clarkemp3

I just bought a great used bike, a Trek 4500. I absolutely love the bike, everything is perfect. The lady said she bought it 4 years ago, and gave me a "Krypto Lok by Kryptonite" U-Lock. I've heard great things about the U-Locks. But I just read about it being bust open with a Bic pen?!



She said she bought it 4 years ago, I don't imagine the lock being older than that, but I don't know. I've looked everywhere on the internet, nothing says how to tell if yours is safe unless you bought it. So... here's pictures. Can someone just please tell me if this is safe or not?! I don't want my new bike to be stolen!









Can someone just please tell me if it's safe? I'd hate to buy another lock, but I'm not going to use something that can be broken by plastic... thanks!

sedition

Sure, we can tell you what ever you want to hear. However, that may not be the truth. Get a new lock.

clarkemp3

It's one of the bad ones? I know someone can steal any bike if they really want to. I just want to know if this is one of those bic-breakable ones, and is there any way Kryptonite can get me a new one for free?

sedition

Yes, it is one of the bad ones.
Krypto was doing a lock exchange, but I think you missed it by about 4 years. You also needed to be the original owner of the lock to get it replaced, which you are not. They don't cost all that much. Look on eBay.

operator

IT's a bic'able lock.

itsthewoo

Buy a mini Kryptonite Evolution and lock it like this: https://www.sheldonbrown.com/lock-strategy.html

weavers

don't just buy one ulock, buy two. unless you want your front, or back wheel to be stolen. (imo its to bothersome to undo and redo your front tire every time. make sure the the ulock has either a flat key or i key and not the round key like you have there. also you spent how much on your new bike? not the most high end trek, but you don't want it stolen. you should spend atleast 15% of the bike cost on locks. and really that means any bike over 500 you should have the top of the line lock. lastly lock your bike up at home, even if its in a lock garage, still lock it up.


if you use anything other type of lock, cable, homedepo chain you might as well tie your bike up with dental floss. i've had a couple of cheap walmart bikes stolen cause of cheap locks. if your gotta invest in a bike use a good chain. unless its something you got it for 5 bucks and really don't care about it or getting home.

mlts22 

I'd consider not just one U lock, but if the bike is used in town a lot and parked at things, I'd seriously consider Pitlock or Pinhead locking skewers to protect both wheels, seat, fork, and brakes from being jacked. Locking skewers are nice because you set and forget basically, other than carrying the key nut with you. A parts thief looking to pop a wheel or seatpost will look down, see no quick release, and then move to another bike.

Two U locks is a good idea as well, if you don't mind carrying them. Ideally the best would be a U lock and a security chain (the yellow boron steel, not chain cut to length at Gnome Depot). This forces a thief to carry power tools, or two different types of lock busting hand tools.

maddyfish

Buy a new u lock, a cable and keep that one to use as extra security. If you are in a high crime area, fill or replace the allen heads on your componenets to keep them from being stolen.

maddyfish

^^^^^This is highly debatable. There is no good reason not to lock your frame as well.

itsthewoo

Please tell me how you plan to steal my bike when it is locked like that.

sedition

Yeah, I totally want to hear the answer to this one, too!

clarkemp3

I got the bike for $275, but it costs over $600 new when the lady bought it. She also added a bunch of extras to it making the bike have over $1000 of stuff. It has a tool kit under the seat. A few questions:

Should I remove the tool kit when I go inside somewhere?

I'm pretty sure the front wheel is quick release, someone could steal that, right? How do I lock that up good?

Am I getting two U-locks, one for the front wheel, one for the back? How exactly should I lock my bike up using two?

What cost am I looking at for the locks?

I'm in a somewhat crime-high area. I'm only going to keep the bike at Publix for maybe at the most 15 minutes, maybe another store for at the MOST, 45 minutes to an hour. I'm not leaving it in a downtown place all day. But it takes a thief two seconds to steal a bike. I mean, it's not the most top-of-the-line bike, but there's no way I could replace it if it was stolen.

Also, I have a padlock cable lock. I know these are easily cut, but would it help if I used a combination of 2 U-Locks and a cable lock? I know someone could cut through it, but this would require two different tools to be used, it'll slow the thief down and hopefully he'll say "This is too difficult" and go steal an easier bike. Or would the 2 U-locks be just fine?

itsthewoo

I'd say buy one u-lock and buy a cable lock with an integrated lock (the part that the padlock connects to is easily cut).

This way, the thief will need two different bulky tools to steal parts from your bike.

Edit: Also, it'll take the thief much longer than 2 minutes to steal your bike if you have it locked up correctly.

Myqul

I know your bike is securely locked and you know your bike is securely locked but does some numpty crackhead thief. The problem with the sheldon brown methods is that it doesnt look that secure. So a thief sees your bike locked up and had a go at stealing it. He wont be able to get your bike but he might damage the frame or wheel

I lock my bike with three D locks, two thru the frame and back wheel and one thru the front wheel. I want the thief to look at my well secured bike and think "Man, it's gonna take so much effort to get that bike, i think i'll have a go a stealling that one next to it with the weedy looking cable lock"

Ka_Jun

Remove the toolkit, petty theft will guarantee it will disappear on you.

maddyfish

It's not me you have to worry about. If I wanted your bike it would be mine. It is some tweek, or kid walking by who says to himself " Hey look, this guy only locked his wheel " then proceeds to yank the living snot out of your bike until he figures out that the wheel won't come through the frame. This wheel only lock technique encourages theft attempts by theives of limited knowledge.

A destroyed bike is almost as bad as a stolen one. Go ahead and lock the frame, the casual thief will then pass by your bike. A pro will get it either way, it is the casual thief you are trying to discourage.

Bikewer

Just from my point of view.... I'm in "campus" law enforcement, and we have for years run a bike lock program for the students. For 20 bucks they get a good Krypto lock which they can keep for all four years and get the money back when they leave. (such a deal...)

Anyway, we have literally thousands of these locks out, and when the big internet-fueled "bic" thing hit, everyone panicked. We got a full rebate program guarantee from Kryptonite; they would replace any lock that had the old-style key. Likewise, we got a huge number of the "improved" locks, and kids could just bring in the old one for a direct exchange.

So.... For about a year, we sweated having large numbers of previously-secure bikes taken, as almost no one took advantage of the trade deal.
Not one. Not one single bike with a Kryptonite lock was ever stolen. And it's not like we were not loosing bikes. Just last semester, we were hit a dozen times or more. All cable locks, all cut with bolt-cutters. (we made an arrest)
So, although I'm prepared to admit that the "bic" trick is a possibility, (none of us were able to do it) it must be vastly more rare and vastly more difficult than the little "viral video" made out.

itsthewoo

Do you have a documented case of someone doing this, or are you merely making a speculation?

I really don't see how anyone trying to steal a bike is going to try to do anything to damage it while they're in the process of the theft.

Myqul

You'd be suprised how dumb some theives are. I've seen bikes locked with a u lock to a sheffield stand (theres thousands of em all over the place here in London) and the theif has picked up the bike and tried to use the bike itself as a lever. Resulting in bent and buckled chain stays.

This is why i mini u lock my front wheel to the solid object as well as the back wheel/frame and not just use a cable or locking skewers