OnGuard Bulldog MINI TC 5013TC Bicycle U-Lock

by OnGuard

Product Features

• Double bolt locking mechanism delivers up to 10 tons of pull strength
• Massice 13mm hardened ultra steel shackle provides maximum cut resistance
• Includes five laser cut keys 1 micro light key for nighttime use and 4 extra grip keys or four digit resettable combination on bombo models
• It has 24-40 multi position quick release mounting bracket
• Brand new and ready to ship

Product Description

The On Guard bulldog U-locks are constructed of 13-Millimeter hardened ultra steel shackle with reinforced sleeve over crossbar and cylinder for added security. Available in key or combo lock; keyed locks include 5 laser cut keys (1 lighted) and all tube quick-release mounting bracket. 4.6 Tons pull strength with anti-drill and pick resistance. 13-Millimeter hardened ultra steel shackle with reinforced sleeve over crossbar and cylinder for added security. Bulldog includes free 1-year 1251 dollars anti-theft guarantee.

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 6.1 x 2.2 inches ; 2.2 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S. and to APO/FPO addresses. For APO/FPO shipments, please check with the manufacturer regarding warranty and support issues.
• ASIN: B000FL3E8O
• Item model number: 5013TC
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (36 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #10,224 in Sports & Outdoors (See Top 100 in Sports & Outdoors)
  • #17 in Sports & Outdoors > Bikes & Accessories > Accessories > Bike Locks > U-Locks
  • #48 in Sports & Outdoors > Bikes & Accessories > Kids' Bikes & Accessories > Kids' Accessories

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

137 of 137 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Less is More, July 25, 2006

By 

Westlake (West Virginia, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: OnGuard Bulldog MINI TC 5013TC Bicycle U-Lock (Sports)

The OnGuard Bulldog Mini 5013TC is a very strong, high quality mini U-lock, perfect for use in low to medium crime areas. After a long search that involved reading online reviews, articles, and comments on bike forums I settled on this lock as my best choice. It has worked out well.

Any U-lock, even heavy top of the line locks from OnGuard and Kryptonite, can be cut with power tools in a few minutes. Still, those power tools make a hell of a racket, and most thieves want to avoid attention. If you live surrounded by neighbors who consider bicycle theft using power tools to be entertaining performance art, the Bulldog Mini is probably not the lock for you.

For those of us who live in lower crime areas, where the thieves use manual tools, the best mini U locks (such as the Kryptonite and OnGuard minis) can provide protection equal or superior to heavier, more expensive U-locks against brute force attacks. The mini locks don't provide enough space for a thief to insert a large metal bar or a jack, so he can't apply the force necessary to quickly break the lock. The Bulldog Mini is strong enough to resist bolt cutters and the other standard attacks. Still, one should keep in mind that a thief with a good hacksaw, some spare blades, plenty of time, and a strong arm can eventually saw through the shackle of any U lock. It is best to park your bike in a location where such activity would be noticed.

All the Bulldog Mini's surfaces are covered with plastic, to prevent scratching the bike. The lock comes with a carrying bracket that attaches to the bike frame. Five flat keys are provided, including one key with a built-in light. The 3.5" x 5.5" measurement cited in the ad describes the inside of the U locking area, not the entire lock. The lock is large enough to go around a good-sized knobby mountain bike tire and a standard parking meter post. The most recent version of the 5013TC looks a bit different from the old, with a more cylindrical crosspiece and different coloring: mostly black, with some yellow. They are good looking locks.

If you buy a mini lock, consider using bicycle guru Sheldon Brown's lock strategy. (Google "Sheldon Brown's lock strategy" for more info.) According to Brown, a U-lock should go around the rear wheel and through the rear frame triangle to the parking meter or other secure attachment. The U need not enclose any portion of the frame. The rear wheel cannot fit through the triangle, so the prospective thief must cut all the way through the rear wheel and tire -- not easy to do. The alternative to this strategy is to secure just the frame.

One lock alone will not secure both wheels. Another U-bolt would be overkill where I live. I have a 4' cable that I can loop into the Bulldog and around both wheels, but I don't usually bother with it except when there is no post to which I can attach the Bulldog. Cables can be cut by bolt cutters, so they don't provide much security anyway.

30 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Ideal Lock, But Delicate Key, February 21, 2009

By 

Charles G. "An Engineer and Business Person" (San Francisco, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: OnGuard Bulldog MINI TC 5013TC Bicycle U-Lock (Sports)

I purchased both this lock, and the Kryptonite Evolution Series 4 Standard Bicycle U-Lock with Bracket (4-Inch x 9-Inch). These are the two locks that are considered to be near the top of the list for U-Lock security.

The very top is the Kryptonite New York Fahgettaboutit Mini Bicycle U-Lock (3.25 x 6-Inch), but I decided against that one due to weight and cost issues. My bike is old and new was only about $1000 when new, and so it isn't going to be the target that a more expensive bike would be.

Between this lock and the Kryptonite Series 4, both are high security. The reason I was in the market for a lock was that I had a cheap U lock cut with a pair of bolt cutters by an apartment manager unhappy that I had locked a bike to a railing. He sliced through that cheap U-lock silently, like butter, and both of these locks have been tested against that and neither lock was cuttable by bolt cutters. However, both can be defeated by a determined thief with power tools and a couple of minutes.

Both locks give you several sets of keys (at least 4) and let you either write down a code or register the code and they'll send free keys if you ask. Both locks include one lighted key, but the thing is huge and takes up so much room on my key chain that I took it off because I've really never needed the dim light it provides. Nice concept, but worthless - you can feel the key hole if it's pitch black.

Neither lock has a decent mounting system. They both come included with one that really only works on a 21" frame, the biggest bike for the tallest riders, because it needs too much space to pull out to mount it on the seat tube. Me and everyone else I've seen just ends up hanging the lock over their handlebars. The lock is rubber coated so it won't scratch your handlebars. If you do that, and you will, be sure to remove the mounting piece on the U lock that clicks into the mounting bracket. Click the bracket onto it and twist the mounting piece off. The mounting piece can be seen as the thick collar over the left post of the U lock where it meets the cross piece.

There are three basic differences between this lock and the series 4. First is the size. The Bulldog barely fits over my mountain bike tire and the smallest pole, like those used for no parking signs. It DOES fit over a parking meter, but many parking meters have had a pipe slipped over the pole that holds them to prevent people from hacksawing the meter off and this lock will not fit over that outer pipe. The series 4 is big enough to fit everything. UPDATE May 2009: They increased the size of the Bulldog Mini lock a bit and that problem is solved with the newer version.

Note that it isn't necessary to lock both your tire and the bike frame unless your frame is really expensive. Just lock the part of the tire that is inside the frame triangle underneath and behind the seat. The bulldog can't fit over both the tire and the seat tube, while the kryptonite can, but it isn't necessary. A thief would never take the time and effort to try to cut all the spokes, and bend the rim to force it through the frame triangle, and if he did he'd wreck half the cost of the bike.

Second is the key and locking mechanism. The Bulldog has a key that breaks off easily and the lock has to be fully seated to work. That means you have to shove the crosspiece in as hard as you can and shove the key in as hard as you can to turn the key without breaking it. Because of the small size, it's not always possible, and you find yourself looking for another pole about 10% of the time. The series 4 has a much stronger key and the mechanism is more forgiving - it doesn't need to be shoved in and is therefore easier to use. Because it fits around everything, that makes it really easy to use.

The last issue is weight. Here is where the Bulldog has the Series 4 beat. The Series 4 weighs about 3.5 lbs and the Bulldog weighs about 1.75 lbs. It makes enough of a difference that I find that the Bulldog mini, with all of its faults, gets the nod and that's the one I tend to use. Now that they've made it larger, it's probably a bit heaver, but the increase in size makes it more desirable, so I'd still recommend it over the Evolution Series 4.

I also have a thin (3/8") 6' cable, much thinner than the 7' OnGuard Akita 5043 Bicycle Security Cable (Lock Not Included) that I place over the ends of the U lock before I lock it that fits through the front tire, and the seat and the mountain bike rack on the back of my bike to keep them from walking away. 6' is the minimum size you need to go through everything. The 7' cable is great for length, but really thick and inconvenient to use. Last time I checked, they did not sell a 6' thin cable on Amazon - bike stores are the only way to get one.

24 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Photo is of older version (OnGuard recommends newer version), June 18, 2008

By 

Steven K (Portland OR) - See all my reviews

This review is from: OnGuard Bulldog MINI TC 5013TC Bicycle U-Lock (Sports)

The newer Bulldog MINI is distinguished by TWO yellow end caps and a different mounting bracket using a metal piece on the U-lock. Apart from the bracket, OnGuard claims the difference is mostly cosmetic, but OnGuard also indicates that the anti-theft insurance and guarantee terms differ between these versions. Moreover, OnGuard flatly states that the newer version of the Bulldog MINI is the one that should be purchased if this model is desired. If/when this seller distributes the new version, the photo should be changed. Note that the new Bulldog MINI list price is $35 list price, and that is the price for which it is sold at local recreational equipment stores. So paying that much (w/ shipping) for an older version might not be the best deal.