Key broke in my u lock. How to recover?

[Jason B]

Sorry, didn’t mean to ‘like’, just respond. Damn my pudgy fingers.
Did the same thing on my boat trailer lock. You need to pick up a key extractor tool. I think I got mine at cherydale hardware or that key place by ballston. It is a little needle with a hook at the end. It catches the teeth as you gently pull it out. Squirt some lube in there first to get it going.
Btw, it cost only a couple bucks. Also, mine was a cheap lock, so I threw it out and brought another one. I sent one of my students to the hardware with severely bent lock key, and they were still able to copy it. They may be able to copy yours if you get it out, because the only way they could have copied his was to break it. Worth giving a shot because bike locks are expensive.

[rcannon100]

Angle grinder. Maybe bring proof or pictures that it is your bike. We have been cutting U locks at work for abandoned bikes. The guy who does it – its not quite like cutting through butter but it wont make you feel secure. Yah might also wanna hurry before someone else starts liberating it.

[dkel]

Couldn’t you just call a locksmith? Or do they not stoop to bike level?

[Vicegrip]

If you don’t have a second key to use after the stub of the broken one is removed or the stub willl not come out then a cordless 4 inch angle grinder equped with a cut off disk will do the trick. I have one if you want to borrow it. Sad to say it but this tool will make short work of a U lock.

[btj]

You can use a car jack to break the u-lock open. Just make sure all the pressure is on the lock and not between the lock and the frame. A coworker of mine spotted his stolen bike and got it back that way.

[Orestes Munn]

@dkel 101966 wrote:

Couldn’t you just call a locksmith? Or do they not stoop to bike level?

You can get a very nice cordless grinder for the same money or less and that’s a lovely tool to own.

[Vicegrip]

@Orestes Munn 101976 wrote:

You can get a very nice cordless grinder for the same money or less and that’s a lovely tool to own.

Agree. Very handy tool even for honest people that don’t preceed a sprint with a lock cutting for a living. Ran into Americancyclo this am on the trail. Loan of the “universal master key” is in the works.

[jopamora]

Didn’t know we had so many bike thieves on the forum :confused:

[dasgeh]

Glad to hear you got home safe. Good luck!

[Jason B]

@dkel 101966 wrote:

Couldn’t you just call a locksmith? Or do they not stoop to bike level?

They do, but all he is going to bring is this tool and a $75 bill.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]7197[/ATTACH]
http://www.lockpickshop.com/SP-13.html
I wish I could find mine, but I think it is at the beach. But honestly, it is this easy if you can find one:
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=63tQH1DIqIw

[americancyclo]

@Jason B 102057 wrote:

They do, but all he is going to bring is this tool and a $75 bill.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]7197[/ATTACH]
http://www.lockpickshop.com/SP-13.html
I wish I could find mine, but I think it is at the beach. But honestly, it is this easy if you can find one:
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=63tQH1DIqIw

Thing is that my u lock turns 180 degrees to open or close and the key turned 90 then torqued off so I don’t think it’s as simple as those videos where the key and tumblers are aligned. The part of the key stuck in the tumblers of my u lock needs to turn 90 one way or the other before it can be removed.

[americancyclo]

“universal master key” worked a charm. glad I didn’t bring my wheelset all the way up there for nothing. Bike was just as I left it, and was freed from the broken lock in less than two minutes. Rode it through the rain to the metro and now it’s safe and sound in a locked garage. if the weather clears up I might get a nice ride home too!

It wasn’t until I thought it might be gone that i realized how much I like this bad weather, kid hauling, grocery getting, rain/snow/sleet bike. It was cheap and I can abuse it, but it hasn’t let me down yet.

Also as an aside, Kryptonite told me on the phone that they would replace my lock under their lifetime warranty, so we’ll see how that works out.

[ShawnoftheDread]

I bet no one on the street even questioned why you were sawing through a bike lock.

[americancyclo]

@ShawnoftheDread 102159 wrote:

I bet no one on the street even questioned why you were sawing through a bike lock.

I got a weird look from one woman with a stroller, but then she moved on. I bet the rain was a bit of a deterrent as well.

Filled out the Kryptonite warranty request with pictures of the lock and busted key. we shall see what happens.

[americancyclo]

Replacement lock arrived from kryptonite today. Pretty much the same lock but with a different mounting attachment for the frame. Happy to have it replaced for free!

[Author]

Posts