Customer Reviews

Kryptonite Kryptoflex 1218 Key Cable Bicycle Lock (1/2-Inch x 6-Foot)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

Everyone looking for a cable lock should already know that ALL you expect is a minor deterrent, and ALL you can use this for is to secure your front tire to the bike frame. This cannot be expected to be a primary security device to secure your bike.

For your PRIMARY security device, you need to get a Kryptonite New York Fahgettaboutit Mini Bicycle U-Lock (3.25 x 6-Inch), or something very close to that.

What you need in a cable lock:
1. convenience: has to have mount with easy on/off
2. small size: so that it can be mounted to frame easily (the Kryptonite Hardwire 2510 Key Cable Bicycle Lock is a perfect example of what NOT to get. Way too big and unwieldy.
3. KEY (all combination locks can be defeated just by pulling on them and turning the tumblers)
4. Advantage goes to locks that can be closed WITHOUT having the key inserted. Believe me - it's a huge advantage.

With that in mind, this cable lock fills it's role perfectly.
Small enough to fit on the frame of the bike easily. It's as large and secure as you'll ever get in a cable lock and still be able to use it. Example: I have the Hardwire 2510 also, but it is just too too large to fit on the bike frame, and is very inconvenient to use. I bought this afterwards, and it is what I will use instead, just to secure my front tire. The NY Fahgettaboutit secures the frame. It is a HUGE advantage that you can close it without having the key in the lock (UNlike the 2510). I do not agree with the criticism that you cannot uncoil it - it is as easy to uncoil this as any other cable lock. You WANT it to coil itself up into a tiny ball so that you can mount it.

Special note: the keys are very tiny, and very thin - would be easy to snap one off if you really forced it. You can get free replacements from kryptonite, but you'll want to think twice about letting your 6-year old use this lock (also because he might lose the keys).

Special note #2:
This comes with its own mount. You canNOT replace the mount with the Kryptonite EZ-Bracket Kit - it does not fit this lock. As long as you don't break the original mount, you'll be fine.

Summary: great cable lock for the LIMITED security that any cable lock can provide. Make sure to use a QUALITY U-LOCK as your primary device. I'd give it 5 stars only if it could be used as a primary deterrent, but there is NO cable lock that good.

Thick cable but more than half of diameter is plastic/rubber. Very thin wire, parked bike in front of building with cameras. Took someone a few seconds to cut through the lock.

If you live in an area where bicycle theft might be a problem, this lock is not secure enough. My Trek was stolen in less than 2 weeks when I left it locked to a bicycle rack during the day while at work. Not such a bad neighborhood. Bad luck, though!

This cable seems to be secure, but it is very annoying to use. It does not uncoil. When you try to wrap it around things, it is constantly snapping back at you into a coil, preventing you from stringing the end through holes or around objects. You have to really wrestle with it in order to get it wrapped around and through objects the way you want.

Good quality bike lock so far. The long length makes it easy to attach your bike to most bike racks or places. Seems strong, but a little on the heavy side. I like the fact that is opens and closes with a key, not a combination.

This is a great lock for quick stops or parking in very visible areas. This is not a primary lock to secure your bike in remote locations or for long periods of time. Additionally, the mounting bracket is less than perfect. Fortunately I don't use it often so for the most part it's just decoration.

This is a great product for what it is. The chain is very thick and durable, the lock is a simple key lock and the keys are not very robust so I can see how other users had problems with them breaking. For me it was a good compromise between a U-Lock and a weaker chain.

I locked my bike up in a secured bike storage area. It was safe for a couple of months until someone cut the cable and stole my brand new bike. Please, don't waste your money on this lock. If you care about your bike, spend some money and invest in a serious, serious lock.

This lock was recently cut by a bike thief and now I have no bicycle. I do not agree that it should be used to secure your wheel to the frame - you will just have your wheel stolen that way. Better than the whole bike I guess, but what's the point? A lock that can be cut through should not used at all.

Totally inadequate bracket for attaching the cable to a bike. I lost the lock 2nd time I used it! I bought it from a bike shop an so I thought that my fears about the crummy bracket were just my own paranoia. After all, how does it serve a local bike shop to sell a product they know is junk? A bike shop (unlike Amazon) is supposed to offer their expertise and experience as well as an assurance of quality greater than that of Walmart. Fat chance!I did not have as much trouble attaching the bracket to the frame as some have had. Attaching the cable to the frame with the included bracket was a bonehead move on my part. The cable slides and snaps into the bracket via a catch that seemed flimsy as I installed it. I should have listened to my intuition about this as the lock detached from the bracket on it's own during it's second trip. Anything attached to the frame of bike has to tolerate a lot of shock and vibration. This lock is a great example of incompetent engineering. It's as simple as that. I'll be ordering a second lock but will not entrust it to the bracket's care again. What a PITA it is to have to go to all the trouble of securing the lock myself every time I use it. If I had wanted to zip tie a lock to the bike myself then I wouldn't have bought a lock with a bracket in the first place.