General Cycling Discussion - Your brand new bicycle u-lock is not safe!

Never picked a lock in my life, busted out my Trek Kryptonite extra long u-lock and a trusty Bic pen... had it open in 30 seconds first try. I don't have a camcorder, but my digital camera captured it somewhat decently:

http://gallery.iamjp.com/ids/albums/Justin/video/MOV00104.MPG

Scary! Go get your flat key locks while they're still available ;)

I just unlocked my old Kryptonite lock from way back (1993?) using the now famous Bic pen technique. I used a Bic pen cap because it was the correct diameter. It definitely takes some jiggling to get the lock to turn and I have to hold very tightly on the pen cap after it's been inserted then twist and jiggle. Eventually the lock turns.
Lock model is Cyclepro from early 90's. Key number is 5XXX and has the letters "CDC" and then a logo with a C in it. Notice in the pictures that the cylinder is stuck in the open position and a key cannot be inserted because IT WASN'T OPENED WITH THE F***ING KEY! Great lock design Kryptonite. Thanks for wasting my time and money.

- fitzJust flie the key tip that stop it from entry lock it only a guide for you to put the key in.

BTBZ

A last note from another experimenter - finally had a chance to give it a test, with a Trek brand u-type with a circular lock I bought about 7 years ago. The pen fit sure enough, but I fiddled with it about 15 minutes without any luck. It confirms my suspicion that this is a "your mileage may vary" situation which may depend very much on the lock, the pen, and the operator in question. I think the assessement many have made is correct: that it's not such an issue with pro thieves who will probably stick with surer bets with a proven speed record, but the fact that any dip with a pen and no scruples may hit the lucky combo with a few minutes fiddling could add up to a real increase in impulse thefts, trash and ditch joyriders and such. It will be interesting to see Kryptonite's official response which seems inevitable with the profile this has gained in the last couple days. I still haven't decided whether to trade in my Trek - but then my bike is not that high a theft profile, being near on twenty years old, and not my primary transportation. If I trade up in the future I'll certainly be considering alternatives for deterrence, though.

I have an On Guard U lock w/ a flat key I will try to pick tomorrow (Wednesday) so look back here for results, anyone who is interested in the On Guard. So far I haven't been able to find any weakness in it, and it was highly recommended at the shop I worked at previously. Haven't tried to pick it in earnest though.


That's the lock I'm looking to get. Is there a long shackle version of it? If so i need ot know where, performance doesnt seem to have an LS version, and they are teh only guys in the area I know of that stock onguard. Main reason I want LS is when i go out I often lock my bike to whatever is trong enough that I can....problem is most of these require me to lock the bike at the mid seattube area, so I need a long lock to clear that portion of the bike....for being a 7-speed that bike has an awful wide set of stays.

At the least it seems pretty beefy, and inexpensive as well.

i know i don't need to keep driving this into the ground, but man.. with a little practice, i can now open the lock at least as quick with the pen as with the key...

check out the new movie (http://biginjapan.com/extranet/assets/ben/krypto_ev_speedy.mov)

(Yep, just registered so I could post this. )

I hate to break up the Kryptonite Bash Fest, but I just applied the same method to two other brands of locks with cylinder type keys. Both worked, with slightly variations. The white pen portion of the BIC did not fit on one, but the cap conveniently fit after breaking off the part that holds it to your shirt (had to break of that part and trim the buldge off). It took me about 5 minutes of fiddling, but it unlocked (and locked). I'm sure with a little practice, and perhaps a better "pick," it would be similar to the Krypto.

Just to be fair all around, I can also pick most flat key locks in less than a minute with a homemade pick (made out of something everyone can easily find). Until the recent special keys (computer chips, etc.) I could get in and start most cars in under a minute. Houses even less.

Locks help keep honest people honest.

So, I don't think I've written anything inflamatory, but flame if you must.

This holds true for Kensington computer locks as well so no it's not just Kryptonite or even just bike locks.

Brunning, is this with a bic that has already been formed with the lock, or a brand new bic?

good point, it's one i've used a few times, but not more than 4 or 5.

when my pen ends have become too squashed, i've been cutting them off with an exacto knife to give me a fresh tip to work with!

(i'm making a bit of a science of this...)

I tried two of those pens and kept trying this morning. I do so, because I want to know if this is possible on all locks or if there are a few fault ones, or whatever. Still no dice. Firstly, I can't even get that nib in the spaces, that nib is too fat - at least the medium is, are you using fine or extra fine or something?

I tried a dried up 0.3 technical drawing pen and a 0.5 after that - both don't work. Got one of the smaller extensions on my Gerber multi-tool out that fit inside and that didn't work either.

Oh, and all mini u-locks are the Evolution 2000. They don't make another kind, at least not in the past few years and as far as I know...
I think you're using the wrong end of the pen. The nib is the writing end, yes? Use the back end, not the writing end.

"Kryptonite Quad Chain: It's heavy like any other three foot chain, but the square link design (quad chain) makes it harder for bolt cutters to get a good angle on the chain. Just like a krypto chain is essential for an NYC messenger so are bolt cutters to an NYC thief. Quad chains force a bolt cutter's blade to put pressure down on at least one corner of a chain link. A thief risks denting the blade of his cutters by trying to clip a quad chain."

http://www.nybma.com/faq/question3.htm

someone just posted saying that the regular chain from the hardware store cant be cut using hydraulic cutters. so yeah sounds like a bunch of hype.

---also, getting info from a self-styled messenger faq is a little silly imo. saying that you HAVE to have a krypto nyc chain sounds to me like the bike messenger who claims that messers use fixies cuz they are cheaper when they spend loads on exotic track frames made out of titanium, etc. i mean sure a fixed bike is easier to maintain but come on thats not why fixie riders love them. (im not saying there is anything wrong with a bling mess bike but you cant claim it is the most utilitarian option -- same with those nice yellow and black krypto chains it seems).

oops forgot this thread was moved to the general forum. oh well, deal with it.

good point, it's one i've used a few times, but not more than 4 or 5.

when my pen ends have become too squashed, i've been cutting them off with an exacto knife to give me a fresh tip to work with!

(i'm making a bit of a science of this...)

I was doing that last night. I also experimented with cutting at a slight slant, cutting notches, and applying pressure on different points.

Additionally (to newcomers and other people just coming across this discussion):

I'd also like to discourage the "omg it totally DOES work posts" - it's getting to be a lot to read, and it would be advantageous to others if they can just find out the facts without reading 54 chapters of posts.

We know it works. There are several videos, lots of pictures, and it's easy enough to try it yourself. We know it's exciting and you feel like telling someone - so call your bike shop, a friend, or Kryptonite and tell them. I'm just saying, we should try to keep it to important information such as updates from Krypto, other locks that haven't yet been verified (that are vunerable), and alternatives to vunerable locks.

Lastly - I'd like to just note how amazed I am at the speed this information has been disseminated. After getting home from work today I went down to my trusty local bike shop (Freewheel, Valencia *plug!*) - and said "hey I have news for you guys" and they were like "yeah yea.. we know.. the pen thing.. if I have to hear ONE MORE person tell me about that...". And multiple friends of friends heard, as well as about a million other forums and portal sites relaying the information. I've also been contacted by several people for interviews. Ironically just about the only person who hasn't contacted me about this is Kryptonite. heh.

then you might get a kick out of this: the two videos have been downloaded from my servers just over 40,000 times in the last day.

Here are some Squire brand U-locks from the UK that use flat keys. I got a couple of these a few years back on closeout from MCM Electronics (no, they don't have any left...), and I've been happy with them. If nothing else, they're uncommon in the US, so thieves won't be as familiar with them. It doesn't look like you can purchase direct from the manufacturer's site, but there's a couple of online sources, mostly in the UK, if you do a web search.

http://www.squirelocks.co.uk/html/urban.htm
http://www.squirelocks.co.uk/html/plus.htm

this thread was linked on penismightier.com (http://penismightier.com), here (http://www.penismightier.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=11046).

Do we know if this technique works on similar models of different makes? ie. Master Locks version of the U-Lock??The Master U lock is just a easy.

with respect to unaesthetic, i'd like to ENCOURAGE those of you who have it working to post saying that you do, and to try and post links to your own pics/movies. the movies themselves don't do justice; i didn't believe any of this until more and more people posted that it works.

anyway, wonderful thread. glad i'm using a cable lock.

sd

Just to let everyone know (who doesn't already, that is), this is not a new discovery. I'm sure Krypto (and most likely other manufacturers of cylinder key locks) has known about this for a *long* time. See this discussion:
http://groups.google.com/groups?q=kryptonite+lock+pen&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&selm=1992Dec3.114116.25385%40ericsson.se&rnum=4

From waaay back in 1992, it also refers to articles published on the subject.

Any new info from Kryptonite yet (and no, I did not register just to be able to post this:))?

--J

NYC folks: i just popped my EV disc lock with a pen, so I am headed to the hardware store for a new padlock. What should I replace it with? Any specific padlocks recommended?

Are kryptolocks evos all share the same key. Like 1 key could open any lock? If not I think the BIC pen may only fit in certain locks, thus allowing theives only to take a certain percentage of the locks.

Just to let everyone know (who doesn't already, that is), this is not a new discovery. I'm sure Krypto (and most likely other manufacturers of cylinder key locks) has known about this for a *long* time. See this discussion:
http://groups.google.com/groups?q=kryptonite+lock+pen&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&selm=1992Dec3.114116.25385%40ericsson.se&rnum=4

From waaay back in 1992, it also refers to articles published on the subject.

Security by obscurity...

Okay - dude, unaesthetic, you so need to explain things better ;)

So now that the 'proper technique' has been shown, I did it again. Two Bics. Tried to squeeze with my hand alone - no dice. Didn't go far. Someone suggested the hammer, tapped lightly and pushed it as far as it would go. It was nice and wedged in there and turned but the lock wouldn't release. I had to pull it back out with some pliers.


Uh dude you have the wrong end stuck in the lock. You should have that little blue cap off and that end stuck in.

Security by obscurity...

Security by obscurity is the worst form of security.

Security by obscurity is the worst form of security.

Welcome to the world of the circular lock. :p

Like many others I had trouble reproducing this. I knew it was real (too many confirmations for it not to be), but I wanted to see it myself. I even went out to the drug store and bought 10 new Bic pens to try it, but they were too small for my lock.

What worked was cutting 4 slits (2 cuts) in the end of the pen barrel, going about 10mm down the barrel. I used a box cutter for this. This let the pen barrel fit properly around the end of my lock.

Once I did this my lock opened in seconds. The pen was also destroyed in the process, so this is a one time pick instead of a re-useable one.

alex

Uh dude you have the wrong end stuck in the lock. You should have that little blue cap off and that end stuck in.

To you and the other guy - you guys are so Monday morning. Originally the thread was slightly not well explained - that's been corrected by the photos and videos. I've already opened a lock since then.

Also, doesn't matter which end you do it with - whether you take the end cap off or the nib end off, it still works - the barrel is the same diameter. And like I said, I opened mine with the nib end anyway. I wish it were the other end because that end is at least a little harder to get off.

Argghhh... I really didn't want to post again to this thread but here is an update of sorts, from someone else's mouth who heard from someone else... (is that too far removed to be valid)

"I brought this issue to the attention of my LBS's owner this morning. He's fresh back from the annual Canadian bicycle trade show in Toronto, and informed me that according to their Canadian distributor, next year *all* of Kryptonite's locks, with the exception of the cheapest U-lock model or two, will have flat keys like the NY U-lock."

Just to let everyone know (who doesn't already, that is), this is not a new discovery. I'm sure Krypto (and most likely other manufacturers of cylinder key locks) has known about this for a *long* time. See this discussion:
http://groups.google.com/groups?q=kryptonite+lock+pen&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&selm=1992Dec3.114116.25385%40ericsson.se&rnum=4

From waaay back in 1992, it also refers to articles published on the subject.

Holy cow! You're right. This information has been around since 1992! I didn't think the net was around that long!

Looks like I'm going to sell my Evolution 2000 U-Lock on Ebay ASAP! I'll be lucky if I can get 50 cents for it! The whole thing is a sad joke.

it would be nice to get some recommendations about what we CAN do to protect our bikes.

Koffee

I've got one. I'm definitely not a lock expert, but I've read the article on howstuffworks.com that explains how lockpicking is done. As far as I can tell, locks using flat keys with two bumpy edges like the ones used in cars are much more difficult to pick than ones with one bumpy edge and one flat edge. That's because in one, you need to move the pins in the lock to the correct location on both sides of the keyhole, but in the other, the pins that keep the lock from turning are only present on one side of the keyhole.

Wonder if we'll start seeing locks with electronics that are paired with keys that have security chips in them.

but thinking about this some more.. this is sooo ridiculous that this even works. looking at the kryptonite keys and how they are designed to push the pins in such a precise pattern why the fucck does jamming a pen in there work in the first place!!! that is the question to be (yelling) asking when people call these bittches.
:mad:

Well, this is just reasoning, not empirical testing, but why/how it works was "obvious" to me the moment someone described the technique:

The lock works by having a series of pins arranged in a circle parallel to one another. Each pin has a spring behind it, and a notch cut at some height into it. The key works by depressing each pin exactly the right amount so that the notches line up with the collar that is preventing the lock core from turning.

Now, why the pen works: it's the plastic and the springs. The plastic is obviously hard enough to push against the springs, but soft enough to deform under their pressure. Either the pins bottom out in the open position (in which case it's just a matter of mashing the pen in hard enough to bottom the deepest pin, and it gets mangled as the others bottom out), or that's why the wigglin' and shakin' (you're vibrating the pins into position, and the pen then holds them there). So, in addition to different diameters not working, something made of a hard plastic (like the hex-crosssection Papermate pens) probably won't work. And something really soft (like silly putty) shouldn't work, either. You know, i always *have* thought that Bic Round Stics are the "perfect" pen--i just didn't know in how many ways.

If i'm right, add significantly increasing the spring tension to the list of short-term fixes. I don't think it'd be possible to increase it enough to where a plastic pen would just mush rather than pushing the pins at all, and still have it possible to open the lock by hand at all.

Oh, and i have a Planet Bike u-lock--i'll have to give it a try once i find a dried-up pen. But, really, i have trouble getting all that worked up. I've always assumed that a lock was a deterrent, not a preventative. I honestly suspect that the full metal fenders, chainguard, kickstand, and lack of derailleurs (i ride a Sachs Super7) have been far more of a deterrent to theft than any lock, over the years. I may not have known how, but i pretty much assumed my lock could be trivially circumvented, if anyone cared to.

Perhaps we need to borrow from car technology, and have a passive chip in the lock that only opens for the right electronic signal from the key?

To those who own the kryptonite NYC chain: I replaced the EV disc lock on mine with an American Lock padlock, which is slightly smaller but weighs about the same. It looks pretty indestructible. It is supposedly very pick and smash resistant. It is the lock bodegas and shops use on their gates. The guy at the hardware store said he uses one to lock up his place, and sure enough there it was outside. It cost $18.99, which adds to the $80 plus you pay for the NYC chain, but it sure is worth it. I am convinced that this is the best way to secure your bike.

This morning, I sneaked out with my NY kryptonite chain, and I actually used a padlock instead of the lock they provided. Threw all three locks on the bike, went in and taught my aerobics class, then ran out and I'm happy to report the bike is still there! :D

Seriously, though... I think I will call Ace Hardware and explain the situation. I was thinking the same thing as NYpista and thinking that instead of investing in yet ANOTHER expensive bike lock, I'll just get the toughest padlock I can find. I like the NY chain... I think it can be pretty tough, but just needs a little extra reinforcement.

In the meantime, I'm contacting my landlords. They changed the locks with a new lock for everyone's apartment. The new keys are flat and have a series of bumps on the metal part of the key. They claim this is the best lock they could find that people couldn't pick (or pick easily, that is). I wouldn't mind contacting the company and finding out if they can modify my NY lock for my chain for their keys.

Koffee

To those who own the kryptonite NYC chain: I replaced the EV disc lock on mine with an American Lock padlock, which is slightly smaller but weighs about the same. It looks pretty indestructible. It is supposedly very pick and smash resistant. It is the lock bodegas and shops use on their gates. The guy at the hardware store said he uses one to lock up his place, and sure enough there it was outside. It cost $18.99, which adds to the $80 plus you pay for the NYC chain, but it sure is worth it. I am convinced that this is the best way to secure your bike.

What kind is it? Got a photo? Is is the circular disc one? If so, it's the same kind they use on the cheaper Kryptolock chain, which is like a mini-version of the NY chain. Like this?

http://www.americanlock.com/product/Images/D100.jpg

or this?

http://www.americanlock.com/product/Images/702.jpg

To those who own the kryptonite NYC chain: I replaced the EV disc lock on mine with an American Lock padlock, which is slightly smaller but weighs about the same. It looks pretty indestructible. It is supposedly very pick and smash resistant. It is the lock bodegas and shops use on their gates. The guy at the hardware store said he uses one to lock up his place, and sure enough there it was outside. It cost $18.99, which adds to the $80 plus you pay for the NYC chain, but it sure is worth it. I am convinced that this is the best way to secure your bike.

With all this "new" information out there, there's NO WAY you can leave your bike with one of these joke locks protecting it. Every kid with a bic pen will want to try out your lock and possibly jam it. Once the lock is jammed, there may be no way to open it. The whole situation is insane.

I can fit the pen in easily but it doesn't seem to get enough friction to turn the key nub and unlock the lock. Does anyone know if the KryptoLok has a slightly different sizing? Or am I just not doing it exactly right? I also haven't used the exact Bic that other people used, are pen diameters different by nanometers?


I lost track of whether you had answered this for yourself, but i suspect that the specific brand and style of pen is important, not because of diameter so much as because of material.

FWIW, I just opened my old Kryptolock, about 15 years old. The kind with the key on the end. Took a couple minutes with the bic pen.

Just the other day, I was looking at some hardened 3/8" chain to use with a rather buff padlock I have. I'll have to get a couple feet worth now.

Maybe i'm misremembering, but isn't a tough cable generally better than a tough chain, because neither hacksaw nor boltcutters works well on cable?

I just spoke to the people that made our locks for my apartment building. Can someone check this out and tell me what they think of this padlock to put on my NY kryptonite chain?

http://store.yahoo.com/citywidesecurity/mulsecpad35.html

http://store.yahoo.com/citywidesecurity/slbo137bocl.html

http://store.yahoo.com/citywidesecurity/eslbos11.html

http://store.yahoo.com/citywidesecurity/muldispad.html

Those are four of the locks the dude recommended. I like the fourth one, but the guy couldn't tell me if the fourth one was specifically made to use for a chain or if it's made for doors.

Koffee

The number of potential thieves has skyrocketed overnight. I'm glad I use a flat key lock and do not live in New York or any college campus.

While thieves may prowl campuses moreso, if you're worried about casual thefts by "non-thieves" (i.e., some punk who just wants to give it a try becaus ethey can), i'd be much more worried about being in the vicinity of a highschool than a college. IME, high school kids are a *lot* more likely to steal something just because they can. I've frequently left my bike unlocked, or with removable stuff on it (pump, tools in bag, etc) on campus over the years (occasionally intentionally, usually out of stupidity). I once even left a bike standing near the entrance to a building (though out of sight of anyone in that entrance) for 2 days before i realized what i'd done. I've had a grand total of one set of folding allen wrenches taken in a dozen years. The one time i actually had someone steal a bunch of stuff off my bike was when i left a bag on the bike in a neighborhood full of highschool kids (and nowhere near campus, a shopping center, or other particularly high-traffic area). They snagged my wallet, bike mirror, and some other stuff--found the wallet and most of its contents in the second-nearest garbage can. Oh, and i did lose a frame pump this summer. I'm still not 100% certain when, but IIRC it means that someone took it in broad daylight, off my bike which was locked not 10' from the entrance to the grocery store that i had run into for all of about 5min. You'd think someone would notice someone else walking up to a bike, taking something off of it, and walking off--it's not typical behavior for the bike owner, i'd think. But, it's not inconceivable it came loose during a ride (if i was in heavy traffic or wearing headphones, i might not have heard it), or had otherwise been gone for a day or so (and thus taken somewhere else).

Does anyone know of confirmed penjacking attempts, since this information is becoming more well known?

I'm in the market for a new bike, and obviously I want to find a way of protecting it that doesn't involve now outdated methods (i.e. circular-keyed U-locks).

I'm also for more proactive dissemination of this information to the mainstream biking public ASAP, so that cheeky bike thieves don't go wild over the weekend. No one needs their ride to be penjacked.

What kind is it? Got a photo? Is is the circular disc one? If so, it's the same kind they use on the cheaper Kryptolock chain, which is like a mini-version of the NY chain. Like this?

http://www.americanlock.com/product/Images/D100.jpg

or this?

http://www.americanlock.com/product/Images/702.jpg

I got the bottom one, bought it at the hardware store on my way to work. It is a very solid lock, but then I thought that about the u lock too.

I just spoke to the people that made our locks for my apartment building. Can someone check this out and tell me what they think of this padlock to put on my NY kryptonite chain?

http://store.yahoo.com/citywidesecurity/mulsecpad35.html

http://store.yahoo.com/citywidesecurity/slbo137bocl.html

http://store.yahoo.com/citywidesecurity/eslbos11.html

http://store.yahoo.com/citywidesecurity/muldispad.html

Those are four of the locks the dude recommended. I like the fourth one, but the guy couldn't tell me if the fourth one was specifically made to use for a chain or if it's made for doors.

Koffee

As I posted above, I got an American Lock, and it seems really good. NYC shop owners use it to secure the gates on their doors, which is about as good an endorsement as you can get. There is a post above with a picture of it from the company's website, it is the lower of the two pictured.

Just a thought - depending on the patience of your local manager, those of you who purchased your locks at Performance and have receipts to prove it may be able to return them under their product satisfaction guarantee...

A locksmith acquaintance told me that there are two different types of lock cylinders in Krypto Barrel locks:
ACE standard--all seven pins have the same tension; and
ACE II better--different spring tensions on all 7 pins.
He thought the ACE II locks couldn't be picked this way. I put it out to the list to try both and report back. Brian is also going to try the Bic pen technique on the locks in his shop (I'll report his findings back to this list). The ACE is stamped on the center part of the lock face.

I tried the technique on my 10+ year old Krypto-4 (ACE II) lock and the diameter of the key hole was too large. I tried using the cap but couldn't get it to work.

I just spoke to the people that made our locks for my apartment building. Can someone check this out and tell me what they think of this padlock to put on my NY kryptonite chain?

http://store.yahoo.com/citywidesecurity/mulsecpad35.html

http://store.yahoo.com/citywidesecurity/slbo137bocl.html

http://store.yahoo.com/citywidesecurity/eslbos11.html

http://store.yahoo.com/citywidesecurity/muldispad.html

Those are four of the locks the dude recommended. I like the fourth one, but the guy couldn't tell me if the fourth one was specifically made to use for a chain or if it's made for doors.

Koffee

Sorry, pressed post to quickly. What I meant to say was that the lock I got was a lot cheaper, though maybe not quite as secure as the ones you posted above. If you don't want to spend quite that much the American Lock seems a good compromise. I think the NY chain is still the best way to go, so it is just the lock that needs changing. But if you want to get one of these pricey ones I wouldn't blame you. My bike is pretty much priceless to me, so I am willing to spend whatever it takes to keep it safe.

Everyone is missing the point - next time you lose your keys, you won't have to wait weeks for a replacement key from Kryptonite. You can just go to the local stationary store and grab a dozen "keys" for a buck or so. ;)

What about this lock picking tool?

You made my day. Here I am in a cubicle in a quiet office with 50 other people... I laughed out loud when I saw that sledge hammer and kept laughing.

Update for Chicagoans and other people alike:

Dropped by a few places. First, Performance and talked to the people I know there. If you walk in, you'll notice that all the NY Chains are off the shelves. They opened a few. I told them that the regular u-locks were just as susceptible - I even showed them so they started to take those down. Some of 'em anyway. They've already put in a letter to Kryptonite Corporate.

Went to Rapid Transit Cycle in Wicker Park - no locks are on their shelves, completely empty save for the NY Chains. The owner told them to get them off the racks. They kept the chains up so you could buy them but replace the padlocks.

Dropped by Upgrade Cycle too, they haven't taken anything down - but they have OnGuard mini's with flat keys. They know about it but they don't think the newer Minis at least are susceptible. I haven't been able to crack mine (but have for other older regular ones) so there may be a smidgen of truth there.

But they know. They're keeping it quiet somewhat aside from not selling stuff. I think they're waitin for official word.

I want to purchase a lock for my bike so I can commute with it. Now I just don't know.

I'm thinking more along the lines of an industrial padlock combined with heavy duty cable.

http://www.abloy.com
http://www.medeco.com
http://www.mul-t-lock.com

These guys make the toughest locks in the world.

Abloy and Medeco do have pad locks, dunno about Mul-T-Lock.

DISADVANTAGE: weight =(

Abloy has a slew of padlocks, and is apprently famous for weather/grit protection. And if you look, they have the key whole on the top of the pad... inside of the U. On the smaller padlocks, maybe this makes it near impossible to get pick tools in there. At least it's harder to see. Bicycle U-locks should have something like that, where the lock is on the inside of the U, and there should be a chunk of metal protruding above it from the U... with only room enough to get a small key in to turn it... it would leave no room for pick tools or at least making it very hard to pick. Pretty silly that U-locks weren't designed this way from the beginning.

The keys they use aren't traditional with teeth. My apartment is Mul-T-Lock and the key has dimples rather than teeth. Apparently harder to pick.

Jeebus to all of this.

As I think someone may have pointed out, this isn't just a Kryptonite thing. I have popped a Specialized lock and another cable lock that was just lying around the house since yesterday. The difference in depth of the key slits is definitely the deciding factor. The cheapest lock we have here is the one I cant' open.

I went to a few bike stores here and the reaction ranged from "holy crap" to one guy who said "Yeah, I've seen that before. Kryptonite says it only works on worn-out locks." He didn't seem the least bit fazed by it and almost seemed irritated that I had wasted his time.

What are people's thoughts on teh New York Lock Kryptonite with the flat keys? It will obviously solve this problem, but are they generally good? Hope so for the f***in' price...

Thanks to everyone who brought this to light. The lock I've been using for 5+ years took me about 2 seconds at my fastest.