In 1971, with $1500, some ingenuity, creative security ideas, and a Volkswagen van, Michael Zane was able to invent the first U-Lock and travel around the US spreading the message of need for bicycle security. Thus, Kryptonite was born.
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.
