How to bust a u-lock

Thread started by
_iJunes at 05.21.09 - 11:37 am
Any moderately good bike is always under threat on Stanford’s campus. Jerks drive around with pickup trucks and just steal any bike they can sell.
I had my first road bike stolen my first year, and I’m still pissed off about it. Now I ride the junkiest beater-bike I can: no derailleurs (poor-man’s fixie), bad brakes, rusty chain, etc. Nevertheless, some idiot stole the rear wheel off this heap; they needed a wrench to remove that piece of crap wheel, and there’s no way they could have sold it for anything more than 12 cents. The crazy thing: there were wheels all over the ground from previous thefts. I just grabbed one that sorta fit, and rode away. WTF?!? Why take the time to steal a crap wheel when there are half a dozen equally crappy wheels sitting on the ground, rife for the taking?
This morning, I saw evidence of some asshole:

The thief didn’t even have time to remove the jack. And they left the crank on the ground:

I hope the person who caught the thief in the act disposed of their body in a place where no one will find it. Or even better, I hope they sold the body on eBay and made enough cash to buy three locks.
I’m tempted to set up some booby traps on a nice bike some night. Nothing fatal, just severely uncomfortable. And something that might lead the police to the thieves. Any suggestions?
http://blog.everydayscientist.com/?p=774
we are not safe.
they used a jack to stretch open ulocks. wow.
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using a carjack to pry open a ulock is nothing new. thats why those bigger ulocks are kind of frowned upon and the evo miniu is so popular. just enough room for the lock to get around your seattube and rear wheel and whatever its locking to and nothing else.

ruinedbyidiots05.21.09 - 11:42 am
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No lock is 100% fool proof. But the fact that some idiot is going to pull out a car jack then put it in your U-lock and crank it until it breaks....well that takes a hell of a lot more time then bolt cutters. Time and too conspicuous. Your odds are still better with a U-lock than a cable or a chain.
skd05.21.09 - 11:46 am
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a jack is more discreet than a grinder which i have seen used for removing a u-lock with a great deal of horrific noise and the smoke of burnt metal.
trickmilla responding to a
comment by skd
05.21.09 - 2:13 pm
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i would assume the potential for serious injury is high when breaking a lock with a car jack.
with that in mind, i have some pretty cool bentstrider-esque scenarios in my head.
coldcut05.21.09 - 5:57 pm
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Exploding pepper spray bomb! In the FACE.
Paint/ink bombs, like in the banks with the robbers!
Stinkbomb!
Paint stripper bomb! That stuff both stinks and burns.
Sex Bomb! That's a good song! ... Wait. No it's not.
Lasers!
Tasers! Somebody get that poor man a shirt!
katiepoche05.21.09 - 6:52 pm
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iJunes, use the sexbomb....
How exactly does that work katie?
Gizzard responding to a
comment by katiepoche
05.21.09 - 7:56 pm
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"EWWW IM SURE YOU DO HAVE BENTSTRIDER ON UR MIND"
Hahahahha
imachynna05.21.09 - 8:15 pm
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-2000000
for not using the "in response to" mess
theladiesman responding to a
comment by imachynna
05.21.09 - 8:16 pm
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