square), and the Kryptonite New York STD (16mm round).

I'm tempted by the lighter weight of the Abus as I might be touring at some point, and the bar seems to be better-built, but is it really just as secure? There's a lot of steel in the NY3000 shackle, less in the Abus - does the square/parabolic Abus magic actually compensate for that?

Any insight which might sway me either way?

Apologies for the long post, and thanks!

@dmajor: this might be the weakness sirbikealot was refering to earlier. This kind of sucks, since (after going through all 48 pages of this thread) I'd already made up my mind about getting a Brute STD. And you just ruined it for me... :)

I guess it doesn't make that much of a difference now, but while on it, why would one choose brute mini over STD? (Guess this question is valid with other brands too, since many have mini versions). Mini has a smaller shackle and is heavier to boot.

Don't boot it.

@Mix007 - Yes I suspect it's the same weakness. Having found sirbikealot's post, I realise I probably shouldn't have posted it on here. Either way, it's not really a problem as long as you don't take the massive yellow plastic casing off the bar (as the thinner bit is hidden).

Re. the mini vs STD question: If you can fit a mini around your bike and whatever you want to lock it to, then it's much better - they're sometimes lighter and therefore easier to carry (e.g. onguard pitbull mini vs std), or if they're not then they're thicker instead (think fahg mini). You lose flexibility though - if you don't know what you'll have to lock to, if it's too big (e.g. lamppost?), a mini won't work.

Also the Brute mini doesn't seem to be available in the UK, and there's no telling whether it has the same problem as the STD or not.

All the locks that have plastic/rubber coatings, can have the coatings separated from the steel. But its there to stop freeze attacks first, since it has a different freezing point to steel, and to gunk up a saw, should someone try sawing through the coating.

I'd choose the Brute Mini over the Brute STD, because its obviously harder to bottle-jack it. But if filling the whole lock, then the STD is fine to use. Its only if there's a sizeable gap left, that will give you a problem.

All the locks that have plastic/rubber coatings, can have the coatings separated from the steel. But its there to stop freeze attacks first, since it has a different freezing point to steel, and to gunk up a saw, should someone try sawing through the coating.

Nobody said taking off the plastic / rubber coating was smart, but since a few tried they discovered what could be described as a significant security flaw. Knowing this, do you still feel comfortable having the lock as a good primary on your list?

http://www.gizmodo.co.uk/2014/05/skylock-is-the-bike-lock-of-the-future-and-its-awesome/

looks interesting

Hey all,

Haven't read the whole thread so this could have come up before, but here is a pic of an Orange Krypto (Evo?) that has been sawn through.

Pic taken at the bottom of Green Lanes outside Adana restaurant. If this was your lock your bike is gone. Sorry for your loss.

Wait.. how do I upload photos again? Ok got it.

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it's well known that mini-evo can be sawn through pretty easily. that's why it's only recommended as a secondary lock.

13mm is too thin for a primary lock. but should be enough to deter a thief if it's only being used to secure a front wheel or something

Hey all,

Haven't read the whole thread so this could have come up before, but here is a pic of an Orange Krypto (Evo?) that has been sawn through.

I'm guessing power tools, since the plastic around the cut has melted. Also, obviously the lock's not double-bolted, since one cut seems to have been enough. Tough luck.

OK - search hasn't given me a good answer, so hopefully the security hive mind here can :)

We have 5 bikes between us and now that we've moved, they really are going to have to live in the shed. Don't worry, this isn't London. Shed is wooden and reasonably sturdy. Ground anchor isn't really an option as it seems only to have concrete round the edges rather than the whole floor (I unscrewed a floorboard to peek).

Plan is to put some hooks up on the back wall and run a chain between two "Shed Shackles" http://securityforbikes.com/shed-shackle.php, like this terrible drawing:

And then replace the crappy padlock with another of their recommend Squire SS50CS and put some coach bolts through the hinges and hasp.

Sensible plan? I think so.

My slight concern is about the chain: advice here seems to be 16mm minimum, but the Protector 13mm seems to get a good write up around the web with people mostly failing to cut it. I don't want to get something too heavy as the mrs is a little clumsy and prone to dropping things...

unscrew more floorboards and lay your own concrete base for a ground anchor? anything else sounds like it's going to be a compromise.

If I'm doing that, I guess I could cast a large piece of metal into the concrete instead of an expensive anchor. Hmmm...

I ended up going for the Kryptonite New York Fahgettaboudit Mini. It's very heavy but the size is perfect. Thanks!

Does anyone have any experience with Kryptonite's Anti-Theft Protection in the UK?

Its accurate, or it would be false advertising.

But its hard to bring the lock to them if the lock was removed also. To counter that, always try to lock up under the view of a CCTV camera.

Hi - I've spent a worrying amount of time reading this thread (and others) recently, so I thought I'd better post and see if anyone can help:

I recently bought an Onguard Brute STD 8001 off Amazon (~£25), hoping to increase security compared to my current setup - a Bulldog mini and Abus centuro armoured cable.

The Brute is advertised as having a 16.8mm shackle. However, while most of it is that width, there is about 3cm at each end (the bits that go into the bar) which taper down to about 13/14mm. Since I foolishly removed the plastic covering from the bar (because it was huge before), these narrow 13mm bits are exposed to bolt cutters, angle grinders etc, making the 16mm part effectively useless.

So now, what to replace it with? Having read a decent amount of this thread, I'm now choosing between the Abus Granit X-plus 54 (13mm square), and the Kryptonite New York STD (16mm round).

I'm tempted by the lighter weight of the Abus as I might be touring at some point, and the bar seems to be better-built, but is it really just as secure? There's a lot of steel in the NY3000 shackle, less in the Abus - does the square/parabolic Abus magic actually compensate for that?

Any insight which might sway me either way?

Apologies for the long post, and thanks!

@dmajor: this might be the weakness sirbikealot was refering to earlier. This kind of sucks, since (after going through all 48 pages of this thread) I'd already made up my mind about getting a Brute STD. And you just ruined it for me... :)

I guess it doesn't make that much of a difference now, but while on it, why would one choose brute mini over STD? (Guess this question is valid with other brands too, since many have mini versions). Mini has a smaller shackle and is heavier to boot.

Sorry, I don't see the weakness thats been referred to. One person has damaged a lock, designed by experts, and then its referred to as having a weakness. If the plastic had not been removed, what weakness would the lock have had?

The plastic/rubberized coating is there to deal with freeze attacks.

The amount of time required for a thief to cut off this rubberized coating, means a high likelihood of him being caught. So thieves would not sit next to a bike and for minutes, use a Stanley knife to remove the rubber. They want a bike in a few seconds, not in several minutes.

If the rubber coating is left in place, it is a very good lock. Or it wouldn't be represented in this thread. The newer design means that the bolts are further covered in the shackle by the raised holes. Further security for those worrying about an attack on the narrowest section.

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Disagree, we all know that professional thirds exist and that many will take the lock once they've stolen a bike. It wouldn't surprise me at all if they inspected the lock back home for any further weaknesses, that part of the shackle is 13mm thick, and surrounded by plastic. If someone is going to attack a 13mm lock it may well be with bolt croppers

If a thief knows all they need to do is aim lower (a bit of plastic is going to do nothing for bolt croppers) to break it down with said croppers, surely that puts it in secondary?

This whole thread is tl;dr.

Buy a fahg. /thread

Fagh is too expensive for many. Too small for some.

Or others simply want to have a choice.

Re. the Brute, he doesn't mean the rubberised coating, I think - but rather the bit underneath the lock mount - which makes the lock much more bulky but is easy to remove

I need to swap my fahg for a NY if anyones interested,

My tyres are now too fat for the fahg

sirbikealot, no, it won't go into secondary locks.

It's a main lock. It's not perfect, and no lock is perfect. It's just how it is.