Best Bike Locks?

Alright, so my bike got stolen two days ago securely locked with an on-guard u-lock.  It's likely that they used a cordless electric saw to cut through it, although nothing was left to verify.  My question is, is there any lock that can't be cut by one of these saws? I know a lot of people use the heavy duty chain locks, but are these any more secure?


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Permalink Reply by Kristen Donini on January 19, 2012 at 11:34am
Where exactly do you mean I should check? I'd be more than willing to look for it, but not sure where you mean
Permalink Reply by Adam "Cezar" Jenkins on January 19, 2012 at 11:55am

Crappy looking bike is best. I have one downtown every night for the last 9 months. Hasn't been touched. Crossing my fingers though.

Permalink Reply by Thunder Snow on January 19, 2012 at 12:46pm

I think lock manufacturers need to do some deep thinking and spend some r&d money about the problem of angle grinders.  Grinders work best on strong sturdy stable metal, which is what lock makers strive for, as "strong and sturdy" defeats bolt cutters and hacksaws.  Grinders cut by small bumps in the disk chipping away at the steel, bit by bit; man-made diamond particles, the size of grains of sand, will cut through most anything. 

The way to defeat grinders, I think, is to have a soft material within the structure of the lock itself (if it was on the outside, it would just be scraped off before the thief began to grind).  A soft plastic that could melt in the heat of a cutting disk might grab the disk and bind it, stopping it in its tracks.  The disk would then shatter in a hundred pieces as it went from 1000 rpms to zero suddenly (sure hope you're wearing safety glasses and welder's gloves when that happens, Mr. Thief!).  If the disk didn't shatter, the energy of that suddenly stopping rotating disk might get transmitted to the thief's wrists, which may break (my, what a shame).

An even softer plastic or wax core inside a lock, rather than binding up the disk, might melt and flow over the disk like melted candle wax, rendering the disk useless.  Imagine pouring melted wax over a piece of sandpaper--you get the idea.  If the waxy plastic substance was obnoxiously colored pink or purple, it may just spray all over the thief and the bike, making the bike hard to fence and the thief easy to identify.  If a lock can ruin grinder disk after disk, the thief may give up, as having to change and replace multiple ruined disks out on the street may take too much time and cost, to make your bike a worthwhile target.

Maybe steel isn't the right material for every lock.  Using the koan "the mighty oak breaks in the wind while the supple willow bends in the breeze", possibly one hardened steel lock plus one strong bendy rubbery lock is the answer, a lock that would vibrate against a cutting disk rather than cut through.  Try cutting a rubber tire with a piece of sandpaper to get the same effect.

Now, obviously, this is all just brainstorming.  If I knew exactly what material to use, I'd patent it and sell the rights off to the lock companies and live happily ever after.  But it does seem to me to be an avenue the lock companies should be looking at--but I suspect they're happy with the status quo.  Every lock that's cut is another lock purchased.

Permalink Reply by Doug Haynes on January 19, 2012 at 1:11pm

Not a single thing you suggested is even close to useful.

A cutting disk will not foul that easily and softer steel is not only easier to cut with bolt cutters and the like but it is easier to grind through as well.  You are also not going to stop the disk with plastic or wax; it will go through that just like butter and shattering disks and kick back so bad it can hurt you is only a reality on tools with more nuts than a 4.5" grinder.

The reason nobody has a better material for locks is because there really isn't one; unless you feel like paying for a titanium or inconel lock.

Thunder Snow said:

I think lock manufacturers need to do some deep thinking and spend some r&d money about the problem of angle grinders.  Grinders work best on strong sturdy stable metal, which is what lock makers strive for, as "strong and sturdy" defeats bolt cutters and hacksaws.  Grinders cut by small bumps in the disk chipping away at the steel, bit by bit; man-made diamond particles, the size of grains of sand, will cut through most anything. 

The way to defeat grinders, I think, is to have a soft material within the structure of the lock itself (if it was on the outside, it would just be scraped off before the thief began to grind).  A soft plastic that could melt in the heat of a cutting disk might grab the disk and bind it, stopping it in its tracks.  The disk would then shatter in a hundred pieces as it went from 1000 rpms to zero suddenly (sure hope you're wearing safety glasses and welder's gloves when that happens, Mr. Thief!).  If the disk didn't shatter, the energy of that suddenly stopping rotating disk might get transmitted to the thief's wrists, which may break (my, what a shame).

An even softer plastic or wax core inside a lock, rather than binding up the disk, might melt and flow over the disk like melted candle wax, rendering the disk useless.  Imagine pouring melted wax over a piece of sandpaper--you get the idea.  If the waxy plastic substance was obnoxiously colored pink or purple, it may just spray all over the thief and the bike, making the bike hard to fence and the thief easy to identify.  If a lock can ruin grinder disk after disk, the thief may give up, as having to change and replace multiple ruined disks out on the street may take too much time and cost, to make your bike a worthwhile target.

Maybe steel isn't the right material for every lock.  Using the koan "the mighty oak breaks in the wind while the supple willow bends in the breeze", possibly one hardened steel lock plus one strong bendy rubbery lock is the answer, a lock that would vibrate against a cutting disk rather than cut through.  Try cutting a rubber tire with a piece of sandpaper to get the same effect.

Now, obviously, this is all just brainstorming.  If I knew exactly what material to use, I'd patent it and sell the rights off to the lock companies and live happily ever after.  But it does seem to me to be an avenue the lock companies should be looking at--but I suspect they're happy with the status quo.  Every lock that's cut is another lock purchased.

Permalink Reply by Thunder Snow on January 19, 2012 at 1:13pm

Back to the drawing board, I guess.  :-(
 
notoriousDUG said:

Not a single thing you suggested is even close to useful.


 

Permalink Reply by Thunder Snow on January 19, 2012 at 1:33pm

Mix the urine with dye, pepper spray and skunk juice and you may just have something.
 
h' said:

How about a pressurized reservoir of pig's urine that sprays everywhere when the disk hits it?

 

Permalink Reply by kpnick on April 9, 2015 at 4:48am

Resurrecting this old thread (my bad if I missed a more recent lock-related thread)—

I am in the market for a mini u-lock to go along with my Kryptonite “Krytolock” u-lock and cable. So far, the lock and cable have been fine but recently my job has required me to travel out and about the city much more. I know if a thief really wants my bike, they’ll just cut off her locks, but I figure I might as well attempt to deter.

After reading some thread commentary and internet buzz, I am considering the Kryptonite “New York Fahgettaboudit” mini u-lock, but I was wondering if anyone has any other suggestions for a solid mini u-lock that is…well, not bordering $100??

 

Thanks!

Permalink Reply by kpnick on April 9, 2015 at 9:41am

Okay--great! Thanks, folks!

Permalink Reply by Brian aka "Lord Helmut" on April 9, 2015 at 11:02am
http://lifehacker.com/5942301/the-proper-way-to-lock-your-bicycle

I lost all the other info I typed so the short version is:
High pedestrian traffic area.
Multiple lock types. BigA** Chain, U-lock, padlocks, cable, (alarmed) disc lock if applicable.
COPDOTS or even engraving. ID hidden in the bike. DL# will do.
Know your serial number and have it registered.
For the record, this post dates back to 2010 so his bike wasn't "just stolen."


Even the best locks, including U-locks come off VERY quickly.
Yes, I know this from experience. No, I'm not a thief.
Permalink Reply by Brian aka "Lord Helmut" on April 9, 2015 at 3:39pm
Sounds like you have it covered, J.W.
Good work!

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