The Kryptonite lock is a brand of lock for securing a bicycle to a pole or other fixture, when the owner wants to leave the bicycle in a public place. It was named after kryptonite, the fictitious substance that can thwart even the powerful comic-book hero Superman.
The Kryptonite lock was developed in 1972. Before then, the only comparable security available was from a chain, which could weigh almost as much as the bicycle itself. Inexpensive chains or cables were easily cut using commonly available tools. Indeed, local hardware stores would often sell chain cut to length with simple bolt cutters.
In an early test of the Kryptonite lock, a bicycle was locked to a signpost in Greenwich Village in New York City for thirty days. Thieves stripped the bike of every part that could be removed, but the lock resisted all attempts to break it. The innovative U-shaped design of the Kryptonite lock was subsequently adopted by several other manufacturers.
Until 2004 Kryptonite locks used a tubular pin tumbler locking mechanism. In 2004, a video circulated on the Internet and publicized through the 2004 Kryptonite Blogstorm demonstrated that some Kryptonite locks could be opened with a ballpoint pen. The company responded with a lock exchange offer.
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