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Thursday, November 14, 2013

Kryptonite 997986 Black 18mm New York Fahgettaboudit U-Lock


Best lock out there, good for big cities but heavy as a brick
I got my bicycle stolen the second time I locked it up in the city with a cable lock only, so I spent many hours researching locks to make sure it wouldn't happen again.

This lock is widely regarded as the most secure lock currently available, and weighs much less than the fahgettaboudit chain locks (which seem to be about equally secure). Mine weighs 4 lbs 6 oz, and to lock the tires I need to also use a 12 oz 4 foot Kryptonite cable lock. So the whole locking system is about 5 lbs, which is a lot.

The most important feature of this lock is the small size, which doesn't allow thieves to get their manual tools like levers or car jacks in to break it. The only known way of breaking this lock is to saw it by hand (at least a half hour of intense effort), or to use a powered angle grinder (probably at least 5 minutes). So most thieves would end up cutting through the frame of the bike if they really wanted it.

There are other small U locks that are...
kryptonite fahgettaboudit Lock anti theft protection
purchased this lock after my bike was stolen, primarily due to $4500 antitheft protection that comes with lock. worth noting that my old bike was stolen while locked up with a heavy duty Krytonite chain lock.

Anyway, received the lock, seems solid enough, but was a disappointed after reading all of the various conditions and qualifications related to the anti theft protection, which basically renders the protection worthless. First of all, they only pay for the deductible for your insurance not for the replacement of your bike, so you need to have insurance in the first place for this to have any value. Secondly, you need to provide so much back up information: bike registration, bike receipt, lock receipt, etc where it makes it very cumbersome process to even apply for the protection in the first place. Then there is the rigourous post theft requirements: report teft to police within 72 hours, mail notice to Kryptonite within 7 days, report to insurance company. most...
Paid for itself, worth every penny
I've been using this lock for over a year now, and it's worth every penny. I live on a college campus in Los Angeles, and park my bike outside at night. My last bike was stolen when a thief cut right through the $30 U-lock I had. After that experience, I bought the Fahgettaboutit to protect my new bike.

Sure enough, a few months in, someone attempted to steal my bike while I was at work. The thief failed miserably, managing only to cut through the vinyl sheath on the shackle and scratch the paint on the steel. I think that the thief may have even broken his bolt cutters, because he didn't snip the cable that secured my wheels. The jerk did take the time to unbolt and steal my fork, brakes, handlebars, stem, and shifters, but in saving my frame and wheels this lock paid for itself and then some.

After replacing the stolen components, I invested in a Pitlock set to protect my wheels, brakes, and fork. Most of the remaining hex bolts have been filled with solder to...
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