Lost Key to Kryptonite Bike Lock: What to do?
Daniel L. Schneider
I lost my keys. That's not such a big deal, because I can easily
replace most of them. There was one, however, that went to the
kryptonite U-Lock on my bicycle. I thought I had a spare, but I
can't seem to find it. You know what kind of key I'm talking
about -- those little cylinder keys used only on U-Locks, vending
machines, and PC's.
I'd just go out and buy a new one except the one I have is currently
locking my bike to a rack.
So what's the least expensive way out?
Would a locksmith be able to pick that lock, or make a new key for it?
Larry Margolis
>
> kryptonite U-Lock on my bicycle.
>
>
> Would a locksmith be able to pick that lock, or make a new key for it?
Yes, a locksmith can pick it and make a new key to it. Unless you have
a friend who's a locksmith, though, this could wind up costing you
more than just buying a new lock. The obvious solution for removing
the lock is a carbide blade in a hacksaw. If there's an outlet within
reach of the bike rack, there are even faster solutions.
I'll attach an article I saved from misc.security, which is both
relevant and interesting.
Cheers,
Larry Margolis, MARGOLI@YKTVMV (Bitnet), mar...@watson.IBM.com (Internet)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
>From: bry...@vax1.acs.udel.EDU (Christopher F. Bryden)
Subject: Re: U-Shaped Locks...
Date: 8 Aug 89 01:01:26 GMT
I just got finished talking with a exbicycle messenger from NYCity. A quote
from him : "In order to know how to protect your bicycle in New York, you have
to know how to steal a bicycle." Since most of us are not willing to do this,
I'll share what he had to say with you. He said that there were a varity of
ways to hack Kryptonite/U-type locks. Standard procedure, as it turns out, is
to approach the bicycle and see if the person has locked the bike correctly.
Apparently, cylindrical locks have to positions that the key can be removed
from, the locked position and the unlocked position. Some people fail to lock
their lock properly. Then, cut off the plastic around the locking mechanism.
If there may or may not be a pin the holds the lock in place. If there is a
pin, tap it out. The lock should fall out or can be unscrewed at this point.
if there is no pin, use a pipe cutter to cut thru the hollow portion of the
lock. This is available in hardware stores (really poor description of a pipe
cutter follows : it's a right angle brace with a slot in it where the cutter
sits and a screw/vice type mechanism is at the other end). If none of this
works (pipe cutter won't work for a solid bar between end portions of the
"U") then a large diameter, long pipe can be used to force the lock. This
makes a huge, loud bang. Freon tricks work, but usually take about a minute
or two ard require blunt smashing insturment. Liquid nitrogen tricks work
fast, but it's dangerous if you use the stuff incorrectly. If you have some
time, a few locks are open on the other side of the part that holds the lock.
This can be split with a chisle.
Most messengers in NY use a shielded cable lock called "The Cobra." It's mondo
expensive, heavy, and there's no warranty with it. The messengers that have
U-type locks have a tee pipe sections, available at hardware stores, around the
lock portion of the cross bar to keep people from tapping out the pin that holds
the lock. There is a band steel version of the U-type locks, but I don't know
what it's called or how good it is. Some of the messengers feel that it's only
a matter of time before their bikes are stolen, so they buy two locks. They
beat the s*it out of one and basically make it look like it was broken. Then
they use the other and fill out the warranty for the other. A good theif never
leaves evidence behind. This means they never leave the lock behind.
If you're looking for a U-type bicycle lock, here are a few things to look for :
1) Does it have a pin that holds the lock in?
This is hard to check, but you should be able to get the plastic back
enough to see. If you can't (some locks are in shrink wrapped packages),
then ask the store to open a package and strip off the plastic for you to
see. A good store will do this for you free of charge and keep it around
to sell bicycle locks in the future.
2) Does lock have a solid bar between the two points where the "U" is secured.
This is usually pretty obvious. It's either a solid bar or a pipe.
3) Is the other end of the section of the lock that secures the "U" open?
This usually requires the removal of the plastic that covers the lock.
4) Does the lock mechanism have a metle shank that slides into the lock?
If so, how thick is it? A superior locking mechanism will have a
cylindrical ball that moves into hemisphere that is drilled into the "U".
5) How is the other end of the lock secured?
Is it just bent? These are real easy to force. Does the bent end have
a hole drilled in to it so that it hinges a hook inside (this is better that
just being bent, but by no means the best). The best arrangement is to
have a hole dirlled thru the section that the "U" is secured to. In this
arrangement, you slide the "U" section into the hole in a perpendicular
fassion (hard to describe, easy to understand).
6) What is the warranty like?
Does it require evidence of the lock being broken. Does it require you
bicycle to be registered with the police? Does it require payment for
registration with the company? Look the warranty over. Again, it may be in
a shrink wrap package that you have to buy to open. A good bicycle shop
will have an open package so that you can read the warranty and inspect the
lock. In some ways, this is the most important step in buying a lock.
If you have questions or comments, send me mail.
Chris
--
arpa : bry...@vax1.acs.udel.edu | If you steal a clean slate,
bitnet: AIT05167 at ACSVM | does it go on your record? -- anonymous
plato : bryden/itpt/udel ------------------ Only if you are caught.
uucp : ...{unidot,uunet}!cfg!udel!udccvax1!bryden | -- me
Randall Smith
In article <1992Feb10.1...@casbah.acns.nwu.edu> jmca...@casbah.acns.nwu.edu (James McAdams) writes:
> I've also heard several rumors about being able to "pop" these
> locks, but don't have any info on that.
A friend told me that bike thieves use two methods. Terminology:
----------^ tab end ||
/ ||
| U piece || Straight bar
\ ||
----------\ ||
bent end
1) Pour liquid nitrogen into the hole in the straight bar into
which the tab end of the U piece goes, wait about 30 seconds, and
then knock the straight bar off. Apparently the piece of metal that
holds onto the U from the straight bar isn't very big or strong, and
so is easy to shatter once its temperature is lowered to 77 degrees
Kelvin.
2) Put some kind of strong jack between the bars of the U and
crank it open to the point where the bent end, instead of curving
into its hole in the straight bar, goes straight in. Then knock the
straight bar off with a sledgehammer.
These aren't supposed to take very long (and no, I'm fairly sure
my friend isn't a bike thief!).
-- Randy
--
Randall Smith "The best thing that you've ever done for me
ra...@ai.mit.edu Is to help me take my life less seriously.
It's only life, after all." -- The Indigo Girls
Doug - Development x7889
>
>Yes, a locksmith can pick it and make a new key to it. Unless you have
>a friend who's a locksmith, though, this could wind up costing you
>more than just buying a new lock. The obvious solution for removing
>the lock is a carbide blade in a hacksaw. If there's an outlet within
>reach of the bike rack, there are even faster solutions.
Another way that I heard of that is popular around the Stanford campus
here is to get one of the jacks that come the newer cars, the sissor
types. Put this inbetween the base of the lock and the peak of the "U"
and start a twisting. Supposedly you can just pop the lock right apart
with this method.
-DM
--
Douglas Mason dou...@netcom.COM
Network administration / software development dou...@netcom.UUCP
Approach Software Corporation +1 415.306.7889
Stainless Steel Rat
} Trying freezing the lock with freon and breaking it. I've heard through
}a very
}reliable source that this works.
That trick works on older (pre 1991) Kryptonite and most cheap-o "U" locks
because of the way they were tempered--freeze 'em and they get really
brittle, then hit 'em with a hammer or crowbar or something. Kryptonite
locks made after early 1991 are tempered differently to prevent them from
getting brittle.
--Rat
--
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Internet: rat...@splinter.coe.northeastern.edu / | /| / / | The worlds
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Holbrook, MA 02343-1031 / | /| / / /___| | any problem
ICBMnet: 42 deg 1 min N, 71 deg 0 min W / |/ |/ /_//_____| for you.
john gay
If you decide to cut the lock, I had some friends in college in an ME lab
class that decided to find out how easy it was to cut into a hardened bike
lock. The easiest way that they found was to take a hand held torch and
heat a piece of the hardened bar. After heating the metal gave way to a
hack saw with very little problem. This turned out that they were unhardening
a case-hardened part. The part had been hardened using carbon, but only on
the surface. Heating it up allowed the extra carbon to escape into the
atmosphere.
john gay. jg...@digi.lonestar.org
"Millions of people around the world want to come to America. Too bad the
president isn't one of them."
"Jerry Brown? I have to say that if Jerry Brown is the answer, it must be
a damn peculiar question."
- Texas Democratic Senator Lloyd Bentsen (from Dallas Morning News)
Norman Yarvin
> After heating the metal gave way to a
>hack saw with very little problem. This turned out that they were unhardening
>a case-hardened part. The part had been hardened using carbon, but only on
>the surface. Heating it up allowed the extra carbon to escape into the
>atmosphere.
It is not necessary to hypothesize that the chemical composition of the
metal changed. Just heating then cooling metal can change its
characteristics drastically. The new temper of the metal will depend on how
fast it cooled: if it was quenched (dipped when red-hot into water or oil),
it will be very hard and brittle while if it was cooled very slowly it will
be soft. Other factors, such as whether the metal was forged (mechanically
worked) during cooling, also affect the quality of the resulting steel.
Also, I hear a hacksaw works on those locks anyway.. just bring about six
replacement blades.
--
Norman Yarvin yar...@cs.yale.edu
"Praise the humanities, my boy. That'll make them think you're broadminded!"
-- Winston Churchill
julius yang
>Also, I hear a hacksaw works on those locks anyway.. just bring about six
>replacement blades.
My friend lost his key, so he just took a power saw to the lock--noisy as hell,
but it ripped right through the metal in about a minute. I don't know what
kind of blade he used, though. Impressive sparks, that sort of thing.
--
=============================================================================
julius yang |. .| "I'm dressed as a homicidal maniac--they look
jul...@tybalt.caltech.edu | _ | just like everyone else."
jul...@iago.caltech.edu | | --Wednesday Addams
Jim Rees
Trying freezing the lock with freon and breaking it. I've heard through
a very
reliable source that this works.
No, don't use Freon (tm)! It's an ozone-destroying greenhouse gas. Liquid
nitrogen works better, is environmentally safe (except for the energy
required to liquify it), and is a lot more fun besides!
Carl J Lydick
Unfortunately, unless you're at someplace that uses it (there's a tank just
down the hall from my office), it's much harder to come by, and it's
harder to handle.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Carl J Lydick | INTERnet: CA...@SOL1.GPS.CALTECH.EDU | NSI/HEPnet: SOL1::CARL
Disclaimer: Hey, I understand VAXes and VMS. That's what I get paid for. My
understanding of astronomy is purely at the amateur level (or below). So
unless what I'm saying is directly related to VAX/VMS, don't hold me or my
organization responsible for it. If it IS related to VAX/VMS, you can try to
hold me responsible for it, but my organization had nothing to do with it.
A Tennis Hack
I lost a Key to a kryptonite lock some weeks ago. The cheapest way to do
it if you don't have liquid nitrogen, is to use a Tungsten Carbide
hacksaw blade, and it's environmentally safe too. Don't confuse it with a
"carbon" blade. The Carbide Blade has NO teeth, but I cut through the "U"
in about 20 minutes. It will go faster if you have the lock secured tightly
instead of holding it with one hand and cutting with the other. You can
usually find these at good home supply stores. Good luck.
Dat
Jeffrey Chung
Is there any way to copy a magnetic strip? There are some credit card
size security cards that people slide through scanners...is there any way
to copy them?
--
Joshua Geller
sometimes glueing a piece of magnetic tape to a piece of celluloid or
plastic the same size as the card in question, wrapping it with the credit
card in a t-shirt or something and presssing with a medium iron works.
josh
Carl J Lydick
Back when BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) was being set up, they had a contest in
which entrants were to try to find ways of cheating the system. One technique
that worked originally was: Lay a piece of magnetic tape over the magnetic
stripe on the BART card, cover that with a piece of cloth, and then run an iron
over it. The trick is to raise the loose piece of magtape to the Fermi point,
without doing the same to the stripe on the card. If you don't raise the
magtape to the Fermi point, nothing happens. If you raise the stripe on the
card to the Fermi point, you erase it.
Rick Miller
Yes, N_{2}[l] works very well indeed. We had a couple of guys arrested
in the Milwaukee area a few years ago for bike theft using this technique.
They had a double-lined cooler in the back of a van. They'd drive up,
open the back, ladle some onto each lock, and drive away with half the
bikes at a rack. They were even smart enough to have one guy PICK UP
ALL THE PIECES so no one would connect them with the liquid-Nitrogen
dealer! Luckily, they were caught in the act by an off-duty officer.
Rick Miller, Room A516 discus!ri...@uwm.edu or ri...@ee.uwm.edu
Wisconsin Electric Power Company Voice: +1 414 221 3403
333 West Everett Street FAX: +1 414 221 3779
Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53203 USA (PGP key available by finger)
Walker Aumann
>In article <56f6b5b...@paris.citi.umich.edu>, re...@paris.citi.umich.edu (Jim Rees) writes:
>>In article <1992Feb11.0...@ncsu.edu>, par...@eos.ncsu.edu (PAUL ARMSTRONG) writes:
>>
>> Trying freezing the lock with freon and breaking it. I've heard through
>> a very
>> reliable source that this works.
>>
>>No, don't use Freon (tm)! It's an ozone-destroying greenhouse gas. Liquid
>>nitrogen works better, is environmentally safe (except for the energy
>>required to liquify it), and is a lot more fun besides!
>Unfortunately, unless you're at someplace that uses it (there's a tank just
>down the hall from my office), it's much harder to come by, and it's
>harder to handle.
It may be harder to get (I don't know. I just walk across campus to our tap.
:) However, you can store it for several hours in a $2.00 styrofoam cooler,
and pour it onto whatever suits you at the time, i.e. locks, kooshes, freshmen,
and bored people waiting to see the Rose Parade. Plastic cups seem to work as
well, although you need to hold them at the top if you're not wearing gloves.
Walker
Kenneth B. Kirksey
|> Back when BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) was being set up, they had a contest in
|> which entrants were to try to find ways of cheating the system. One technique
|> that worked originally was: Lay a piece of magnetic tape over the magnetic
|> stripe on the BART card, cover that with a piece of cloth, and then run an iron
|> over it. The trick is to raise the loose piece of magtape to the Fermi point,
|> without doing the same to the stripe on the card. If you don't raise the
|> magtape to the Fermi point, nothing happens. If you raise the stripe on the
|> card to the Fermi point, you erase it.
|> ^^^^^
I don't mean to pick nits, but shouldn't that be the CURIE point?
Ken
+-------------------------+---------------------------------------------------+
| Ken Kirksey | "Funny how everything was roses |
| Computer Engineering | when we held on to the guns, |
| | And just because your're winning |
| | don't mean you're the lucky ones." |
| Auburn University | |
| kkir...@eng.auburn.edu | - W. Axl Rose |
+-------------------------+---------------------------------------------------+
Peter Creath
diamond-tipped drill bit specifically for cutting through the things...
--
pet...@neosoft.com "The rest is silence." -- Hamlet
Steve - Happy Hacker!
> Yes, N_{2}[l] works very well indeed. We had a couple of guys arrested
> in the Milwaukee area a few years ago for bike theft using this technique.
> They had a double-lined cooler in the back of a van. They'd drive up,
> open the back, ladle some onto each lock, and drive away with half the
> bikes at a rack. They were even smart enough to have one guy PICK UP
> [...]
Personally, I find this hard to believe, as stated. If the story was
"simplified" somewhat, then it makes more sense.
Pouring a "ladle" of liquid nitrogen onto a lock will do little more
than make it cold. I tried it a few years ago. To make metal hard
enough to shatter, you have to let it bathe in N for quite a while,
and even then, it's not all as brittle as people make it sound.
Organic (water-based) things tend to get very brittle, very quick in N
because they change quite a bit when the water freezes. (roses are
fun, grass too) This does not apply to metal locks.
I just thought I'd mention it before someone goes all out of their way
to get liq. nitrogen and finds out they now have a cold, strong lock.
If you have tried it, and have different results, speak up! I'd like
to hear the details.
(Now, a hot torch can reduce the metal to untempered putty...)
Happy Hacking!
-Steve
LEUNG Wing Chiu
>Myth: You can break a bike lock with liquid nitrogen or other gases
>
>Freon cannot cool the lock sufficiently to do any good. Steel
>conducts heat into the cooling zone faster than it can be removed by a
>freeze bomb at the temperatures of interest. Liquid nitrogen or other
>gasses are so cumbersome to handle that a lock on a bike cannot be
>immersed as it must be to be effective. The most common and
>inconspicuous way to break these locks is by using a 4 inch long 1
>inch diameter commercial hydraulic jack attached to a hose and pump
>unit.
>(Jobst Brandt jobst_brandt%0...@hp1900.desk.hp.com)
Cheers,
Peter
--
Department of Mechanical Engineering & Material Science|
| wc...@caesar.rice.edu
To be the light of the world!! |
Bob Vaughan
the sides of the U.
||=================\
|| || \
|| | | |
|| | | /
||=================/
Might be a little bit violent when it lets go :-)
--
-- Welcome My Son, Welcome To The Machine --
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-- I am Me, I am only Me, And no one else is Me, What could be simpler? --
Dirk Walls
Cut the plastic/rubber coating off and spray the bar with freon (you can get
this by buying a gum remover for carpets) keep spraying, give it a few seconds
to get good and cold, then hit it with a hammer. Should shatter.
--
Dirk Walls <> di...@ecst.csuchico.edu --[DO NOT REMOVE UNDER PENALTY OF LAW]--
Eric_Munson
Freon is a contributor of CFC's so use liquid nitrogen, it's better for the
environment.. or use two 6 foot long poles with a friend, watch out for
flying pieces.. Best, and probably easiest way to do it would be with some
kryptonite bolt cutters, this is what the thieves use around here, (works
well, they stole over 79 bikes from this dorm alone last year.)
Rent a pair at a local rental shop, (about $5 probably)
--
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Eric Michael Munson n904...@henson.cc.wwu.edu
1148 Fairhaven "Man is a feeling creature..."
Bellingham, WA 98225 -It conquered the world
Charles (Tarzan) Dillon
>this by buying a gum remover for carpets) keep spraying, give it a few seconds
>to get good and cold, then hit it with a hammer. Should shatter.
Has anybody actually gotten something like this to work? I would check out
the local Rent-U-Anything for some choice implements of destruction.
When protesters lock themselves to buildings, ships, logging equipment, etc
with kryptonite type locks the cops usually have the firemen bring their
nasty hydrolic cutters. The locks don't last too long, and neither
do the protesters.
>
>--
>Dirk Walls <> di...@ecst.csuchico.edu --[DO NOT REMOVE UNDER PENALTY OF LAW]--
--
If you understand, things are just as they are. | Charles
If you do not understand, things are just as they are. | Dillon
Zen Buddhist saying | Some disclimer
| should go here.
Jacob DeGlopper
In a previous article, cdi...@ecst.csuchico.edu (Charles Tarzan) Dillon) says:
>When protesters lock themselves to buildings, ships, logging equipment, etc
>with kryptonite type locks the cops usually have the firemen bring their
>nasty hydrolic cutters. The locks don't last too long, and neither
>do the protesters.
If need be. I don't think a U-lock would last long under the Hurst
spreaders, or the O-cutters for that matter, both of which are multi-
tens of tons hydraulic tools powered by gas or electric pumps.
Considering how many cars we take apart, including bending the frame,
I don't think there would be a problem. I suppose using the spreaders
might damage the protesters somewhat, however.
--
_/acob DeGlopper, EMT-A, Wheaton Volunteer Rescue Squad -- jr...@po.cwru.edu
Dirk Walls
>>Cut the plastic/rubber coating off and spray the bar with freon (you can get
>>this by buying a gum remover for carpets) keep spraying, give it a few seconds
>>to get good and cold, then hit it with a hammer. Should shatter.
>
>Has anybody actually gotten something like this to work? I would check out
A campus police officer demonstrated this technique for us when I was working
at the campus key/lock shop. Worked well.
Bullwinkle J. Moose
we were actually able to cut through with a hacksaw. (So much for all their
lofty claims.) It really wasn't very good for the hacksaw, but it _did_
work.
Cheers
Kevin
"I'm not being unfair...okay, I am, but who cares?" -- The Wedding Present
Pete Shipley
I used a "scissor" style car jack, I just inserted it inside the U of the
lock. connected the crank to it and "opened" the lock.
--
Pete Shipley:
email: shi...@berkeley.edu Flames: cima...@postgres.berkeley.edu
uunet!tcs!shipley or ucbvax!shipley
Spelling corections: /dev/null Quote: "Anger is an energy"
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-DB