Senior moment!

[NATURAL ANKLING]

Hi,
If it's a cable lock.
You grab the cable that goes into the lock and you twist it as well as pulling it.
In time the steel on the end of the cable the nipple That this will wear through the lock catch inside which is only a cheap nasty thing.

[francovendee]

You had snapped the lock home hadn't you.

Yes

[francovendee]

Hi,
If it's a cable lock.
You grab the cable that goes into the lock and you twist it as well as pulling it.
In time the steel on the end of the cable the nipple That this will wear through the lock catch inside which is only a cheap nasty thing.

Yours is the nearest solution but it only took 2 minutes.

[mercalia]

No tools used.

Open Sesame

well your choice of lock dont say much for your sense of security does it?

[kwackers]

well your choice of lock dont say much for your sense of security does it?

As a "build time" hobby (i.e. something that only takes a minute or so whilst I'm building a project) I took up lock picking.

Turns out that most locks are a bit poo.
And I include some pretty expensive bike locks in that description - usually borrowed from others in the office.

I'm no "lock picking lawyer" (look him up on YouTube, very entertaining if not a little scary) but I can pick a reasonable lock usually in less than a minute and sometimes in around 10-20 seconds and that armed with a cheapo set of Chinese picks (classic and tubular).

[pwa]

If it is a thin cable then repeated bending could fatigue through it.

[photobike]

Depending on your definition of tools. I have seen a cable lock snapped by a thief using a stick placed in the loop and twisting until it snapped at the lock in an action not unlike a garotte.

[francovendee]

Depending on your definition of tools. I have seen a cable lock snapped by a thief using a stick placed in the loop and twisting until it snapped at the lock in an action not unlike a garotte.

You've almost got it.
What the chap did was to release the toggle and remove the saddle and seat post. He then did as you suggest, using the seat post he kept twisting the cable into tighter and tighter coils until it let go with a bang. It was the fitting not the cable that gave out. He did use quite a lot of force but no stick or anything other than what was on the bike.
It wasn't a Poundland lock, I paid £20 for it so it wasn't terribly expensive. I think the force generated was huge and wonder if any lock would have held out.

[661-Pete]

I use a hard steel chain and a fairly hefty padlock. I'd be interested to know what people think of that means of security. Chain is difficult to saw through with a hacksaw; maybe an angle-grinder would go through it, but how many opportunist bike-thieves would carry one of those? And what about padlocks?

[kwackers]

I use a hard steel chain and a fairly hefty padlock. I'd be interested to know what people think of that means of security. Chain is difficult to saw through with a hacksaw; maybe an angle-grinder would go through it, but how many opportunist bike-thieves would carry one of those? And what about padlocks?

IME big padlocks easier to pick, the pins are bigger and you don't need to have developed that much of a 'feel' in order to pick them.
Most don't need that much skill either, you can usually 'rifle' them using a snake rake.

There are some padlocks that have unusual keyways that look as though they'd be beyond my meagre skills (Again, Lock Picking Lawyer on YT is a good source of things that work if picking is likely).

Most thieves can't be bothered with skilz though so I suspect your cordless angle grinder is their most turned to tool and there's not much can defeat one so in that respect a bigger padlock is preferable if only because a bit more time spent making a racket might just attract attention.

[pwa]

If the situation merits a very hefty lock, I'd mostly choose not to leave the bike at all. The exception being when I am sleeping beside the bike in a tent.

[reohn2]

A tip,I always carry two keys,one which I use all the time and leave in the lock when it's in the saddle bag and one on my house keyring which is with me at all times.
Another tip,any lock is only ever a deterrent,a determined thief if s/he wants your bike enough will take it

[photobike]

I use a hard steel chain and a fairly hefty padlock. I'd be interested to know what people think of that means of security. Chain is difficult to saw through with a hacksaw; maybe an angle-grinder would go through it, but how many opportunist bike-thieves would carry one of those? And what about padlocks?

The reality is that if someone wants your bike they are going to get it, regardless of the locks you use. However few thieves are targeting individual bikes and are just operating some type of risk/reward equation. The lesson is like the bear chasing the two men, you don’t have to outrun the bear - you only have to outrun the other man. In the same way, a lock’s effectiveness is in causing the thief to find your bike less attractive to steal than other bikes that might be nearby (with a cable lock!)

In the incident I witnessed above, the scene was at the busiest tram stop in the city and the thief had no concern about bystanders. He was also clearly under the influence of some substance. I alerted police nearby and even at that he wasn’t troubled - he just ‘wanted to go home’ and the easiest bike to steal (cable lock) was the target. It wasn’t anything like 2 minutes before he had released the bike and only that the police were there, the bike would have left with him.

[rjb]

Did the bike sustain any damage? I would have been concerned at tubes being crushed with that method.

[Mick F]

I was considering locking bikes the other day when in Plymouth at Wetherspoon's. I was at the bar ordering beer and peanuts and my Mercian was unlocked leaning against the window outside tucked behind a table. It would be difficult to whisk it away from there, and it was unlikely that anyone would try. I kept my eye on it whilst at the bar, then went outside for my beer and peanuts.

I can't remember the last time I locked a bike up.