corrado33

Yesterday as I was leaving work I went to unlock my bike and low-and-behold...

My key didn't work in my lock! I honestly forget the brand of the lock. They were given to me 5 years ago (a pair of them) to lock up my quad and dirtbike. It's a ridiculously heavy lock that's not honestly meant to be lugged around on a bike. I left it at work so I didn't have to carry it back and forth. It's much heavier than a similar looking kryptonite lock.

And now... after 4.5 years of using it daily, it has finally failed. (Probably somewhere around 3000-5000 openings. At least twice a day, often more.) I'm going to try some lubricant in the lock to see if that'll work, maybe some graphite powder or something, but I think yesterday was the last time it'll ever open. It took me 10 minutes to get it to finally open, just jiggling the key back and forth while trying to turn it. I thought maybe the key had worn, so I went home to get my spare and that too failed to open the lock. There was no resistance when it did open, or at all, it just feels like I'm using the wrong key in the lock. It'll turn 3/4s of the way, but then just refuse to turn.

I couldn't say I've ever "worn out" a lock before yesterday, but now, I suppose, I can.

Honestly I'll probably just replace the lock itself (perhaps cut it off to see how hard it is.) and keep using the chain.

How long have you lot used the same lock?

indyfabz

I have been using one Kryptonite U lock since the mid 90s.

General Geoff

I suggest giving the keyway a shot of compressed air, followed by a few drops of light oil. It might free up the mechanism and get it working like new again.


As for age of locks, my bike locks honestly are only a few years old at most, because I recently invested in premium high-security padlocks, which will probably last longer than my lifetime if occasionally lubricated.

jefnvk

I had a Thule rack core act like that. Thought it had finally bit the dust, but after working it a bit more, and hitting it with some degreaser and spray lube, it went back to being happy. Best of luck!

no motor?

I haven't used any locks that long, and I'm glad to see it wasn't your bike you were writing about.

linberl

I thought your dog had died......from the thread title. Glad that wasn't it, lol.

Doctor Morbius

My condolences. When's the wake?

JohnDThompson 

I still have a 1st generation Kryptonite lock from the mid 70s that works just fine.

BobbyG

This spring I replaced a cable and MasterLock padlock I bought with a bike in 1987, so that's 30 years. The plastic coating the cable had cracked in a couple of places and the strands of the cable were beginning to break in those cracked areas. The padlock was fussy, but a little WD-40 usually helped until last spring when it didn't. It wasn't frozen shut or completely refused to close, but I thought I better avoid a catastrophe and get a newer lock and cable. I bought a slightly beefier cable and lock. When I bought my Nishiki Blazer in 1997 I took the seat and back rack from the Schwinn. The seat was replaced almost 10 years ago, but the 1987 back rack is still there. I guess I didn't think of the lock and cable as being part of the 1987 Schwinn's legacy until just now.

jay ray

I think I've seen that lock & chain combo on travel trailer wheels.


Might help in finding a new lock.

corrado33

Well, I tried compressed air and lube. No luck. I think the lock is dead!

General Geoff

What size chain is that? If it's at least 3/8" or 10mm, my recommendation for a replacement lock would be an Abloy PL350. Abloy's disc detainer cylinders are renowned for their resistance to weather and dirt/grime. They also have a version (SWP, or Super Weather Proof) with a plug that covers the keyway if you're very paranoid about getting dirt in there. Abloy padlocks have no springs and very few actual moving parts inside (pretty much just the disc wafers themselves), so there's very little to bind up. The general consensus is that if one of these works when you get it, it will still work when you die.



14mm thick shackle. VERY tough.
Of course, not immune to angle grinders, but definitely impossible to cut with even enormous bolt cutters or a reciprocating saw. Angle grinder would take at least 2 minutes to get through, about a minute per cut with 2 cuts required to get anything out of a locked shackle (dual ball bearing locking pawls).

They also make the PL362 which is even bigger and has a shrouded shackle, but it's twice the cost of a PL350. Certainly even harder to cut through with a grinder, but in my opinion the PL350 is the sweet spot for value vs cost.

General Geoff

Btw, I found the original lock/chain. Harbor Freight special.

https://www.harborfreight.com/heavy-d...ain-66067.html

I'd say if it lasted you several years, you got your money's worth out of it!

Cyclist0084 

Lock? What's a lock??

Seriously, when I do use mine, it's the same one I've been using since about 2004. I use it, at most, about a dozen times a year, so it hasn't gotten a lot of wear and tear.

corrado33

Hahaha nice! Good to know it's not high quality. Probably won't bother saving the chain! The lock is definitely dead.

wphamilton

At least 5-6 years for my cable lock that lives on the rack at work, even though the housing is split, betraying rust underneath. But I normally just close it without engaging the combination to lock it, so maybe that doesn't really count.

General Geoff

I would save the chain. You can never have too much chain.

jay ray

One of the Harbor Freight reviewers said it is unhardened and cuts easily with a hacksaw.

corrado33

I'll have to try it!

Zombie Woof

R.I.P. old lock!
I don't think I would ever trust that lock again. With my luck, it would stop working all together while bike locked up.

Geonaire

Always have used krypto and they have never let me down.

ptempel

Wow. That looks like a museum piece. Looks better designed than any modern U-lock, too.

ptempel

@corrado33, I have a similar lock with the big chain as yours is. I do notice that my mini U-lock is getting a little bit of rust and doesn't turn as smoothly as it used to. But its still working after 4 years or so. Probably couldn''t hurt to get some lube into the lock at some point. I also leave it outside on a bike rack on our campus. So it does get a bit beat up with the weather.

corrado33

Yeah I put lube in the lock and tried to blow it out with compressed air. No luck.

The lock was technically outside, but under an outcropping, so it was never directly exposed to the elements. It doesn't matter. It turns out I have two of the locks and the other one I've never used so I'll just use that one now!

Scooty Puff Jr

I never thought about the age of my lock until now, it has to be close to 25 years old, I use it 4-5 times a week. It will probably fail with in the next few weeks because I am now thinking of how old it is.