School commuter in need of a good U-lock
 

I've not a nice beefy and thick masterlock cable combination lock which is fine for when I'm in a grocery store or outside of the post office for just a minute or two but if I'm going to be on campus in a classroom for a few hours I think I need to double up.

I've got a shockless Kuwahara Aries (mtb build, late 80's-ish) so it's not the prettiest or blingiest thing next to all the front/dual shock absorbing modern bikes in the Orlando Area, and UCF isn't exactly the ghetto, so I think a Fahgettaboutit is a bit... overkill. And overweight.

Walmart's got a Kryptonite U-409 for $20ish though, but I can't find anything referencing it except one old post from last year. Anyone know if this is a good lock, or if there's another good sub-$40 U-Lock to go with my chain that will be good for ~2-8 hours of being unattended?

The Walmart Kryptonites, and OnGuards are a different cheaper line than what you would find in a bike store. I'd recommend surfing around Amazon.com and reading some reviews. I think all the Kryptonite Series 2 Locks are under $40, and probably "better" then their Wal-mart line.

You may also want to search the forum for general U-lock recommendations, and locking techniques. There's quite a bit of information here.

+1

Kryptonite Evolution Series 4, bulky, but no one has ever messed with my bike in years! I lock the back wheel and frame to a post. Front wheel is on her own but you can get a chain lock for it.

Are you sure a U-lock will work in Orlando? From what I remember, Orlando was about as sprawling a place as there is, with little accommodation for bikes, which means you have to lock to whatever you find, which means even a larger u won't work in many cases. That's what I've been dealing with around my area. Sucks balls. It's almost like you can't even have a decent bike around here for more than rec rides. Fortunately, we are supposed to get a bunch of racks around here, and I might be able to use the u for a bike I'm thinking about building for use at work.

I live in the northeastern part of Orlando, technically the Winter Park area, right around UCF/Fullsail. We're a LOT more bike friendly since we've got both the Little Econ greenway and the busiest part of Cady Way going right by here, as well as UCF having somewhere between a metric and imperial bungton of bicycle use to get across the campus.

I've had to try pretty hard to find somewhere without adequate locking facilities in this area. UCF is full of bike parking and most stores around here have figured out they got a nice business boost if they just invest in some beefy rebars and some krylon.

Thanks, that's pretty much exactly what I was hoping for, and 5x9 should be wide and long enough even on my bigger-than-usual tires.

Very nice, I wish I had the "problem" of trying pretty hard to find somewhere w/o adequate facilities. ;)

Well to be fair the actual bike racks are a little sparse and somewhat mediocre outside of certain areas. Personally I consider anything secure that you can't cut through quickly/quietly or without getting into more trouble than a bike's worth over to be adequate facilities, and I have heard from a few store managers that the trend towards parking lot signage with dead space and taller/beefier than usual poles which are suspiciously convenient for locking a bike to is not an accident.

Looking at Arcanum's suggestion I also found a 4x9 Kryptolok with a frame mount and chain. Is it worth the extra $2 or does the extra inch of width tend to be more worth it? I've only ever used chains and cable locks so I don't know how easy/difficult it is to hook up a U-lock of a given size. Also do they really mean 4 INCH cable? Because I'm looking at a tape measure right now and I really think someone meant to type 4 FEET.

Shame I missed these locks being ~$15 in january.

I have the OnGuard Bulldog Mini 7. I like it because its light and will fit around most things I either have to lock my commuterized MTB or touring bike to. Its halfway between a mini lock and full sized u-lock. Of course you should also know the general crime rate in your area.

I have the same lock and I like it. I can't imagine that it's any easier to bust open than any full-sized U-lock (because there's less room to fit a jack in it) and it's not quite as bulky.

I also have a cable lock for the front wheel.

What a coincidence.......UCF student here :) .......Anyways If you don't want it stolen get a u-lock I use an onguard. I had my first road bike stolen from the Libra dorm area. I had a kryptonite cable lock on it. Thankfully it was a bike I found in the garbage so I didnt pay alot for it except maintenance, still miss it though. My friend had his bike stolen from in front of the library (very heavy with pedestrians) within the 3 hours he was there studying. He had a cable with a combinational lock. His bike was just a crappy beach cruiser too. Had a roommate get his walmart mountain bike stolen (off campus apartment).....also had a cable lock. I no longer leave my bike on campus over night or outside at night. But I have yet to hear of an average bike with a u-lock getting stolen.

Also never leave your bike locked to a tree, pole or anything that isn't a bike rack at night on campus. A few times throughout the year UCF drives around campus at night and takes all of em and puts them in a bike auction. I got lucky and hopped on my bike and sped off before they snatched mine :) ..... Had it locked to a tree.

Cable locks are pretty well useless aside from deterring "grab and ride" thieves. They're trivial to break with even minor investments in tools.

I know what you mean... unfortunately, in many suburban areas, U-locks are often useless because the stuff you have to use to lock to isn't compatible with even a larger U. I recently bought a cable lock for this reason, when I already had a U. It sucks, but that's because bike accommodation sucks here... my nearest Walgreen's has a rack that's so pathetic I believe I can pick the whole thing up with one hand... it isn't even bolted to anything. The badder part? That's better than 90% of stores, which have absolutely nothing. I've locked to water meters out here, because sometimes that's all there is.