Holy cow! You're right. This information has been around since 1992! I didn't think the net was around that long!

Looks like I'm going to sell my Evolution 2000 U-Lock on Ebay ASAP! I'll be lucky if I can get 50 cents for it! The whole thing is a sad joke.

I've got one. I'm definitely not a lock expert, but I've read the article on howstuffworks.com that explains how lockpicking is done. As far as I can tell, locks using flat keys with two bumpy edges like the ones used in cars are much more difficult to pick than ones with one bumpy edge and one flat edge. That's because in one, you need to move the pins in the lock to the correct location on both sides of the keyhole, but in the other, the pins that keep the lock from turning are only present on one side of the keyhole.

Wonder if we'll start seeing locks with electronics that are paired with keys that have security chips in them.

Well, this is just reasoning, not empirical testing, but why/how it works was "obvious" to me the moment someone described the technique:

The lock works by having a series of pins arranged in a circle parallel to one another. Each pin has a spring behind it, and a notch cut at some height into it. The key works by depressing each pin exactly the right amount so that the notches line up with the collar that is preventing the lock core from turning.

Now, why the pen works: it's the plastic and the springs. The plastic is obviously hard enough to push against the springs, but soft enough to deform under their pressure. Either the pins bottom out in the open position (in which case it's just a matter of mashing the pen in hard enough to bottom the deepest pin, and it gets mangled as the others bottom out), or that's why the wigglin' and shakin' (you're vibrating the pins into position, and the pen then holds them there). So, in addition to different diameters not working, something made of a hard plastic (like the hex-crosssection Papermate pens) probably won't work. And something really soft (like silly putty) shouldn't work, either. You know, i always *have* thought that Bic Round Stics are the "perfect" pen--i just didn't know in how many ways.

If i'm right, add significantly increasing the spring tension to the list of short-term fixes. I don't think it'd be possible to increase it enough to where a plastic pen would just mush rather than pushing the pins at all, and still have it possible to open the lock by hand at all.

Oh, and i have a Planet Bike u-lock--i'll have to give it a try once i find a dried-up pen. But, really, i have trouble getting all that worked up. I've always assumed that a lock was a deterrent, not a preventative. I honestly suspect that the full metal fenders, chainguard, kickstand, and lack of derailleurs (i ride a Sachs Super7) have been far more of a deterrent to theft than any lock, over the years. I may not have known how, but i pretty much assumed my lock could be trivially circumvented, if anyone cared to.

Perhaps we need to borrow from car technology, and have a passive chip in the lock that only opens for the right electronic signal from the key?

To those who own the kryptonite NYC chain: I replaced the EV disc lock on mine with an American Lock padlock, which is slightly smaller but weighs about the same. It looks pretty indestructible. It is supposedly very pick and smash resistant. It is the lock bodegas and shops use on their gates. The guy at the hardware store said he uses one to lock up his place, and sure enough there it was outside. It cost $18.99, which adds to the $80 plus you pay for the NYC chain, but it sure is worth it. I am convinced that this is the best way to secure your bike.

This morning, I sneaked out with my NY kryptonite chain, and I actually used a padlock instead of the lock they provided. Threw all three locks on the bike, went in and taught my aerobics class, then ran out and I'm happy to report the bike is still there!

Seriously, though... I think I will call Ace Hardware and explain the situation. I was thinking the same thing as NYpista and thinking that instead of investing in yet ANOTHER expensive bike lock, I'll just get the toughest padlock I can find. I like the NY chain... I think it can be pretty tough, but just needs a little extra reinforcement.

In the meantime, I'm contacting my landlords. They changed the locks with a new lock for everyone's apartment. The new keys are flat and have a series of bumps on the metal part of the key. They claim this is the best lock they could find that people couldn't pick (or pick easily, that is). I wouldn't mind contacting the company and finding out if they can modify my NY lock for my chain for their keys.

Koffee

What kind is it? Got a photo? Is is the circular disc one? If so, it's the same kind they use on the cheaper Kryptolock chain, which is like a mini-version of the NY chain. Like this?



or this?

With all this "new" information out there, there's NO WAY you can leave your bike with one of these joke locks protecting it. Every kid with a bic pen will want to try out your lock and possibly jam it. Once the lock is jammed, there may be no way to open it. The whole situation is insane.

I lost track of whether you had answered this for yourself, but i suspect that the specific brand and style of pen is important, not because of diameter so much as because of material.

Maybe i'm misremembering, but isn't a tough cable generally better than a tough chain, because neither hacksaw nor boltcutters works well on cable?

I just spoke to the people that made our locks for my apartment building. Can someone check this out and tell me what they think of this padlock to put on my NY kryptonite chain?

https://store.yahoo.com/citywidesecur...lsecpad35.html

https://store.yahoo.com/citywidesecur...bo137bocl.html

https://store.yahoo.com/citywidesecurity/eslbos11.html

https://store.yahoo.com/citywidesecurity/muldispad.html

Those are four of the locks the dude recommended. I like the fourth one, but the guy couldn't tell me if the fourth one was specifically made to use for a chain or if it's made for doors.

Koffee

While thieves may prowl campuses moreso, if you're worried about casual thefts by "non-thieves" (i.e., some punk who just wants to give it a try becaus ethey can), i'd be much more worried about being in the vicinity of a highschool than a college. IME, high school kids are a *lot* more likely to steal something just because they can. I've frequently left my bike unlocked, or with removable stuff on it (pump, tools in bag, etc) on campus over the years (occasionally intentionally, usually out of stupidity). I once even left a bike standing near the entrance to a building (though out of sight of anyone in that entrance) for 2 days before i realized what i'd done. I've had a grand total of one set of folding allen wrenches taken in a dozen years. The one time i actually had someone steal a bunch of stuff off my bike was when i left a bag on the bike in a neighborhood full of highschool kids (and nowhere near campus, a shopping center, or other particularly high-traffic area). They snagged my wallet, bike mirror, and some other stuff--found the wallet and most of its contents in the second-nearest garbage can. Oh, and i did lose a frame pump this summer. I'm still not 100% certain when, but IIRC it means that someone took it in broad daylight, off my bike which was locked not 10' from the entrance to the grocery store that i had run into for all of about 5min. You'd think someone would notice someone else walking up to a bike, taking something off of it, and walking off--it's not typical behavior for the bike owner, i'd think. But, it's not inconceivable it came loose during a ride (if i was in heavy traffic or wearing headphones, i might not have heard it), or had otherwise been gone for a day or so (and thus taken somewhere else).

Does anyone know of confirmed penjacking attempts, since this information is becoming more well known?

I'm in the market for a new bike, and obviously I want to find a way of protecting it that doesn't involve now outdated methods (i.e. circular-keyed U-locks).

I'm also for more proactive dissemination of this information to the mainstream biking public ASAP, so that cheeky bike thieves don't go wild over the weekend. No one needs their ride to be penjacked.

I got the bottom one, bought it at the hardware store on my way to work. It is a very solid lock, but then I thought that about the u lock too.

As I posted above, I got an American Lock, and it seems really good. NYC shop owners use it to secure the gates on their doors, which is about as good an endorsement as you can get. There is a post above with a picture of it from the company's website, it is the lower of the two pictured.

Just a thought - depending on the patience of your local manager, those of you who purchased your locks at Performance and have receipts to prove it may be able to return them under their product satisfaction guarantee...

A locksmith acquaintance told me that there are two different types of lock cylinders in Krypto Barrel locks:
ACE standard--all seven pins have the same tension; and
ACE II better--different spring tensions on all 7 pins.
He thought the ACE II locks couldn't be picked this way. I put it out to the list to try both and report back. Brian is also going to try the Bic pen technique on the locks in his shop (I'll report his findings back to this list). The ACE is stamped on the center part of the lock face.

I tried the technique on my 10+ year old Krypto-4 (ACE II) lock and the diameter of the key hole was too large. I tried using the cap but couldn't get it to work.

Sorry, pressed post to quickly. What I meant to say was that the lock I got was a lot cheaper, though maybe not quite as secure as the ones you posted above. If you don't want to spend quite that much the American Lock seems a good compromise. I think the NY chain is still the best way to go, so it is just the lock that needs changing. But if you want to get one of these pricey ones I wouldn't blame you. My bike is pretty much priceless to me, so I am willing to spend whatever it takes to keep it safe.

Everyone is missing the point - next time you lose your keys, you won't have to wait weeks for a replacement key from Kryptonite. You can just go to the local stationary store and grab a dozen "keys" for a buck or so.

You made my day. Here I am in a cubicle in a quiet office with 50 other people... I laughed out loud when I saw that sledge hammer and kept laughing.

Update for Chicagoans and other people alike:

Dropped by a few places. First, Performance and talked to the people I know there. If you walk in, you'll notice that all the NY Chains are off the shelves. They opened a few. I told them that the regular u-locks were just as susceptible - I even showed them so they started to take those down. Some of 'em anyway. They've already put in a letter to Kryptonite Corporate.

Went to Rapid Transit Cycle in Wicker Park - no locks are on their shelves, completely empty save for the NY Chains. The owner told them to get them off the racks. They kept the chains up so you could buy them but replace the padlocks.

Dropped by Upgrade Cycle too, they haven't taken anything down - but they have OnGuard mini's with flat keys. They know about it but they don't think the newer Minis at least are susceptible. I haven't been able to crack mine (but have for other older regular ones) so there may be a smidgen of truth there.

But they know. They're keeping it quiet somewhat aside from not selling stuff. I think they're waitin for official word.

I want to purchase a lock for my bike so I can commute with it. Now I just don't know.

I'm thinking more along the lines of an industrial padlock combined with heavy duty cable.

https://www.abloy.com
https://www.medeco.com
https://www.mul-t-lock.com

These guys make the toughest locks in the world.

Abloy and Medeco do have pad locks, dunno about Mul-T-Lock.

DISADVANTAGE: weight =(

Abloy has a slew of padlocks, and is apprently famous for weather/grit protection. And if you look, they have the key whole on the top of the pad... inside of the U. On the smaller padlocks, maybe this makes it near impossible to get pick tools in there. At least it's harder to see. Bicycle U-locks should have something like that, where the lock is on the inside of the U, and there should be a chunk of metal protruding above it from the U... with only room enough to get a small key in to turn it... it would leave no room for pick tools or at least making it very hard to pick. Pretty silly that U-locks weren't designed this way from the beginning.

The keys they use aren't traditional with teeth. My apartment is Mul-T-Lock and the key has dimples rather than teeth. Apparently harder to pick.

Jeebus to all of this.

As I think someone may have pointed out, this isn't just a Kryptonite thing. I have popped a Specialized lock and another cable lock that was just lying around the house since yesterday. The difference in depth of the key slits is definitely the deciding factor. The cheapest lock we have here is the one I cant' open.

I went to a few bike stores here and the reaction ranged from "holy crap" to one guy who said "Yeah, I've seen that before. Kryptonite says it only works on worn-out locks." He didn't seem the least bit fazed by it and almost seemed irritated that I had wasted his time.

What are people's thoughts on teh New York Lock Kryptonite with the flat keys? It will obviously solve this problem, but are they generally good? Hope so for the f***in' price...

Thanks to everyone who brought this to light. The lock I've been using for 5+ years took me about 2 seconds at my fastest.

A few bike shops in NYC are pulling the locks too. The guys at Gotham Bikes told me they didn't believe it, but once they tried it and it worked they pulled all the Kryptonite off the shelves. I am calling around other bike shops too...

Yeah, I want the security. I will probably just go ahead and order one of the padlocks from these guys. Maybe not this particular store because the guy I was talking to seemed a bit clueless, but I will find the multlock someplace in town and get it there.

Koffee