With the advent of cheap, accessible, battery powered disc cutters /angle grinders, bike locks are evermore vulnerable to thieves. They are harder to pick with disc detainer locks becoming the standard, but what are lock manufacturers doing about this worrying criminal trend?
Short of outlawing battery-powered angle grinders, there's not much. For something like a safe, you might be able add in a layer of kevlar, bb's, and maybe tar to attempt to foul the angle grinder and prevent it from getting a cut, but a chain or d lock isn't really amenable to that, even if it was effective. Unfortunately, modern cutoff wheels are rather difficult to shatter.
@@PaulSteMarie Outlawing a perfectly useful tool because less than 1% of the time it is used for illegal purposes? Sounds exactly like something England would do and something that the rest of the free would would never even consider.
The sort of people who steal stuff aren’t the sort of people who bother to learn a skill like lock picking. If they had that kind of discipline, they wouldn’t be petty thieves.
This is why I regularly carry my lock picks on me without fear of "going equipped" it's pointless picking most locks as it's usually easier to bust a window or kick a door in than spending time picking locks although some of you have 5 pin locks most idiots could rake in seconds on your front doors.
Intellect, patience, intuition, finesse, I'd presume would be required traits a lock picker would have to have that a bike thief would not have. Of course, think of what good burglars, cat burglars, safe crackers, and diamond thieves would have to have going on. They'd have to have all that too. I guess that would be the difference between higher class thieves and "smash and grab" types.
They don't always cut the lock but what it's locked to. If the bike hoop you're locked to has tape on it, use a different one, as it's likely been precut
I like to lock my bike to a shopping cart right in front of the doors of the store and then I try to keep an eye on it as I shop. They can steal my bike and the shopping cart, sure. Not at all impossible to take both, but its definitely super awkward and difficult without 2 people. I use 2 u locks thru multiple points on the cart and a chain lock. *shrug*
@@OptimusSatanas all the carts near downtown engage a (front) wheel lock via a radio fence as well. makes for an awkward tumble if you are going to fast!
@@dl5244 Yeah, exactly! The carts at the store I usually go to do the same, but youll get that one cart every once in a while that doesnt activate the lock, so I try not to rely on that feature too much lol
I worked at a bike shop and we always recommended spending 10-20% of the bike's cost, and to make sure you lock it to something at least as strong as the lock
Seeing bike prices going towards 2500 euros here for electric bikes a 250 euro lock makes alot of sense. However, criminals just show up in a van and throw them in the back. They'll cut the locks off when somewhere else.
I'm glad that when I was a kid in the suburbs my thin chain lock with a combination & cable lock kept my bike safe at school. Unfortunately, someone deflated my tires once though.
Someone once tried stealing my CG125 motorbike from a school carpark where I was working. They were disturbed & fled but their handiwork caused long term problems. They couldn't get through the chain so by force they sheared the steering lock on the bike itself (which must have taken some force) and for some reason they were in the process of rotating or folding the entire handlebar/brake/clutch/throttle assembly forward on itself. That was my first motorbike and is a well-known cheap learner-grade model, but they sure caused a lot of damage.
Around the place I live, I've seen or heard of some instances where thieves instead of cutting through the locks, shackles, cables or chains, simply cut through the bike stands made of laughably weak material (supposedly designed for bikes to be locked onto) and took bikes anyway....
Just messing with different things at work i found that the d style could be improved vastly very cheaply. Using a method utilised by some jail bars we scrapped, i filled a steel tube with ball bearings, cutting with a disc causes the balls to shift around inside the tube and makes them difficult to cut, the balls keep trapping the disc. Stuffing the tube with a perspex rod, the plastic would melt and jam the disc effectively. Better testing of options is needed.
This ball bearing idea is very interesting as Ball bearing ar hardned for extreme wear resistance as well - If they where in some form of wash resistant dye that would be almost perfect
Awesome! A good lock would cost more than the bike. Unless you have a top end bike that cost $1,000+. My son had a bike that was $1,200. He brought it up to the porch and asked me to look at it, because there was something wrong with it. I walked out the door and said, where is it? Someone must have watched him ride it up to the house and stole it when he walked in the house. Luckily, during the last week of school, he saw someone ride his bike to school. It was painted bkack and the tires were all worn out, but we registered it with the police department, as required, and they verified it was his bike. So he did get it back.
A good option is to use multiple locks. When you have to go through an Abus Bordo 6500, then a chain, and then you still can’t roll as there is an Abus Pro shield blocking the wheel, there is probably a better option in the street.
In Japan theft is basically non existent. Likely due to the necessity of registering your bike with the police. If you buy a used bike you must fill in a transfer of ownership form, and if the bike was stolen and you try to transfer ownership, the cops are going to have a field day with you. Basically because pretty much everyone registers new bikes and selling a used bike is a giant pain and the buyer has a lot of risk there’s no market for it so no one steals bikes. Which is why Panasonic can sell an all aluminum lock and not have crooks laughing at them The most standard “lock” bikes will have is a tiny 3 digit lock on the front wheel that stick out a tiny thing to block the spokes. Even at the busiest stations where bikes will basically be sitting all day while people are at work, no one really locks up their bike to any degree Honestly you’re more likely to be flogged by the local housewives if you accidentally park your bike in 2 bike slots. I’d rather go to jail than deal with the local housewife mafia
This is why I own a bike that looks like rubbish but actually works pretty well. I got the bike from my son who got it from an uncle of his wife as an inheritance. It's a 21-speed bike for girls about 20-30 years back. 26" wheels and a superb steel tube frame, so in reality a very good bike once you maintain it well. Which I did. I spent some money for new drivetrain but never even washed the bike. And it still has some ducktape from when I rode it home in it was in a very sorry condition of broken control cables and such. And to top it all, one rainy day I got my back all wet and I decided I need an extension for the rear mudguard of my new bike. So I took an empty plastic bottle of hamburger sauce from Lidl, cut it to size and then bolted it to my mudguar. It looks like shit but works perfectly well. My back has been dry ever since.
I left 3 good books out in Dublin one time, on the street, under some cover in plain sight. After 3 days, ONE of the books was taken, and it was promptly replaced within about another 7 days, with a couple more books and the original (presumably by the same person). Says something about our society. Inevitably, someone came along and stole them all, I think there were about 8/9 books in total at that time. These thieves never want to improve their lives, they just want the quick buck without any work.
Wow!! I only paid $20.00 for my bicycle that was gently used. Some of those locks would be awesome but might be cheaper to buy a new bicycle. I have to work on my balance from my strokes. Almost wiped out a few times. Will work on it more this year. Awesome video!! It’s not always about the lock if the shackle can be cut that fast.
not all bikes are 20bucks. chances are you got a good deal (sounds stolen from the low price lol) but fact remains you bike is worth what it costs to replace it. you last bike cost 20bucks, not you current bike.
I usualy devide cycles on ones for hobby and adventure and on working horses.All in all i buy used basic 18 speed bicycle for 30 euros fix it and then use it till i have to pay 30 euros for replacement parts.When it comes to that i give that bike to somebody or let it unlocked with a note ,,giveaway,, and buy another 30 euro used basic bike.In general it lasts for me a couple of years so i dont worry about hi tech locks or anything, i just use home department store u lock and thats all,if it gets stollen, i buy again .People for some reason sell very cheaply preety good and still usable bicycles just because they are obsolete but for a working horse anything high end is pointless.
A shackle with a softer magnesium core may sound stupid but it will light up with a blindingly intense light if cut with an disc-cutter. Unfortunately this may not do much...
I like an AXA frame lock and I use the built in locks on my vintage Raleighs. I think there's enormous power in having a lock that's unfamiliar to would-be attackers. Any lock can be defeated, so it's worth having one they won't know how to exploit
I wonder if you could use technology like they have in chainsaw safety pants to prevent this. A layer of strong long fibers quickly tangles and stops the chainsaw blade when the pants are cut into. One could imagine the same thing wrapping itself around the angle grinder and slowing a thief down.
I've heard that some speed cameras have an inner core in their mast that can rotate. So instead of cutting away the grinder will just make that inner core spin.
I use a D lock in combination with a cable lock. D lock around the frame, cable lock through both wheels and the frame. The D lock takes a bit to cut through but can't be cut with bolt cutters, the cable lock is too annoying to cut with a grinder. Don't leave a ton of room to work and it's even more of a deterrent. Pair that with a $50 1997 Specialized Rockhopper being my commuter and I haven't had anyone try to steal my bike yet. My mountain bike doesn't get taken out it public much because I don't want it to be stolen lol.
I have heard that many bikes are now worth more as parts than as a complete unit, so the thieves will just cut a section out of the frame rather than cut the lock. Bike frames are almost always going to be easier to slice up than hardened steel shackles. Sadly, there's still no better protection than parking next to a nicer bike with a weaker lock! I actually use that very D lock on my bike, for when it's parked at home or at work, but it's pretty out of the way in both of those places, and trying to steal it would draw quite a lot of attention! If I need to park it in a more public area I add a honking great chain lock as well as the D lock.
Moses (BosnianBill) and Christ (LPL) liked the Evolution Series 4 integrated chain locks by Kryptonite. The mini version is 55 cm, 10mm, portable, flexible and relatively cheap compared to the ones presented here. I bought two of them and I am happy with them. My game plan is to effectively never lock my expensive bike outside (leave it inside work and inside my house). Have a second cheap bike costing under £100 that can be locked for up to 8 hours max when I ride somewhere except work.
Glad your friend kept his bike. Looks like another security feature that you didn't mention came into play. That lock secures both ends meaning one cut probably won't do it. Cheaper locks just have that bent bit at one end. Any insurance premium we pay is just subsidising the police doing sweet F.A. about it.
Defending against a disc cutter is now sadly essential in the UK. Only when the bike thief has to work quietly, are the alternative attack methods at all relevant. A hardened steel shackle may benefit from retrofitting aluminium pipe over the two sides, loose enough to spin somewhat. As mentioned, aluminium is a clogger. For the top curve of the 'U' I don't yet have an idea...
I wonder how effective it would be to just put electroplated synthetic diamond on the exposed portion of the shackle. It'd have to be overcoated with rubber to keep it from scratching everything, but it would basically eat the wheels. That's the way cheap grinder dressers are made. Given that the crook only has one wheel and it's usually thin and small, it wouldn't take much. Then again, I've never laid into a diamond dresser with a narrow wheel and held it in one spot. It might not be perfect, but I'm sure it's a hell of a lot cheaper and lighter than some of these exotic ideas.
I love the ceramic composite toughening and wonder if there is more technology that direction in the pipeline. My strategy for the time being is relying on an inexpensive bike with a barely dissuasive lock. 🤷
WOW !!!!! All my mountain biking days kriptonite were the go to lock because of their so called strength. I'm absolutely shocked and a bit gutted that I left my pride and joy left insecure
I wonder if there is a way to incorporate kevlar strands into the covering of the shackle. The kevlar string would be pulled through and bind up the wheel and the motor. I bit like how chainsaw protection clothes work... Or alternatively, have a spin-able bar cover tube over the straight parts of the shackle - the spinning should slow down cutting disk. Or incorporate both!
bike thieves don't always get away with it. guy i used to know had the misfortune to ride past the person whose bike he stole and got blindsided - watching him wince almost a month later trying to eat pasty and beans with three metal plates holding his face together, wasn't nice. i know he regrets it.
I've watched a few motorbike channels having an attempt at cutting the litelocks and all failed to do so with a single disc on their battery powered cutters. I guess it depends on how much your bike is worth, both in terms of value and if it's your only form of transport.
D lock through the frame and rear wheen with a cable lock linked to it through the front wheel, and not leaving it out of sight even when locked up, also locking up next to someones bike with a crappy lock is the best bet I've found
I was once locking my bike to some railings round a garden area to a police station just a mile outside the city center in Greater Manchester. A police inspector was coming out of the entrance and saw what I was doing. He immediately ordered me to put my heavy duty chain lock around a stanchion for a sign right below a ground floor window to the offices space within and out of more direct view of the street. The sign was also near to the main entrance door. I thought that was very good of him to be so helpful and used the same facility on subsequent visits to the area. A good location with policemen coming and going all the time. This was years ago but today the use of a battery powered angle grinder in such a place would have attracted unwelcome police attention for any offender, especially as the office behind the window was usually occupied and in summer the window was often open.
Well this is pretty serious and there actually isn’t any good solution. The thing you Brit’s call a “disk cutter” is typically called a “cut off wheel” or “angle grinder” here in the states but the actual problem is the same. It’s the industrial tool used to actually shape and create the materials used in the locks. Any effort to frustrate its effective application is likely futile. The really grim aspect of this though is much wider. Bikes are a low carbon emission transportation system. However one of the serious obstacles to wider application would be continual theft issues. The public can hardly be expected to invest in a technology that could disappear at any moment. Getting a response from civil authorities that is more flaccid than the response to unlicensed television receivers, well, if you really expect something to get done it’s going to take more than self righteous lectures from little girls to see things through.
Walking out with a tool like that makes someone " going equipped......" . Having pointed that out I once saw a youth in Hackney in a hoody walk past a policeman while carrying a huge bolt cropper and the policeman did NOTHING ! I had a bike with a front basket and I D lock fits in easily and I once needed to brandish it , D locks make a good truncheon.
I'm in NYC, bike theft is like a sport here and I wish I was kidding. Always went with the higher end Kryptonite locks but so far had two bikes stolen, found a cut lock on the ground. They are using die grinders here, not just angle grinders. Even American 700's fall easily to a die grinder and they are my go to with a boron carbide hefty chain. Thanks for the video's those ceramic coated locks do sound interesting, I'd love to see a comparison of how hard they are to cut VS a regular hardened shackle. Have a good one!
a hard to cut shackle is all well and good, but a certain point around here they often just cut what ever you have locked your bike to (often no more then rebar basically in many cases).
I wonder if the material in those anti cut pants arborists use might be useful? Make a cylinder of fabric out of it and glue it to the shackle? Could be much cheap if it worked.
You know what… although it might cost a bit to find such pants depending on the area and price of import. Yeah, just looked them up. Around 200 bucks for the pants. I think they have some kevlar and such in them…
@@somevids4187 You can just buy Kevlar like any other fabric so if that's all they are you wouldn't need to buy the pants, just the minimum amount of the fabric you can order. I thought they had something else in them.
I have seen several bikes at work stolen and evey one has been a brute force attack. They just go for quick and easy methods to steal. Since seeing several bikes stolen I have still watched people lock their bikes with a cheap chain or wire rope and put it through the wheel as opposed to the frame. 🤦🏻♂️ More videos like this please to make people aware.
I lived in Philadelphia for a long time. My commuter bike was just old junker. Not worth more than a hundred dollars. Never had a problem. 500 and over bikes were stole all the time. Never go gambling with more than your willing to lose!
I wish I had my hands on some of those fancy locks too. Especially that one with a Sentry core. Reckon picking might actually be the most practical way in to some of them. No way am I buying them at those prices though.
I wonder if there are locks with a built-in alert system with a siren and possibly flashing lights which activate when the shackle is cut. It might be a good deterrent in line with the mentioned Skunk Lock but most probably still legal.
I had something similar on my bike and the lock stopped working. I think it took about 10 minutes with a hand saw that had a carbide blade (a kind of wire style blade used for cutting tiles with a hand metal saw).
I have to wonder if anything more than a cheap lock is worth it for a bike. The tougher locks cost a good fraction of the price of most bikes and someone determined to steal it will turn up with tools that will almost certainly defeat the lock. Worse though if the lock is too difficult to cut through they will just cut though the post it's attached too which is probably just galvanised mild steel. What we need is for the police to take the theft seriously! One thing I think we can all agree on though is no one is picking the lock.
They have scooters and bikes you can rent with an app and a credit card. There should be bike racks you could pay a subscription fee for (or subscribe to for free) that you could send a Bluetooth message to to unlock your bike. I imagine there could be a QR code reader you could use in case something happens to your phone while your bike is locked up. The people who are willing to spend a lot of money to shave off whatever weight they can from their bicycles would love to go where they could and leave their bike locked up with no more additional weight than a phone. There's almost an anti-bike sentiment among an obnoxiously visible segment of society. Like there is a shift over to making bicycles alright to steal because they are an alternative to the problematic car culture. Weird how when major ways of functioning prove to be big problems, there comes along a major force that actively defends the status quo.
The only issue I see here is the weakest point then becomes whatever the lock/bike are locked to. This will be considerably easier to cut through, regardless of what it is, than the lock and they'll still be away with your bike! (Granted they'll have to lift it rather than ride it, if you've locked it well). My advice if you have an expensive bike and are considering buying an expensive lock - get a cheap run about and use that in medium to high risk areas and keep your expensive bike at home safe and secure! In areas where you can visibly watch the bike, fine use one of these locks. These locks will prevent the causal thief, but pro's are well prepared and have all the tools. If you bike is worth a lot of money, a thief will happily spend longer on it to try and get it even at risk to themselves getting caught. (Because, lets face it, *if* they get caught they'll get a slap on the wrist and be out tomorrow stealing more of our stuff!)
Oh, great overview 👍 i hate bike thieves 😔 one was stolen from me once, they cracked the combination 🙄 I have an hefty abus xplus chain now, but just because I am crazy for locks 🤪 you got me almost screaming: "there is a lock just lying there, please please pick it" 🤪 Cheers 🍻
1980’s mate got his motorbike nicked from the railings outside our flat with a cordless angle grinder. Edinburgh…. Schemes coming into town to go ‘shopping’
The Police here in the UK really don't do anything to solve bike theft crimes, they just close the case and leave the 'victim' at a loss. Abloy 342/362(bike/motorbike) and comparable chain and you're good to go! Fantastic picking Ash and thanks for bringing light to an important subject.
My local transport plod caught the bloke who nicked mine, at the railway station bike park. They have also done security awareness days, registering bikes at bikeregister and handing out free D locks to anyone and didn't have one.
in my case i own the highest end thickest but mini kryptonite lock. expensive bugger but it keeps people honest on my end. havent had a bike stolen yet
That lock is not designed for angle grinders. Only bolt cutters and a saw. There are angle grinder resistant U locks D locks now!. These Kryptonite locks are outdated. The majority are. Cable locks are obsolete years ago.
I am sorry to say that even the most expensive lock has absolutely no chance against someone who knows how to use a grinder properly. I have always thought the best defense against a grinder would be a lock with some kind of thin steel wire loosely wrapped around or hanging like strands of hair. Let them try and cut something like that and see what happens.
Good video . these new anti angle grinder locks are promising but as usual the highest level of security is you, as in don't leave your bike unattended . this of course is a massive pain is arse as it prevents one from commuting to work , shopping or eating at a restaurant,etc. Now, this brings me to my solution which admittedly is very controversial . Change the laws that allow the owner to render an epic ass kicking to thieves and , here's the most important part, prevent the thief from suing the owner once they have been rendered unconscious. If thieves knew in advance that they could be legally attacked by the owner or anyone else for that matter , and they could not retaliate in the courts ,i would guess there would be a significant decrease in these types of crimes . ok ,🔥flame away pacifists.
The very expensive part of bikelocks is a weird argument to me. One buys a bike that costs a couple of grand but one gets a cheap lock because the good ones are expensive. Even cheaper bikes should be secured with good locks because if it gets stolen you're without a bike and need to get a new one. Cheap or not.
The trick would be finding something that clogs the abrasive or fouls the angle grinder. Bonus points if you can figure a way to shatter the cutoff wheel.
well said... i also get told that sometime lockpicking enables thief's... and all i tell them is... a "brick" through a window is much faster or a hammer or as you shown battery operated grinders for bikes.... lol.. lol..
Four hundred thousand stolen bikes per year? How the hell do they resell them without getting caught? Bike makers have to start stamping production numbers all over, including on the inside of the tube where the seat is inserted, so stolen bikes can be traced back.
In the old Security/Insurance days we'd try to sell peace-of-mind wrapped in the hardware. Locks bars alarms. Time to break in and caught-in-the-act Fear. But new sensors cameras smart-phone tech AI, are taking over from quaint lock-picks and portable grinders. Defence puts you at x during the crime; Prosecution face-recognition and AI devices say otherwise.
@@LockNoob well yes and no ... they make great turn around for ten second locks... I have n on my fold up kickscooter. But you can't rely on them fr much... just to keep someone from walking off with it unnoticed if you turn around for a second.
so erm... buy a cheep d lock, and spray paint it to look like a skunk lock. alternatively, buy a skunk lock, and paint it to look like a cheap lock ;-)
20$ airtag might also be an option. But be careful (or prepared), the new owner most likely does not like you 😉. But it's not uncommon that the thrives are just drunk guys who dump the bike at the next park /forest.
You brought up an interesting point about replacement shackles. An enterprising person with access to a sturdy pipe bender and lathe/milling machine might do ok just making replacement (upgraded) shackles for their local cycling community. Personally, my solution is to ride bikes that just aren't that valuable. My second best solution would probably be this: ruclips.net/video/gP9wLJhaBOE/видео.html
I'm blown away that people want to steal bikes that much.. Like really..? It's a bike..but I'm also stupdified people can spend like $7k for a bike... It's a bike. I've never bought a car for anywhere near that cost. I legit don't get bike ppl..
With the advent of cheap, accessible, battery powered disc cutters /angle grinders, bike locks are evermore vulnerable to thieves. They are harder to pick with disc detainer locks becoming the standard, but what are lock manufacturers doing about this worrying criminal trend?
Litelok's new litelok X does seem to be great new product out of the uk to combat this issue.
Manufacturers are happy as it is. They selling more locks.
What can they do? Even a jewelry store safe is only burglar resistant and only against certain tools.
Short of outlawing battery-powered angle grinders, there's not much. For something like a safe, you might be able add in a layer of kevlar, bb's, and maybe tar to attempt to foul the angle grinder and prevent it from getting a cut, but a chain or d lock isn't really amenable to that, even if it was effective.
Unfortunately, modern cutoff wheels are rather difficult to shatter.
@@PaulSteMarie Outlawing a perfectly useful tool because less than 1% of the time it is used for illegal purposes? Sounds exactly like something England would do and something that the rest of the free would would never even consider.
The sort of people who steal stuff aren’t the sort of people who bother to learn a skill like lock picking. If they had that kind of discipline, they wouldn’t be petty thieves.
If they had discipline, they would be bankers.
This is why I regularly carry my lock picks on me without fear of "going equipped" it's pointless picking most locks as it's usually easier to bust a window or kick a door in than spending time picking locks although some of you have 5 pin locks most idiots could rake in seconds on your front doors.
Exactly. All bikes that I or anyone I know have had stolen were stolen using brute force against the locks.
Intellect, patience, intuition, finesse, I'd presume would be required traits a lock picker would have to have that a bike thief would not have. Of course, think of what good burglars, cat burglars, safe crackers, and diamond thieves would have to have going on. They'd have to have all that too. I guess that would be the difference between higher class thieves and "smash and grab" types.
They don't always cut the lock but what it's locked to. If the bike hoop you're locked to has tape on it, use a different one, as it's likely been precut
Good idea
I like to lock my bike to a shopping cart right in front of the doors of the store and then I try to keep an eye on it as I shop. They can steal my bike and the shopping cart, sure. Not at all impossible to take both, but its definitely super awkward and difficult without 2 people. I use 2 u locks thru multiple points on the cart and a chain lock. *shrug*
@@OptimusSatanas all the carts near downtown engage a (front) wheel lock via a radio fence as well. makes for an awkward tumble if you are going to fast!
👍
@@dl5244 Yeah, exactly! The carts at the store I usually go to do the same, but youll get that one cart every once in a while that doesnt activate the lock, so I try not to rely on that feature too much lol
I worked at a bike shop and we always recommended spending 10-20% of the bike's cost, and to make sure you lock it to something at least as strong as the lock
I agree. People don’t want to spend that though sadly
Seeing bike prices going towards 2500 euros here for electric bikes a 250 euro lock makes alot of sense.
However, criminals just show up in a van and throw them in the back.
They'll cut the locks off when somewhere else.
I'm glad that when I was a kid in the suburbs my thin chain lock with a combination & cable lock kept my bike safe at school. Unfortunately, someone deflated my tires once though.
Someone once tried stealing my CG125 motorbike from a school carpark where I was working. They were disturbed & fled but their handiwork caused long term problems. They couldn't get through the chain so by force they sheared the steering lock on the bike itself (which must have taken some force) and for some reason they were in the process of rotating or folding the entire handlebar/brake/clutch/throttle assembly forward on itself. That was my first motorbike and is a well-known cheap learner-grade model, but they sure caused a lot of damage.
Around the place I live, I've seen or heard of some instances where thieves instead of cutting through the locks, shackles, cables or chains, simply cut through the bike stands made of laughably weak material (supposedly designed for bikes to be locked onto) and took bikes anyway....
Just messing with different things at work i found that the d style could be improved vastly very cheaply.
Using a method utilised by some jail bars we scrapped, i filled a steel tube with ball bearings, cutting with a disc causes the balls to shift around inside the tube and makes them difficult to cut, the balls keep trapping the disc.
Stuffing the tube with a perspex rod, the plastic would melt and jam the disc effectively.
Better testing of options is needed.
Sounds interesting !
This ball bearing idea is very interesting as Ball bearing ar hardned for extreme wear resistance as well - If they where in some form of wash resistant dye that would be almost perfect
If you have access to welding equipment, repair the shackle by welding.
The welded repair will be extremely hard and difficult to cut.
Nice idea!
Awesome! A good lock would cost more than the bike. Unless you have a top end bike that cost $1,000+.
My son had a bike that was $1,200. He brought it up to the porch and asked me to look at it, because there was something wrong with it. I walked out the door and said, where is it? Someone must have watched him ride it up to the house and stole it when he walked in the house. Luckily, during the last week of school, he saw someone ride his bike to school. It was painted bkack and the tires were all worn out, but we registered it with the police department, as required, and they verified it was his bike. So he did get it back.
Yeah some of those locks are definitely expensive
A good option is to use multiple locks. When you have to go through an Abus Bordo 6500, then a chain, and then you still can’t roll as there is an Abus Pro shield blocking the wheel, there is probably a better option in the street.
If you don’t mind the weight more locks is best
In Japan theft is basically non existent. Likely due to the necessity of registering your bike with the police. If you buy a used bike you must fill in a transfer of ownership form, and if the bike was stolen and you try to transfer ownership, the cops are going to have a field day with you. Basically because pretty much everyone registers new bikes and selling a used bike is a giant pain and the buyer has a lot of risk there’s no market for it so no one steals bikes. Which is why Panasonic can sell an all aluminum lock and not have crooks laughing at them
The most standard “lock” bikes will have is a tiny 3 digit lock on the front wheel that stick out a tiny thing to block the spokes. Even at the busiest stations where bikes will basically be sitting all day while people are at work, no one really locks up their bike to any degree
Honestly you’re more likely to be flogged by the local housewives if you accidentally park your bike in 2 bike slots. I’d rather go to jail than deal with the local housewife mafia
This is why I own a bike that looks like rubbish but actually works pretty well. I got the bike from my son who got it from an uncle of his wife as an inheritance. It's a 21-speed bike for girls about 20-30 years back. 26" wheels and a superb steel tube frame, so in reality a very good bike once you maintain it well. Which I did. I spent some money for new drivetrain but never even washed the bike. And it still has some ducktape from when I rode it home in it was in a very sorry condition of broken control cables and such. And to top it all, one rainy day I got my back all wet and I decided I need an extension for the rear mudguard of my new bike. So I took an empty plastic bottle of hamburger sauce from Lidl, cut it to size and then bolted it to my mudguar. It looks like shit but works perfectly well. My back has been dry ever since.
👍
I left 3 good books out in Dublin one time, on the street, under some cover in plain sight. After 3 days, ONE of the books was taken, and it was promptly replaced within about another 7 days, with a couple more books and the original (presumably by the same person). Says something about our society. Inevitably, someone came along and stole them all, I think there were about 8/9 books in total at that time. These thieves never want to improve their lives, they just want the quick buck without any work.
☹️
Wow!! I only paid $20.00 for my bicycle that was gently used. Some of those locks would be awesome but might be cheaper to buy a new bicycle. I have to work on my balance from my strokes. Almost wiped out a few times. Will work on it more this year. Awesome video!! It’s not always about the lock if the shackle can be cut that fast.
not all bikes are 20bucks. chances are you got a good deal (sounds stolen from the low price lol) but fact remains you bike is worth what it costs to replace it. you last bike cost 20bucks, not you current bike.
Thanks LPG!
I usualy devide cycles on ones for hobby and adventure and on working horses.All in all i buy used basic 18 speed bicycle for 30 euros fix it and then use it till i have to pay 30 euros for replacement parts.When it comes to that i give that bike to somebody or let it unlocked with a note ,,giveaway,, and buy another 30 euro used basic bike.In general it lasts for me a couple of years so i dont worry about hi tech locks or anything, i just use home department store u lock and thats all,if it gets stollen, i buy again .People for some reason sell very cheaply preety good and still usable bicycles just because they are obsolete but for a working horse anything high end is pointless.
👍
A shackle with a softer magnesium core may sound stupid but it will light up with a blindingly intense light if cut with an disc-cutter.
Unfortunately this may not do much...
Interesting idea though!
Lock Noob there is a company that makes a bike lock that you cannot cut with a grinder. It is a little pricy. The company that makes it is in the UK.
they're the litelocks he mentioned
I like an AXA frame lock and I use the built in locks on my vintage Raleighs. I think there's enormous power in having a lock that's unfamiliar to would-be attackers. Any lock can be defeated, so it's worth having one they won't know how to exploit
Security through obscurity.
@@GreenJimll until LPL puts an exploit video out on it.
I wonder if you could use technology like they have in chainsaw safety pants to prevent this. A layer of strong long fibers quickly tangles and stops the chainsaw blade when the pants are cut into. One could imagine the same thing wrapping itself around the angle grinder and slowing a thief down.
I've heard that some speed cameras have an inner core in their mast that can rotate. So instead of cutting away the grinder will just make that inner core spin.
Interesting idea
I use a D lock in combination with a cable lock. D lock around the frame, cable lock through both wheels and the frame. The D lock takes a bit to cut through but can't be cut with bolt cutters, the cable lock is too annoying to cut with a grinder. Don't leave a ton of room to work and it's even more of a deterrent. Pair that with a $50 1997 Specialized Rockhopper being my commuter and I haven't had anyone try to steal my bike yet. My mountain bike doesn't get taken out it public much because I don't want it to be stolen lol.
More locks the better!
I have heard that many bikes are now worth more as parts than as a complete unit, so the thieves will just cut a section out of the frame rather than cut the lock. Bike frames are almost always going to be easier to slice up than hardened steel shackles. Sadly, there's still no better protection than parking next to a nicer bike with a weaker lock!
I actually use that very D lock on my bike, for when it's parked at home or at work, but it's pretty out of the way in both of those places, and trying to steal it would draw quite a lot of attention! If I need to park it in a more public area I add a honking great chain lock as well as the D lock.
Interesting
Moses (BosnianBill) and Christ (LPL) liked the Evolution Series 4 integrated chain locks by Kryptonite.
The mini version is 55 cm, 10mm, portable, flexible and relatively cheap compared to the ones presented here. I bought two of them and I am happy with them. My game plan is to effectively never lock my expensive bike outside (leave it inside work and inside my house). Have a second cheap bike costing under £100 that can be locked for up to 8 hours max when I ride somewhere except work.
Glad your friend kept his bike. Looks like another security feature that you didn't mention came into play. That lock secures both ends meaning one cut probably won't do it. Cheaper locks just have that bent bit at one end. Any insurance premium we pay is just subsidising the police doing sweet F.A. about it.
He was very lucky
Defending against a disc cutter is now sadly essential in the UK. Only when the bike thief has to work quietly, are the alternative attack methods at all relevant. A hardened steel shackle may benefit from retrofitting aluminium pipe over the two sides, loose enough to spin somewhat. As mentioned, aluminium is a clogger. For the top curve of the 'U' I don't yet have an idea...
That Altor SAF thing doesn't seem like it would fit around a bicycle wheel + frame + rack, so what use is it ?
True, it’s not super practical
I wonder how effective it would be to just put electroplated synthetic diamond on the exposed portion of the shackle. It'd have to be overcoated with rubber to keep it from scratching everything, but it would basically eat the wheels. That's the way cheap grinder dressers are made. Given that the crook only has one wheel and it's usually thin and small, it wouldn't take much. Then again, I've never laid into a diamond dresser with a narrow wheel and held it in one spot. It might not be perfect, but I'm sure it's a hell of a lot cheaper and lighter than some of these exotic ideas.
Interesting idea
I love the ceramic composite toughening and wonder if there is more technology that direction in the pipeline. My strategy for the time being is relying on an inexpensive bike with a barely dissuasive lock. 🤷
Shame it’s all so expensive
@@LockNoob keep spreading the word and economies of scale are bound to kick in sometime.
WOW !!!!! All my mountain biking days kriptonite were the go to lock because of their so called strength. I'm absolutely shocked and a bit gutted that I left my pride and joy left insecure
It’s better than nothing
I wonder if there is a way to incorporate kevlar strands into the covering of the shackle. The kevlar string would be pulled through and bind up the wheel and the motor. I bit like how chainsaw protection clothes work...
Or alternatively, have a spin-able bar cover tube over the straight parts of the shackle - the spinning should slow down cutting disk.
Or incorporate both!
bike thieves don't always get away with it. guy i used to know had the misfortune to ride past the person whose bike he stole and got blindsided - watching him wince almost a month later trying to eat pasty and beans with three metal plates holding his face together, wasn't nice. i know he regrets it.
So he should!
I've watched a few motorbike channels having an attempt at cutting the litelocks and all failed to do so with a single disc on their battery powered cutters. I guess it depends on how much your bike is worth, both in terms of value and if it's your only form of transport.
That’s cool!
D lock through the frame and rear wheen with a cable lock linked to it through the front wheel, and not leaving it out of sight even when locked up, also locking up next to someones bike with a crappy lock is the best bet I've found
I was once locking my bike to some railings round a garden area to a police station just a mile outside the city center in Greater Manchester. A police inspector was coming out of the entrance and saw what I was doing. He immediately ordered me to put my heavy duty chain lock around a stanchion for a sign right below a ground floor window to the offices space within and out of more direct view of the street. The sign was also near to the main entrance door. I thought that was very good of him to be so helpful and used the same facility on subsequent visits to the area. A good location with policemen coming and going all the time. This was years ago but today the use of a battery powered angle grinder in such a place would have attracted unwelcome police attention for any offender, especially as the office behind the window was usually occupied and in summer the window was often open.
Security in layers
Good advice some of the bikes are thousands of £ss so paying a few hundred for a good lock and chain means the thieves might look somewhere else.
Thanks 🙏
Thank you for converting weight, I hate having to Google it
Well this is pretty serious and there actually isn’t any good solution. The thing you Brit’s call a “disk cutter” is typically called a “cut off wheel” or “angle grinder” here in the states but the actual problem is the same. It’s the industrial tool used to actually shape and create the materials used in the locks. Any effort to frustrate its effective application is likely futile.
The really grim aspect of this though is much wider. Bikes are a low carbon emission transportation system. However one of the serious obstacles to wider application would be continual theft issues. The public can hardly be expected to invest in a technology that could disappear at any moment. Getting a response from civil authorities that is more flaccid than the response to unlicensed television receivers, well, if you really expect something to get done it’s going to take more than self righteous lectures from little girls to see things through.
I hope you can get your hands on one of those litekoks. I would like to try my hands on a few more dd locks as well.
Yeah I’d really like one
Walking out with a tool like that makes someone " going equipped......" . Having pointed that out I once saw a youth in Hackney in a hoody walk past a policeman while carrying a huge bolt cropper and the policeman did NOTHING !
I had a bike with a front basket and I D lock fits in easily and I once needed to brandish it , D locks make a good truncheon.
Per 10:20, you could weld the tail back, and get 90% of the functionality. Welding is amazingly cheap.
Very true!
I'm in NYC, bike theft is like a sport here and I wish I was kidding. Always went with the higher end Kryptonite locks but so far had two bikes stolen, found a cut lock on the ground. They are using die grinders here, not just angle grinders. Even American 700's fall easily to a die grinder and they are my go to with a boron carbide hefty chain. Thanks for the video's those ceramic coated locks do sound interesting, I'd love to see a comparison of how hard they are to cut VS a regular hardened shackle. Have a good one!
Just make your bike look less atractive than any other bike in the area... remove brand stickers and paint it to give it a cheap look.
Sad it’s such a problem :-(
I combine a short 12mm chain with a small 18mm D lock. At home I have a 16mm motocycle security chain. Worked so far.
a hard to cut shackle is all well and good, but a certain point around here they often just cut what ever you have locked your bike to (often no more then rebar basically in many cases).
True
I wonder if the material in those anti cut pants arborists use might be useful? Make a cylinder of fabric out of it and glue it to the shackle? Could be much cheap if it worked.
You know what… although it might cost a bit to find such pants depending on the area and price of import. Yeah, just looked them up. Around 200 bucks for the pants. I think they have some kevlar and such in them…
@@somevids4187 You can just buy Kevlar like any other fabric so if that's all they are you wouldn't need to buy the pants, just the minimum amount of the fabric you can order. I thought they had something else in them.
I have seen several bikes at work stolen and evey one has been a brute force attack. They just go for quick and easy methods to steal.
Since seeing several bikes stolen I have still watched people lock their bikes with a cheap chain or wire rope and put it through the wheel as opposed to the frame. 🤦🏻♂️
More videos like this please to make people aware.
Those wire ropes shouldn’t be sold imo
I lived in Philadelphia for a long time. My commuter bike was just old junker. Not worth more than a hundred dollars. Never had a problem. 500 and over bikes were stole all the time. Never go gambling with more than your willing to lose!
Yeah lol
Thanks for showing some of the options for bike locks. It's sad you have to spend as much for a lock as you would for a avg. rider.
Yea(, they need to be better and cheaper
I wish I had my hands on some of those fancy locks too. Especially that one with a Sentry core. Reckon picking might actually be the most practical way in to some of them. No way am I buying them at those prices though.
That’s a fantastic lock, wish I could afford it!
I wonder if there are locks with a built-in alert system with a siren and possibly flashing lights which activate when the shackle is cut. It might be a good deterrent in line with the mentioned Skunk Lock but most probably still legal.
Bristolian! That makes sense! Me ed's ertin! From the black country, just north of Birmingham. 🏴
😃👍
I had something similar on my bike and the lock stopped working. I think it took about 10 minutes with a hand saw that had a carbide blade (a kind of wire style blade used for cutting tiles with a hand metal saw).
Maybe they should sell ceramic infused replacement shackles for these existing locks. You get to save your lock and soup it up at the same time.
Not a bad idea!
I also live in city number 4.... and I can confirm that LN is not exaggerating, as seen the them myself.
😃👍
What about a bike that had a gps tracker inside the frame? Or one that takes video or photos when tapered with?
Good idea
I have to wonder if anything more than a cheap lock is worth it for a bike. The tougher locks cost a good fraction of the price of most bikes and someone determined to steal it will turn up with tools that will almost certainly defeat the lock. Worse though if the lock is too difficult to cut through they will just cut though the post it's attached too which is probably just galvanised mild steel. What we need is for the police to take the theft seriously! One thing I think we can all agree on though is no one is picking the lock.
Interesting thoughts, thanks
10mm hardened Vulcan chain, U-lock, *and* an 8mm grade 120 transport chain???
That Vulcan chain is good for weight-training….
Great information!!!!
Some wonderful options!!!
Great pick at the end😃
🐈⬛🐾🐈🐾🇬🇧🍻
Thanks 🙏
They have scooters and bikes you can rent with an app and a credit card. There should be bike racks you could pay a subscription fee for (or subscribe to for free) that you could send a Bluetooth message to to unlock your bike. I imagine there could be a QR code reader you could use in case something happens to your phone while your bike is locked up.
The people who are willing to spend a lot of money to shave off whatever weight they can from their bicycles would love to go where they could and leave their bike locked up with no more additional weight than a phone.
There's almost an anti-bike sentiment among an obnoxiously visible segment of society. Like there is a shift over to making bicycles alright to steal because they are an alternative to the problematic car culture. Weird how when major ways of functioning prove to be big problems, there comes along a major force that actively defends the status quo.
Ride a unicycle, they hardly ever get stolen.
Well, there is that
The only issue I see here is the weakest point then becomes whatever the lock/bike are locked to. This will be considerably easier to cut through, regardless of what it is, than the lock and they'll still be away with your bike! (Granted they'll have to lift it rather than ride it, if you've locked it well). My advice if you have an expensive bike and are considering buying an expensive lock - get a cheap run about and use that in medium to high risk areas and keep your expensive bike at home safe and secure! In areas where you can visibly watch the bike, fine use one of these locks. These locks will prevent the causal thief, but pro's are well prepared and have all the tools. If you bike is worth a lot of money, a thief will happily spend longer on it to try and get it even at risk to themselves getting caught. (Because, lets face it, *if* they get caught they'll get a slap on the wrist and be out tomorrow stealing more of our stuff!)
Yes, I’ve heard of people attacking the bike park frame
Hopefully, those looks will show up on your doorstep one day. I'm curious how hard the Skunk Lock is to pick.
Me too!
Oh, great overview 👍 i hate bike thieves 😔 one was stolen from me once, they cracked the combination 🙄
I have an hefty abus xplus chain now, but just because I am crazy for locks 🤪
you got me almost screaming: "there is a lock just lying there, please please pick it" 🤪
Cheers 🍻
Cheers!
1980’s mate got his motorbike nicked from the railings outside our flat with a cordless angle grinder. Edinburgh…. Schemes coming into town to go ‘shopping’
Also .... Security is an investment. If you can afford a a 3000 pound bike you can afford those locks.
I always recommend around 10% of the price of the bike for the security but hardly anyone listens lol
The Police here in the UK really don't do anything to solve bike theft crimes, they just close the case and leave the 'victim' at a loss. Abloy 342/362(bike/motorbike) and comparable chain and you're good to go! Fantastic picking Ash and thanks for bringing light to an important subject.
My local transport plod caught the bloke who nicked mine, at the railway station bike park.
They have also done security awareness days, registering bikes at bikeregister and handing out free D locks to anyone and didn't have one.
It’s all a sad state really
Poor excuse of a police force is the reason the thieves are so brazen as they know plods won’t out down their Greggs to give chase.
Great video Ash mate I have a mate who does magnet fishing he get these like that all the time👍🙏👊😊😎🇬🇧
You too!
in my case i own the highest end thickest but mini kryptonite lock. expensive bugger but it keeps people honest on my end. havent had a bike stolen yet
I hope it continues to work , always worth spending the money for quality
@@LockNoob totally is bro
And this is one of my motivations for getting a folder - can't steal my bike if I'm carrying it.
A method that USED to be very common was freeze the lock,Chain or cable with Freon or an air conditioning refill
I heard this. Never seen it tho
@@LockNoob Yeah because Clinton made Freon an illegal product to the extent the space shuttle crashed
That lock is not designed for angle grinders. Only bolt cutters and a saw. There are angle grinder resistant U locks D locks now!. These Kryptonite locks are outdated. The majority are. Cable locks are obsolete years ago.
If only they stopped selling the cable locks, seriously, I see FAAAR too many
I hate cable locks so much
Not much can stand up to a Battery angle grinder with a slitting disc.
If it takes longer it’s still better
@@LockNoob good point
I am sorry to say that even the most expensive lock has absolutely no chance against someone who knows how to use a grinder properly. I have always thought the best defense against a grinder would be a lock with some kind of thin steel wire loosely wrapped around or hanging like strands of hair. Let them try and cut something like that and see what happens.
What would happen, just out of interest?
Maybe you could get them to donate a pair of locks, with full disclosure that you intend to destroy them, testing their durability!
thank god LPL released that tool. now you dont need to set off a a bunch of sparks and noise.
I have an X3 on order if you want to try and pick it.
Good video . these new anti angle grinder locks are promising but as usual the highest level of security is you, as in don't leave your bike unattended . this of course is a massive pain is arse as it prevents one from commuting to work , shopping or eating at a restaurant,etc.
Now, this brings me to my solution which admittedly is very controversial .
Change the laws that allow the owner to render an epic ass kicking to thieves and , here's the most important part, prevent the thief from suing the owner once they have been rendered unconscious.
If thieves knew in advance that they could be legally attacked by the owner or anyone else for that matter , and they could not retaliate in the courts ,i would guess there would be a significant decrease in these types of crimes .
ok ,🔥flame away pacifists.
That's not really going to help when you get stabbed by the lookout. Can't ride a bike with your guts hanging out.
The very expensive part of bikelocks is a weird argument to me. One buys a bike that costs a couple of grand but one gets a cheap lock because the good ones are expensive. Even cheaper bikes should be secured with good locks because if it gets stolen you're without a bike and need to get a new one. Cheap or not.
You do get what you pay for
I have my doubts as to any design lock being able to slow down an angle grinder with a thin cutoff wheel for more than a few extra seconds.
The trick would be finding something that clogs the abrasive or fouls the angle grinder. Bonus points if you can figure a way to shatter the cutoff wheel.
well said... i also get told that sometime lockpicking enables thief's... and all i tell them is... a "brick" through a window is much faster or a hammer or as you shown battery operated grinders for bikes.... lol.. lol..
Yup, never just relay on a lock
Four hundred thousand stolen bikes per year? How the hell do they resell them without getting caught? Bike makers have to start stamping production numbers all over, including on the inside of the tube where the seat is inserted, so stolen bikes can be traced back.
Happy New Year Mr. Noob!
Thanks and to you!
In the old Security/Insurance days we'd try to sell peace-of-mind wrapped in the hardware. Locks bars alarms. Time to break in and caught-in-the-act Fear. But new sensors cameras smart-phone tech AI, are taking over from quaint lock-picks and portable grinders. Defence puts you at x during the crime; Prosecution face-recognition and AI devices say otherwise.
08:01 LOL vomit inducing gas lock wow. Never heard of this one, but as you say, innovative! 😆
Yeah,
You could always tie a Doberman or Rotweiler to your bike.
Actually would probably work!
Hello everyone
Hi!
a cable lock is more of a "walked off" hurdle than a lock... might let you turn your back for ten seconds, but not long. lol
Yeah the cables are terrible
@@LockNoob well yes and no ... they make great turn around for ten second locks... I have n on my fold up kickscooter. But you can't rely on them fr much... just to keep someone from walking off with it unnoticed if you turn around for a second.
But picking it is silent. Angle grinders are incredibly noisy.
Disc cutter always wins? Or what can do? Just change the cut disc type and cut any thing diamond also can cut
To too much you can do really
Do bike still have value?
Apparently so, yes
great manuals
by this point its better to learn how to pick and steal to resell the locks
Great video like always! Cheers 🇨🇦
so erm... buy a cheep d lock, and spray paint it to look like a skunk lock.
alternatively, buy a skunk lock, and paint it to look like a cheap lock ;-)
Good ideas!
“Click out of 1, 2 is binding….”🤔
I mean I could use a guestamate pretty accurate but I want to know for sure
what kind of person steals a bicycle
Criminals?
Great video
Thanks 🙏
Wait... 2 million bicycles are stolen a year in the US? Imma call BS on that, almost no one uses bicycles here, sounds like insurance fraud
I hope it’s not true
Couldn't you use the old shackle by cutting it shorter & cutting new shackle cutouts?
You would have to put a bend in the other side. Hard to do without the right equipment
20$ airtag might also be an option.
But be careful (or prepared), the new owner most likely does not like you 😉.
But it's not uncommon that the thrives are just drunk guys who dump the bike at the next park /forest.
You brought up an interesting point about replacement shackles. An enterprising person with access to a sturdy pipe bender and lathe/milling machine might do ok just making replacement (upgraded) shackles for their local cycling community.
Personally, my solution is to ride bikes that just aren't that valuable.
My second best solution would probably be this:
ruclips.net/video/gP9wLJhaBOE/видео.html
I'm blown away that people want to steal bikes that much.. Like really..? It's a bike..but I'm also stupdified people can spend like $7k for a bike... It's a bike. I've never bought a car for anywhere near that cost. I legit don't get bike ppl..
I can’t believe so many are stolen either