I tried to boltcrop my bike lock!

Rob4
Rob4 Posts: 75
edited May 2011 in Commuting general
LIke a plonker I manged to loose all my keys, which meant my bike remained locked up at the station for two weeks while I looked for them.

The lock was an Abus Granit Steel O Flex 1000. After not fidning the keys I borowed the biggest set of boltcroppers I could find and took them up to the station.

I barely made a dent! The Abus lock is so thick it’s difficult to get a useful purchase on the loop. The boltcroppers I used were huge – I could spread the handles about four or five foot apart before trying to crop into the rubber and then the lock. But to avail.

I gave up after about half an hour and some very cynical comments from passers-by. I took the receipt for the bike with me in case the police or South West Trains turned up.

I’m sure experiened thieves can and have nicked bikes locked with this Abus beast but it’s worth knowing that without specialist kit this one is a pig to break. I eventually found the keys thank f*** so was able to free the bike like a normal citizen.

Comments

  • EKE_38BPM
    EKE_38BPM Posts: 5,821
    Like you, I have no experience of nicking bikes, but maybe you were using the wrong technique for that lock?

    I lost a key to a D lock once and had to get the college caretaker to take the wall bracket off of the wall so that I could take the bike home still locked to the bracket. Once at home I went through two angle grinder discs. Did you damage the bolt croppers?
    FCN 3: Raleigh Record Ace fixie-to be resurrected sometime in the future
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  • The Rookie
    The Rookie Posts: 27,812
    Compared to the cheap cable lock my daughters friend managed to lock onto his bike that took 30 seconds with a hacksaw.......

    Simon
    Currently riding a Whyte T130C, X0 drivetrain, Magura Trail brakes converted to mixed wheel size (homebuilt wheels) with 140mm Fox 34 Rhythm and RP23 suspension. 12.2Kg.
  • Rob4
    Rob4 Posts: 75
    No damage to boltcroppers but possibly to myself as it was bloody hard work!

    I was about to ask South West Trains if I could plug in an angle grinder when the keys turned up.

    What blade did you use?
  • The Rookie
    The Rookie Posts: 27,812
    Fine pitch for hardened metals, but it was only a cheap cable lock, I was emphasising the benefit of a decent chain!

    Simon
    Currently riding a Whyte T130C, X0 drivetrain, Magura Trail brakes converted to mixed wheel size (homebuilt wheels) with 140mm Fox 34 Rhythm and RP23 suspension. 12.2Kg.
  • EKE_38BPM
    EKE_38BPM Posts: 5,821
    It was about 20 years ago, so I have no idea. It was the first time I had used an angle grinder and I found it great fun, sparks flying everywhere!!

    Edit: You didn't mean me did you? I guess the clue was in the word 'blade' rather than 'disc'.
    FCN 3: Raleigh Record Ace fixie-to be resurrected sometime in the future
    FCN 4: Planet X Schmaffenschmack 2- workhorse
    FCN 9: B Twin Vitamin - winter commuter/loan bike for trainees

    I'm hungry. I'm always hungry!
  • mcj78
    mcj78 Posts: 634
    I recently managed to snap the key in the lock of an old (but not exactly inexpensive compared to a half-decent D-lock) armoured-flex-steel-cable-lock-type-thing from Oxford, was preparing myself for a titanic struggle with a set of bolt croppers but it took about 10 seconds to go clean through, about 5 seconds of that was getting the positioning of the jaws right :shock: now invested in a slightly more heavy-duty & hopefully more resillient D-lock - reckon I could have got through the old one with a set of pliers given another 10 seconds!
    Moda Issimo
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  • snailracer
    snailracer Posts: 968
    I had to hacksaw my own D-lock, once. It took me about 3 hours.
  • Rob4
    Rob4 Posts: 75
    The othe useful thing that came out of it was that when you buy the keys, Abus give you a thing like a credit card with a code on it. If you want keys recut, you take the code to The Bike Shop. Tel: 020 8427 5454. Costs only a few quid apparently.

    Unfortunately I’d lost that too :oops:
  • Headhuunter
    Headhuunter Posts: 6,494
    A guy at work managed to snap the key off in his Kryptonite lock, I think it might have been the New York, so a pretty tough one. He called a locksmith who couldn't pick it and in the end had to call for an angle grinder which apparently took a fair while to eat through the lock...
    Do not write below this line. Office use only.
  • turnerjohn
    turnerjohn Posts: 1,069
    Rob4 wrote:
    I gave up after about half an hour and some very cynical comments from passers-by. I took the receipt for the bike with me in case the police or South West Trains turned up.
    quote]

    more worrying that no one from the station or police turned up while you were doing it !
  • graham.
    graham. Posts: 862
    Rob4 wrote:
    The lock was an Abus Granit Steel O Flex 1000. After not fidning the keys I borowed the biggest set of boltcroppers I could find and took them up to the station.

    I barely made a dent! The Abus lock is so thick it’s difficult to get a useful purchase on the loop. The boltcroppers I used were huge – I could spread the handles about four or five foot apart before trying to crop into the rubber and then the lock. But to avail.

    Sounds like the kind of thing Abus would like to hear. Send your comments to them and win a free lock!...Maybe. :idea:
    Graham.
    My Flickr Pics
  • Headhuunter
    Headhuunter Posts: 6,494
    Graham. wrote:
    Rob4 wrote:
    The lock was an Abus Granit Steel O Flex 1000. After not fidning the keys I borowed the biggest set of boltcroppers I could find and took them up to the station.

    I barely made a dent! The Abus lock is so thick it’s difficult to get a useful purchase on the loop. The boltcroppers I used were huge – I could spread the handles about four or five foot apart before trying to crop into the rubber and then the lock. But to avail.

    Sounds like the kind of thing Abus would like to hear. Send your comments to them and win a free lock!...Maybe. :idea:
    Graham.

    I'm sure Abus know! I'm sure they test their locks with all sorts of attack methods before selling them....
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  • snailracer
    snailracer Posts: 968
    Apparently a carjack works for D-locks.
  • djrock
    djrock Posts: 66
    The croppers must have not been that huge since it sound like you couldn’t get the lock hardly in the jaws. You could have tried hammering it a bit flat to fit in the jaws.

    Seemly cable cutters can cut them.
  • cloggsy
    cloggsy Posts: 243
    Thieves also use liquid nitrogen and a hammer to break chains, locks etc...

    If the want it, they'll have it! :evil:
  • Headhuunter
    Headhuunter Posts: 6,494
    cloggsy wrote:
    Thieves also use liquid nitrogen and a hammer to break chains, locks etc...

    If the want it, they'll have it! :evil:

    Although I don't think you're average hoodie wearing chav has easy access to liquid nitrogen so it would have to be a pretty special bike for thieves to go to the trouble of getting liquid nitriogen onto the lock! I think it's pretty nasty and potentially dangerous stuff!
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  • cloggsy
    cloggsy Posts: 243
    Headhuunter wrote:
    cloggsy wrote:
    Thieves also use liquid nitrogen and a hammer to break chains, locks etc...

    If the want it, they'll have it! :evil:

    Although I don't think you're average hoodie wearing chav has easy access to liquid nitrogen so it would have to be a pretty special bike for thieves to go to the trouble of getting liquid nitriogen onto the lock! I think it's pretty nasty and potentially dangerous stuff!

    Don't be too sure! I've heard about a lot of motorbikes being pinched this way!
  • PBo
    PBo Posts: 2,493
    cloggsy wrote:
    Headhuunter wrote:
    cloggsy wrote:
    Thieves also use liquid nitrogen and a hammer to break chains, locks etc...

    If the want it, they'll have it! :evil:

    Although I don't think you're average hoodie wearing chav has easy access to liquid nitrogen so it would have to be a pretty special bike for thieves to go to the trouble of getting liquid nitriogen onto the lock! I think it's pretty nasty and potentially dangerous stuff!

    Don't be too sure! I've heard about a lot of motorbikes being pinched this way!

    "bloke down the pub said..." :wink:
  • djrock
    djrock Posts: 66
    It would be simpler to use 42" bolt croppers than liquid nitrogen.
  • Gussio
    Gussio Posts: 2,452
    C4 shaped charge. Job done 8)

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