Kryptonite key opens gold-rated Abus Lock

KBB

I needed to insure my bike in the +£1500 bracket and to do so, I needed a Sold Secure gold-rated lock. I already owned a Kryptonite Evolution big D and mini D, and an Abus Steel-o-chain, but none of these were gold-rated. This is London, bike thieves are prolific and persistent and I want to keep hold of my bike - so I did my research, forked out £58 and got the smallest, lightest, well-reviewed gold-rated lock I could find: the Abus U-Mini 401.

After possibly one too many drinks, I lost my keys. No worries, I have spare keys to my lock. With a sore head, I went searching for the one for the Abus U-mini, and the first one I pulled out of the pot looked sort of right. I tried it in the lock and it opened perfectly smoothly, without any resistance. Then I looked a bit closer and realised there was a great big K on the plastic top and it was on a keychain with a tag clearly labelled 'KRYPTONITE'.

This wasn't the key for the Abus lock, but rather my Kryptonite Mini-D.

How can this be possible? How is my poor defenceless bike safe in world rife with Kryptonite keys? WHAT CAN I DO?

Please help.

snoopsmydogg

be thankful you now have more spare keys for your lock

alfablue

The cylinder type keys were from several years ago, there was a big scandal that Kryptonite locks so-equipped could be opened with a ballpoint pen. These keys are now obsolete, so if your locks are so equipped you need new locks!

rolf_f

alfablue wrote:

The cylinder type keys were from several years ago, there was a big scandal that Kryptonite locks so-equipped could be opened with a ballpoint pen. These keys are now obsolete, so if your locks are so equipped you need new locks!

For one thing, afaik there haven't been many people who have managed to duplicate the ballpoint pen trick and for another, as you said, this was some years ago so it seems unlikely that the OP has sourced a brand new Abus with that sort of lock.

As far as this issue is concerned, either there is a problem or there was a hell of a coincidence. Both are possible but I'd be getting in touch with both Kryptonite and Abus for an explanation.

KBB

I remember the ballpoint-kryptonite scandal, but both these locks are under 3 months old, so would have hoped they would be of the new non-pen-opening variety.

After enquiring at my LBS this morning, they've said it's pretty common to be able to open more than one lock of the same make with the same key, but that they've never seen this sort of cross-species functionality. Have emailed Abus, awaiting a response. Either way, not feeling thrilled about the security of these locks.

alapcolta

Interesting….