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-   -   Kryptonite 1590 Legend 3' Chain Lock opinions? (https://www.bikeforums.net/commuting/735253-kryptonite-1590-legend-3-chain-lock-opinions.html)

tombuchananwife 05-14-11 12:04 AM

Kryptonite 1590 Legend 3' Chain Lock opinions?
 
Hi, everyone. What do you think about the Kryptonite Legend lock?

I am not a serious cyclist, but my bikes have immense sentimental value to me. I live in a safe area and one of my beloved bikes was stolen from my front porch, cabled to a 10"x10" post. However, it's a college town, and bike theft is the real deal here, as I now know. Since then I learned that cables are a joke for a thief, and I'm determined that they'll never get a bike (or anything else) from me again. After looking into my options, I've decided that a claymore mine is socially unacceptable and prone to collateral damage or accidental discharge, so I'm thinking a step down to the Kryptonite Legend. I've chosen the Legend because I've seen that the Fuggitaboudit chain can be clipped with bolt cutters and the appropriate leverage. I will also be leaving the bike overnight. (I know.) I drive to a parking lot and ride a few blocks from there, then back to the lot. I'd be leaving it locked to a bike rack near the lot. The bike is worth <$50. But I'd hate to lose it.

I understand that the Legend is heavy. I'd be going for the 3', which I think is 10.6 lbs. Carrying around an extra ten pounds isn't an ideal situation, but if it keeps my bike safe, it's worth it to me. I ride on mostly flat terrain, so I'm hoping the extra weight won't be a major issue. $100 on Amazon is a lot to spend on a bike lock. But if it's the last lock I ever buy and my bikes are safe, it's worth it.

My questions are:
-Does anyone here use this lock?
-What is it like on a daily basis for a short trip(s)?
-Can it be compromised by a non-professional crew?
-Exactly what sort of work would have to be done to remove it? (Or will this really protect my junker from a group of punks who think it looks cool?)
-Can the chain be wrapped around the frame top tube while riding or does the chain have to be carried/worn?
-What sort of lifespan would a lock like this have?

Thanks for your help!

(And if by some odd chance the moron who stole my bike is reading this, I hope that uncomfortable seat sterilizes you so your thieving ways don't get passed on to a new generation of freeloaders. And just know that I did see you on campus riding my bike, but I didn't hurl something into the spokes because a] I lacked a lance or lead pipe or similarly-shaped object and b] I love it too much to damage it in any way and c] the cops told me there was no chance of getting it back because I couldn't tell them the serial number and d] you and your thief posse, half of whom ride stolen girl bikes, looked like you were in the process of executing some felonious plot and I was earnestly hoping that you might be apprehended by a law-enforcement official and shot off the bike with a tazer.)

smasha 05-14-11 04:25 AM

for the price of the legend, you can get several of these - or a few of these and a NY3000 or NYFU -
http://www.bikeregistry.com/estore/p...products_id=54
http://www.bikeregistry.com/estore/p...products_id=61

great chain. great lock. great people. easy and friendly to deal with.

is it as tough as the legend...? it's pretty damned close. is it tough enough...? most likely. even the legend can be cut, but most bicycle thieves wouldn't deal with it. put a legend on a motorcycle in london and it'll get cut within a few days. neither of those will keep your seat or shifters from getting stolen but either will deter >99% of aspiring bike thieves from taking the whole bike.

with either of those chains (assuming they're used properly!) you'd be in the league where most bicycle thieves would likely keep walking and look for lower hanging fruit. on any college campus i've ever seen, there's a LOT of low hanging fruit - nice bikes with bad locks and/or locks that are only holding a wheel, or brake cable.

i use kryptonite NY locks (and bike-reg chains) in a city where bike theft is rare and most bikes are locked with dollar-store locks, if they're locked at all. i have some paranoid tendencies but i really think the legend is just too much for a bicycle. unless it's a very expensive bike.

my advice: use a bike-registry chain with the upgraded abus lock and get a NY3000 or NYFU. when possible, use BOTH locks through a wheel, the frame and something that won't move. otherwise use one lock through a wheel, frame and solid object and the other lock to hold the second wheel to the frame.

don't let any chain (or worse, cable) be in a position that it can reach near the ground. that makes it easier to bust with a bolt-cutter. might not be an issue with a 15mm chain like he legend, but it would take a 3ft bolt cutter (with fresh blades) and a lot of cursing to bust the bike-reg chain. keep the chain away from the ground and make it even harder.

considering the price difference between the bike-reg chain and the legend, you could get 2-3 bike-reg chains, with 2-3 keyed-alike locks, and leave them where you park. then you'll rarely have to carry a chain. otherwise, take some of the money that you'll save by not buying the legend and get a set of panniers to carry your locks.

two good locks are better than one OMFG lock.

FWIW, i once sawed through an 8mm square-link hardened chain, using the proper hand tools (which i won't specify online) for such a job and it took about an hour to get through one link. that was with the chain clamped in a vise, not just hanging from a bike. power tools (well, the right power tools) could do that in less than 2-3 minutes, but they draw attention that most bad guys prefer to avoid.

You don't have to run faster than the bear
http://spiresecurity.typepad.com/spi...-the-bear.html

based on that "run faster than the bear" analogy... the legend can outrun most bears, but you don't need to outrun the bear.

btw, there's some other stuff on the bike-reg site that you might be interested in ;)
i thought the stickers were a joke, but got some thrown in when i bought the chains & locks. they're nice enough that i'll order more stickers when i get a new bike.

macdonwald 05-14-11 09:18 AM

I have the lock and frankly wish I hadn't bought it. It's overkill in my view and I don't even carry it around, I just leave it locked up to the rack. I would definitely not want to be carrying it around on a daily basis. It's unwieldy and slows down my whole lock-up routine. The links are so big that it's actually somewhat difficult to pass them through the spokes of my wheels. (I sometimes worry, probably unjustifiably, that all the weight is going to somehow screw up my spokes (or my fender alignment.) It's also not particularly long, so you don't have a lot of flexibility with a crowded bike rack.

On the other hand, it's a serious lock and I do feel safe with it, so for leaving it locked up to the rack it's not a bad bet. (I also use a separate U-lock for my back wheel.)

exile 05-14-11 12:14 PM

I agree with smasha that 2 locks would be better than 1. Just remember that they are deterrents and not guarantees. What about a mini and a cable or a mini and a chain? Not a lot of weight, similar to better protection, and 1/2 the cost.

I've ordered from bikeregistry before and have never had a problem. Get there locking skewers for the wheels + the chain. Get a decent mini like the Evolution or Bulldog and you should deter all but the most determined of thieves.

Stubby 05-14-11 02:14 PM

For those that own the bikeregistry lock.... how heavy is it? They don't state the weight on the site and haven't been able to dig up anything on a google search. Perhaps it's something like "if you have to ask this isn't for you" type of thing. Still, the advantages over a U-lock are a big plus for me as I could lock it to things that would be a good deal more difficult with a U-lock.

I have a wheel lock for the back wheel so I have that covered already.

smasha 05-14-11 09:13 PM


Originally Posted by Stubby (Post 12642693)
For those that own the bikeregistry lock.... how heavy is it? They don't state the weight on the site and haven't been able to dig up anything on a google search. Perhaps it's something like "if you have to ask this isn't for you" type of thing. Still, the advantages over a U-lock are a big plus for me as I could lock it to things that would be a good deal more difficult with a U-lock.

i don't have a good scale. IIRC... the small lock is 14oz. the big lock is 21 oz.

i think the chain is 5lb, but i'm not sure. my pannier bags swallow them up and i don't even know it's there.

just ask them in an email and post the weight here. i think they can also cut a custom length, which is very nice.


Originally Posted by Stubby (Post 12642693)
I have a wheel lock for the back wheel so I have that covered already.

wheel locks are useless, but combined with a decent chain or decent U-lock they're alright. in the same sense, cable locks are useless, but i'll often use a cable through one wheel and a NY3000 through the rear wheel and seat stays. i don't think anyone would fight with a 10mm krypto-cable (much tougher than a "regular" 10mm steel cable) just to get my front wheel.

Stubby 05-14-11 09:35 PM


Originally Posted by smasha (Post 12643925)
i don't have a good scale. IIRC... the small lock is 14oz. the big lock is 21 oz.

i think the chain is 5lb, but i'm not sure. my pannier bags swallow them up and i don't even know it's there.

just ask them in an email and post the weight here. i think they can also cut a custom length, which is very nice.


wheel locks are useless, but combined with a decent chain or decent U-lock they're alright. in the same sense, cable locks are useless, but i'll often use a cable through one wheel and a NY3000 through the rear wheel and seat stays. i don't think anyone would fight with a 10mm krypto-cable (much tougher than a "regular" 10mm steel cable) just to get my front wheel.

Thanks for the reply. I was thinking it might weigh in at about 10 lb. so it may not be as bad as I thought. I just ordered one as i'm just tired of wrestling with the smallish U-lock I have.

I agree that wheel locks on there own are not a good idea, but combined with a good chain or U-lock for the frame and front wheel it makes locking up a good deal easier. Someone walking away with the rear wheel is very unlikely with a wheel lock. I love-um just for that.

tombuchananwife 05-31-11 09:52 PM

Update
 
Just to update everyone in case you're interested, I did get the 3' Legend chain, and I'm very pleased with it. It is certainly heavy, but I've found it's not too difficult to manipulate during locking/unlocking once you've done it a few times. After I unlock it, I wrap it around my handlebars and lock it there until I get where I'm going.

I think a criminal would see the lock and think, "Dang, I'm not wasting my time."

Overall, I'm happy with it and I'd recommend it.

smasha 06-01-11 05:36 AM


Originally Posted by tombuchananwife (Post 12721616)
I think a criminal would see the lock and think, "Dang, I'm not wasting my time."

that's the exact same thing most bike-thieves would say when they see the bikeregistry chain with an abus 92W65 lock.

they might not think that when they see the chain paired with the smaller 82/70 lock, but they'll probably stop sawing through the brass when they get to one of the hardened steel pins.

remember: locks only work as a deterrent. if you have a nice enough bike with nice enough components, they'll cut through the frame to take the components. it's quicker than stripping the bike where it's locked up.

Stubby 06-15-11 04:07 PM


Originally Posted by smasha (Post 12722340)
that's the exact same thing most bike-thieves would say when they see the bikeregistry chain with an abus 92W65 lock.

they might not think that when they see the chain paired with the smaller 82/70 lock, but they'll probably stop sawing through the brass when they get to one of the hardened steel pins.

remember: locks only work as a deterrent. if you have a nice enough bike with nice enough components, they'll cut through the frame to take the components. it's quicker than stripping the bike where it's locked up.

Just to update this thread I did get the bikeregistry chain but with the smaller standard lock.

I'm impressed, especially for the price. It puts any cable lock out there to shame. It did take a bit to get the hang of squeezing the chain into the lock as the chain is of course heavy, but also a bit slippery. You have to line up the chain in a tight space to lock it. In the last month of use I've gotten it down to where it's easy, though I did fumble around a bit at times when I first got it. Almost regret not getting the more expensive lock they offer just as it may be a bit easier to use, but I'm over that.

I have no worries about leaving my bike outside all day when I'm at work. With a cable lock I would have a lot of concerns.

smasha 06-15-11 11:25 PM


Originally Posted by Stubby (Post 12793205)
Almost regret not getting the more expensive lock they offer just as it may be a bit easier to use, but I'm over that.

the bigger lock requires the key to open and close. the smaller lock only requires the key to open. but the bigger lock can hold one link of the chain in place while you get the other end in position.

if you order more locks from them, i'm pretty sure they can use the numbers stamped on the key to get new locks keyed the same.


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