I never made the lineup, but I did this once, a loooooong time ago (1979, with approval of the local University police) ... I shared a locked bike shed for 5 years with about 30 others, and it had been broken into perhaps 3 times a few years earlier, leaving a smaller frame Raleigh International with nothing but the bottom bracket and frame left...and there it sat, locked to the rack. The U police put notices on this and other abandoned bikes saying that they would be removed, so I asked if I could have this one.
I put a cut up styro box with the lock end at the bottom, and poured a styro cupful of liquid nitrogen, enough so it would pool round where the U goes through the lock end... after a minute or two of chilling, I just gave it a few really sharp blows with a carpenters hammer - no sledge needed. Broke right off...

No it's not the cylinder keyhole type. it's takes a regular flat key. Wondering of I can lockpick it?...

and where do you get liquid nitrogen?!?

If you got the money, Honey.... well, I got the time.

PM me and we can arrange payment. I can use USPS, or UPS.

Oh, by the way, you didn't mention if you require the "power unit" (so to speak) - if you do, that'll be extra. BUT it is still deliverable for a fee. :-)

Cheers.

No rush for a reply, but if you need them fast I'll drop my project(s) and will send upon payment - preferrably in Euros as the USD is falling in value and I'll need a replacement eventually... ;-)

Whatever you do, don't use a cable lock to replace it. I bought a bike once with cable lock on it. IIRC, it was a Kryptonite. I went through the cable in less than 30 seconds with a cordless dremel. Like a hot knife through butter.,,,,BD

Never heard of a "fire wrench" But sure looks like a plasma cutter,if you wanna use one of those your gonna have to scrape off the plastic you need to have a good ground.

You mean... I thought they were filming a movie! They did part of The Incredible Hulk up at College & St George (a block or 2 west of University).
I just bought a cable lock over a U-lock...
Cable Lock: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000RYBG3E
Cheaper U-Lock: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000RYBG20
More expensive U-Lock: https://www.amazon.com/Planet-Bike-Bi.../dp/B000RYBG34

IS - since it's Amazon, you should be able to return the cable lock. Unfortunately, the promo blurbs for the item were mistaken(!), as cable locks are suitable only for low-risk areas. Besides the methods mentioned above, standard cables are easily cut with cable cutters that can be hidden inside a jacket.
If you're looking for a more-robust flexible lock, check out the armored cable locks such as this: https://www.amazon.com/OnGuard-Rottwe...ef=pd_sbs_sg_3
They're still not as good as U-locks, but at least aren't trivial to defeat.

locks will just keep an honest man; honest..............a thief is a thief and he'll take your bike if he wants it; locks or not.

I've always head the U police around here use a long 2x4 as a lever and just pop the u off. Don't know if it actually works or not, but if you've got an old 2x4 lying around, it might be worth a try...

How's that work?

2X4 is supposed to work admirably for popping post-and-rings, but ULocks are supposed to be better than that...
https://images.google.ca/images?q=post+ring+toronto

That's why they say to fill up the area inside the U with as much stuff as possible (frame, seatstay, rim, parking rack) ... so they can't get the pry bar or jack in there.

Still, I've seen some U-locks break with remarkably little effort. I know a guy who had one on his motorcycle - just through the wheel; he forgot it was on there, put it in gear and the lock just snapped - no damage to the wheel.

well my lock is between the front wheel and the frame, locked to a bike rack. i dont want to damage the wheel or frame. Hacksaw or a angle grinder look like my best bets.

just put a car jack in between it and crank it up. it will rip the lock apart

Here's the Slate article: https://www.slate.com/id/2140083

U-Locks come in many different levels of quality. some of them are quite weak.


i want to know where one would get liquid nitrogen. as far as i know, you need a license to get it. i can't think of another way, unless you are at an industrial place / university and can manage to not only steal a bit of it, but get it to your lock before it evaporates.

C - you don't carry your coffee in a Dewar? You're right - it's the transportation that will be the big problem. LN2 is quite common in labs, at least.

I use a Master Lock cable type bike lock only for "Grab and Run" theives. I never leave my locked bike out of sight for more than a minute while in our small post office or country store. Around here bike theives are bottom rung dirt bags without any tools or brains enough to be tricky. On top of that I only ride my grungy cheap looking bikes when I know I'm going to have to lock it up even for a short while.

You can order a new key for around $6. If you can't get a lock number or reference for the key, you might take a look at the key for another lock of the type that you have and then buy a key blank and file some ramps on it and make a bump key. The bump key will only work if the lock is a pin and cylinder type of lock. Take a look at lock bumping and you will see what I am talking about. By the way I think lock bumping is a nasty trick.

there's an easier way. just buy a can of compressed air (for computers) and turn it upside-down and start spraying the propellant at the dent, and it'll frost over just as fast. plus, you don't have to steal compressed air.

i dunno. i work in a research lab with a huge box of dry ice at the door, and i still think it'd be difficult to just steal a piece and transport it across town to a bike rack. i can't even imagine doing that with liquid nitrogen, and trying to transport a sloshing liquid o' death about a mile and a half across campus.

Our grocery stores have dry ice. Try the yellow pages yours do not. What every you have left you can store briefly in a sealed plastic 2 liter bottle. (I jest, do not do this)
A lot like a a 120 psi tire slipping off of a rim.
Eric

Nitrogen boils at -192°C, that's probably cold enough to make steel pretty brittle.
Dry ice is CO2 and boils at -72°C... might have a little effect on the properties of steel.
Compressed air in a can will have no where near that effect (I realize you're talking about car dents and not U-locks); and there is no propellant other than the air itself.

Sometimes you hear stories about thieves using the nitrogen freeze... I'll wager it's never happened.

Krypronite has it in their FAQ. They say it would work IF you can get a hold of it.

LOX is -300 degrees; plenty cold to freeze and break metal...........been there, done that..........never tried a bike lock though.