MegaSack DRAW - This year's winner is user - rgwb
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I should have videod it I know, but last night I had to rescue a friend's bike as the lock had jammed in her Abus Granite D-lock and I have an 18v Bosch Angle grinder. Never cut a lock before, but literally like a knife through butter, we were both quite amazed how quick it took. I was wondering will I need another battery / blade as I rode over to her house and yet it went through the 14mm shackle in about 5 seconds. Only cut one side, but there was enough play to remove the lock.
Does make you realise that no matter what lock you buy, it can be cut so easily....
Also all this marketing drivel about 2 sided locking vs 1 sided D-locks - completely pointless, there's more than enough play to remove the lock with just one side cut.
Just had to share as the owner of several Abus Granite D-locks which I now realise are just visual deterrents!
The rise of the battery powered angle grinder is a bike thieves dream....
nothing will stop a determined professional thief who wants *your* bike. Locks are there to stop chancers, and to show the broken remains to your insurance company.
To be fair an angle grinder isn't the most stealthy thing to use nick bike!
Agree that locks are just an irritant to a determined thief, so more than one locks a good idea.
I also have one of those aldi alarmed padlocks on my bikes at home
Also worth pointing out. Keep my nice bike in the house, we were burgled a few months back, and bike was taken, if they want it they'll have it!
To be fair an angle grinder isn’t the most stealthy thing to use nick bike!
Yep, I was a bit concerned when it turned out she lived in a pub in town and the bike she pointed to was an £6000 e-mtb, but I was happy to help out a friend in need. Odd that she just rode off on it without even saying thanks....
<span style="display: inline !important; float: none; background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 22.4px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">To be fair an angle grinder isn’t the most stealthy thing to use nick bike!</span>
but if the tealeaf shows up in a hi-vis tabard, safety goggles and work boots, no one will question him.
My 4" battery powered angle grinder with slitting discs cuts scaffold tubes in seconds so no lock is going to with stand that. They can market the locks how they lime but tbey are easy pick8ngs really.
Odd that she just rode off on it without even saying thanks….
😆
Yep, I'd like to get a D lock made with lightweight hollow tubes for the same visual deterrent but a tenth of the weight.
wrightysonMember
My 4″ battery powered angle grinder with slitting discs cuts scaffold tubes in seconds so no lock is going to with stand that. They can market the locks how they lime but tbey are easy pick8ngs really.
You'd hope that a lock that's specifically designed not to be cut would fare better than a bit of steel tube though.
Yep, I’d like to get a D lock made with lightweight hollow tubes for the same visual deterrent but a tenth of the weight.
The one I use on my commuter is basically this. Not quite 1/10 the weight but pretty light for a D-lock. Lock barrel is really fussy though....
They aren't particularly difficult to cut with a dremel or a hand saw either!
They aren’t particularly difficult to cut with a dremel or a hand saw either!
I've got an old D-lock shackle from a lock which failed, I could try a comparison and see how long it takes me to cut through it by hand.......
I always put a little combination lock on the front disc when I leave my bike anywhere. In the thought that the thief may cut through the d-lock, but when they try to ride off they'll go over the bars and smash their stupid face on the pavement 😀
The walls on scarf tube are reasonably thick and obviously you have to cut all the way round. I appreciate it's not of the greatest relevance but fast spinny skinny thing cuts normal metal like a hot knife through butter. This hardened kryptonite marketing bollox is just a defence against the old school way of small bolt croppers. The battery grinder is now the tool of choice, loads of videos of them being used knocking about from bike to motorbike thefts..
Nothing bwill beat a angle grinder it's more to stop bolt cutters, hack saws and leverage attacks.
^^^ love that @Dez!
edit, other posts above
Can you jam an angle grinder with nylon threads like a chain saw? You could fill a hollow shackle with it similar to chainsaw clothing...
Footflaps you beat me too it. Hollow shackle filled with ballistic nylon/Kevlar.
Would think the grinder will still get through something like that, in an almost melting the fibre type of way.
I sold my chainsaw clothing along with the chainsaw, so can't do any experimenting....
Theres some sort of D lock I saw that is filled with some of gas, so if it's cut it gets released. Won't kill you but won't make you stick around either
Can't remember much more than that though
filled with some of gas,
I’m filled with gas too. Excellent defence against kidnapping (and long term relationships and secure employment)
damn e-grinders, they'll be the death of the humble hacksaw!
Ming the MercilessSubscriber
Footflaps you beat me too it. Hollow shackle filled with ballistic nylon/Kevlar.
A bit like this
Obviously not going to withstand sustained effort, but might make it take long enough to deter the thief.
^^^ except that performed dismally on Kickstarter back in 2014 and then, to the best of my brief Googling, was never heard from again - so maybe not a great idea after all
I saw the results of where a guy cut through a price of scaffold tube used as a locking bar with Petrol disc cutter.
the tube was no defence but the guys in the work shop had put some rebar through the middle and filled it full of roofing pitch.
the police found a very scorched saw and burnt pitch marks everywhere.... no sign of the suspect at the local hospital either
not a practical option for a bike lock.... but might be of use to go through a row of frames
The worrying thing is that the lock in the OPs story recently won the best lock contest on Bike Radar IIRC
Found it. When I say recent it appears to be last year but I was only recently spammed with it on Twitter 🙂
https://www.bikeradar.com/road/gear/article/the-best-bike-locks-and-chains-44996/
EDIT
From this table I am guessing it must be the cheaper one that was tested but not reviewed....
The worrying thing is that the lock in the OPs story recently won the best lock contest on Bike Radar IIRC
Yep, the Abus Granites are at the top end of D-locks in terms of choice of steel and size of shackle, they weigh about 2 kg. I have two myself...