I want your busted or unwanted bike lock to tell for sure what works best.

It's winter and I'm bored because bike mechanics don't have as much to do this time of year so I am going to try and compile some real data on which locks take the longest to defeat.  I have already destroyed some old locks we had here or did cut off for customers but more locks = more data.

If you have a broken lock, chain or cable or one you just don't want get it to me and I will destroy it and post the results here.

All locks are being attacked the following ways:

  1. Wire cutters; believe it or not this will defeat most cables in 30 seconds or so.
  2. Normal bolt cutters.
  3. HUGE bolt cutters with 4' handles.
  4. Battery operated angle grinder with cut off disc.

Defeat times will be posted.

Disclaimer: Cutting in a shop environment with the lock held in a vice does not take into account the difficult position but it is a pretty good demonstration of how strong a lock is.

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Crank on October 31, 2012 at 8:03am

+1

Just Will said:

Maybe someone will donate an Abus Bordo. I'd like to know how easy/difficult to defeat that particular lock

Permalink Reply by Jim Freeman on October 31, 2012 at 9:17am

Dug,

I swear I opened an on-guard lock by jamming a screwdriver into the keyhole and twisting with a pair of vice grips.  Ozug is my eye-witness and can confirm. 


Sam V. also used this method to defeat an On-Guard some years ago...

Permalink Reply by Thunder Snow on October 31, 2012 at 11:36am

Here's a video of a 30 second Bordo cut with a grinder.
 
Just Will said:

Maybe someone will donate an Abus Bordo. I'd like to know how easy/difficult to defeat that particular lock

Permalink Reply by Duppie on October 31, 2012 at 2:47pm

I am an On Guard lock guy. I own 5 of them in various sizes. Been using them nearly daily for 5 years. Never had that kind of problem. I didn't do much maintenance either. In the 5 years I have lubed them maybe 3 times

h' said:

I understand from a friend who managed a bike shop that On-Guards would frequently have failures of the lock mechanism and the owner couldn't open them.  This might be a good thing to try in those instances...

Jim said:

Dug,

I swear I opened an on-guard lock by jamming a screwdriver into the keyhole and twisting with a pair of vice grips.  Ozug is my eye-witness and can confirm. 


Sam V. also used this method to defeat an On-Guard some years ago...

Permalink Reply by Ryan L on October 31, 2012 at 5:51pm

I have a Kryptonite New York Yellow U-lock (the larger one) in my basement that someone forgot about a couple of years ago you can have. Curious how long it takes for those.

Permalink Reply by Brian Almdale on October 31, 2012 at 5:56pm

Took only 20 seconds to cut this off with a corded angle grinder. Someone tried to steal my bike, failed, but succeeded in breaking the locking mechanism so my key would continue to spin without unlocking the lock. 

Permalink Reply by El Dorado on November 1, 2012 at 4:57am
The top notch yellow Krypto locks will be able to be cut through with the angle grinder. But it will take a bit longer because you will have to make two cuts. It locks on both sides.
Permalink Reply by Doug Haynes on November 1, 2012 at 5:02am

We see far more Kryptonites coming back with a frozen key than On-guards.  I think the steel of the Kryptonites is better but they fail lock wise more often.

Duppie said:

I am an On Guard lock guy. I own 5 of them in various sizes. Been using them nearly daily for 5 years. Never had that kind of problem. I didn't do much maintenance either. In the 5 years I have lubed them maybe 3 times

h' said:

I understand from a friend who managed a bike shop that On-Guards would frequently have failures of the lock mechanism and the owner couldn't open them.  This might be a good thing to try in those instances...

Jim said:

Dug,

I swear I opened an on-guard lock by jamming a screwdriver into the keyhole and twisting with a pair of vice grips.  Ozug is my eye-witness and can confirm. 


Sam V. also used this method to defeat an On-Guard some years ago...

Permalink Reply by Doug Haynes on November 1, 2012 at 5:03am

This is the one we really want a time on, let me know when where we can meet so I can get it.

Ryan L said:

I have a Kryptonite New York Yellow U-lock (the larger one) in my basement that someone forgot about a couple of years ago you can have. Curious how long it takes for those.

Permalink Reply by Brian Almdale on November 1, 2012 at 8:44am

The good thing about Kryptonite is that if you email them and explain what happened, they will replace the lock with a new one as long as you give them the entire lock and all the keys. They may not do that in every case but they did that for me. 

Permalink Reply by Zoetrope on November 1, 2012 at 8:58am

I remember back in the day, at least before New York locks became super popular, it seemed like lock picking was a real issue with bike u-locks.  I've seen enough video's of an angle grinder being taken to a u-lock to know that it takes 15 seconds to about a minute and a half or so to defeat most of them.  

Anyone know if lock picking is still used a lot to defeat locks?  I would be interested to see how locks fare against picking and prying.  

Permalink Reply by Doug Haynes on November 1, 2012 at 1:00pm

It's hard to say because most times the locks are not left with the bike.  

I, personally, do not believe that is a common attack.

Zoetrope said:

I remember back in the day, at least before New York locks became super popular, it seemed like lock picking was a real issue with bike u-locks.  I've seen enough video's of an angle grinder being taken to a u-lock to know that it takes 15 seconds to about a minute and a half or so to defeat most of them.  

Anyone know if lock picking is still used a lot to defeat locks?  I would be interested to see how locks fare against picking and prying.  

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