Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - Which U-Lock?

I want a new U-Lock. I currently have MasterLock Street Cuffs, which I like, but are wearing out, and MasterLock is not willing to address the "Bic-Pic" issue. So I want to switch back to a U-Lock.

I've had a Kryptonite New York Chain, and it really just annoyed me, so I know I don't want a chain.

I'm trying to decide between the Krypto New York 3000, and something in the Evolution series. It's for my small tubed fixie, if that makes any difference. What are you guys using? Thoughts? Are there other brands I should be looking at?

Thanks.

If you can find em Abus makes some sweet locks.made in Germany....very tough.

I rock one of these in pink. Couldn't be happier with it:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=22689&item=7153868679&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW

They're cheap, they work, and oh yeah, they're cheap.

I rock one of these in pink. Couldn't be happier with it:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=22689&item=7153868679&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW

They're cheap, they work, and oh yeah, they're cheap.
Those look nice.............but, for ages 6 and up? That's funny. I've never seen a 6 year old carrying a mini u-lock in his/her pants pocket. ;)

I've seen at least 2 other couriers in Boston who rock these. They're kinda weird just because the inside of the U is so narrow it won't fit around some bike racks/poles and such, but if you're just locking the wheel to the frame most of the time, or carry a krpyto-cable, they're perfect.

Also: I got mine from that ebay seller, and he's a good guy to buy from. He was real fast, and the $8 shipping is a steal, as the postage alone cost $7.85 on mine.

Are you saying that you can pick your cuffs with a bic? That's the first I have heard of that. Crappers!

If you have any loyalty to Kryptonite after their whole fiasco, check out their 2005 locks...All very nice and bic proof.

I ride with a STOCK lock and a mini krypto myself...

i use and onguard mini with all the plastic crap on the lockbar busted off.

Also, I should mention that I tired unsuccesfully for 15 minutes to open my lock with a Bic.

The April issue of "Cycling Plus" included the results of their editors extensive/intensive tests of locks. One surprising result: some locks from "big name" suppliers are junk...they can be opened in a few seconds with simple portable tools.

"Junk" U-locks often LOOK like a Kryptonite, but test results show that most brand "X", "Y" and "Z" U-locks are total jokes...and the joke is on the guy who buys one. The ONLY brands of U-locks widely sold in the USA that did consistently well in the CP test are Kryptonite and OnGuard (and "Magnum by OnGuard).

The New York 3000 has obtained the highest ratings in tests by "Cycling Plus", "Sold Secure", and the ART Foundation. The Kryptonite New York 3000 is the best lock widely sold in the USA. Period. It beats even the best available chain lock, the Kryptonite Fahgettaboudit.

What sets the New York 3000 apart from its best competitor (OnGuard) is the exceptional resistance to cutting attacks and attacks with power tools. No lock widely available in the USA matches its overall performance.

However, some folks do not want, or need to carry a four pound lock. The two pound mini U-locks from OnGuard are just as strong as a New York 3000 against attacks by manual tools. A $25 OnGuard Bulldog Mini around the rear wheel and a parking meter post can not be defeated by manual tools. An OnGuard lock can be defeated by portable power tools, but attacks using power tools against "average" priced bikes are unheard of outside of New York City, and perhaps at a few large urban universities.

How much of a "joke" are the U-locks other than those by OnGuard or Kryptonite? Some of them can be opened in just FIVE seconds using a simple, cheap tool. To claim that a "Brand X" U-lock provides "security" may be a form of consumer fraud.

I recently bought a soma fabrications (prolly just soma-branded chinese steel) ulock. Flatish key, pretty much like the krypto mini, but about .75 inches longer in the shackle. Makes it slightly easier to go around oversized parking meters w/o being too big to fit in the pocket. Secure enough (so far) for bay area riding, but the first few days of use (at about 50 lockings/unlockings per day) were a bit tough...I think there were filings or burrs left in the tumblers...it's pretty smooth now, though.

I read the report on locks mentioned by alanbikehouston and bought both the Onguard Pitbull Mini and the Bulldog Doubleteam. Both are available from airbomb.com for about $20 each ($10 shipping) and I used a coupon code (TPM77) for a 10% discount. The mini is 1/2 the weight and it takes minimal effort to lock the front wheel and frame to a parking sign or railing. It's not really very hard to open and close the lock, even though it's harder than most other locks.

I rock one of these in pink. Couldn't be happier with it:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=22689&item=7153868679&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW

They're cheap, they work, and oh yeah, they're cheap.

flat keys, right?

It doesn't look like a flat keyed lock - looks like it's probably a tubular tumbler at the end, but I could be wrong.

I think I'm gonna try and find the Onguard Pitbull mini...

Is 5.5" shackle enough to get around at least a frame tube and a traffic / meter pole for most people?

I used a OnGuard Mini-U with my old road frame, perfect size. With my current touring frame though the Mini-U shackle isn't wide enough. So I had to get a OnGuard Bulldog MTB Standard. In both cases I use a cable to secure the front wheel.

I used a OnGuard Mini-U with my old road frame, perfect size. With my current touring frame though the Mini-U shackle isn't wide enough. So I had to get a OnGuard Bulldog MTB Standard. In both cases I use a cable to secure the front wheel.

The lock should go around your rear wheel, just behind the seat tube, not around the frame. The OnGuard Mini will fit around even a mountain bike wheel and a post the size of the post on a parking meter. Buying a larger size lock and putting it around your frame leaves the rear wheel unsecured, and leaves empty space inside the "U" for crooks to insert their favorite leverage tool.

Are you saying that you can pick your cuffs with a bic? That's the first I have heard of that. Crappers!

If you have any loyalty to Kryptonite after their whole fiasco, check out their 2005 locks...All very nice and bic proof.

I ride with a STOCK lock and a mini krypto myself...

Just a note about the Kryptonite fiasco...

Kryptonite does not make the lock cylinders. They buy them from elsewhere and assemble the locks. There are only a small handful of companies that make tubular locks, and as far as I know all of them are susceptible to impressioning attacks (the bic pen thing).

The fact that Kryptonite went out of its way to replace the lock cores on all of their products despite the obvious financial hit shows that the company really cares about security. If anything, the whole fiasco just solidified my loyalty to Kryptonite because I know if anything should go wrong with my locks in the future, they will cover it.

go yoshi. masterlock, and all the other companies didn't do anything about this. and like he said, it's not even just bike locks this can happen with. try it on a soda machine, the older ones have the barrel keys, and you can open those with them too. just be sure to fill out the warranty card with your new lock, and if anything should happen, you'll get reimbursed. unless of course you lock your bike to a pole with no top or something. but im definitly on the kryptonite bandwagon these days.

Thanks everyone: I ordered the pitbull mini from Airbomb, with the coupon. I tried to buy it in Canada, but the Canadian importer doesn't bring in the pitbull mini for some reason. Mad props to Pharnabazos for the coupon code.

Word.

unless of course you lock your bike to a pole with no top or something.

oh, snap!

It doesn't look like a flat keyed lock - looks like it's probably a tubular tumbler at the end, but I could be wrong.

I think I'm gonna try and find the Onguard Pitbull mini...

Is 5.5" shackle enough to get around at least a frame tube and a traffic / meter pole for most people?


not a flat key. circle.

oh, snap!

Isn't that the Bob Jackson that got stolen and is on FGG and everything?

If so, it's her own damn fault for locking to a parking meter with a chain.

The lock should go around your rear wheel, just behind the seat tube, not around the frame. The OnGuard Mini will fit around even a mountain bike wheel and a post the size of the post on a parking meter. Buying a larger size lock and putting it around your frame leaves the rear wheel unsecured, and leaves empty space inside the "U" for crooks to insert their favorite leverage tool.

Yeah, I know. I did/do put the U through the rear wheel and around the seat tube. But when you got 18" long chainstays you need a wider U to get it around the seat tube as well.

Yeah, I know. I did/do put the U through the rear wheel and around the seat tube. But when you got 18" long chainstays you need a wider U to get it around the seat tube as well.

Most of the time I don't bother locking through the seat tube. Sometimes I'll go around the rim/tire and one chainstay, but most of the time I just grab the rim/tire inside the stays and secure that to a meter.

If they really want it, they'll have to destroy the rear wheel to get it, and none of my bikes are that appealing.

Yeah, I know. I did/do put the U through the rear wheel and around the seat tube. But when you got 18" long chainstays you need a wider U to get it around the seat tube as well.

Why does it matter how long the chainstays are? The U-lock should not be "around the seat tube" or around the frame. The ONLY objects inside of the "U" shackles should be the rear wheel and the post of the parking meter. The frame and the seat tube should NOT be inside of the "U".

The post on the parking meter sits up against the left chain stay, just behind the left crank. The U-lock is placed on the upper front of the rear wheel, about 19 inches or so off the ground, with the shackle running through the gap between the rear tire and BEHIND, not around, the seat tube.

This technique allows you to use a "Mini" U-lock with any road bike tire, and any hybrid tire, and most mountain bike tires, with enough space remaining to go around a parking meter post. With a "Mini" lock, the result is a "snug" fit, with not enough space left open to insert "breaking" and leverage tools.

The ONLY reason to use a U-lock larger than a "Mini" lock is if you have really beefy mountain bike tires, or if the available locking posts in your neighborhood are more than three inches wide. But, even then, a lock the size of the New York 3000 is plenty big (with a 4 inch by 8 inch opening).

Those extra big U-locks with openings of 5 inches by 10 inches, or 5 inches by 12 inches are waay too big for safety...they leave empty space to insert a ten dollar tool that will break most U-locks in mere seconds.

"Bike Locks for Dummies" by Sheldon Brown

www.sheldonbrown.com/lock-strategy.html

Why does it matter how long the chainstays are? The U-lock should not be "around the seat tube" or around the frame. The ONLY objects inside of the "U" shackles should be the rear wheel and the post of the parking meter. The frame and the seat tube should NOT be inside of the "U".

"Bike Locks for Dummies" by Sheldon Brown

www.sheldonbrown.com/lock-strategy.html

Wow.

If the U-lock will fit around the rim of the rear tire and the seat-tube/chainstay/seatstay/whatever and minimize the amount of free space, then you should lock everything you can. Just because Sheldon Brown says that locking the rear rim is enough doesn't mean that YOU SHOULD DEFINITELY 100% ABSOLUTELY POSITIVELY NOT LOCK ANYTHING ELSE.

Realistically speaking lock the seat-tube/whatever as well as the rear wheel is MORE secure than locking just the rear tire. As Sheldon Brown points out, it is very unlikely that someone is going to spend the time to destroy your rear wheel to take off with your bike so if your lock only fits around the rim, that's safe enough. But what if someone is willing to destroy your rear wheel, and you decided that YOU SHOULD DEFINITELY 100% ABSOLUTELY POSITIVELY NOT LOCK ANYTHING ELSE even though you could have?

...Realistically speaking, locking the seat-tube/whatever as well as the rear wheel is MORE secure than locking just the rear tire...

NO, NO, NO. If your goal is to protect your frame against theft, and to prevent damage to your frame from a failed theft attempt, DO NOT place a lock around ANY part of the frame. To fully protect your frame, place a top-rated Mini U-lock ONLY around the front of the rear wheel. That position makes it impossible to steal the rear wheel or the frame.

Why? As the tests in the April 2005 "Cycling Plus" indicated, placing a U-lock around the frame leaves open space for prying tools. While "leveraging" the U-lock, a crook can mangle your frame.

If the U-lock is around ONLY the rear tire, just behind the seat tube, the tire absorbs the force of a prying attack. None of the force of the attack can damage your frame. If a crook uses massive force, he could bend your rim. A bent rim is a minor expense compared with a bent frame.

BUT, if a mini U-lock is correctly installed around a rear tire, and around a parking meter post, there is not enough room to insert effective tools. A crook won't even bother looking at your bike. Look at the photo of Sheldon Brown's bike correctly locked with a minu U-lock, and this will be clear.

I replace the quick releases on my front wheels with bolts, and then put a cable lock or mini U-lock on the front wheel. Because most of the other bikes on the rack have a front wheel with a quick release, a crook won't bother my front wheel. Crooks are lazy...that is why they are crooks.

"Be The ONLY Guy On Your Block To Know How To Lock A Bike" by Sheldon Brown

www.sheldonbrown.com/lock-strategy.html

Hi guys. Some of you said Master Lock U-locks can also be picked w/ a Bic pen... Sure? Never heard that elsewhwere, so could anyone tell for sure? As you might have guessed, I use a ML and I love my bike, so it's important... I'd be quite surprised if the two makers used the exact same tubular lock cylinder...

Isn't that the Bob Jackson that got stolen and is on FGG and everything?

If so, it's her own damn fault for locking to a parking meter with a chain.

the very one. someone here had taken a picture of it around town and posted it not long after the word got out.

those crazy kids.

Oh, plus a remark about the should-i-lock-the-frame-as-well issue. I figure that it's safe to buy a small lock that only just reaches around the rear wheel and lock it Sheldon way. BUT if you have a larger U-lock (like me), you really should get all you can within it. So again, you minimeze access for tools. (I lock the chainstays at the intersection with the wheel, so both frame & rear wheel) +having a larger lock helps if you can't find an appropriate post, only, say, a thicker one or a tree or, say, a fence you can't put the bike close enough to...

Actually, it seems to me that papa Sheldon could have locked his ugly bike in the illustration picture my way... Putting the lock 3 or 4 inches further down, if the lock has 2 inches more reach.

Hi guys. Some of you said Master Lock U-locks can also be picked w/ a Bic pen... Sure? Never heard that elsewhwere, so could anyone tell for sure? As you might have guessed, I use a ML and I love my bike, so it's important... I'd be quite surprised if the two makers used the exact same tubular lock cylinder...

Most U-locks sold in the USA, other than those from Krytonite and OnGuard, are of very low quality. The Master Lock U-locks I have seen at discount stores would not stop a crook for ten seconds. Perhaps Master Lock sells a high quality U-lock in Europe, but the ones sold in the USA are junk.

Buyers in Europe have a good selection of high quality U-locks from Axa, Paramount, OnGuard/Magnum, Abus, and Kryptonite. Pick a lock that has a "Gold" rating on the "SoldSecure" website, and most crooks will just go looking for an easier target...such as a bike with a U-lock sold by Scott or Master Lock.

www.soldsecure.com/Leisure.htm

Just out of curiosity, what about locks "made by kryptonite" ie: Giant.

LoFarkas: from what I understand, any tubular tumbler lock can be picked with something like a pen.l This includes MasterLocks, Krypto's, most vending machines, some gun cabinets and many other things. Most lock tumblers are made by only a couple companies, and just bought and used by bikelock companies, including big names like Krypto. MasterLock claims their locks are impervious, and hence do not need to be replaced. However, several people on the MTBR board have various MasterLock locks, and cracked them with pens. one member with the cuffs cracked them, and got quite uppity with ML until they finally sent him two crappy u locks as a replacement.

Delay: I would imagine any rebranded locks (like the Giant ones) are relatively low on the scale of locks. I'm sure they're not bad, but they won't be as good as the high end Krypto locks. Also, if they have tubular tumblers, they will be susceptible to bic attacks.

I just want to send out a hearty thanks and god-bless to Alanbikehouston for spreading the gospel. I just got my Onguard Mini bulldogs for myself and my girlfriend, and I'm totally happy with them--solid, hard, and obviously well-made. Oh yeah, and less than half of the Krypto mini, about a quarter the price of the Krypto NYC lock. That bit about the Evo mini that he posted in the last forum really convinced me--I really like the double bolt. PLUS the Onguard Mini came with its own bracket holder, which is better designed than the Kryptonite one I had to buy SEPARATELY for another ten bucks here in NYC (that one actually broke when I tried to adjust it according to Krypto's instructions--I now just have the failed bracket holder stuck onto my road bike frame, unwilling to throw ten dollars of crappily designed rubber into the trash.)

People, listen to him evangelize, I have heard him and I see the light:D. Amen.

(And what he says about locking is absolutely right--rear wheel only, maybe coupled WITH the front wheel, but never with the frame.)

Glad to hear you're happy with the lock. I can't wait to get mine.

If you've got close enough clearance, it wouldn't really be a bad thing to lock up the wheel and seattube ... would it?

NO, NO, NO. If your goal is to protect your frame against theft, and to prevent damage to your frame from a failed theft attempt, DO NOT place a lock around ANY part of the frame. To fully protect your frame, place a top-rated Mini U-lock ONLY around the front of the rear wheel. That position makes it impossible to steal the rear wheel or the frame.


Ah okay. Misunderstanding. I mean you should lock the seattube if you have a larger U-lock because you want to minimize the free space. If just locking the rim leaves a huge amount of free space you are much better off locking the seat tube as well (plus there is the chance that someone would cut the rim, but again, unlikely).

Boy, you guys scare me... ANY TUBULAR LOCK CAN BE PICKED W/ BIC PEN? I thought they were better than flat keys 'cos those are easier to drill...
Master Lock make decent quality stuff, otherwise they would not have $1000 to $4000 theft guarantees as well as lifetime warranties for all locks.
Anyway, could you SSSasky give me the link to MTBR pick comments? Can't find them. Getting scared, I'll spend the morning trying to open mine w/ pen.

LoFarkas, don't know what the thieving situation is like in BudaPest, but here in NYC, once people get some tiny hint like a VIDEO POSTED ON THE INTERNET on how to do the 'picking with a pen, no one's bike is safe. Crack *****s, heroin junkies, smalltime gangsters and bored ghetto boys from the projects are resourceful that way. 've seen the Masterlocks on sale here in our 'finer' NYC hardware stores, often collecting serious amounts of dust, and I wouldn't trust 'em worth crap. Maybe in other places, but certainly not here in NY, or Amsterdam, or London, or Boston, or other such havens for pilfering experts. But maybe one's concerns are different. Here in NY, where there is always foot traffic, drilling and powertools probably aren't quite as much of a worry, because they're just too obvious. If you're parking the bike overnight on a very empty and isolated suburban street, maybe drilling is easier to do. Dunno.

The one time I had a bike stolen, it was in San Diego, and my friends heard the fellow sawing their staircase railing, but didn't realize that my bike was the one parked next to the guy. He used a plain old hacksaw, no power equipment. Meantime, my friends were confused as to why he'd be carrying the bike instead of riding it when they saw him take off. The lessons I took from that: 1. make sure you lock to something MORE solid than your lock. 2. make sure you write down the case number and double-check it before you hang up the phone with the police officer: in most places in the US, stolen item police reports are ONLY filed according to case number. Once it's filed, there's no way of getting a copy unless you have the number. I think it's PD's way of cutting down on paperwork hassles by screwing you out of any way of later locating the paper. Insurance won't take a claim without a copy of the paperwork:( .

Boy, you guys scare me... ANY TUBULAR LOCK CAN BE PICKED W/ BIC PEN? I thought they were better than flat keys 'cos those are easier to drill...
Master Lock make decent quality stuff, otherwise they would not have $1000 to $4000 theft guarantees as well as lifetime warranties for all locks.
Anyway, could you SSSasky give me the link to MTBR pick comments? Can't find them. Getting scared, I'll spend the morning trying to open mine w/ pen.

Not every tubular lock can be picked with a bic pen. Tubular locks come in different diameters, and by coincidence many kryptonite locks were of the appropriate diameter for a pen to fit. That said, just about every tubular lock can be picked in a similar way. I saw a video of a guy pick a kensington laptop lock with a piece of cardboard (from a roll of toilet paper). Maybe there are some tubulars that can't be picked in this way, but I don't have any statistics or information on that.

As for flat keys, not all flat keys are created equal. The flat keys that kryptonite is now using are not standard pin and tumbler locks/keys. They are disk locks. Basically the lock is a bunch of flat disks (7 or 8) with a slit in the middle. The key is shaped such that it will turn different disks a different amount. These locks are almost drill proof since the top disk spins freely and is usually made of a hardened metal. If someone tries to drill it, the drill will just cause the top disk to spin and the drill won't be able to "bite."

DAMN!!! THIS REALLY IS CRAP! Just found the 'tubular lock upgrade program' on ML's website. I don't think it was there this morning. So my lock is vulnerable:-( The high-end Master Lock ones are not, but mine is a ~ $30 one... They'd replace it if i sent the 2 keys to Colchester in the UK, which is way too far + I have lost one key anyway. I'm starting to hate the guy who published the video.
Funny thing is, a buddy of mine bought a Master Lock we could not open w/ its own key... or mine, of course. Factory worker messed up, I guess. Had to return it, got refund. We should have tried a pen.

(BTW Budapest is not nearly as bad thief-wise as NY & my rig is not worth more than $700 + it's not the kind that appeals to primitive idiots; rigid fork, 1,3' slicks, etc. But I myself have already had a cheaper, freelocked bike stolen from an open garden in broad daylight with a lot of guys walking around.)

Oops. the statement (http://www.masterlockbike.com/cc_statement/images/Tubular%20Lock%20Statement.pdf) is dated September 30th, 2004. Why doesn't anyone talk about this, only Krypto? They say Street cuffs are safe, though. And they are sooo sexy.

The street cuffs are sexy. However: regardless of whether or not they are suceptible to the pen trick, the keys wear out really fast. I've been using the lock for around two years, and the thin spots in the keys have worn completely through. They still work, and MasterLock will replace the lock for free, but only with the same design. Some couriers I know who use them have to have the whole unit replaced every 6 months or so because they wear out the entire tumbler.

One of the people on MTBR went through a really painful saga with ML to get a replacement that was pen proof, after he cracked his own cuffs with a pen. After a lot of terrible service, he got a couple of cheaper U-Locks that used flat keys.

I'm having trouble finding the original posts ... sorry.

Here's one about DirtRag staff busting some Masterlocks:
http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=49068&highlight=kryptonite

That's the best I can find right now ... sorry ...

[QUOTE=Yoshi]Not every tubular lock can be picked with a bic pen. Tubular locks come in different diameters, and by coincidence many kryptonite locks were of the appropriate diameter for a pen to fit. That said, just about every tubular lock can be picked in a similar way. I saw a video of a guy pick a kensington laptop lock with a piece of cardboard (from a roll of toilet paper). Maybe there are some tubulars that can't be picked in this way, but I don't have any statistics or information on that.

When Kryptonite first started manufacturing their locks they used a tubular Ace cylinder. Ace cylinders use a slightly larger diameter than the ones Kryptonite changed to, as well as being the original that everyone else tried to copy. If they had kept using the Ace (more expensive) cylinders it would have never been an issue. Could the reason they changed be because I could get my friendly local locksmith to cut me new keys?

NO Master Lock has earned a "Gold" rating from Sold Secure. If you live in a city where crooks are using "advanced" tools and techniques, you need a SERIOUS lock that has passed the extensive testing program of the Sold Secure Insurance Institute and earned their "Gold" rating.

www.soldsecure.com/Leisure.htm

Why do I use lightweight, $25 OnGuard Mini U-locks, that earned "only" a silver rating from Sold Secure? The "Cycling Plus" tests show that the OnGuard Mini U-locks are very tough against leverage attacks. As tough as any lock, any weight, any price. And, "manual" attacks are what the crooks in my neighborhood use.

The "weakness" of OnGuard locks is that they can easily be cut using power tools. So, OnGuard "Mini's" are not qualified for a "Gold" rating. However, outside of New York City, and other "high crime" areas, the use of "power tools" against bikes of "average" value is rare.

The weakness of the Master Locks that are sold in the USA is their low-grade materials. Most can be broken in just seconds with a very cheap, easy to carry manual tool...the type of "attack" that is common in most American communities.

If I were locking a REALLY expensive bike in a big city, or at a large urban university, I would want "the best". And that is the Kryptonite New York 3000. Of course, at four pounds, it weighs more than the frame of an expensive bike...a four pound lock to protect a two pound frame...

I think this has been a really good thread. Thanks to everyone for the insightful discussion.

That's the issue here. I'm about to buy a cool little magnesium MTB frame for ~ $175. Weihgs well under 3 pounds. Now it'd be damn angering to have to buy a lock for almost half that money that weighs MORE than the frame! All because of some ******.

...As for flat keys, not all flat keys are created equal. The flat keys that kryptonite is now using are not standard pin and tumbler locks/keys. They are disk locks. Basically the lock is a bunch of flat disks (7 or 8) with a slit in the middle. The key is shaped such that it will turn different disks a different amount. These locks are almost drill proof since the top disk spins freely and is usually made of a hardened metal. If someone tries to drill it, the drill will just cause the top disk to spin and the drill won't be able to "bite."

Thank you for explaining the "motive" for the top disk on the new Kryptonite and OnGuard locks spinning so easily. I was annoyed when the top disk on a new Kryptonite spun out of alignment with the other disks and I could not open the lock (until I figured out how to realign the "slot" in the top disk with the slots cut through the center of the other disks).

I don't mind the inconvenience of having to "realign" that top disk, now that I know that the rotating discs help defeat the crooks.

i use and onguard mini with all the plastic crap on the lockbar busted off.

Same. Looks much better. Perfect fit for the back pocket, too.

Well, it is now official. Not that you guys need to care too much. Anyway, I'VE JUST OPENED MY $30 U-LOCK WITH AN EFFING PIECE OF CARDBOARD.
Going shopping asap. Thanks to all for help. Might make a video/tell the exact model if sy is interested. (in private message/email, to the folks who have posted here b4... I don't want to post this stuff even if it is an ss forum.