KRYPTONITE LOCKS
In the early 1970s, Michael Zane was a free-spirited, bearded kid with a VW van and a big idea for a new kind of lock. He traveled thousands of miles showing the unique U-shaped locking device and spreading his passion for bicycle security to bike dealers all around the country and forged lifetime relationships. The company soon expanded its product line to include powersports, hardware and snowsports security. Through innovative product designs, incredible marketing savvy, legendary customer service and pure fanaticism for security, Kryptonite grew with a cult-like following. That following only grew after hearing Kryptonite's legendary stories of leaving bicycles locked in New York City for days with the Kryptonite lock and bike still being there.
In 2001, the company that was started in a VW van was purchased by industry giant Ingersoll Rand (NYSE: IR) and became a flagship brand in its Security Technologies sector. Publications such as Bicycling, Fortune, The Wall Street Journal, US News & World Report and a host of others continued to tout Kryptonite products as the best on the market. The company continued showing thieves and competitors alike that it was more focused and better than ever.
During the fall of 2004, it was discovered that the industry-standard tubular cylinder, used in most brands of portable security products, could be compromised, at times, with a household item. Kryptonite flew into action, created a voluntary lock exchange program and replaced over 400,000 locks in 21 countries for free. To do this, the company redesigned the equivalent of 9 years worth of new products in just 10 short months. Kryptonite is the only company in the world that offered such a comprehensive plan to customers, taking its 'legendary customer service' pledge to new heights.
The people at Kryptonite have a pure passion for creating the best security in the world. It's their innovative product designs, intimate knowledge of market trends and complete commitment to customers that will continue to keep the competition striving to reach the high bar Kryptonite sets and allows their customers to feel free to stop wherever they want.
The Legend Begins…
A legendary test for Kryptonite's new bicycle locks came in 1972. The Second Avenue Bicycle Shop in New York City locked a three-speed bicycle to a signpost in Greenwich Village under Kryptonite founder Michael Zane's direction. Although all of the removable parts were immediately stripped by thieves, the bicycle itself remained for thirty days and thirty nights. The Kryptonite lock and the bike frame were still in place, even though the lock had been attacked numerous times. Publicity from this event gave Kryptonite the boost it needed, forever changing the face of bicycle security.
The Legend Grows…
Twenty-two years later, Kryptonite returned to the streets of the Big Apple to test its latest innovation - The New York Lock. In April, 1994, the New York Post laid down the ultimate challenge: Could Kryptonite's New York Lock last 48 hours on the toughest streets of New York? Michael Zane and Neil McDaid, Director, Product Development and Design, set out to prove, once again, Kryptonite was up to the test. In a city where over 100,000 bikes were stolen each year, Kryptonite and the New York Post took a brand new, bright green Univega road bike worth $600 and locked it to a parking meter in the East Village; the "Bermuda Triangle" of New York bicycle thievery. For a full 48 hours, the bike remained locked on the corner of Avenue A and 11th Street.
Subsisting on cold coffee and a strong belief in their product Zane and McDaid watched from around the corner and witnessed as the bike came under every possible means of assault, stumping thieves at every turn. After 48 hours the bike remained intact except for the gear derailer, which had been stripped off. The lock showed definite signs of abuse, but it had not failed. The New York Lock had met the Post's challenge. Not satisfied with the length of the test, Zane moved the bike to SoHo for another six days and, finally, uptown near the Lincoln Center. Even in these high-theft areas the properly locked bike lasted another three weeks before being pulled off the streets by Zane and McDaid - not a thief. Kryptonite was convinced that this product indeed offered the ultimate security protection.
To compare the New York Lock against other U-locks, the New York Post then ran a battery of street tests using the common bike theft tools: a 4-foot bolt cutter, a crowbar and a hammer. The non-Kryptonite locks cracked in seconds, but all methods failed on the New York Lock, even the monstrous bolt cutter, which ended up useless with large dents in its jaws.
This real life street testing is proof positive that the New York Lock is tough enough for the streets of New York, or anywhere else in the world. It's a constant battle to stay one step ahead of the world's toughest thieves. But we're in this to win, and we'll keep building tougher locks. We have no choice." Zane said. Although Michael Zane has moved on to other adventures and the company has been acquired by industry giant, Ingersoll Rand, the people at the company carry on the legacy, including his cohort in New York, Neil McDaid, who continues to drive the development of Kryptonite's new products. Every employee is still passionate about beating thieves so that customers can always enjoy their ride.
