New York Tough Chain Locks
10-20-05 | 11:09 PM
#1
Well, maybe NO lock is tough enough to defeat New York crooks for long. But the test results in this month's "Cycling Plus" indicate some chains can put up a good fight.
- The Onguard Beast 5016. Lasted 30 minutes. It ought to. It weighs 14 pounds. 6400 grams.
- The Abus Granit 110 Chain with the Abus Granite padlock. Lasted 16 minutes against power tools. 2741 grams. The padlock itself appeared to be "uncuttable".
- The Kryptonite New Yoirk Chain with EV Disk lock. Lasted 15 minutes against power tools. 2790 grams. The chain was plenty tough. The padlock was the weakest part of the design.
- Onguard Mastiff Chain 5021 w/shrouded shackle padlock. 12 minutes. (A shorter version of this chain is sold in the USA as the OnGuard Mastiff 5017...the 5017 weighs 9.5 pounds - 4400 grams).
- The Kryptonite Fahgettaboudit. Lasted only 8 minutes against power tools (due to the "cuttable" padlock). 8.4 pounds. 3800 grams. The chain itself was much tougher than the padlock.
The "best buy" is the OnGuard chain. A Mastiff model with the 12mm chain and the padlock with the covered shackle lasted 12 minutes...yet sells for about half the price of the Fahgettaboudit that lasted just eight minutes.
"Cycling Plus" tested the chain locks as part of an article on protecting bikes at home. A chain that is far too heavy for commuting to work works well at home for locking bikes to a floor anchor or wall anchor.
- The Onguard Beast 5016. Lasted 30 minutes. It ought to. It weighs 14 pounds. 6400 grams.
- The Abus Granit 110 Chain with the Abus Granite padlock. Lasted 16 minutes against power tools. 2741 grams. The padlock itself appeared to be "uncuttable".
- The Kryptonite New Yoirk Chain with EV Disk lock. Lasted 15 minutes against power tools. 2790 grams. The chain was plenty tough. The padlock was the weakest part of the design.
- Onguard Mastiff Chain 5021 w/shrouded shackle padlock. 12 minutes. (A shorter version of this chain is sold in the USA as the OnGuard Mastiff 5017...the 5017 weighs 9.5 pounds - 4400 grams).
- The Kryptonite Fahgettaboudit. Lasted only 8 minutes against power tools (due to the "cuttable" padlock). 8.4 pounds. 3800 grams. The chain itself was much tougher than the padlock.
The "best buy" is the OnGuard chain. A Mastiff model with the 12mm chain and the padlock with the covered shackle lasted 12 minutes...yet sells for about half the price of the Fahgettaboudit that lasted just eight minutes.
"Cycling Plus" tested the chain locks as part of an article on protecting bikes at home. A chain that is far too heavy for commuting to work works well at home for locking bikes to a floor anchor or wall anchor.
Last edited by alanbikehouston; 10-21-05 at 06:24 PM.
10-21-05 | 05:09 PM
#2
The "trick" that OnGuard used to block the use of power tools was a padlock with a shackle that is enclosed. That forced the testers to attack the chain instead of the padlock. A cheaper OnGuard/Magnum chain that used a standard padlock with an "unshielded" shackle was easier to cut.
Some stores are still stock 2004 model OnGuard chains. The high rated OnGuard chains had 12mm links and the padlock with the covered shackle. In the past, OnGuard has sold several models with the 12mm links, with the primary difference being the length of the chain.
The article did not specify the model of the Abus padlock that was used. The Abus padlock looks like an ordinary padlock, but used a hardened steel that resisted cutting. The padlock has the "Granit" name on its front and resembles a photo of the Abus model 37/55 on the Abus website.
The Kryptonite chains used a high quality steel that resisted cutting. However, surprisingly, the Fahgettaboudit padlock was cut with a few minutes of effort.
In contrast, "Bicycling" Magazine did a test of the Fahgettaboudit in which their testers were unable to open the Fahgettaboudit using standard breaking techniques. "Cycling Plus" used power cutting tools in their tests...not a common technique for crooks. The Fahgettaboudit is plenty strong against the types of tools that are most often used.
Some stores are still stock 2004 model OnGuard chains. The high rated OnGuard chains had 12mm links and the padlock with the covered shackle. In the past, OnGuard has sold several models with the 12mm links, with the primary difference being the length of the chain.
The article did not specify the model of the Abus padlock that was used. The Abus padlock looks like an ordinary padlock, but used a hardened steel that resisted cutting. The padlock has the "Granit" name on its front and resembles a photo of the Abus model 37/55 on the Abus website.
The Kryptonite chains used a high quality steel that resisted cutting. However, surprisingly, the Fahgettaboudit padlock was cut with a few minutes of effort.
In contrast, "Bicycling" Magazine did a test of the Fahgettaboudit in which their testers were unable to open the Fahgettaboudit using standard breaking techniques. "Cycling Plus" used power cutting tools in their tests...not a common technique for crooks. The Fahgettaboudit is plenty strong against the types of tools that are most often used.
Last edited by alanbikehouston; 10-21-05 at 05:31 PM.
10-21-05 | 06:16 PM
#3
2-Cyl, 1/2 HP @ 90 RPM
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 15,762
Likes: 5
From: NYC
Bikes: 04' Specialized Hardrock Sport, 03' Giant OCR2 (SOLD!), 04' Litespeed Firenze, 04' Giant OCR Touring, 07' Specialized Langster Comp
30 minutes against power tools... you might as well just cut the bike rack...
10-21-05 | 06:18 PM
#4
Not many bike shops in the USA stock Abus locks. There is one website that sells Abus locks with free shipping in the USA.
The Abus chain locks are VERY expensive...they cost more than most of my bikes. And weigh more than a bike frame.
A U-lock is more portable and more affordable. The Abus Granit 54 U-lock is as strong as the Kryptonite New York U-lock. Yet, it weighs under four pounds, less than half the weight of the best chain locks.
The Abus Granit 54 U-lock is available for $80, including shipping from:
www.lockitt.com
The Abus chain locks are VERY expensive...they cost more than most of my bikes. And weigh more than a bike frame.
A U-lock is more portable and more affordable. The Abus Granit 54 U-lock is as strong as the Kryptonite New York U-lock. Yet, it weighs under four pounds, less than half the weight of the best chain locks.
The Abus Granit 54 U-lock is available for $80, including shipping from:
www.lockitt.com
