not dumb.

the abus lock would be considered "pickable". this is generally not done, even by locksmiths. i'm not sure if the lock had features to make it difficult to pick (eg mushroom pins) but it was keyed in a way that would make picking it difficult.

the M18 would be "theoretically pickable". there are tools available that could pick it, and also "decode" it so a key can be made.

in practice, the chances of both locks being picked are up there with being chopped with hand-tools... not likely.

Both of those seem to be Disc Detainer locks, as opposed to standard pin tumbler locks. Picking those are a real pain, even for someone with a background in lock picking. I'm decent at picking pin tumbler locks, but disc detainer locks have completely different internal designs, and a very different feel. The time and equipment to pick these locks quickly and easily is beyond the scope of most thieves; the skills take a while to develop, the tools aren't cheap and practice locks are hard to come by (You could start trying to pick commercial locks, but jumping right in can be an exercise in extreme frustration.)

I think pick based attacks are unlikely considering the ease of destructive access, but may be used in one of those high end, steal to order bike thief rings that you hear about.

the abus is a "regular" 5-pin lock. some sources say it's got mushroom pins, but otherwise it's nothing fancy... except that it's keyed with short pins behind long pins, which would make it more difficult to pick. it may even be practical to drill it... if someone knows where to drill.

any "pro" bike-thief would just chop the lock, not pick it. it's ALWAYS faster, with the right tools... unless you're dealing with dollar-store locks, in which case picking (or shimming) may be just as fast as chopping. for really high-end bikes, they'll chop the bike out from the lock, then sell the components and toss the frame. there are stories of people getting a "really good deal" on an expensive bike or frame at a flea-market, and then finding that a sticker wrapped around the frame was hiding where the frame was chopped

re: "i still think the landlord/property manager thought the locks were abandoned, but doesn't want to own-up to it, since he didn't talk to the tenants first."

this.

I had a landlord throw out my 4Runner truck top without askign. I filed a small claims suit and negotiated a settlement for 50%

... landlords think they own the place ... go figure ...

I guess I don't see the point in leaving locks at bike racks. I just always have mine on me. I see it the same as locking a bike and leaving it a few night unattended. You gave someone more chances/time to steal it. Sorry for the loss though.

Not that it makes any difference, but when I was in 8th grade, someone stole the cheap K-mart lock off my bike, but left the bike. So, not only was the punk a jerk, but he was an idiot, too. Determined to not be intimidated or bullied, I rode again the next day (probably using my sister's matching lock since she didn't ride to school) and caught the kid as he was trying to steal that one.

Some people never grow out of that teenaged jerk stage.

Hand held solid oxy torch will cut thru any lock you can buy......doesn't matter what it's made out of.Takes less than a minute to cut thru any lock,well,unless it's ceramic.

If somebody wants your bike/lock bad enough,it's gone.The only way to really keep your bike is to keep an eye on it,though that's not always possible.

Can one of those go through Ti? We might have found the one attack that the TiGr is actually strong against?

because i don't want to carry around ≈6Kg/13lbs of locks with me.

and... who the hell would go through the trouble of "stealing" these locks? especially when one of them can't be removed without destroying it?

i do carry an NY-STD as an "everyday" lock.

with a plasma cutter, it would take 2-3 minutes to chop an M18 off a rack (excluding set-up time). a gas torch would take longer, and either way there'd likely be slag in the ground.

it's also unlikely that any kind of thermal cutting tool was used, because the chain was wrapped tightly around the rack, and the rack doesn't have any burn/melt marks.

my money is on an AC angle grinder. either with an extension cord during business hours, or an inverter in the van, parked a few feet away.

Symbol: Ti
Electron configuration: [Ar] 3d2 4s2
Melting point: 1,668 °C
Atomic number: 22
Atomic mass: 47.867 ± 0.001 u

looks like a propane torch would melt a TiGr, if it's pure Ti. i'm sure there are Ti alloys with higher melting temperatures.

Most titanium things are alloys, probably with a higher melting point. Also, copper melts at a considerably lower temperature than Ti, but you'd have one hell of a time reducing copper to a puddle with a propane torch. Oxy/gas cutting torches don't work by melting the metal, they work by heating the metal and then burning it away (ok, oxidizing it away).

I'm still not sure if Ti is vulnerable to this kind of attack, and it's of minimal relevance to the question at hand.

That sucks. My paranoia is one of the reasons I don't commute to work much on my bike. I'd never leave locks behind though.

Because locks are heavy, and the place I park most often is the place I (usually) want my heaviest, most secure lock. I always carry a lesser (lighter) one for short/unplanned stops, but given that I have to park in essentially the same place every day I ride to work, it makes much more sense to park the heavy lock. Of course, my bike rack is inside an underground, attended garage, so the only real risk is the landlord.

Makes sense now!

wow, 41 second video... not good.

Could have been this guy:

I have that same lock and it can be broken in seconds. The OP like many others leave their bikes locked in full view where the cooks can steal them. Unless I can see the bike, it's never placed in full view. The common misconception is that crooks never steal bikes in front of dozens, hundreds or thousands of people. Nothing could be futher from the truth.

Next time, hide or place the bike far from foot traffic if possilbe.

It's probably the landlord, though I suspect that even it was, the police couldn't do anything, since removing abandoned bike locks from his property is property maintenance, not theft. Weird that he wouldn't just say so, though...probably doesn't want you trying to get compensation or something from him.

If not him, then probably another regular user of the bike rack who's pissed about there always being locks attached. I find just leaving your crap behind you to be pretty inconsiderate behaviour. I don't know about this rack specifically, but I have encountered racks that are made much harder to connect to securely (with just a u-lock) because there's a pile of locks there.

Yep. Easier (and quieter) to just jack the lock apart.

Now that the OP has clarified the cable may have been the weak link, I guess that also raises the question of whether it was properly secured.

I had a bike stolen while locked with a cable, and I suspect I may have made a stupid error. It's possible I locked it to the end post of a free-standing rack, and all the thief had to do was lift the rack and work the cable down over the "inverted- T"-shaped foot of the rack. I knew better than to lock it like that, but might have done it that one time, due to a moment of inattention.

Why is this different from having a bike stolen from a public rack?

Not even that, 20-40 seconds at the most, also don't forget portable band saws. Bike locks are just not secure against power tools.

i don't think that'll work well, if at all, against an M18... but it won't work at all against a chain that's wrapped tightly around the rack.

band-saw vs hardened steel? unless it's got a "special" blade, pack a lunch...

sue 'em.