Customer Reviews

Kryptonite New York Fahgettaboutit Mini Bicycle U-Lock (3.25 x 6-Inch)

5 star:		(68)
4 star:		(22)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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 also unbreakable except for lots of sawing or power tools, like the Kryptonite Evolution Mini, and the Onguard Mini U lock, but which weigh much less. I almost went with one of these because I hate to carry a lot of weight, and they may be good alternatives to this lock for most people.

I figure the bike theft scene is escalating with the thieves getting more and more sophisticated over time, so even though this is overkill now, it provides me peace of mind that I will be able to keep it for many years without having to worry about it becoming obsolete. And I have the peace of mind knowing that if my bike gets stolen again there was nothing I could have done to prevent it.

Be aware that this lock doesn't come with a mounting bracket, and there is no bracket available for it. I've found the best way to carry it on my bike is to thread it up through the top and side of the rear rack on my bike, but if you don't have a rear rack you'll need to either let it jangle around looped over the handlebars or carry it in a bag or big pocket, which can be uncomfortable.

The locking mechanism is very smooth; it's easy to insert the shackle onto the U, and it's easy to turn the key. This is a welcome improvement over all the cheap U locks I've owned which were fidgety to close.

Update after owning this lock for two years:

I still like it a lot. The weight has bent my rear rack a little so it now nestles just perfectly for rattle free tranport. I spray teflon lube on it every 6 months or so and the locking mechanism is still butter smooth, by far the smoothest U lock I've ever used.

The only annoyance is that the plastic rainguard that covers the keyhole was very flimsy and broke off after just a month or so, leaving sharp mounting rivets that scratched me a few times drawing blood before I got some pliers and pulled them off.

The theft guarantee had too many restrictions to be useful, so I didn't even register.

I also learned a bit more about how to protect the rest of my bicycle after spending three figures replacing a stolen seat and associated components. Search "Pitlocks USA" to find the best system for permanently locking your wheels, seat, and headset to the bike. It's worth the extra cost for the convenience, security, and weight savings of only needing the U lock. And for the other components here's a really cool way to secure them: get ball bearings that will just barely fit inside the allen sockets. Drip some candle wax into the allen sockets, and press the bearing in place before the wax dries. The bearing prevents allen keys from being insertable, and the wax makes it necessary to have a sharp pointy tool (and some time) to get the bearing out, which a thief might not have. This works well for securing brake and shifting systems, racks, handlebars, and crank arms to the bike. I used cable ties around the pedal wrench flats to make it difficult for wrenches to fit. I drilled and drove a screw into the plastic mounting bracket for my LED light and used a cable tie to make it difficult to remove.

With all the components secured to the bike, I no longer need a cable lock, and I can leave the bike on city streets for hours without worrying too much. Bike Security Nirvana!

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 of these aren't too bad, but the one thing that you need to do which is likely not possible is that you have to send them the broken lock. so if the thief just takes the lock, which they did in both instances where I had bikes stolen, you are out of luck. So basically colecting on the anti-theft protection requires that the thief is nice enough to leave the lock behind.

The moral of this story is that Krytonite's anti-theft protection offer is worthless and should not be a consideration in purchasing one of thier locks. as far as their locks being the best and most theft resistant available, not sure this is true given my past experience.

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 discourage theft. With these measures in place alongside my Kryptonite Fahgettaboutit, I have no worries about leaving my ride outside and no one has made a visible attempt to take it.

The lock is heavy, but I'm not a gram-counter, so it doesn't bug me. The main downside is that there is no frame mount for this lock.

It's worth noting that the shackle locks at both ends. In other words, to add insult to injury, a thief would probably have to cut through the shackle twice in order to get the bike out.

The Fahgettaboutit doesn't like to get wet- the mechanism will get stiff if left out in the rain. However, I was able to remedy the problem easily by applying some bearing grease in the pits. This lubricated the locking mechanism and prevented any more water from entering.

If you're even moderately worried about bike theft, then buy this lock. The peace of mind is wonderful.

This lock is a heavy duty lock and is said to have the highest security level!
My friend has this same lock and tried his key in my lock And his key opened my lock?
How is that high security ?
Also One day I locked my bike outside and it rained briefly the lock got wet and a few days later The inside chamber Became rusty !
Kryptonite I love the lock but seriously needs to correct these 2 major problems!

First impression : "This thing is HUGE, HEAVY, how am I ever going to mount this on my bike?"
Well, you CAN mount it. Use the Master Lock 8351D Smart Bracket. It works like a charm. You'll pay $4 on Amazon to buy the bracket. When you get it, take out the two screws from the shackle portion of the mount and throw them away. Then go to the hardware store and pay $1 for two M4 30mm bolts. If you use those to mount the hardware on the shackle, it works great. See my pictures, and more info on my review of the Master Lock 8351D Smart Bracket.

The lock itself is heavily reviewed on the web - no need for me to repeat that here. BUT seriously consider WHAT you are going to lock your bike to. You cannot use this on a lamp post, and I have great doubts about whether it will work on a parking meter -- the lock is just too small.

Check my uploaded images and you'll see the dimensions. I lock it to a very strong street sign at work, but it's a tight fit. You may want to measure your "fixed device" and bike frame and do the math before getting this, and make sure it will fit for you.

If I get to try this with a parking meter I'll update my review.
Highly recommended - but make sure to buy the mount, and check the size issue before you buy.


Well, 1 year later I still have not had occasion to lock this to a parking meter - but I seriously doubt it will work. The parking meters here are just too thick for this to get around. I always pick a secure street sign at my workplace, and the few other places where I regularly ride. This just snugly fits around the post on standard street signs. Please research that issue carefully before you buy - make sure you can verify that it can get around whatever you need at your workplace or park -- it is a SMALL U-lock, but a great one.

By the way, my mount setup [Master Lock 8351D Smart Bracket.] still is working without a hitch - that is definitely the way to go! slides right on the bike, and has never fallen off.

Had this sucker for about a month now, and the first thing I noticed is that it's pretty big for the mini u-lock family. Big and heavy. Being Kryptonite's highest security lock, this is expected. For my needs in Safe-Towne Suburbia, this lock is a little too much. I really don't need something this hardcore. But for it's intended purpose, it's excellent.

Pros:
It's secure and I don't feel bad locking it outside for extended periods of time.

It's incredibly solid and for every-day use, entirely indestructible.

Rubber coating prevents it from scratching and denting things.

Cons:
It's heavy. If you're one of those who stick their u-locks in their belt or back pocket, don't be surprised when it pulls your pants off. Just make sure your pants are well secured.

The keys, like many of the Kryptonites I've used, sometimes won't go in all the way or get stuck. A little wiggling goes a long way.

As robust as the lock is, after dropping it a few times, the black plastic cover that surrounds the key-hole cracked where the screws hold it in place. This is a pretty minor flaw, and doesn't affect the performance, but it would be nice if it was a bit more robust.

I read a detailed evaluation of bike locks from some european magazine, and this one rated highest in difficulty of sheer cracking. They had high-quality power saws and this took something like 10 minutes to saw through. The next highest rated, including the kryptonite chain and the toughest bulldog u-lock, both took 7 or 8 minutes to saw through. These expensive locks are made with higher-grade steel, which is why they're so heavy. And yes, you need a cable or something to protect the wheels, this is just for the frame. If I remember right, this lock weighs between 4 and 5 pounds, and the kryptonite cable and mini lock weighs about 8 pounds.

After losing my bike due to an inadequate cable-lock I read up on bicycle locks and 2 points stood out. 1, The Fahgettaboudit locks were top-rated, and 2, use two types of lock. So I purchased the fahghettaboudit u-lock as well as their 5-foot chain lock. Fortunately, this is for my work location and I can leave the locks at site. You'd have to be pretty stoic to carry both of these locks around with you! I'm satisfied that these are about the best protection I can hope for. Kryptonite seems to have done their homework. Amazon on the other hand... Amazon built their reputation back when they stocked and delivered their own merchandise -- with the highest standard of service. Nowadays they connect buyer and seller. So you are at the mercy of whatever random merchandiser ships your order. My U-lock was shipped flopping around inside a cardboard box with one "bag-o-air". Due to the weight of the item and the fact that it was free to slam around in the box, the plastic weather-guard was destroyed in transit. In the future I will look for a reputable retailer to purchase from, rather than "Amazon the match-maker". I'm tired of these blind dates.

I love the lock and it IS the most hardcore one on the market. Two things to be aware of though:
1 - the disc style mechanism can be a little touchy and my friend's kryptonite stopped accepting its key. I'm sure it's a key issue and not a lock issue though and if he had registered his keys there would have been no problem. (so register).
2 - Another friend left his nice road bike locked with a NY lock over a long time while he was travelling. He came back and the bike was still there but the lock was so rusted that it was impossible for the key to unlock it from the frame/post. Bolt cutters, saws, prybars, etc couldn't either. Suffice it to say the frame remains there to this day. (So keep it dry if storing for a long time).
Good luck!

I live on a large college campus and have had my bikes stolen before, but with this lock I haven't had anyone even try to steal it. It's not as heavy as I thought it would be (a plus) and it is pretty small so it can fit in just about any larger pocket. It feels solid and looks strong too. I would definitely buy this lock again if ever need be.