Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by dan brown on September 20, 2012 at 2:07am

also : get a u-lock that comes with several duplicate keys. I like the on guard : they give you FIVE. and the fancy one comes with a built in mini-flashlight. I always have one attached to my work ID / lanyard; another on my main keyring; and in my more anal days : I would have one pinned inside the messenger bag. just in case. other two can stay home or on a friend's keyring, etc.

 

DB

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Permalink Reply by Far'arned Retrogrumpalunkus #63 on September 20, 2012 at 2:21am

+1

Never ever throw out any key unless you are 100% sure the lock it goes to is defunct.   I have a bunch of old cheap dollar-store carabiners that I use to keep bunching up extra keys on.   So far the wad is about the size of a small melon and weighs about 5lbs.     I've never had the issue of losing the last key for anything.  If you are taking the last key from the wad just go to the hardware store and make another one.   With U-locks they usually come with 4-5 extras, and if you lose the last one you can take the little fob with the number and send that in to get them to cut you more -it's cheaper than a new lock.       

I don't lose keys very often anyhow.  My parents just changed their front door on their house and got a new key.  I still have the same exact key I was given in 1970 for that lock.   Now it does nothing but I'm too sentimental to throw it away. 

Losing keys?  I just don't get it.   Keep an eye on your damn stuff.   Is it that hard?

dan brown said:

also : get a u-lock that comes with several duplicate keys. I like the on guard : they give you FIVE. and the fancy one comes with a built in mini-flashlight. I always have one attached to my work ID / lanyard; another on my main keyring; and in my more anal days : I would have one pinned inside the messenger bag. just in case. other two can stay home or on a friend's keyring, etc.

 

DB

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Permalink Reply by Josh L. on September 20, 2012 at 10:03am

well the kryptonite's only come with two keys.  I commute through the winter and with all the clothes changing they can get misplaced.  I also bike to the lake where I run so there are just various opportunities for keys to get misplaced, fall out of pockets. etc. Maybe every two years I lose a small set (just house and bike keys).

 

Best thing is to have a couple of backups.

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Permalink Reply by Holly on September 20, 2012 at 2:53pm

That's not true. Expensive bikes aren't the only bikes that get stolen and bikes are stolen on the north side. There are also bikes parked everywhere with stolen wheels. (Saw one locked to the stop sign in front of my building this morning. One of my favorite neighborhood bikes--a Fuji Flair fixie with new wheels...er...wheel.) 

Whatever the case, I'm glad you were able to get your bike back on the road quickly. And, do register your serial number or at least have that written down somewhere. 

jolondon30 said:

jolondon30 said:

James BlackHeron said:

Wait in the shadows overnight and eventually someone else will come to cut the lock -then pop out and surprise them before they ride away on your bike.

Thats funny. I bet you could leave a locked bike anywhere on the north side and it would last several weeks. My thinking is that guys who have the know how and will to cut locks only do so for expensive bikes.

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Permalink Reply by Julie Aberman (Hochstadter) on September 21, 2012 at 2:14am

hilarious!

James BlackHeron said:

Wait in the shadows overnight and eventually someone else will come to cut the lock -then pop out and surprise them before they ride away on your bike.

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Permalink Reply by Julie Aberman (Hochstadter) on September 21, 2012 at 2:15am

yeah, my bike was stolen in the middle of the day in lincoln park. It can happen anywhere.

Holly said:

That's not true. Expensive bikes aren't the only bikes that get stolen and bikes are stolen on the north side. There are also bikes parked everywhere with stolen wheels. (Saw one locked to the stop sign in front of my building this morning. One of my favorite neighborhood bikes--a Fuji Flair fixie with new wheels...er...wheel.) 

Whatever the case, I'm glad you were able to get your bike back on the road quickly. And, do register your serial number or at least have that written down somewhere. 

jolondon30 said:

jolondon30 said:

James BlackHeron said:

Wait in the shadows overnight and eventually someone else will come to cut the lock -then pop out and surprise them before they ride away on your bike.

Thats funny. I bet you could leave a locked bike anywhere on the north side and it would last several weeks. My thinking is that guys who have the know how and will to cut locks only do so for expensive bikes.

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Permalink Reply by Far'arned Retrogrumpalunkus #63 on September 21, 2012 at 2:55am

I can't take credit for it as an original joke when I've seen it used elsewhere online.     It's still pretty funny though.  The truth hurts...

Julie Hochstadter said:

hilarious!

James BlackHeron said:

Wait in the shadows overnight and eventually someone else will come to cut the lock -then pop out and surprise them before they ride away on your bike.

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Permalink Reply by Suzanne on September 21, 2012 at 7:26am

Aha!  I rode by and saw you and the Merchandise Mart electrician, during seconds 0-10.  I figured it was a legit operation, with his uniform and all.

jolondon30 said:

Thanks to all for your suggestions.

Good news is i got the lock off. Tried using my car jack but quit because i am just not comfortable forcing something. So oinstead of calling one of the recommended removers i went cheap.

I took the el and the bus to home depot on north ave - took 25 mins. Rented a 4.5 inch angle drill for $15 for four hours. Electrician at merch mart ran an extension cord and in 36 seconds i had the lock cut. Guy at home depot said it takes 10 mins.

Bad news I guess for all of us is that a guy like me - who has never cut metal a,d has no experience with an angle drill - can cut a kryptonite lock in 30 secs. Maybe the battery powered models arent as powerful.

Anyway got the bike now and from now on i will record the key numbers on my locks and always have a spare key.

Sorry for typos...on mobile.

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Permalink Reply by Jason Greenberg on September 22, 2012 at 1:18am

Josh- Congrats on getting your bike back. Yeah, it is amazing that it can be that easy & fast...

Group- this discussion of the kryptonite lock bike keys prompts me to ask: Do you know of any service that can "cut" or "copy" an existing bike lock key?

My U-Lock of 15 years still works great, BUT my final key felt the stress of age and the thick plastic head cracked and broke off. So the metal cylinder with cut teeth still exists and fits in the lock but it doesn't have a thumb surface to turn/torque the key in the lock.  (Lucky for me, my bike was not locked up when the key broke.) I hate to throw out a good lock if I can get a replacement key.

Where do you go to get U-Lock keys copied?  (Mine is not a Kryptonite, but a Bike Nashbar brand U-Lock that I bought  back in the early 90s. The key number that was stamped into the plastic head got worn away by years of use- so my only hope is making a copy from the metal tooth cylinder that I still have. This possible?)

Anyone have experience with this?

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Permalink Reply by Far'arned Retrogrumpalunkus #63 on September 22, 2012 at 1:38am

I wonder if the Nashbar brand used the same flawed design as the Kyrptonite locks and can be picked with a bic pen.   I wouldn't trust any round-key U-lock.   Get a new flat-key design and with clasps on both sides -not the dog-leg bent type on one edge of the U. 

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Permalink Reply by Josh L. on September 22, 2012 at 2:29am

My observation was that u locks are only cut on  more expensive bikes - is that correct? My a ssumption was that the relative difficulty involved (need specialized equipment) and risks of getting caught given it takes a minute/creates sparks means that the reward has to be higher (more expensive bikes).

My bike gets messed with (tires/lights stolen) only at the Wilson el stop where there are lots of homeless and down and out types who will grab anything.

 
Julie Hochstadter said:

yeah, my bike was stolen in the middle of the day in lincoln park. It can happen anywhere.

Holly said:

That's not true. Expensive bikes aren't the only bikes that get stolen and bikes are stolen on the north side. There are also bikes parked everywhere with stolen wheels. (Saw one locked to the stop sign in front of my building this morning. One of my favorite neighborhood bikes--a Fuji Flair fixie with new wheels...er...wheel.) 

Whatever the case, I'm glad you were able to get your bike back on the road quickly. And, do register your serial number or at least have that written down somewhere. 

jolondon30 said:

jolondon30 said:

James BlackHeron said:

Wait in the shadows overnight and eventually someone else will come to cut the lock -then pop out and surprise them before they ride away on your bike.

Thats funny. I bet you could leave a locked bike anywhere on the north side and it would last several weeks. My thinking is that guys who have the know how and will to cut locks only do so for expensive bikes.

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Permalink Reply by Josh L. on September 22, 2012 at 2:31am

thanks Dan..good idea. I have had two kryptonites for like ten years.  When theme  bic pen vulnerability was exposed about 5 years ago they sent  me replacement units with two keys each and those are what I have had (and for various reasons lost keys over time).
 
dan brown said:

also : get a u-lock that comes with several duplicate keys. I like the on guard : they give you FIVE. and the fancy one comes with a built in mini-flashlight. I always have one attached to my work ID / lanyard; another on my main keyring; and in my more anal days : I would have one pinned inside the messenger bag. just in case. other two can stay home or on a friend's keyring, etc.

 

DB

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