I'm buying a lock this week, and have pretty much narrowed it down to the Kryptonite Evolution Mini. Anything heavier may be overkill (or so I hope!), anything less may be too little. But I'm stuck between the Mini 5 and Mini 7. LBS, REI don't stock the Mini, so I'm turning to BF: if you have the Mini 5 or 7, can you measure and post the dimensions? Kryptonite lists the Mini 5 as 3.25” x 5.5" and the Mini 7 as 3.25” x 7”. I'm planning to make cardboard mockups to see if the Mini 5 will work with my bike (fenders and all) - so my question is:

Is the 5.5" the length of the straight part of the U, or is it the length from the short arm to the farthest point of the U?

Apparently neither. Pics of mine show the long opening about 5.25 inch and the short opening about 3.25 inch. You can see I've removed my mounting bracket.

The same measurements on my Mini 7 are 7" (exactly) by 3.25".

Thanks Litespeedlouie and Dunbar!

Crap. There is no way the mini will go around the 32 mm tires and the fender (using Sheldon's locking technique). Length was immaterial in my case This is what happens when you post questions at 1 am without having the bike in front of you.

I would opt for the longer one. Too many situations where 5" might not be long enough. What good is a lock if it's not long enough?

It is small. I also have a NY lock (nearly 5 pounds), but was thinking the mini would be convenient in many situations as it's much lighter and pocketable (hipsters carry it in the back jeans pocket). The mini usually WON'T allow locking frame+wheel to something large or distant, so it's much less security, too. This may be OK for light security locations or quick errands. I think hipsters use fixies, so don't worry so much about front wheel theft without a QR.

I was shopping for the same and had the same question.

I opted for the 7-inch version, and now I'm glad I did.

I doubt I could lock up to some of the bike racks I use if the lock were any smaller.

It is, by the way, a nice lock. I'm happy with it.

I need to find a shop that stocks the Mini around here. Haven't seen one in the LBSes that I visited so far, nor did I see one in Performance Bike or REI. Would really prefer seeing the clearance before buying one.

How much smaller and ligher is the 7 vs the 5. The 5 seems to be marketed for it's portability but does a 1.5 inch difference in length make it all that much portable?

I'm looking at the smaller mini since I'm mainly doing errands and will be away from my bike for a maximum of 20 mins. I have a road bike with 30mm wheels which would you recommend?

I have the Abus Granit-X with a long shackle. What is the advantage of a mini lock anyway?

FWIW, I bought the Mini 7 and I'm glad I did. Locking up with a 5 would have been tricky in some places.

How tricky exactly are we talking? I'm only looking t lock up the frame + back wheel and not both wheels. Also the minu 5 is touted as more portable and pocket friendly. Is the 7 really that much less portable and heavier than the mini 5? Any opinions appreciated.

A long shackle U-lock is easier to defeat.
There's more room to insert a pry bar.

good advice. When I replaced my u-lock, I got a longer one to accommodate poles, etc.

The Mini 7 is the firs lock I bought for my bike. Then I realized I couldn't lock the back wheel and frame together to anything really, so I bought an additional lock which has a much longer shackle, and I use the Mini 7 to lock the front wheel or the frame itself (plus the cable going through the front wheel). My frame is thick though, so it should be easier with a road or mountain bike frame.

I tried and tried, but I couldn't find any video of anybody breaking an Abus lock (except one with an angle grinder). There are more videos featuring Kryptonite, a better known name. And while I didn't find any succeses, there were failures aplenty. I absolutely wouldn't be worried about my lock breaking to a pry bar, jack, or bolt cutters.

To all those people getting a mini lock, I say go for the long shackle. Only an angle grinder will get through a high-end U-lock.

Abus touts that it takes 13 tons of force to cut through their locks. The shackle is square and does not give a pointed surface for the cutters to operate. I have the 9in shackle myself.

My words were in no way meant as criticism of the Abus lock. I use one of the small ones myself and they are generally regarded as one of the best.
I'm reiterating the popular wisdom regarding U-lock shackle size in general.
If there is no room to insert a pry bar or a jack, the lock can't be defeated by one.
If there is room enough to insert a pry bar or jack, then its possible for the lock to be defeated in that manner - however unlikely.

To date, no U-lock or chain can withstand the ministrations of an angle grinder...at least not that I know of.

Fill up the shackle of your U-lock!

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=pITRfEHKyUw

The lock in this video is a cheap crappy Master lock, and a bottle jack failed to do it. If you're buying a high-end lock (basically Abus or Kryptonite), I don't think you have to be concerned about a pry bar or a jack.

I also have the Kryptonite Fagghedaboutit Chain, which I leave at work. You wouldn't want to carry around that monstrosity, but are you locking up in the same spot every day? If so, leaving a second lock on site is a good option.

My comment on the video in question was "Tighten up the valve!".
If you look carefully at the top of the jack it is retracting as he pumps. I (and I assume most of humanity) have dealt with hydraulic jacks and when this happens the valve is loose.

In the CTC tests, a high end ulock was busted in 42 seconds with a stubby bottle jack.

You never have to worry about anything - it's optional.

Actually I can't say I've ever had to use one. But if the guy in the video wasn't using it properly, then fair enough. My Krampus fills up a long shackle anyway, but I guess it wouldn't be the right lock for all bikes.