If your looking into something heavy duty. I would throw OnGuard "Brute" STD u-lock in the ring as well.
Similar build quality as the other 2 brands and usually you can find them on sale in the $50 to $60 range.
although ignore the "anti-theft' protection that comes with these onguard locks... the state of New York is excluded from the program and from what i've heard from others, it a pain in the butt to have them honor the protection plan anyways.
u/alpha309 recommendation of having insurance is spot on.
​
Now i dont have any first hand experience with the Brute line of locks but I do have almost 1 year experience of their mid-range u-locks, the Pitbull line (Pitbull LS #8002). So far I haven't had any problems with my lock so i cant imagine that the brute line is going to be worse than the cheaper pitbull line.
(I will say though, the frame mount clip that's offered on the Pitbull line and I assume the Brute line are on the cheap side IMO. I would not trust that clip to hold on to a nearly 5lb lock.)
Do you have a rack on your bike? I just lock my u-lock to the rack or throw it in a pannier if I have one on the bike. Otherwise, if I don’t need to lock the bike up i leave the u-lock at home so it’s not messing up the aesthetics. They are hard to beat if you lock them through the rear wheel and frame to the bike rack. This one is hard to beat for the money (I snagged mine for $35 a couple years back.) It’s beefy enough to resist bolt cutters and a thief would need to cut through both sides of the shackle with an angle grinder to defeat it.
ONGUARD Brute STD U-Lock, 4.37 x 7.96-Inch https://www.amazon.com/dp/B009T4F9G8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_roxQAbRJRBYC8
That is a poorly made knock-off of the Abus Bordo series folding locks. Those Abus folding locks became extremely popular because of how secure they used to be. There is a simple exploit to defeat them that was discovered by the go-to online lock-testing guy, and sadly that simple trick is now well-known in the criminal underworld. It is no longer safe to use those locks anywhere.
Return it, and get a decent dual-shackle u-lock.
Don't forget to register your bike on 529 Garage.
I know what you mean with the kryptonite locks sticking. I’ve only ever used the on guard u lock I mentioned besides the kryptonite chain locks. The on guard lock mechanism is so much smoother and easier to use than the kryptonite lock. Plus it comes with 4 spare keys which is nice. The only things I don’t like about the on guard (brute) lock is that it’s heavier than my chain and bulkier to carry around. Yeah you can attach it to the frame but it’s wide and the lock itself imo looks tacky on my bike. But if I need to really lock my bike down, I’ll definitely use the brute lock in combination with the chain and alarm.
ONG: 8001 Brute STD U-Lock 4.37"x7.96" W/X4 Lock https://www.amazon.com/dp/B009T4F9G8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_BdayFbP15S6D5
I've locked up a fairly nice road bike in different parts of the city for 1-2 hours at a time, but it needs to be in a very public area, and you need to use a LARGE ulock that would give a thief with an angle grinder a second thought because of how long it could take to cut both legs of the lock.
Something like this:
https://www.amazon.ca/OnGuard-Brute-U-Lock-4-37-7-96-Inch/dp/B009T4F9G8
https://www.amazon.ca/Kryptonite-New-U-Standard-Heavy-Bicycle/dp/B06XCH21YH/
https://www.amazon.ca/Kryptonite-New-U-Fahgettaboudit-Heavy-Bicycle/dp/B06XCMWW9H
This should be locked through your seat tube on the frame and the back wheel, and should be combined with a small cable lock for your front wheel, like this:
I need to stress that the minimum you'll want in a ulock is a 16mm+ diameter hardened shackle, like the ones above. This is about having enough material to run out a battery on a cordless angle grinder.
This all sucks because using your bike for anything where you need to lock it up means you're carrying close 7 pounds of bike lock along with you. But this is minimum you'll want if you hope to keep your bike safe.
Now all that said, this doesn't stop a thief from disassembling other components - like the handle bars, brakes, and seatpost. There's always something that they can work on, but I've never personally encountered this. Most thieves are looking for a quick score in the form of a full bike.
It's all worth it, though. This is the best city in north america to bicycle in, so don't let thieves take away the chance to enjoy it.
Is there a recommended list of gear/equipment anywhere? My SO and I recently moved to a college campus that requires cycling and we've both purchased bikes. We were both avid bike share users in DC, but it's my first time owning a real bike for a daily commute. Appreciate any advice!
Biking will be our main form of transportation. My SO will need to be able to bike to the train station, lock his bike on the train and then lock it in a cage by his office. We live on a university campus in a suburb.
Need to get the following: (what I'm currently looking at on Amazon linked in parantheses, appreciate any advice/feedback)
Other things: