If you have ever researched bicycle locks, you might have heard of the Fahgettaboudit lock – the one that has singlehandedly lowered the rate of bike theft in New York City. You definitely need to protect your bike in New York.
Since 2011, the rate of bike theft has almost certainly doubled in that city with nearly 5000 bike thefts reported in 2014. The 2016 numbers are not yet available, but even using outdated statistics, bike thieves are cashing in at a rate of around 15 bicycles per day. In fact, around the country, more than half of bicyclists report having a bike stolen from them. Imagine if that were the case with cars?
This bike lock 40 comes from the Kryptonite Company, the makers of the famous “Fahgettaboudit” bike lock. If you have shopped for locks in the past, you might have heard of them. They knew about the problem of bike theft and the fact that not very many people were making locks that would actually stand up to modern theft techniques and decided to change all of that.
This is a smaller lock but it is also one of the toughest locks out there, made to resist using a crowbar for leverage as well as bolt cutters and other quick tools that bike thieves carry. The Kryptonite brand is so effective that many of their locks even offer thousands of dollars in theft protection and they have a 12-point scale in security ratings that they use to evaluate all of their locks. Let’s look at the features of this lock.
Features
My Results
I don’t live in New York but there are bike thefts that happen from time to time in my city. One of the biggest reasons that I advocate this lock so much was something that happened just a few months ago. I had ridden my bike to the library and used this lock on the bike rack provided.
I was in the library for a few hours and when I came out there was a group of people standing around the bike rack and some broken cables on the ground. I asked what happened and they told me that their bikes had been stolen – three of them at once. The only thing that was left was my bike and one other.
What Others Say
But you don’t have to just take my word for it. There are lots of people that are extremely satisfied with this bike lock. For example, Sean Kouma rated this bike lock at five stars – which is a perfect score – and said that while this bike lock is fairly heavy, it still doesn’t have the bulkiness that you would find on the chain locks that “weigh 15 pounds.”
However, Sean also said that it was the most effective lock that he had come across and that he was extremely satisfied with it. He said that he hasn’t had a single problem with it, and in fact, he ran over one of his keys and it still worked perfectly.
Insider Information
Do be aware that in order for you to get the buyer theft protection that is offered by the Kryptonite Company, you have to register your product within 15 days of the original purchase date. Otherwise, the company will not honor the guarantee. You should also be aware that this is not offered in New York (there is a simple replacement guarantee instead). It is unclear why. It may be due to some sort of municipal code.
Buying Advice
The shipping weight on this lock is about 5 pounds so you are probably going to end up paying at least $10 for the shipping, and possibly more, depending upon where you have it shipped. Since that is the case, if you don’t already have one, go ahead and sign up for the Amazon Prime monthly membership at $10 a month, because you get free shipping on this product if you do so (plus a free trial if you haven’t already had one).
Summary
So, to sum up, this product is one of the best bike locks out there, coming from the Kryptonite Company, which means it is of the highest quality, but still being one of the best rated of even the Kryptonite products – that comes from both the company itself and from customers who have purchased the lock.
With a steel sleeve, 18mm steel shackle construction and a lock that will withstand picking and drilling, there are many reasons to choose this lock for your bicycle security. Make sure that you take advantage of the free shipping by going with Amazon Prime’s free trial before you buy.
My Verdict
I have no problem recommending this lock. It is the one that I use myself and it has protected my bike from getting stolen on at least one occasion that I know of – and there are probably a whole lot more.
If you want a lock that is going to stand the test of time and resist crowbars, bolt cutters and all of the ingenious ways that thieves try to steal your bike, then this is the lock that you want.