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Kryptonite unveil Gravity Line security wheel nuts and skewers

You can't undo them unless you turn your bike upside down

Here's a clever thing that we saw at the Icebike show this week: Kryptonite's new Gravity Line products allow you to lock your wheels so that the light-fingered can't make off with them when your bike is locked up in town.

Admittedly this is not a new idea: as long ago as 2010 Zéfal were showing off their Lock'n'Roll skewers which promised a similar thing. Unfortunately they didn't really deliver. These Kryptonite units are a lot more solid-looking though, and there's options both for wheel nuts and for skewers. The skewers don't use a quick-release, though, closing instead with an Allen key.

The principle is simple, and sound. If you lock your wheels on with a system that only works upside down, then once your bike is locked up in town it's impossible for a thief to invert it and make off with your wheels. We'll get hold of a set for testing as soon as we can to find out how they perform in the real world.

Dave is a founding father of road.cc, having previously worked on Cycling Plus and What Mountain Bike magazines back in the day. He also writes about e-bikes for our sister publication ebiketips. He's won three mountain bike bog snorkelling World Championships, and races at the back of the third cats.

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10 comments

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ken skuse | 7 years ago
1 like

How will they perform in Australia ?

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kevvjj replied to ken skuse | 7 years ago
0 likes

ken skuse wrote:

How will they perform in Australia ?

Just install them upside down?

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dafyddp replied to kevvjj | 7 years ago
0 likes

kevvjj wrote:

ken skuse wrote:

How will they perform in Australia ?

Just install them upside down?

But what about in outer space, then? Answer me that...

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BennyBikeFace | 7 years ago
0 likes

 

Abus have just announced a gravity system (bike only needs to be 90 degrees) seems better as a shroud covers the nut. This Kryptonite one may encourage someone to have a go and do some damage. 

 

 

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Team EPO | 7 years ago
0 likes

The do seem a bit pricey at £40 given you unlikely to leave a nice bike anywhere these days but maybe it is like buying a £80 lock for £200 commuter bike, you just ahve to.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Kryptonite-Unisex-wheelboltz-Anti-Theft-Device/...

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d_c_h_w | 7 years ago
0 likes

These look exactly the same as my IXOW Wheelguard Gravity that came preinstalled on my Canyon commuter. I think they have been available for a few years. Not sure if kryptonite have just re-badged them.

They work very well, although the bike itself is far too expensive to actually leave out anywhere where I live in Cambridge, so kinda redundant.

It has a seatpost clamp that works in the same way too.

http://www.ixow.com/en/

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LastBoyScout | 7 years ago
0 likes

I bought the Zefal ones after leaving my hack bike at the station and coming back after a night out to find some bunch of scrotes had gone down the bike racks and pulled out any quick releases they'd found and variously chucked the bits onto the tracks/into the bushes. Made for a bitch of a walk home pushing a bike with wobbly wheels.

I always locked the bike through both wheels anyway, but, so far, no-one's tried to pinch the skewers since.

They are a great idea, as there is no tool to lose. Worst thing about them is trying to clamp the back one up - 135mm drop-outs onto a 130mm hub (long story).

My hybrid came with the 5-sided Allen versions - original owner had lost the tool, so I made one by filing down a 6mm hex one and keep it taped to the spare tube.

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ClubSmed | 7 years ago
7 likes

Rule #49 Keep the rubber side down.

It is completely unacceptable to intentionally turn one’s steed upside down for any reason under any circumstances.

 

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RobD | 7 years ago
0 likes

I owned the zefal ones, which worked fine for the first few months of use, but seemed to wear quite quickly and become temperamental to use, these look quite promising.

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brooksby | 7 years ago
0 likes

I'd looked at these online and hadn't realised that they weren't actually available for sale. Bought some 'like an Allen key but only penta' instead.

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