Customer Reviews

OnGuard PitBull STD 5003 Bicycle U-Lock

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

Own: Mongoose Estes ($200)
In: Boston, MA

This lock packs a punch, and a lot more of one than I expected.

After shopping around for locks for my new bike, I was a bit weary of which one was the 'best'. Not one person could seem to come to a conclusion, so I bought this one. When the package arrived, I was stunned at how heavy it was. It wasn't back breaking, but at the same time, it didn't feel like a box of pasta.

SO it's great, because it's heavy duty, but not very heavy. There is also a mounting clip that comes with it that works great, so you don't have to carry it in your bag.

Be aware, this is a MINI lock, so it's not very long. This can create an inconvenience sometimes, but it is even tougher than the long ones, so it's a good sacrifice.

My bike hasn't been stolen so far, and I've gotten complements from other cyclists on the lock, so it's a five star rating EXCEPT...The bar doesn't go all the way into the base sometimes, so it can feel a bit loose (but like I said, it hasn't been stolen yet...)

Overall a GREAT lock for it's value! Would recommend it to any cyclist!

Debated between this and the NY FORGEDDABOUDIT lock which is about 2-3 times the price. A new TREK 7.5 FX was the motivation. It's sturdy, small enough not to add a huge amount of weight (isn't that why we buy good bikes, the weight?) and to hook my bike to most racks easily, defying leverage. A good buy, good guarantee, too.

The lock itself seems sturdy enough. At least one review found it resistant to most attacks. ([...]) It is long enough to capture both the front wheel and the frame, along with a fencepost, which is a good thing if you have a quick-release front wheel (which can be removed in 2 seconds without tools.)

However, the lock is too big to mount inside the frame of my 53 cm road bike. (The mount requires a little clearance above the lock to allow the lock to be slid up out of its mount.) That is not a small bike, and there are many bikes with smaller frames.

Luckily, the lock and mounting system is flexible, accommodating nearly any tube size. The piece that takes the lock can be removed by unscrewing four screws, and rotated 90 degrees. Also, the mounting piece on the lock itself can be rotated by loosening a set screw. Those two things mean the lock can be mounted several different places on the frame. The instructions give several suggestions, with a list of pros and cons of each. One problem with a few locations is that the lock can interfere with your pedal stroke.

The mount itself is not all that easy to attach to the bike. You have to place an thin, H-shaped piece of rubber (included) between the mount and the frame to keep it from sliding around. The rubber isn't attached or glued to the mount for some reason (possibly because it is a last-minute addition) so it is easy to lose. It also doesn't fit the mount exactly. I dropped it few times before I got the mount on securely.

These new mounts use a strap of nylon that you wrap around a frame tube and pull tight, then tighten further by turning a ratcheted bolt that takes up the slack. (That operation requires a metric hex wrench, which you are likely to have because lots of other things on the bike require metric hex wrenches.) You can get pretty good tension on that strap. However, depending on where you put the mount, something (like the rear reflector) can block access to the tightening bolt.

Unluckily, I chose a location that did interfere with my pedaling (it is impossible to be sure whether or not a position will interfere with pedaling without actually mounting it in that position.)

And this is the major flaw with the mount. You cannot reposition it without cutting the strap or probably damaging the mount. The ratchet, being a ratchet, turns only one way. So you can only tighten the strap, you can't loosen it. You can try to turn the ratchet the wrong way, but that usually breaks the ratchet, and this one doesn't seem all that robust. So I am waiting for tech support from OnGuard for advice. If need be, I will just cut the strap and get a new mount from REI (unlike Amazon, REI offers a lifetime guarantee on everything it sells.)

This is a good, study lock for a decent price. The locking mechanism moves smoothly and seems to work well. The only down side is that the plastic bike mount breaks pretty easily. The main piece that attaches to the lock to the mount broke within a month.

While the lock itself does what it is meant to do (keep my bike from being stolen), the locking mechanism has broken. I dropped the lock once and 1) the plastic casing around the locking mechanism cracked, 2) there is a visible gab between the metal locking section in the center of the lock (the part that is metal and not covered with plastic) and the body it is connected to, and 3) I really have to finagle the key to make it lock/unlock. Not exactly the best construction...

This lock is a great value. It feels very well-built. You get 5 keys, including one "master" key with a LED light, which is really neat. The silver part in the middle rotates to protect the keyhole from dust/damage, and maybe foil potential thieves. The "U" part is long enough to secure my rear wheel and frame to any poles.

The mounting bracket/lock rattles quite a bit when riding...

After only a few months of using it, I realized the plastic inside of the lock was cracked. I don't know why or how this happened, or if I was provided a defective product at the beginning. It still works as a lock, but the straight part of the lock falls into three pieces (literally) when it's not connected to the curved half, and it takes a bit of fiddling to put it back together so it can be used. Would not recommend.

Even when the PitBull was brand new, it was hard to use. Almost every time I tried to lock it, I had to jiggle the U-bar for several seconds to get it to engage sufficiently that the key could be turned to the locked position. Yesterday, the locking assembly broke into two pieces after being dropped from only 2 feet. The lock was only just over one year old. Prior to this lock I owned a Kryptonite that survived all possible insults I could throw at it for 18 years. It finally died when someone used some kind of tool to try and pick the assembly. Needless to say, I shall be going back to a Kryptonite.

The lock is thicker than I expected it to be. Given the price, it is a much better buy than the equivalent Kryptonite U-lock. It is just about the perfect size for securing a bike to a street sign or a rack, provided you are only trying to lock the frame.

I am very glad that I got the mini and not the full sized u-lock. The weight of the full sized lock would be to much to lug around.

great price.strong lock.The light on the key stopped working shortly after using it.