Kryptonite Fahgettaboudit Mini: The best bike lock ever?

The Kryptonite New York Fahgettaboudit Mini. What is there left to say about this, probably the most famous of all U-locks? It’s the thickest. It’s (nearly) the heaviest. It’s indisputably the most secure.

But is it the best u-lock for you? While it’s undoubtedly a fantastic bike lock, it’s certainly not for everyone.

In this review I look at how secure it is (there’s a clue on the photo at the top of the page), how easy it is to carry and use on a daily basis and what alternatives are available if it's not for you…

How secure is the Kryptonite Fahgettaboudit Mini?

With an 18″ shackle, the Fahgettaboudit is a rare beast. There are very few locks that can boast a shackle this thick.

What’s more, it’s made from Kryptonite's max-performance steel, which is triple heat treated for ultimate cutting force resistance.

No bolt cutters can crop this lock, manual of other wise. In fact, here's a video of it destroying the blades of a hydraulic bolt cutter...

Leverage attacks, (that might defeat other u-locks) are also rendered useless by the double locking, over-sized, hardened steel cross bar.

The only way the Fahgettaboudit can be defeated with is power tools. And even then, since the double bolted crossbar locks both ends of the shackle, it would need to be cut twice to free it!

There is a video of it being cut with an angle grinder, but it lasts longer than any of the other locks and proper locking technique would have made it much more difficult to cut in this case.

Indeed, because it's a mini u-lock, if you lock your bike correctly (more on this later), there’ll be no room for a thief to insert a hydraulic bottle jack (that might be able to pop the lock open) and less room to wield an angle grinder effectively.

The extraordinary level of protection is reflected in it’s security ratings. Kryptonite themselves give it a maximum 10/10 rating. It's rated both Sold Secure Bicycle Gold and Motorcycle Gold. And ART give it 4/5.

So yes, this is really is the most secure portable bike lock available today.

The only comparable u-locks are the 18 mm Kryptonite New York Lock M18-WL [Amazon] (which is more or less a standard sized version of the Fahgettaboudit), and the 16 mm Abus Granit Extreme 59 [Amazon].

But these are both considered motorcycle locks. So they're massively heavy, and big enough to leave lots of lock exposed that a thief might be able to take advantage of when used with a bike.

So the Fahgettaboudit must be the best bike lock ever then, yes? Woah, hold on a second! All this security comes at a price…

Is the Kryptonite Fahgettaboudit Mini easy to carry?

Although it’s a mini u-lock, the Fahgettaboudit is still exceptionally heavy. With an official weight of 4.55 lb (2.06 kg) it’s actually one of the heaviest u-locks available.

In fact, I could only find two u-locks that are heavier: the M18-WL mentioned above and the long shackle version of the OnGuard Brute!

In case your struggling to imagine how heavy this is, it’s the same weight as 5.5 cans of coke. Which is pretty heavy!

And it doesn’t come with a frame mount! So this makes carrying the Fahgettaboudit Mini a bit of a challenge.

Of course, you could put it in your back pack or shoulder bag if you use one. But that sort of weight in on your back every day might start to get annoying. You could also strap it to your luggage rack or put it in your panniers if you use them.

I have heard of people wedging them in their water bottle cages. And some people fasten the lock through a belt loop on their jeans.

For many people these options weren’t acceptable and some have fashioned their own frame mounts, usually out of pieces of Velcro! If you google “how to carry a Fahgettaboudit” you will find loads of these home made solutions.

Otherwise, you could buy a separate, third party frame mount. Kryptonite themselves make the Transit H-Bar lock carrier [Amazon] which is compatible with a wide range of bike locks including the Fahgettaboudit.

Basically, it will fasten the lock to your handlebars by way of a plastic mount and some Velcro straps. However, be aware: it doesn’t get universally good reviews!

Two Fish also produce a handlebar mount [Amazon] that gets much better reviews. And note that although it’s specifically designed for handlebars, you can also use it to mount the lock anywhere else on your frame.

If you don’t want to mount the Fahgettaboudit on your bike, you could also look at third party holsters that will strap the lock to your body!

Fabric Horse do a very good value holster that attaches to your belt and fits a number of u-locks including the Fahgettaboudit. I especially like this one as it’s made from recycled seat belts! 

That’s not the Fahgettaboudit in the photo by the way. Its the bigger, New York Standard. But this holster will also fit the Fahgettaboudit.

So, while the Fahgettaboudit doesn’t come with a frame mount, there are plenty of alternatives. But the reason I’m talking about this so much, is that it’s really important that you find a way to carry the Fahgettaboudit that works for you.

There’s no point owning the most secure u-lock in the world if you can’t find a satisfactory way to carry it around every day. Because if carrying it is a pain, you’ll stop using it. And then your bike will be stolen.

It’s the same thing with making sure it’s easy to use…

How easy is the Kryptonite Fahgettaboudit Mini to use?

The Fahgettaboudit is a mini u-lock. In this case, the internal dimensions are just 6.0” x 3.25” (15.3 cm x 8.3 cm). That’s pretty small. Measure it out with a ruler or a tape measure. See what I mean?

These internal dimensions are important because they will determine where and how you lock your bike. Everything you want to secure, including whatever you’re locking your bike to, needs to fit in that space.

Now obviously whether this is possible or not will depend on what sort of bike your riding and where you’re trying to lock it.

Now this is not the end of the world. You can always use the Sheldon Brown bike locking method, where you secure just the back wheel to the bike rack, but through the rear triangle of the frame.

The idea here is that because the wheel cannot be pulled through the rear triangle, the whole bike is safe. I explain this locking method in more detail (with photographs!) on the how to lock your bike page. And while I don’t recommend it for long periods of time it’s OK for short stops.

A more long term solution would be to replace the quick release skewers on your wheels with secure locking skewers.

In fact, there’s a whole series of methods that you can employ to protect your wheels and reduce or even eliminate the need to lock them together with your frame. And I talk about them in great detail on the wheel locks and seat locks page!

Much more important though, is that when you use a mini u-lock like the Fahgettaboudit, you do limit where you’re able to lock your bike. And if you live somewhere with few proper bike stands, your options may be very limited.

So think carefully about your neighbourhood, your bike and where exactly you routinely lock it. Will you easily be able to find places to secure it with a Fahgettaboudit? If the answer is no, then the Fahgettaboudit is probably not for you.

Another thing we should talk about is lock maintenance. Modern locks shouldn’t need to much looking after. But if they are left outside for long periods, especially in harsh weather conditions, you should be nice to them at least occasionally.

There are quite a few of reports of the Fahgettaboudit seizing up or jamming. I don’t think the Fahgettaboudit is more prone to this problem than any other high quality lock. I just think, it’s such a heavy beast, that when it does start to stiffen, it’s that much harder to fix.

Try to avoid the problem even starting by cleaning and lubricating your lock regularly. I go into this in more detail on my how to fix a jammed bike lock (and how to stop it happening again) page.

But to summarize here: clean the mechanism with WD-40. Lubricate the mechanism with a Teflon based product such Finish Line or TriFlow. And add a smear of White Lithium Grease to the ends of the shackles and the crossbar holes.

This will significantly reduce the chances of your Fahgettaboudit ever jamming.

Does the Kryptonite Fahgettaboudit Mini include insurance?

The Fahgettaboudit is eligible for Kryptonite's in-house Anti-Theft Protection. Under this scheme, if your bike is stolen as a result of this lock being defeated, Kryptonite will pay you up to $4,500 / £2,500 / €2,000 depending on the value of your bike.

I go into the ins and outs of this scheme in much more detail on the Abus vs Kryptonite vs OnGuard page.

But to summarize here: you need to register as soon as you buy the lock, it’s not free and even though the Kryptonite scheme is far better than the equivalent OnGuard scheme, the chances of them paying out aren't great.

It’s much, much better to organize your own insurance separately.

Wrapping Up

The Kryptonite Fahgettaboudit Mini is without doubt the most secure u-lock available today. In fact it’s the most secure portable bike lock, period. This is indisputable!

But that doesn’t necessarily make it the best bike lock for you.

It’s not cheap. In fact, it’s at the top end of the u-lock price range. That shouldn’t be an issue though: you expect to pay more for the very best protection and the highest quality.

Much more important is that it’s very heavy and very small. Before you buy it, think carefully about how you’re going to transport it and where you’re going to use it.

If you’re confident that carrying it around won’t be an issue and you’re sure that you won’t struggle to find a place to secure your bike, then this is a fantastic choice.

It will provide you with the very highest protection you can get. And if you look after it, it should last many years.

But if you think you might have difficulty with the weight or that you won’t be able to lock your bike where you want to, then you should look at some of the alternatives...

Alternatives to the Kryptonite Fahgettaboudit Mini

Whether you’re looking for something lighter, bigger, cheaper or all three, there are plenty of alternatives to the Fahgettaboudit. Just don’t expect to find anything as secure, because you won’t!

Looking for something lighter?

It’s clearly not as secure as the Fahgettaboudit, but maybe you don’t need it to be. So if you’re looking for a small, light u-lock that still offers a very high level of protection, this could be the lock or you.

Looking for something more secure?

In most street scenarios, this will be enough. And the Litelok X1 has the advantage of being much lighter and practically sized than both those two locks and the Fahgettaboudit.

Most significantly: while it’s unusually more expensive than the Fahgettaboudit, it’s much, much cheaper than the Hiplok D1000 or the Litelok X3. Check out my full Litelok X1 review for more!

Looking for something cheaper?

The best thing about this lock though, is the price. It usually costs less than half as much as the Fahgettaboudit! In fact it’s usually less than half the price of all the other locks on this page. A bargain!

Just remember to clean and lubricate it regularly, because OnGuard locks are often not as well weatherproofed as some of the other brands. But if you’re looking for a high security mini u-lock at a rock bottom price, this is the lock for you!

If these locks aren’t quite right either, don’t forget my straightforward guide to choosing the best bike lock!

Kryptonite Fahgettaboudit Mini Specs

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