Kryptonite New York Fahgettaboudit Mini

What the 18 mm shackle does and doesn’t buy you

The 18 mm shackle is the reason people look at this lock. Thicker hardened steel takes longer to cut with hand tools, and it leaves less room inside the lock for a jack or a long-handled lever. That is the whole case for the New York Mini, and it is a fair one.

What it doesn’t change is the grade. Sold Secure lists this lock as Gold for ordinary bikes, the same grade as the 13 mm Evolution Mini-7. Insurers write the grade and sometimes the model into the policy, not the shackle thickness. So if your policy says Gold, both locks meet it. If it says Diamond, neither does.

It also isn’t sold as angle-grinder resistant. A battery grinder goes through plain hardened steel of either thickness; the thicker shackle mainly makes the thief work longer and use more battery. If grinders are the worry at your stand, read what to look for in an anti-grinder lock before buying any compact D-lock.

Will it fit your stand? A worked example

The locking area is 83 × 153 mm. Width matters more than people expect, because a stand tube and a frame tube have to sit side by side or one behind the other inside that space.

Here is an example: say your stand is a round post about 48 mm across and your down tube is about 38 mm. Side by side, that is 86 mm, just over the 83 mm opening, so the two sit end to end along the 153 mm length instead, leaving about 67 mm. That closes the lock, but the thick 18 mm shackle bars eat into the gap, so a rear wheel usually won’t fit as well.

With the same example tubes, the Evolution Mini-7 (83 × 178 mm) would leave about 92 mm, which is often the difference between the frame only and the frame plus the rim. Measure your own stand and tubes; these are example figures, not a standard.

Carrying 2.06kg without a mount

The New York Mini weighs 2.06kg. The Evolution Mini-7 weighs 1.61kg, so the New York Mini is 0.45kg (about 28%) heavier, and there is no frame mount in the box.

That means it goes in a bag, a pannier, or a back pocket that isn’t built for it. For a lock that stays on a heavy bike at home, or lives at a regular stand at work, that is fine. For a daily commute on a lighter bike, the extra weight and the lack of a clip are the most likely reasons it ends up left at home.

• Locks that live in one place (home, work stand): weight matters less, so the thickness is worth having.
• Locks you carry every day: the lighter Mini-7 with a mount is usually the one you’ll actually bring.
• Two-lock setups: the New York Mini makes a solid second lock alongside a chain at home.

Checking the grade yourself

Grades can change and listings can be renamed, so check the exact model on Sold Secure’s approved products search before you buy, then match it to the wording on your policy. Kryptonite’s own specs are on kryptonitelock.com. We haven’t cut or tested this lock ourselves; the figures here are the published ones.