HerrKaLeun

Saw this easy way to pick the lock and thougth it is a good reminder that there is no safe lock, just deterrents.


I have the lockpicking lawyer on susbcription and liek his calm, professional manner. No drama, just showing how he opens all the locks.

Reynolds 

In my experience bike thieves cut/break padlocks, cables and chains; they don't usually pick open a lock but use brute force.

CliffordK

Perhaps.

The old Kryptonite locks were supposed to be able to be picked with fairly simple tools.

I think it depends on where the locked bike is, and when. I think bolt cutters would have troubles with the Kryptonite NY locks.

The crowbar method for breaking the locks, or even the cold freeze might also have troubles. And, of course, they risk damaging the bike.

So that leaves one with an angle grinder or picking it. I would hope an angle grinder would draw people's attention to oneself, but perhaps that isn't the case. Still, there might be a risk of a passing security guard seeing it.

If one got good enough with picking, it sounds like one could do it in a minute or two. Completely silent. Nothing to really draw one's attention to the effort one is expending. Make it look like one is packing one's gear before or after a ride.

Either take the lock with oneself, or leave locked where one snatched it, and leave the owner with a puzzle.

Flip Flop Rider

hopefully would be thieves don't have the internet

CliffordK

Likely some do, some don't. There is also word of mouth.

My guess there are a couple types of thieves. Those opportunistic thieves, and those that target people for high-end thefts, and have the skills to move quality merchandise.

Reynolds 

That sounds logical, but you're not a thief. Sometimes they seem to have another way of thinking.

wgscott

I have enough trouble opening this thing with a key.

Fortunately, it is currently jammed off the bike.

CliffordK

Yes, I know.

Don't break the key in the lock, gentle does it.

One of my issues is that the key must be inserted all the way. It will seem to be most of the way in, and turn halfway when you really need to insert the key 1/8" further. Also, make sure you have no pressure on the lock itself.

I don't know if a lubricant is needed, but I don't think it hurts.

wgscott

Yeah, I turned it before I had the key in all the way. I've jammed it several times previously, on the bike, but always managed to get it off after a half-hour of high blood-pressure anxiety. But this time it is off the bike. I've messed with it under ideal lighting, etc, but it is jammed beyond hope I think. About a year ago I complained on the Kryptonite website, and they sent me another one, free of charge. So now I have two locks I am afraid to use.

Maelochs

Two and a half minutes to open the lock. Silently.

Based on owner comments, the lock is more of a risk to the user than a deterrent to a thief.

I maintain my position ... if I need a lock like that, I don't need to be locking my bike there. For the cost of the lock I could buy a couple beater bikes which no one would bother stealing, so I could always have my nicer ride for actually riding.

CliffordK

The opportunistic thieves will take anything with wheels, or maybe even without wheels.

If I rode a beater bike all the time, then I'd never be actually riding my nice bikes.

wgscott

...

jitenshajin

Kryptonite suggests that you consider spending 10% of the total cost of your bike on security. But as noted above in this thread, price is not always a guarantee of security. However, judging by the locks I tend to see people using around town to lock their bike, it is more like 1%. Although, it probably a good thing that they can get away with not having their bike stolen, at least where I live.

Marcus_Ti 

Yea well, Kryptonite is in the business of selling lock hardware...and not paying out claims on their warranty.

livedarklions

The biggest problem with these huge heavy U locks is the pain in the butt they are to carry. I have two of them sitting at home I really regret buying because I can never bring myself to want to use them. I ended up buying a folding lock instead and use a not-so-great cable lock to lock the back wheel to the frame. Probably a little less secure, but I actually use them because they don't ruin my ride.

TrojanHorse

"They" say the weight of your bike plus the weight of the required lock is a constant...

CliffordK

Hard to say. I've seen cut cable locks on the ground where I was locking up my bike (with a a cable lock). As I started moving to bikes that would be more likely to catch attention, I started moving to heavier locks.

But, I have to doubt that it would be common for people in my neighborhoods to come in and cut any U-Lock in broad daylight for a bike that has been locked for a couple of minutes while the owner is in the store.

So, it is quite possible that one might be fine with one of the lighter, cheaper U-Locks.

Bike locked in public places overnight are a different story. Still, it is not uncommon to see one component locked with the U/Lock (frame, wheel, etc) with the rest of the bike gone. Presumably, again, stripped at night.

Hard to say when night occurs. I frequently finish my shopping trips after dark.

livedarklions

A constant that shifts around, takes up a bunch of room in a bag or requires using precious frame space for a mount. Plus, it's awfully difficult sometimes to find something to lock the bike to because of the rigid geometry of the things.

ColonelSanders

Abus for Life

Mark VerMurlen

I've watched several of this guy's videos where he picks a lock fairly easily. When I first watched him, I was really discouraged that he could pick locks so easily. As I've followed more of the discussion on his videos, its been said that this guy is extremely talented at lock picking beyond what most people can do. So that's some assurance that many of the locks he picks aren't as easily picked by common criminals or even other skilled lock pickers.

I like that he often mentions ways the locks could be improved to make them more difficult to pick or crack. Hopefully lock manufacturers are noting some of his comments and making improvements. His comments have also steered me away from some brands and towards others.

Mark

Marcus_Ti 

Most thieves don't need to worry about learning lockpicking. A battery powered angle grinder will do the job in less time....and honestly no one will stop you or raise an eyebrow.

veganbikes

Was it their lock that failed or the locking method. If someone locks to a fence and the fence is cut, the lock did its job. Why should they pay out because you (general) locked it to something more easily cut. The reason they have the policy they do is so they don't get a bunch of scams of people who didn't follow good locking procedure and their bike got stolen but not because of the actual lock.

They want to know their lock actually failed and want people to prove it because so many bikes get stolen and so many people let them get stolen using poor locking practices. It is not like they can just give people checks because their bike is gone if that were the case they wouldn't be in business. Granted I prefer the Made in Germeny ABUS locks (not the cheap stuff made in China) but if they offered a similar program I would hope they did similar rules to encourage good locking.

wgscott

I tried to un-jam my lock from a year ago. Still stuck.
Another one sits next to it in the garage. I am afraid to put it on a bike.

Marcus_Ti 

No they try to make claims impossible to get with their TOS for their warranty. I've only ever heard of one person ever claiming to have successfully gotten anything out of a Kryptonite warranty. Ever, out of lots of people who had grand theft and knew how to lock a bike up right.

wgscott

Right up there with surge protector warranties.