Advocacy & Safety - Kryptonite Locking Skewers

BUYER BEWARE

Krypto locking skewers are not safe!

If you follow the instructions about tightening them they aren't nearly tight enough. They are not knurled enough on the left side.

Under pressure, such as shifting while headed up a steep hill, the entire wheel will slip loose, jerk forward, slam into the frame, and throw you bum over tea kettle.

If you tighten them waaaaaay tighter than recommended, guess what, same problem! Unless you have absolutely vertical (not semi-vertical) dropouts, these things are just plain dangerous. Even with the vertical ones I don't think I'd risk it again after my little mishap yesterday. This was my second accident caused by these poorly designed skewers.

In 11 years of riding the same bike I never had this problem until I got my Kryptonite locking skewers a few weeks ago at a local shop.

It is far safer to go with QRs (prefereable an all steel one, including the knurled surfaces) and use a cable lock to secure them.

How similar are Kryptonite's now (at least it seems) discontinued locking skewers to the still available Veratomic (http://www.veratomic.com) Quick Locks?

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=137620

I refuse to use the locking skewers any more. Once, when I was out riding my bent, I found that the locking skewer on my front wheel was completely missing, and I was just lucky that the wheel didn't just fall out of the drop-outs while I was riding. At the time, I thought that the skewer may have been stolen while the bike was locked up, but now I believe the thing may have just worked its way loose and fallen out.

I refuse to use the locking skewers any more. Once, when I was out riding my bent, I found that the locking skewer on my front wheel was completely missing, and I was just lucky that the wheel didn't just fall out of the drop-outs while I was riding. At the time, I thought that the skewer may have been stolen while the bike was locked up, but now I believe the thing may have just worked its way loose and fallen out.

What brand locking skewers were you using?

What brand locking skewers were you using?

I was using the Kryptonite locking skewers. I don't see them for sale right now in my local shops -- I've heard rumors that Kryptonite might be trying to redesign them. Fortunately, for Kryptonite, these locking skewers are much, much less common than any of their U-locks.

I was using the Kryptonite locking skewers. I don't see them for sale right now in my local shops -- I've heard rumors that Kryptonite might be trying to redesign them. Fortunately, for Kryptonite, these locking skewers are much, much less common than any of their U-locks.

Thanks for replying so fast.

Yeah, I've heard bad things about the Kryptonite locking skewers. It's not surprising they are being "re-designed". Perhaps code Kryptonite is using to avoid using the 'recall' word.

I'm sorry ... that's jerky of me. Kryptonite has been GREAT about swapping their faulty locks. Very painless and didn't cost me a dime. (Granted, I think the class action lawsuit forced them to be helpful ... but they were awesome in their individual dealings with me).

I may try the Veratomic (http://www.veratomic.com) locking skewers yet. If you see me go completly inactive in the forum ... assume they fell out just like the Kryptonites, my wheel fell off at full speed, & I got crushed by a truck. :(

BUYER BEWARE

Krypto locking skewers are not safe!

If you follow the instructions about tightening them they aren't nearly tight enough. They are not knurled enough on the left side.

Under pressure, such as shifting while headed up a steep hill, the entire wheel will slip loose, jerk forward, slam into the frame, and throw you bum over tea kettle.

If you tighten them waaaaaay tighter than recommended, guess what, same problem! Unless you have absolutely vertical (not semi-vertical) dropouts, these things are just plain dangerous. Even with the vertical ones I don't think I'd risk it again after my little mishap yesterday. This was my second accident caused by these poorly designed skewers.

In 11 years of riding the same bike I never had this problem until I got my Kryptonite locking skewers a few weeks ago at a local shop.

It is far safer to go with QRs (prefereable an all steel one, including the knurled surfaces) and use a cable lock to secure them.


This is why you mount them the other way around. Also a slight overtorqueing is called for, unless you go to the hardware store and buy a lockring to replace the cheap one in their skewers.

I used my old pair for thousands of miles without a single problem.


edit: is it just me, or does the veratomics look like a vise-grip plier can compromise it?

This is why you mount them the other way around. Also a slight overtorqueing is called for,

After my first Kryptonite locking skewer went missing, I looked into this very thing. But no matter which way I mounted them or how hard I torqued them, they always managed to work themselves loose. Perhaps there are some wheels and bikes that the skewers work perfectly with, but after having the skewers fail to stay locked on two different bikes, I decided I would not risk using them anymore. I know how ugly a bike accident can be when the front wheel suddenly isn't there, and I was very uninterested in risking it.