...and boy, will I ever look at a bike lock the same again.

I had to grind off my jammed, frame mounted rear wheel lock. No time to carry the locked bike to LBS or locksmith, so I went and bought the cheapest grinder I could find. Hardware store supplied me with 2 cutting disks, supposedly the right kind for the job. I hit the lock with the grinder, and amongst all the pyrotechnics I figured, if I'm going down, at least I'm going down in flames. Took me all of maybe 1 minute of grinding, having never used a grinder before, and most of that time was spent being careful with the last couple of mms so as not to cut the bike frame too.

Watching the disk sink into the lock material was a sobering experience. The tool I have is probably a hobby level POS as far as grinders go, and the wheel lock is not as strong as a heavy duty U-lock. But I have no doubt I could have cut through my U-lock too, given enough time and maybe a few cutting disks.

All I can say is, knowing that any lock can be defeated, and having actually experienced it are two different things.

--J

This type of topic has been visited before. Some feel that this information should be very open and public. Others, like myself, think one should keep this kind of info out of the mainstream. Andy.

And just think, you can buy a portable battery powered grinder that is pretty close in power to a corded one.

The fact is that thieves generally don't use grinders to get through bike locks. Even at 1 minute, it's still too slow and noisy, and draws the attention of passers by.

Is this where Spiderman changes from the red costume to the black one, angle grinder in hand? [shudders]

Yup, this is why I would never take a good bike someplace where I have to lock it up and can't watch it. A battery powered grinder is more than capable of cutting any lock on the market.

Keep it out of the mainstream? What, you don't think that the crooks know more about busting locks than anyone here? That's like saying outlaw guns so there won't be any more murder on the streets...BS...that idea failed miserably with illegal drugs and guns would be no different. The crooks know how to smuggle stuff in and they know how to steal bikes, they're not going to learn anything they don't already know by coming here and reading.

Another tool the crook has is lock picking, this is becoming popular in Europe and is just starting as a new born baby here. With lock picking a person can very stealthily walk up to a bike, fiddle with the lock which appears to passersbys as a person having trouble with the key, than when the lock opens he just rides off with no one being the wiser. Problem with grinders and jacks etc is the noise and effort involved that attracts attention.

Enjoy your angle grinder, I love mine but it's the only power tool I admit to being slightly scared of .

now you can get a buffer head and make dull things shiny, too .

I believe there are vids out there of people walking by someone grinding through a lock and not caring at all...

Yes, but thieves still prefer privacy because you never know.

My favorite story about folks not caring about bike theft happened to my wife many years ago. She had her bike locked up in plain view of a storefront office window, and came back to find it stolen. She went inside and asked if anybody saw anything, and sure enough, a few people inside told her they did see it happen, but didn't feel it was anything they wanted to get involved with.

So, she sat at a desk, and said she need to file an insurance claim, and they could be the witnesses. Turns out it was an storefront insurance office of the same company as carried her home owners policy. And Yes they paid the claim promptly.

Speaking of locks, do not buy some expensive lock thinking you're going to get some great insurance coverage from the lock company if the bike gets stolen because Kryptonite and others have so many loopholes for you to jump through that I have never heard of one claim ever being paid out by anyone on any forum, or from people that I knew or knew of. Not saying that Krypto locks are bad locks, their great locks in fact, just don't count on their insurance or guarantee for financial protection for your bike.

I don't know about other brands, or what's happened over the last few years that I've been out of touch, but can say that I was close to the owners of Kryptonite Lock (when it was a private company) and they paid out tens of thousands of dollars every year to folks who had their bikes stolen. Yes there were rules and conditions, and many didn't get paid, but many, many did.

BTW- an interesting stat about bike theft based on KBL claims filed. The theft coverage was for one year, and the first month had far and away the most claims, which might be explained by a new rider and a new attractive bike. However the second biggest month for claims was the 12th, which makes one wonder about what was going on....

...yeah. Youtube, New York City....heavily trafficked area. The tendency is to assume that if you're grinding off a lock, it's yours.
In the video, the guy used a regular 110 powered grinder, and just plugged it into a street lamp power socket.

Sounds like you don't have enough tools

That's the one. I think some LEO even stopped by to steady the bike while guy worked the lock with the grinder...

You can get a blade for them that is circled by chainsaw chain, to be used for wood carving. Absolutely no kick-back supression, in a light tool held close to your body. No, I don't have one, as I don't feel like making a totem pole. Yet.

Take apart the gear head and put more grease in it. It will last a lot longer. bk

"Keep it out of the mainstream? What, you don't think that the crooks know more about busting locks than anyone here? That's like saying outlaw guns so there won't be any more murder on the streets...BS...that idea failed miserably with illegal drugs and guns would be no different. The crooks know how to smuggle stuff in and they know how to steal bikes, they're not going to learn anything they don't already know by coming here and reading." rekmeyata

Sorry I disagree with the outing of damaging information, damaging to others who are yet to be the victims of theft. Sure many good and bad people know about how to cut through locks quickly. At my job i do this a few times a year for customers who have lost their keys. (But i do pick and choose who to help out. I have to be able to sleep without a guilty conscience). But i don't go about offering to teach people how to do this.

At the risk of crossing the line of acceptable topics on this forum an analogy comes to mind. Edward Snowdon has done much the same, albeit with far more damaging information. Some in our country consider him a hero, others a traitor. I just wish he had kept his mouth shut. Any one who thinks about national security and/or studies any history, knows that every country tries to spy on who ever they feel they need to. This is no news. Some say spying is the world's second oldest profession. But to post hurtful details and bring harm to others is, IMO, wrong.

Offering information on how to steal a bike is wrong IMO. I couldn't sleep well if I thought my customers and friends bikes were stolen with the help of my wanting to read my words in print. So i don't and I wish others didn't too. I know that some will say that "enlightening" those who as yet don't know better (that a lock is only buying time against theft) is a worthy thing to do. And it is. But this education can be done in a manor that is also not informative to the bad people who also don't yet know (how) better (to steal a bike). Andy.

Ha ha ha love it. Great story. People who are too wimpy to at least question someone doing this deserve to be thrown into the Fargo wood chipper.

Since their no longer private they don't pay claims, in fact they won't ever release how many claims they've paid EVER because everyone on the board knows it's very small, if any, compared to the number of locks actually were defeated. So I doubt you know how many claims they paid either because they refuse to release that information to the public or media.

First of all Snowden is a bad example, this is a professional entrusted with secrets that he sold out to the highest bidder to. As a side note, Snowden is a dummy spy, America at any time could have taken Snowden out when he became a risk, we didn't, think about why that is.

Moving on, the subject of angle grinders and other methods have been discussed here before in detail so it's nothing new here, and the internet is full of sites that will tell you how to break any lock, they will teach you the basics of picking locks, sell you a picking set, will sell you tools to break locks with, it's all on the internet. So no, information on how to break a lock is in plain site everywhere on the internet. I guess if you want to blame someone for making the internet such a valuable tool in making crime a business then blame Gore, the inventor of the internet...

Just wait till you take a pair of side/cable cutters to a cable lock. Three bites tops and you're through.

In the words of my grandfather: "locks only keep honest people out".

This is my third post so after this I'm out of here.

Independent of any actual national secrets that Snowden might have let out his "situation" has man in our country all up in arms about how unfair this or that is. This is in its self a harmful thing. We have so many problems and to give some reason to distract up from solving them is at best wasteful and at worst politics.

Your claim that it's OK to continue posting harmful information because others have before you is lost on me. Just like claiming that speeding is OK because 'every one" does it. That's fine but talk to some one who was hit by a speeding car and you'll get another view.

So like I said I've posted my opinions, Bye. Andy.

I rarely stop when out cycling. The only times I do stop is to drink a coffee.... or to dispose of the used coffee. If I stop at a park public restroom I sometimes roll the bicycle into the men's room with me.

I rarely leave my bicycle for very long. I carry and use... a cheap cable lock. Not enough to stop any real thief... but all that is needed to keep most impulsive 14 years out of juvenile court.

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