OnGuard Bulldog MINI 5013TC Bike U-Lock

"The lock is fine. I had one before. I had continual problems with the bracket mount loosening and the lock swinging then rattling as I rode. Then the bracket broke. It's a piece of cheap plastic. I bought a replacement bracket. Same problems. Finally, my bike was stolen (my carelessness) and when I got a new bike I thought: what the heck, I'll buy the same lock again - it's cheap and it worked as a lock. Maybe they've changed the bracket.



They have. Now it has a (useless) yellow plastic clip presumably intended to stop the lock loosening in the bracket as before. This makes the bracket too wide so it now interferes with the water bottle. Astonishly they have taken a terrible idea and made it even WORSE. Furthermore, in the one I bought, the metal lock collar *simply doesn't fit* in the molded plastic groove it is designed for. That is, if I slide it in as far as it is supposed to go, it will never come out again. OK, with some banging I got it out - tried again twice - same thing. The yellow plastic clip sits there getting in the way without even having the basic geometry to perform its supposed function. Utterly impractical. Utterly unusable. I should have heeded the warning sign when I was considering the purchase and asked the bike shop guy if they had improved the bracket: he advised me to attach the lock to my bike with an inner tube or bungy cord. Now there's faith in a product you are selling! I don't know why getting a decent bracket is such a big problem. I checked the Kryptonite bracket today and it looks just as bad. Now I imagine OnGuard are well-aware of these problems, because I for one already called them about it 5 years ago. Amusingly, now in their "User's Guide", they write:



"Think about it: positioning a heavy object (the lock) onto a moving object (the bike)... so the lock and bracket will not shift...using a bracket that is not permanently affixed to the bike....is not an easy task."



Huh? A bike is MADE OF heavy things which are not permanently attached to each other. What is a quick release wheel for example? (And what would it be if OnGuard got hold of the idea and designed it from bits of toy plastic?)



Complete disingenuous nonsense that shows they are aware of the problem and are trying to cover it up with verbiage.



People say: "oh carry the lock in your back pack". But look: I lock my bike up maybe 10 times a day every single day. I want a bracket on my frame. I don't want to have to take off my backpack and dig out my lock every time. And I want the weight of the lock on my bike, not on my perineum.



Or they say: strap it to your rack. Sorry, no. My rack is doing other things. I want a bracket. Bwahhhahhhahhahha.... I don't care if I have to buy it separately. I just want a bracket.



Why can't I have a decent bracket ? ->)



Oh, one more thing: OnGuard offer $1500 in insurance against theft. Sounds great? Actually that's why I bought the lock. This is for outside New York state, and for $15 you get 3 years maximum. You have to read their web-page to find this out. When you go there you will also see tons of other conditions, including that this is void if power tools were used (emmm....what else are you going to use to open a lock like this?), and also that you have to send them the broken lock. So thieves: be sure to leave bits of broken lock lying around for us please, and try to use inferior equipment when you are breaking this lock.



Honestly, sometimes I despair of the modern commercial world. What happened to the past, like, say, the 8th century, when when life was full of integrity and you could tie your horse to a tree and rope was rope and horse-thieves were whipped and and....."

"When used as a supplement for my heavy-duty 4ft, 25lb chain lock, the Mini gave me a feeling of added security in the most theft-prone parts of New York city over a half-year of bike messenger work in Manhattan. On my track bike, I could just squeeze the rear-wheel, seat-tube, and a street-sign into the U for a very quick run inside (5-mins or less) and a thief could only fit maybe a piece of re-bar inside the U to try and twist the lock off. This meant that even in places like Chinatown, Alphabet city, and Brooklyn I could save time and energy of using my heavy chain lock for very quick drops. When you lock you bike up 50 times a day, it makes a difference. I often slap my Mini onto my top-tube and around a sign even when I am using the chain, and when the chain has to reach around a big light post and the front wheel, I slap the Mini onto the back wheel.



The cosmetics of this lock (anything not steel) wears off in a week or so of heavy use, but the simple shape makes electrical-taping easy to avoid scratching your paint or freezing your fingers in the winter. Even the vinyl on the shackle of my lock is still somewhat intact.



Despite AT LEAST two attempts by NYC thieves to bust through this chunk of steel, it's held up and been a great tool in my lock-kit. Just don't let it be your ONLY lock unless you are in a more tame place, such as Boston or Philly or Chicago."

"This is a good mini U-lock at an affordable price. Not as technically theft proof as the more expensive Kryptonite, the advantage of this mini U is it prevents the most common tactics of thieves. Larger u-locks are susceptible to being broken with a car jack. The mini is too small to fit a car jack inbetween the bars. Also, the double locking barrel makes it harder to freeze and break with Liquid Nitrogen, and the lock is also not susceptible to infamous Bic Pen lock picking. If you don't want your bike stolen, use one of these. It is hard to get the front wheel and the frame attached to an object with this lock, but that's part of what makes it secure, so if you have fancy quick release wheels, use something else."

"Protective coating started to peel off after first use. Item began to rust after protective coating was completely worn off (about a week). Also, the key is very hard to turn at times."

"I had this lock for about a year and a half in San Francisco. I keep my bike locked up in the garage of my apt complex, and one morning found some type of jury-rigged jack device stuck in the lock, left by someone trying to pry it open. It appears that the handle used to crank the device had sheared off before the lock even began to deform. After loosening the jack with the help of some pliers, I was able to remove the lock, and it was almost unscathed.



Aside from that, it was relatively inexpensive and fits in my back pocket but isn't so small as to make finding a place to lock it difficult."

"I've had this lock for about a month and a half in Berkeley, CA, where bike theft is quite a problem. So far, no complaints--except for the mounting bracket. The lock itself is very well made, lightweight, strong, tough, and CHEAP! I feel that a mini-lock actually gives better security, since it's much harder to pry open; and this is one of the best. The locking mechanism is quite sturdy, and is immune to the "Bic pen" picking method.



I've had no real problems finding places to secure the lock (mostly with the Sheldon Brown method), although I sometimes find myself wishing the lock was about 1/4 inch longer and wider (but then it wouldn't be quite so lightweight or hard to pry open--there are tradeoffs either way). I find the cable that came with the lock very useful in securing my front wheel. I have had no problem at all with the keys.



The only real complaint I have is with the mounting bracket, which was made of flimsy plastic and broke after a few days. OnGuard should really consider including a sturdier mounting bracket, to match the quality of the lock.



All in all, I think this is quite an effective bike security system, at a very reasonable price, that doesn't add a lot of extra weight. I feel secure having this lock for my new bike."

"while it's appealing in it's compactness, it's unusable as it's designed for mountain or aggressive bikers. before ever installing it, one of the yellow plastic ends cracked off. i super glued it back onto the lock, but is still is cracked. you can't ratchet it where the lock hangs out of the way of pedaling or the rear tire and/or where it won't scratch the paint. the pin that connects it to the holder is so loose it allows the lock to move about and make all kind of noise. it got so loose it swung over the rear tire and began to rub, so much that part of the plastic coating is gone. when i went to lock it up, the same loose pin got stuck inside the lock holder. it's unacceptable for a [$] lock to be this useless. buy a kryptonite instead."

"Decent lock for the money (on sale). My only complaint is the top of the key is large, square and very pokey. Not for pocket use. My husband has a Kryponite with a much better key design (small oval). I only use this lock in the daytime on my fixed gear. I probably would not use it in a high crime area or at night."

"This is a great lock. Small, lightweight, hard to pry apart due to size.



I put on hex-nut skewers on the front rim of the commuter bike. With this lock the bike is pretty safe. If I'm going leave the bike awhile I also use a cable around through rims to discourage a quick take.



The only downside is the frame attached lock holder. The springs and plastic are cheap and poorly designed. It broke after the first couple uses.



Still a great lock but poor design gets a mark down."

"First off, I really like the size. I think it would be very difficult to break, and there is a good warranty to back that up.



The cons? Most everything else. Most importantly the locking mechanism jammed after less than a month and the key is broken off inside the lock. Not good.



The mounting option is primitive to say the least, it will pivot around (I mounted mine so that my water bottle holder would block it if it did try to swing out into the way of my legs.) The finish is pretty basic and scratches off very easily. The one that broke recently was my second one, I lost the first one (yes, lost it, it wasn't stolen- long story). The first one had no problem with the lock jamming ever and I had it for quite a while. I did read other reviews of problems with the key breaking off inside. I don't know if it is a QC problem or what.



If they figure out the locking mechanism or just include stronger keys, this would be an easy five stars, but as is I think two is very generous."