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(More customer reviews)I purchased both this lock, and the OnGuard Bulldog MINI TC 5013TC Bicycle U-Lock. These are the two locks that are considered to be near the top of the list for U-Lock security.
The very top is the Kryptonite New York Fahgettaboutit Mini Bicycle U-Lock (3.25 x 6-Inch), but I decided against that one due to weight and cost issues. My bike is old and new was only about $1000 when new, and so it isn't going to be the target that a more expensive bike would be.
Between this lock and the Bulldog Mini, both are high security. The reason I was in the market for a lock was that I had a cheap U lock cut with a pair of bolt cutters by an apartment manager unhappy that I had locked a bike to a railing. He sliced through that cheap U-lock silently, like butter, and both of these locks have been tested against that and neither lock was cuttable by bolt cutters. However, both can be defeated by a determined thief with power tools and a couple of minutes.
Both locks give you several sets of keys (at least 4) and let you either write down a code or register the code and they'll send free keys if you ask. Both locks include one lighted key, but the thing is huge and takes up so much room on my key chain that I took it off because I've really never needed the dim light it provides. Nice concept, but worthless - you can feel the key hole if it's pitch black.
Neither lock has a decent mounting system. They both come included with one that really only works on a 21" frame, the biggest bike for the tallest riders, because it needs too much space to pull out to mount it on the seat tube. Me and everyone else I've seen just ends up hanging the lock over their handlebars. The lock is rubber coated so it won't scratch your handlebars. If you do that, and you will, be sure to remove the mounting piece on the U lock that clicks into the mounting bracket. Click the bracket onto it and twist the mounting piece off. The mounting piece can be seen as the thick collar over the left post of the U lock where it meets the cross piece. Neither lock is impervious to the elements: you'll need to do a once per year spray inside with either WD-40 or, with graphite powder you can get at the lock section of any hardware store. Either one will keep it operating like new.
There are three basic differences between this lock and the Bulldog Mini. First is the size. The Bulldog barely fits over my mountain bike tire and the smallest pole, like those used for no parking signs. It DOES fit over a parking meter, but many parking meters have had a pipe slipped over the pole that holds them to prevent people from hacksawing the meter off and this lock will not fit over that outer pipe. The series 4 is big enough to fit everything. UPDATE, the Bulldog Mini has been increased in size and so it now will fit over larger poles of parking meters.
Note that it isn't necessary to lock both your tire and the bike frame unless your frame is really expensive. Just lock the part of the tire that is inside the frame triangle underneath and behind the seat. The bulldog can't fit over both the tire and the seat tube, while the kryptonite can, but it isn't necessary. A thief would never take the time and effort to try to cut all the spokes, and bend the rim to force it through the frame triangle, and if he did he'd wreck half the cost of the bike.
Second is the key and locking mechanism. The Bulldog has a key that breaks off easily and the lock has to be fully seated to work. That means you have to shove the crosspiece in as hard as you can and shove the key in as hard as you can to turn the key without breaking it. Because of the small size, it's not always possible, and you find yourself looking for another pole about 10% of the time. The series 4 has a much stronger key and the mechanism is more forgiving - it doesn't need to be shoved in and is therefore easier to use. Because it fits around everything, that makes it really easy to use.
The last issue is weight. Here is where the Bulldog has the Series 4 beat. The Series 4 weighs about 3.5 lbs and the Bulldog weighs about 1.75 lbs. It makes enough of a difference that I find that the Bulldog mini, with all of its faults, gets the nod and that's the one I tend to use for my cheaper bike, a Trek 7000. I also have a much more expensive looking bike (Trek 8000 - $1800 new), and I use the series 4 for that one because a cable is not going to keep someone from stealing the tire.
You might also consider the Kryptonite Evolution Series 4 U-Lock 3 x 5.5" as a compromise, but the heavier cross piece of the smaller series 4 is still going to make it weigh more than the Bulldog Mini, and probably not that much less than the regular size series 4, so you'd probably be happier with either of those.
I also have a thin (3/8") 6' cable, much thinner than the 7' OnGuard Akita 5043 Bicycle Security Cable (Lock Not Included) that I place over the ends of the U lock before I lock it that fits through the front tire, and the seat and the mountain bike rack on the back of my bike to keep them from walking away. 6' is the minimum size you need to go through everything. The 7' cable linked above is very thick and very heavy, though it provides slightly better security. You'll want to decide whether you want better security or much greater convenience, and then buy the cable to match. My thought is that it is just about as easy to cut a thin cable as it is a thick one. I haven't seen the thin 6' cables at Amazon, though they are in many bike stores.
I've used the thin cable and the Bulldog Mini locking only the rear wheel through the frame triangle on my Trek 7000 in some of the worst neighborhoods in San Francisco, and no one has ever touched it. But note: if you leave your bike outside overnight, and it's worth more than about $300 used, you can pretty much kiss it goodbye in San Francisco, particularly if it is left in the same place several nights in a row. And don't even think about a cable as your primary lock. I've seen $50 bikes stolen with thick cable locks - they are just too easy to cut. The cable lock is only for accessories used in conjunction with a solid u-lock, never as a primary lock.
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Kryptonite Evolution Series 4 Standard Bicycle U-Lock with Bracket (4-Inch x 9-Inch)Big city cyclists need big city protection, as would-be thieves aren't intimidated by flimsy cables or weak U-locks. That's why serious cyclists turn to Kryptonite for their security needs. The Evolution Series 4 U-lock is a cut above other bike locks, with a 14mm hardened Max-Performance steel shackle designed to resist both cutters and leverage attacks. Ideal for anyone who lives in moderate to high crime areas, the Series 4 received a 9 on the Kryptonite 1-12 lock comparison system, which ranks the varying levels of security offered by the company's product range. A lock that ranks 1 on the Kryptonite scale might work if you live in the burbs and have a Rottweiler parked next to your bike or motorcycle. A lock that ranks 12, however, is built for maximum deterrence. The Series 4 also offers such security-enhancing features as a double deadbolt locking mechanism for extensive holding power; a disc-style cylinder with more than one million key variations; a reinforced anti-drill/pull cylinder protection system; and a center key location with a dual overhead cam locking mechanism that defends against leverage attacks. The Series 4 is about more than just security, however, with a sliding dustcover that protects and extends cylinder life, anti-rattle bumpers that reduce noise during transport, and versatile EZ mount transportation bracket. And as a bonus, the lock comes with three keys, one of which is lighted with a high-intensity bulb that makes it easy to unlock the Series 4 after dark. The lock measures 4 by 9 inches.
The Legendary Durability of Kryptonite Locks The first big test for Kryptonite locks came in 1972, when Kryptonite founder Michael Zane directed the Second Avenue Bicycle Shop in New York City to lock a three-speed bicycle to a signpost in Greenwich Village. Although thieves immediately stripped all of the bicycle's removable parts, the bicycle itself remained for 30 days and 30 nights. The publicity gave Kryptonite the boost it needed and forever changed the face of bicycle security. Twenty-two years later, Kryptonite returned to the streets of the Big Apple to test its latest innovation, the New York lock. In April 1994, the New York Post laid down the ultimate challenge: Could Kryptonite's New York lock last 48 hours on the toughest streets of New York? In a city where more than 100,000 bikes are stolen each year, Kryptonite and the Post locked a brand new, bright green Univega road bike worth $600 to a parking meter in the East Village--the Bermuda Triangle of New York bicycle thievery. For a full 48 hours, the bike remained locked on the corner of Avenue A and 11th Street. Zane and Neil McDaid, director of product development and design for Kryptonite, watched from around the corner as the bike came under every possible means of assault, stumping thieves at every turn. After 48 hours the bike remained intact except for the gear derailleur, which had been stripped off. The lock showed definite signs of abuse, but it had not failed. The New York lock had met the Post's challenge.
Not satisfied with the length of the test, Zane moved the bike to SoHo for another six days and, finally, uptown near the Lincoln Center. Even in these high-theft areas the properly locked bike lasted another three weeks before being pulled off the streets by Zane and McDaid. The Post also ran the New York lock through a battery of street tests using common bike theft tools: a 4-foot bolt cutter, a crowbar, and a hammer. The non-Kryptonite locks cracked in seconds, but all methods failed on the New York lock, even the monstrous bolt cutter, which was rendered useless with large dents in its jaws.
About Kryptonite In the early 1970s, Michael Zane was a free-spirited, bearded kid with a VW van and a big idea for a new kind of lock. He traveled thousands of miles showing the unique U-shaped locking device and spreading his passion for bicycle security to bike dealers all around the country and forged lifetime relationships. The company soon expanded its product line to include power sports, hardware, and snow sports security. Through innovative product designs, cutting-edge marketing savvy, legendary customer service, and pure fanaticism for security, Kryptonite grew with a cult-like following.
In 2001, the company that was started in a VW van was purchased by industry giant Ingersoll Rand and became a flagship brand in the company's Security Technologies sector. Publications such as Bicycling, Fortune, The Wall Street Journal, US News & World Report, and a host of others continued to tout Kryptonite products as the best on the market. The company's dedication to its customers is best represented by its actions during the fall of 2004, when it was discovered that the industry-standard tubular cylinder could be compromised, at times, with a household item. Kryptonite flew into action, created a voluntary lock exchange program, and replaced more than 400,000 locks in 21 countries for free. In essence, the company redesigned the equivalent of nine years worth of new products in just 10 short months. Kryptonite is the only company in the world that offered such a comprehensive plan to customers, taking its "legendary customer service" pledge to new heights.
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