Cutting a U-lock

Recon

A few months ago someone locked their bike to a gate at the back of my apartment. I wasn't really too worried about it at the time but now it's getting a bit annoying and the person has even moved out of the apartment block and the bike is still locked to my gate.

Basically what I'd like to know is does anyone know the best way to take off a U-lock without a key (there's always some smart ass)? Would I be wasting my time trying to cut it off with a hack saw?

penexpers

Depends on the u-lock. If it's cheap or crap enough you should be able to hammer the barrell off. Failing that, an angle grinder

Cabaal

hack saw I'd imagine so, however I'd imagine an angle grinder would do the trick

seamus

No a hacksaw will work, eventually. The steel is hardened, but it's not impervious. It'll just take a while and make a lot of noise, which is why most thieves don't choose that route.

The main favoured method of thieves is a mini jack which can exert enough pressure to bend it until it snaps out of the locking mechanism. Probably not worth the cost of buying one if you don't already have it though.

Gavin

Recon wrote: »

A few months ago someone locked their bike to a gate at the back of my apartment. I wasn't really too worried about it at the time but now it's getting a bit annoying and the person has even moved out of the apartment block and the bike is still locked to my gate.

Basically what I'd like to know is does anyone know the best way to take off a U-lock without a key (there's always some smart ass)? Would I be wasting my time trying to cut it off with a hack saw?

Ignoring the dubious legality of the post, you'll be wanting an angle grinder or bottle jack if there is room. A hacksaw will no doubt entertain onlookers, but will waste your time. If the lock ain't great and the bike is getting thrown out, grab the two wheels and use the bike itself as a lever to pop the ulock open. I've always wanted to try this, let us know if it works. Perhaps best to try with a mate. Another one to try is using a bic pen if the key socket is round.

What you could do instead though is phone the management company, say that the bike is an obstruction for wheelchair users or something and get them to cut it off.

davidsatelle100

i lost my keys a couple of weeks ago and had to cut the lock off my bike. An angle grinder is really the only way to go if you want to get it done quickly. A hack saw is not worth the effort, angle grinder and 5 mins will sort out the problem

Canis Lupus

Possibly one of the very few things I miss about Ireland is the fact that everyone seems to have angle grinders

Odd thing to say till you need one and you live in the middle of London where most people wouldn't even know what one is.

God I sound awfully boggerish saying that.

topper75

One of the most 'rural' chaps I know here in Ireland has a con-saw fetish.

oobydooby

I cycled past a chap who was clamped and he was going at the clamp with the angle grinder he must have kept in the boot of his nice beamer! Couldn't see if it was the lock or the clamp itself he went at and don't know if he was successful or not.

OP - Ring the management company, or the fire brigade/gardai. The owner might come back to see you trying to grind through the lock and get medieval on you.

jaycen

Use a bottle jack to drive the bars apart until they pop out of the barrell.

passive

Grenades always work for me.

DirkVoodoo

I like to bite them off, my dentist prefers this way too.

Hacksaw, just ignore the odd looks from passers by, or at least wear a balaclava to hide your embarassed face. And wear gloves too, its cold outside.

Hagar

Since it's there a while a squirt of WD40 before you start would help.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8XxcOj3Seo

Eoin D

Take your gate off, take your neighbours gate off, swap, hey presto! Probably saved yourself a lot of time and embarrassment!

doozerie

Verb wrote: »

If the lock ain't great and the bike is getting thrown out, grab the two wheels and use the bike itself as a lever to pop the ulock open. I've always wanted to try this, let us know if it works.

I can say from personal experience that this almost certainly won't work. Unfortunately, I know this 'cos someone tried it to a mountain bike of mine many years ago. It was a steel framed bike, and the lock was a very basic (i.e. not very good) U-lock. The lock was through/around the seat stays and onto a railing and they seemed to have swung from the front of the bike to break the lock. The lock held, but one of the seat stays ended up being bent as a result - it took a bit of elbow grease to bend the stay back to roughly where it belonged, which made the frame usable again but bumpy off-road stuff did make me wonder if it would hold (it did, thankfully).

It is one reason why I have avoided putting any U-lock around my seat stays ever since, as it is a bit of a temptation to a thief. The chain stays would be stronger but I suspect that they would cave in eventually too when pitted against a U-lock.

ruprect

I cut a cheap one with a hacksaw in minutes. Then the key in a kryptonite one also broke, hacksaw was doing nothing to it! even the mini grinder took a good few mins, was very impressed with it.:)

Alkers

Unless it's a very good lock (which it doesn't sound like it is) you can have it off with a hammer in 2min. Just keep hitting it where the red arrow in the pic is

Recon

Thanks for all the replies! And thanks for that wonderful Paint art Simona1986

I got the lock off yesterday afternoon and took a few photos. I thought I'd try the trick Verb posted, to try to twist the bike to try to pop the lock. Tried it, didn't work but there was an impressive bend in the lock afterwards!

I ended up simply going at it with a hacksaw for a few minutes and cut it off.

I'm just waiting for my mobile to recharge now, should be done soon, and then I'll post up the pictures.

Recon

Sorry the picture quality isn't great, I forgot my camera and used my phone instead.

The bike locked to the gate. The gate couldn't be closed because the plant had grown around the bike!




After trying to twist it...








So I gave up on that and just took the hack saw to it.

passive

Now imagine how much cooler these photos would be if you'd used grenades...

Gavin

That doesn't look like a half bad bike !!

von Neumann

I've had the joy of doing this before,

In DCU of all places (the shame, I know ).

The U bit is super strong, waiste of time trying to cut that,

The barrel is tough too, but the casing of the barrel soft,

Took about 5 mins of vigeour sawing with a 6" hand saw.

Reckon I could do it in 2 mins with a bit of practice!

Now hopefully this info, won't result is a spate of bike thiefs.

Canis Lupus

Isn't giant a decent enough brand? I wouldn't have been twisting the lock using the bike.

Húrin

You've just collectively posted up an instruction book on how to cut a lock and nick yourself a nice bike.

seamus

Húrin wrote: »

You've just collectively posted up an instruction book on how to cut a lock and nick yourself a nice bike.

Yes, because nobody ever heard of a hacksaw or Google before.

PeadarofAodh

seamus wrote: »

Yes, because nobody ever heard of a hacksaw or Google before.

'Hacksaw'? 'Google'??

Haha! I will now bring the bike world to its knees!

Canis Lupus

PeadarofAodh wrote: »

'Hacksaw'? 'Google'??

Haha! I will now bring the bike world to its knees!

I've been researching bank robbery.

gabgab

Sell it man, you deserve the cash after all your effort,

PeadarofAodh

Canis Lupus wrote: »

I've been researching bank robbery.

I'd thought about that but unfortunately I don't have the funds to invest in a getaway tandem...

"Drive! DRIVE!"

rubadub

Canis Lupus wrote: »

Isn't giant a decent enough brand? I wouldn't have been twisting the lock using the bike.

+1

Giant is a good brand, and that looks like a decent giant worth a few quid, OCR, not sure what number it is. I would have gone and done it myself for you if I got to keep it!

ROK ON

Firstly, it seems like a remarkably well kept bike for something that has been outside for several months. Looks like from the pictures that a new version of said bike could cost anywhere from €650-1000.
The thick plottens!!!