Abus U Locks
 

Please share your opinions. What model do you like, and why? Thanks!

I have a Kryptonite NewYork City ulock and like it. I have had 2 Onguard locks in the past & they both fell apart. They are all plastic. I have heard Abus is pretty good but expensive. There really are professional bike thieves that target bikes. Be careful.

yea? On Guard is no good? I figure a u-lock is a u-lock as far as visual deterrents. But I've been thinking about handing it down to my sister and picking up something more heavy duty. Abus is pricey, eh? What's the best Kryptonite for the price?

Locks tend to last a long time and the good ones are expensive. I doubt that you will find many posters with a good comparative basis. Within the bikes under my care there are at least two with Abus Granit X-Plus 54 and two other with some earlier version of that lock. These locks have a good reputation and are conveniently big for solving complicated parking situations, around crowded bike parking racks and a variety of posts that may be exploited for parking. Every one of the mentioned bikes is additionally equipped with a steel cable for securing the second wheel and saddle. One end of the cable goes to the U-lock and one to the saddle.

I've had several On-Guards and they work pretty well. They use two shackles instead of Kryptonites one, which ostensibly makes them more secure, but also makes them more prone to jamming. I've had two On-Guards freeze up on me because I didn't take good care of them.

Abus is my favorite U-lock producer. I like them for several reasons;

1. Their locking mechanism is extremely reliable. My "Abus Varedo 47" is usually opened and closed several times a day, but even though it is around 6-7 years old, it works as new. It has never failed, even when extremely cold, and even when regularly exposed to rain and snow. My previous "Abus Junior" u-lock is still in service after roughly 10 years, and for the last 3 years my friend has used it on his bike which is almost always locked outside his house with no shelter for the weather.

2. They have the best selection of attachment brackets of all the u-lock producers. I use the predecessor of the "TexKF Twin" bracket, and I just love how easy it is to slide on and off, while being extremely safe; I have never experienced the lock falling off when locked, even when riding off road or on cobblestones.

3. I also like the fact that one can easily buy spare parts or new holders, and that they can be bought with matched locks, meaning eg. 3 u-locks all sharing the same key.

I own both the "Abus Varedo 47" and the "Abus Granit X-Plus 54". The latter is very secure but also heavy, so I use it as a stationary lock for my race bike in the cellar. If I should buy new locks today, I would probably choose a matched pair of "Abus Granit Futura 64" locks as the best compromise (for me) between weight, security and convenience.

There are cheaper alternatives like the "Onguard Pitbull". They may be very safe too, but they often lack flexibility and quality when it comes to attachment brackets, and usually they don't have such good reputations when it comes to breaking keys in the lock , or freezing, non-working locks. I see that OnGuard has updated their locking mechanism and their holder too, copying several Abus features, so they may have improved their not so stellar designs a bit.

Buying durable quality components has turned out to be a cheap solution for me over the years, so I am likely to pay extra for Abus u-locks, simply because they are so reliable and durable.

Thanks for the responses. The Abus 64 weighs about 2 pounds and the 54 weighs 3.4 pounds, but the width of the 64 is 67mm and that of the 54 is 108 mm, so you do give up the ability to lock to wider poles with the 64.
Also the security level of the 54 is 15 (maximum), and that of the 64 is 11, so you also give up some defense.
But I live in the burbs where bike thefts aren't as prevalent as say in a big city, so I'm favoring the 64 so far.

I looked at the Abus 51, which has a security rating of 10, but it has approximately the same dimensions and weight as the 54, so I'd just be losing defense as compared to the 54.

Abus is a long standing German Manufacturer of locks of many types..
I bought their Best Link lock. [not a U lock]

Essentially a folding U lock .. good products, though Euro : Dollar ratio kicks the price up.

Tubus 'Locc' rack, was made to easily carry the Abus U lock.. bound to be a good combination.

Why take our word for it? Look at the company's standing on testing sites:
http://www.soldsecure.com/search?pro...ompany=&action=

PS: i have an onguard bulldog for my mtb beater. Strong heavy lock that tested really well and was dead cheap. For new bike, expensive to me, I have a Kryptonite New York which was cheap enough form amazon.co.uk I felt (local prices suck ~ €100). I think both are good, comparable locks although one was twice the price. But the Kryptonite has that yellow which just screams feck off!

Sure, the limited width can be a problem for some, especially if you park your bike in lots of different places. All locks are a compromise between weight, security, price and convenience. I park and lock my bike several times a day and I am a somewhat impatient guy who likes to optimize things I do regularly. So it only takes seconds for me now to get my u-lock from the bracket, attach it to the frame (and a nearby post) and lock it. But the Abus 54 is simply too heavy and has too much inertia to be treated the same way; it would really bang up the frame if I don't slow down and is careful.

I don't obsess too much over security ratings, here is why; if the u-lock is strong enough to stop all non-motorized attacks like lock picking, hack saws, mallets and the leverage method, then its security is good enough for me.

Professional thieves with electric tools (diamond blades etc) who has targeted my bike, can get it no matter how strong my lock is. So for me at least, there is a point where I don't think a beefier lock will buy me much more security, and where convenience, weight and price are factors that are worth considering too.

I use a two lock strategy when possible; one frame lock and one u-lock for attachment to a fixture. If the thief can move the bike to a safe place, then even amateur thieves can open the locks. I also try to keep my bike out of sight and avoid locking my bikes at public places for long durations.

My locks are very, very fast to deploy. I like this convenience, not only because I am impatient, but because I am never tempted not to lock my bike; If I can't see me bike, then I lock it, even for a 30 second rush back to get stuff I forgot. Surprisingly many people have had their unlocked bikes stolen in that brief moment they went into a shop, or went inside to fetch something.

Other people may have other lock strategies; if you have to park your bike in a high threat public place, it is probably worth getting a lock that looks beefy, since the that could scare some away from even trying to break it open.

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Regards

Interested, thanks for sharing more of your experience. It makes a lot of sense.

I have the Abus Granit Futura 64- Mini. It is lighter and narrower than both the Krytpo Evo Mini & Onguard Bulldog Mini. It also seems significantly easier to break or saw through. Both Krypto & Onguard's shackles look and feel much more substantial.