Customer Reviews

OnGuard Doberman 5028 Bicycle Coil Cable Lock

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

I bought this lock to lock up two bikes for short amounts of time when taking long bike rides. It only last about six months, the key is now stuck in the lock. Not broken, just stuck and I cannot remove it.

I have to agree that the lock mechanism is poorly designed. The key is very fiddly to get into the lock, and the lock mechanism is 'sticky'. Before the key got stuck, it was slowly becoming more and more troublesome to lock and unlock the mechanism.

The only saving grace is that that the key got stuck while the lock was open, so i did not have to test how easy it is to cut this lock myself while I was 25 miles away from home.

The product is okay...and like everyone says, if someone wanted to steal your bike, then it doesn't really matter what kind of cable lock you have on it.

It is long enough to go through all parts of my bike and still lock. I didn't like the fact that it is advertised as coming with 5 keys, one of which has a light on it so you can see the lock at night time. I was kind of looking forward to that since I do a lot of night time riding and early morning riding...but unfortunately, the lock came with five keys, none of which had a light.

I used to have the rottweiler but from a different brand, and it was awesome, but wasn't long enough to take the frame and front tire...and I put a lot of wear and tear on it because I made it work anyway.

I'd recommend a thicker lock if you're worried...I wouldn't trust my bike locked up all night with this.

When I first got this lock I was afraid that it was TOO thick since it was difficult to unwind. However, after just a few uses it loosened up enough to wrap around both my tires and my seat!

Beware, cable locks of any thickness are easy to cut if the thief wants your bike enough. The truth is, not much will stop a thief on a mission. This is a great bike lock for low to mild theft areas. It is visually intimidating and can secure all parts of the bike.

Other reviewers are correct about the durability (or lack thereof). Bought this lock in 2007 and used less than a half-dozen times, but something inside the lock mechanism is defective and came loose. Good news is that a simple email to the company resulted in a free replacement, including an upgraded lock that presumably doesn't have the defective mechanism. Other than the defective locking mechanism, the heavy gauge cable lock seems very tough and durable.

This seems like a fine lock for the price, but mine was defective - the locking mechanism now spins around and doesn't open. I like the fact that it came with four keys, but it is a little annoying that there is no physical sign for the top and the bottom of the key given that there is a right side up when you insert the key. I ended up cutting the plastic key body and marking the keyhole so I knew where the top and bottom were and I didn't have to fumble to get it in. Also, the thing to attach the lock to your bike is incredibly poorly designed. There is essentially no way to attach it without it getting in the way of your legs when you bike, at least with my 30 year old road bike. Maybe with modern bikes with fat tubing it would work better. I like the velcro strap that is there to keep it together and the fact that you can insert the end into the lock and it will lock without having the key inserted.

The key broke in the lock. I still have to return it, and that's a pain too. I was lucky that my bike wasn't stolen. The key is really cheap. I would not recommend this product.

Needed a 6' long cable so I could thread it through all the removable parts of my bicycle, including the seat and the front wheel. Wanted the security of a key lock over the more common simple combination locks which are just too easy to crack. And I wanted the cable to be at least 12mm thick so it wasn't too easy to cut. This lock had it all, at an amazing price.

I've had 2 Onguard cable locks, and they both broke. The first slipped from my grasp and hit the sidewalk. The casing around the lock shattered like a piece of grandmother's china. I'm not kidding. It slipped from my hand and smashed on the ground. I've had glass containers not break the way this bike lock came apart.

Why did I buy another one? I liked the fact that the Onguard locks come with a bunch of keyes and was willing to take a risk that my first lock had been some kind of fluke.

The second Onguard lock just decided to stop working. I was at a Starbucks, and the lock refused to open. The key turned in the lock, I felt a weird pop in the mechanism, and the lock wouldn't open. It had broken. I'm not kidding.

So I walked a half mile up to a hardware store on Santa Monica and bought a small 18" pair of bolt cutters. The guy at the store was dubious that it would cut through the lock, but I was optimistic. I arrived back at the Starbucks. It was relieving not to find my bike stolen. I set my stopwatch. I was curious just how long it would take for me to cut through the cable. SNAP! The lock was cut in a nanosecond. Too short a time to actually measure.

I knew cable locks were a thin line of defense against thieves, but this blew my mind. I literally would have been better off tying up my bike with some rope. After all, a knot takes some time to untangle. It also takes a few seconds to slice through with a sharp knife.

Thus there are two morals to this story: 1) Think twice before buying from OnGuard. 2) Think twice before buying a cable lock -- any cable lock.

As for me, I'v just bought a kryptonite mini u-lock. If you're curious about the best ways to lock up your bike, read "lock strategy," by Sheldon Brown.

Let's face facts... If a thief really wants a bike & has a set of bolt cutters, he can cut through almost any cable lock in seconds. That being said, a good cable lock through both the front & rear wheels will keep a 'theft of opportunity' from happening. No one can easily or quickly make off with your quick disconnect wheels. Thus the 4 stars & not all five.

If you plan on walking away from your bike for hours & hours, a better investment would be an OnGuard PitBull MINI DT 5008 Bicycle U-Lock and Extra Security Cable that has both the U-Bolt lock & a cable; double protection. I'm never away from my bike too long. So this OnGuard 5028 suites my needs fine. Determine what level of protection you want and/or need. It doesn't matter if you own a 'discount store special' or a high end road bike...all bikes deserve lovin'. Buy your bike a good lock. It's earned it.

This is a terrific lock. I use it on my bike. I live in a small town though and we do not have the type of theft of the bigger cities. I would recommend this if you know your neighborhood is relatively safe and you know your neighbors look out for you.