Is my lock secure?
#1
Thread Starter
Newbie

Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 6
Likes: 0
Is my lock secure?
I just read this article at wired...
https://www.wired.com/news/culture/0,1284,64987,00.html
Its from 2004 but the lock in the picture looks very similar to the Kryptonite New York chain lock I bought a few months ago. How do I know if mine is secure?
https://www.wired.com/news/culture/0,1284,64987,00.html
Its from 2004 but the lock in the picture looks very similar to the Kryptonite New York chain lock I bought a few months ago. How do I know if mine is secure?
#2
Senior Member

Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 2,794
Likes: 1
From: Orlando, FL
Bikes: litespeed, cannondale
Virtually any lock can be defeated by a knowledgeable person in a very short period of time. But most locks will deter or defeat the average person or the person acting on impulse. I think that is about as good as one can hope for.
#4
Originally Posted by Jasongetsdown
I just read this article at wired...
https://www.wired.com/news/culture/0,1284,64987,00.html
Its from 2004 but the lock in the picture looks very similar to the Kryptonite New York chain lock I bought a few months ago. How do I know if mine is secure?
https://www.wired.com/news/culture/0,1284,64987,00.html
Its from 2004 but the lock in the picture looks very similar to the Kryptonite New York chain lock I bought a few months ago. How do I know if mine is secure?
#5
Senior Member
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 5,250
Likes: 8
The article you are reading is two years out of date. It refers to locks that use round "barrel" shaped keys that were a "high security" choice for firearms safes, vending machines, and bike locks. If (and ONLY if) a crook can match the plastic barrel of a pen that precisely matches the diameter of the key, and uses a precise technique, he can open such locks.
Although many people can do this trick successfully with a lock sitting on their kitchen table, doing it with a lock correctly placed around the rear wheel of a bike, 12 inches off the ground is much more difficult. The number of proven, documented cases where a bike was stolen using the barrel of a pen remains at zero, ten years after this technique was first made public.
Kryptonite and OnGuard bicycle locks now use a flat key design that is highly pick resistant. The best locks from those companies (those priced at $50 and up...and up...and up..) require a skilled crook using expensive tools to open.
If you are using a Kryptonite chain lock that has a padlock with a round key, consider replacing the padlock with a newer flatkey padlock from Kryptonite or OnGuard.
When "Cycling Plus" editors test bike locks, they consistently find that cable locks, and low-priced U-locks and low priced chain locks can be opened in just a few seconds by a skilled crook. The very best bike locks take much, much longer to defeat, even using expensive tools.
Look for a lock that has a "gold" rating after being tested by the locksmiths at Soldsecure.
www.soldsecure.com/Leisure.htm
Although many people can do this trick successfully with a lock sitting on their kitchen table, doing it with a lock correctly placed around the rear wheel of a bike, 12 inches off the ground is much more difficult. The number of proven, documented cases where a bike was stolen using the barrel of a pen remains at zero, ten years after this technique was first made public.
Kryptonite and OnGuard bicycle locks now use a flat key design that is highly pick resistant. The best locks from those companies (those priced at $50 and up...and up...and up..) require a skilled crook using expensive tools to open.
If you are using a Kryptonite chain lock that has a padlock with a round key, consider replacing the padlock with a newer flatkey padlock from Kryptonite or OnGuard.
When "Cycling Plus" editors test bike locks, they consistently find that cable locks, and low-priced U-locks and low priced chain locks can be opened in just a few seconds by a skilled crook. The very best bike locks take much, much longer to defeat, even using expensive tools.
Look for a lock that has a "gold" rating after being tested by the locksmiths at Soldsecure.
www.soldsecure.com/Leisure.htm





