Customer Reviews

Kryptonite Kryptolok Series 2 Standard Bicycle U-Lock Bicycle U-Lock (4-Inch x 9-Inch)

5 star:		(25)
4 star:		(24)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(11)

 

 

The good
- - -
The lock works very well and exactly as one would expect. It is easy to lock/unlock with the key, fits both my tire and frame when locking my bike to something, and is compact. It is a little heavy but that's as expected given it is a strong lock.

The bad
- - -
I ride with my lock attached to my bike frame with the accompanying attachment. The problem is, this attachment, while holding the lock secure, does not easily release the lock. I have to pull very hard to get the lock to release, and, since it is inside the frame of my bike, this means when it gives way, it smashes into my bike frame or, more commonly, crushes the hand, finger, or wrist that is between it and the bike frame. I cannot count the number of times I have smashed my fingers between my bike and the lock when the lock finally gives way. This morning my wrist got pinched between the lock and my bike, leaving an inch-long welt with a small amount of bleeding.

Don't get this lock if you want to attach your lock to your bike.

5 stars for the lock.
1 star for the attachment.

Update: I was just talking to a friend the other day who has a Kryptonite lock and he brought up the topic of their locks and, more specifically, how the attachment piece often leads to crushed fingers or scuffing up the bike frame. Otherwise, he thought everything about the lock was excellent.

Update, 2/9/2011: The lock is working fine and I have had no problems with it. A great purchase indeed! It also fits in my belt "holster" which I use to carry it around. Sometimes when I arrive home, I forget it's on my holster because it isn't bulky or heavy.

I bought this lock after having a longer and heavier Kryptonite U-Lock in order to lessen the weight I needed to carry. So far this smaller one has been able to fit on the bike racks/poles I've used; and not having to carry something heavier feels great. It's kept my bike secure as well. My boyfriend has had his for years and recommended this for me; I would definitely do the same for anyone looking to buy a lock.

This is a terrific lock. Don't expect anything from the mount. The width and length of the U is perfect for a typical pole... they lengthened it by an inch from an earlier model based on a lot of real-world testing on where people actually lock their bikes in cities. The inch shorter Evolution lock by Kryptonite might leave you with not quite enough reach. This is perfect for most applications.
However, I have read your reviews and I must say that most of you are not locking correctly. On your bike frame, you basically have two triangles (unless you have a strange mountain bike rear end shock system). The real triangle is made up of your stays (the arms that go to your rear wheel) and the seatpost or down tube. If you lock your U lock around your rear wheel inside this triangle, there is no way the wheel (nor the bike frame) can be stolen. Think about it. You can't pull the rear wheel through the rear frame triangle, right? YOU ONLY NEED TO LOCK THE REAR WHEEL INSIDE THE TRIANGLE, not the frame. It gives you more options as to how you wish to place your lock.

You're welcome :-)

I almost didn't purchase this lock after reading the reviews since I had planned on mounting it on my bike like the other reviewer. However I've never had a problem with the mounting bracket. The bike works great, fits well inside the frame, and is very compact. The small size can be a problem if you don't have street posts to lock up with- there isn't extra space in the loop. The smaller size makes it more difficult to steal the bike since there is less room to work without damaging the bike and less room to try and pry it open with a prybar. The weight is a bit cumbersome if you have a lighter bike but that is to be expected when dealing with a heavy duty lock.

I've been using this lock for a while now...so far I still have my bike so I guess it's doing it's job. (I had my last bike stolen from me btw when I locked it up with a cable lock while I watched a movie at a local theater-never rely on cable locks alone!)My only issue is that I live near the beach and I guess some sand blew into it or something so now it gets stuck. i've put lubricant in it which has helped, but doesn't always quite do the trick. I guess I can't blame the lock company on that one, but just the same, I've used many locks over the years and have never had this happen to other brands.

I saw the other review. I throw my lock in my xtracycle saddle bags so clamping it to my bike has not been an issue for me.

I finally replaced my original design Kryptonite lock with the Series 2 Mini, and I have nothing but praise for either the lock or its bracket. The lock works very smoothly and is just the right size to lock my road bike to a post with front wheel removed and nestled between the rear wheel/triangle and the post. The mounting bracket is a masterpiece. The lock snaps into it with a solid 'click'.

And to all those folks who complained about smashing body parts while trying to remove the lock from the bracket, you didn't mount the bracket in the best place/orientation. If you mount the bracket on the seat tube so that the lock inserts downward and adjust the bracket height so there's just enough room to remove the lock (turning it slightly to avoid the top tube), then you can grasp the lock and top tube in one hand and squeeze to remove the lock with total control and absolutely no chance of pinching/smashing any body parts.

Note: you could avoid having to turn the lock as you're removing it from the bracket by mounting the bracket a bit lower (about an inch). The only problem with lowering the bracket is that people with very small hands might have a hard time grasping both the lock and top tube.

There's no place for pictures here, so I'll post a couple on the main product page.

I don't live in a high crime area and have a garage where I stow my bike. Where I use this lock is heading up to the yoga studio, library, coffee shop... those places. I really think this would deter most criminals.

The thing is heavy and if you have two water bottle holders it's a bit of a pain to mount. I have to put it at an angle so that it sits against the frame slightly off center. It works though.

Add on wire rope is nice to attach the tire so that someone doesn't just pop off the quick release.

I compared the Kryptonite Kryptolok Series 2 Mini(3.25"x 7") and Kryptonite Evo Mini (3.25"x 9.5") for a regular old road bike. I didnt compare the Evo Mini (3.25 x 7") because it's basically the same as the Kryptolok but with a 4' cable. I already bought a 6' cable for locking the front wheel.
I kept the Kryptolok Mini 7" because it is long enough for my road bike. If you plan on removing your front wheel to lock with the back, you would want the longer 9.5" Evo.

Neither lock was available locally, so I ordered both from Amazon with free shipping; the only shipping I had to pay was to return the unwanted lock. Amazon was very helpful with all that.

From the reviews, I was concerned about the keys, but they worked great for both locks. You get two with the Kryptolok, three with the Evo (extra key has LED light). If they dont work, call the toll free number immediately. I phoned to get info a couple times before buying, and there was always someone there to help. The keys are slightly sharp, so I plan on getting a "coin purse" or the equivalent from a lock shop to keep the keys from ripping my pants pocket.

I compared the weight of both (2 lb 2 oz versus 2 lb 6 oz). You're not saving much weight with the smaller lock. The lock bar weighs about 1 lb; the difference is with the U part: the 9.5" U was 22 ounces, 7" U was 18 ounces.
However, the smaller lock takes up less space on the bike. Even so, I couldnt mount it to the seat tube because the lock would hit the bottle holder on the down tube, so I mounted it to the horizontal cross bar. If it interferes with a large water bottle, I will pack the lock separately on a long trip.

The mount has a belt which is attached with a screw on one side, and clicks into place (like plastic cable ties) on the other side. This was very difficult to slide in, and I needed a screwdriver to press in the belt. It was the only issue I have with the mount.
If you want to remove the belt, there's a lip where you can insert a screwdriver to open up the gap for the belt to slide out. This didnt work for me, but the belt can still be removed on the other side with the screw (which I did use, so it's a non-issue at the moment).
By the way, the mount can be attached to the seat post or tube above the cross bar, so the lock is aimed behind the seat. The orientation of the holding part can be rotated 90 degrees, so the lock would be horizontal. However, the lock would still be sticking out perpendicular from the bike (from a birds eye view). In the old days, there was a generic u-lock mount which would attache to the lock bar, so you could have the lock laying flat out behind your seat.

I must be the only one who has no problem actually using the mount. I use a finger or thumb of one hand to press open the mount button. With the other hand, grasp the lock bar with 4 fingers and put my thumb on the mount itself for leverage. Eureka, it slides right out. Neither hand nor lock were flying out hitting the bike tubes. Really a no-brainer. The customer-supplied picture is wrong. Just stand such that the thumb of your grasping hand is over the mount and press on it for leverage.

The lock doesnt rattle while I'm on the road, probably because they added a thick washer at each end of the U. They certainly put alot of thought into it. I'll edit my review if there's any radical changes.

I own a Trek 7000 hybrid and the lock doesnt fit over the frame and tire. I am fine with that because i am more worried about my bike and not my tire. I think this lock is very secure and i am glad i got it. I use my old cable lock to lock up my tires when i am in places that i am worried about someone stealing my tires. Hopefully that will keep someone from stealing the tires. I do feel like the ulock will keep someone from jacking my bike, which is my biggest concern. I didnt want the larger lock because it would have been too akward to carry. I lock the u lock to my frame when riding so i dont use the bracket it came with. I heard a lot of bad reviews about the bracket but i wouldnt let that stop you from buying this lock.

I recently moved and started biking to work and needed a fairly good lock for my bike. This lock does the trick pretty well. It seems like a well built, solid lock and I haven't had any problems with it thus far. When I lock my bike up at work this lock is always the beefiest, toughest looking lock there which in and of itself is a good deterrent.

I got the cable with it but rarely use it since the lock is big enough to go around the rack, my front tire, and the bike's frame. The lock's size does make it a little hefty though so I've never taken it with me on long rides. The frame mount for the lock is certainly not the best either. It gets the job done but the lock rattles like crazy when riding.

One useful option offered by Kryptonite for this and some of their other locks is their Key Safe program. All I had to do was email them and they sent me 2 extra keys free of any charge which normally costs $12.

Over all I would rate the lock itself a 5 but the mount for it would only get a 2 so I give it 4 overall.