General Cycling Discussion - HELP! My bike is locked, but I can't undo the lock!

:confused:

I locked my bike in kind of a high theft area. I use an old kryptonite U lock, and it has apparantly rusted out or something because I CAN"T UNLOCK MY BIKE!

How can I unlock it? Will bolt cutters work?

Please help me steal my own bike.
Thanks.

The lock is too thick for bolt cutters. Do you know anyone with a scissor jack? That could be used to break it. Possibly a Dremel tool. other than that I don't know

How about spraying some wd-40 in the lock itself.. then trying to unlock it.

There is that.... Simple solutions to a simple problem.

Worst case scenario call a locksmith he will get it off, but that will cost a few dollars.

No locksmith I know will touch a Kryptonite

Yeah spray the lock and key with the wd-40 put the key in the lock and see if you can feel the key spring back, it should! If not tap the key into the lock, remove and look to see if it is rusty, if it is spray the lock with more wd-40 and go for a coffee in a nice area of town. After about an hour or so, give it another go to see if the wd-40 dissolved the rust, this may do the trick if not spray it again and try again in a few hours. Good luck and let us know if this works.

lol....

sorry, i'm not laughing at your misfortune... just the tragic irony of the situation

You could always try and trace down a can of nitrogen (really expensive) or even a highly compressed can of CO2 and spray it in there. It should freeze up right away and then u can attempt to smash the end of the lock. I did it with CO2 once but it was highly highly compressed and therefore came out very cold.

If doing Co2 method be careful not to breathe that stuff.. or as little as possible.. You pay a locksmith enough he'll get it :)

Saturate the inside of the lock with liquid graphite. You can get a small inexpensive can at most hardware stores. This works better than WD-40. Shake the can thoroughly before you use it. Let the lubed lock sit for a while before you insert the key and try it. On my U-lock, you have to push the key HARD into the lock mechanism before you turn the key. Are you doing this? You can actually see the lock barrel move into the lock casing. If you try to turn the key without doing this, it won't turn. Good luck!

Liquid graphite is good for maintainance, it doesnt attract dirt, but to attack rust, WD40 is probably better. See the thread in mech about a saddle stuck onto a seatpost, a few days of wd40 action worked to unsieze the bolt.
If you do need to break the kryptonite, then a large set of bolt cutters work.
Yesterday I saw a guy in town cutting his cable lock with a hacksaw; at least I hope it was his...

Hi Nina and welcome to BikeForums.

Go to Graingers or a "good" hardware store and ask for a penetrating lubricant that is made specifically for freeing up rusted parts. This may save your lock from being cut or mangled.

Good luck.

i think wd40 is the way to go as i ran into a similar problem not to long ago but my bike was locked into the bed of my truck.
an interesting read:
http://www.creekcats.com/pnprice/bikelock.html

Try spraying the lock with Keoil it is slipperyer than WD-40.
Joe

Nina, what was the bike locked to? was it a pole, is there any chance of sliding the bike over the top of what it was locked to, at least then yo ucould ride it home, and find some way to get the lock off.

If worse comes to worse a good hacksaw will eventually do it although you may be there for awhile. Had to do this once when I lost my key to my lock. If there is an electrical outlet nearby see if someone has a Saws All. That will do it quicker. I think I would go with the hacksaw myself as I would have nightmares of losing control of the Saws all and cutting my frame.

Two suggestions:

Contact Kryptonite (http://www.kryptonitelock.com/) for their suggestions.

Contact the police who have jurisdiction over the area where your bike is locked up. If you have to resort to a hacksaw, or some other method that takes time, you will want to let the police know in advance that you are not stealing the bicycle. They may even have the tools to remove the lock, since they have to impound stolen and abandoned bicycles.

Good luck! Let us know what happens.

PB Blaster is much better for penetrating than WD-40, this is available in most Hardware or Auto Repair Stores. Stinks, but works!

L8R

Originally posted by Raiyn
The lock is too thick for bolt cutters. Do you know anyone with a scissor jack? That could be used to break it. Possibly a Dremel tool. other than that I don't know

I'm not sure what a scissor jack is, but I know a car jack will work. If you get one that will not slip, it'll pry that bad boy apart.

Whatever you do, just make sure you are not mistaken for a bike thief.

Thank to everyone for all of your suggestions,

this morning the locksmith did a little handy work and got it off. Basically the lock is shot -I've had it for a while and it wasn't lining up with the interior threads anymore, so he just filed the key down a bit and got it. $40 in 2 seconds!

Nina

Originally posted by nina
$40 in 2 seconds!
Where do I sign up for locksmith school? :D

hacksaw...:beer:

Originally posted by nina
Thank to everyone for all of your suggestions,

this morning the locksmith did a little handy work and got it off. Basically the lock is shot -I've had it for a while and it wasn't lining up with the interior threads anymore, so he just filed the key down a bit and got it. $40 in 2 seconds!

Nina Good to hear it worked out for you - even if it was a little expensive. (Cheaper than a new bike I guess.)

Welcome to the forums anyway Nina, we hope to hear a lot more from you in the coming weeks and months.

Good for you. Too bad it cost you $40 though.

I was hoping to hear something more exciting, like a C4 charge or the jaws of life. However, I guess what really matters is that you can now ride your bike again.:)

Wave bye-bye to that lock!

D*alex, where Are you getting these creepy pictures? first the animated crying smiley face, then the creepy waving cat.

you know with all you guys mentioning penetrating oil, which is an excellent idea. I remember once an auto mechanic said one of the fastest way to free up a rusty bolt is to pour Coke (the real thing no alternatives) over it. It might be a good shot in the dark if all else fails

Originally posted by Phatman
D*alex, where Are you getting these creepy pictures? first the animated crying smiley face, then the creepy waving cat.

I like the troll on the bike.

Originally posted by danr
I'm not sure what a scissor jack is, but I know a car jack will work. If you get one that will not slip, it'll pry that bad boy apart.

Whatever you do, just make sure you are not mistaken for a bike thief. This is a type of scissors jack
http://www.highlifter.com/store/media/590026.gif

D*alex, where Are you getting these creepy pictures? first the animated crying smiley face, then the creepy waving cat.

Sorry, the 'pic-posting police' have told me to cool it for a while....

Originally posted by D*Alex
Sorry, the 'pic-posting police' have told me to cool it for a while....

D*Alex:

Don't make me open a can of whup-*** on you!

Officer Trollie