KraneXL

Apparently not before its done its job. ^^

Myosmith

Perhaps I shouldn't have used the word "explodes" as what I mean is a rapid, audible discharge, not flying schrapnel.

Not sure what "moral" implications you are talking about. I'm not talking about a grenade to disable a person, I'm talking about something that discharges with an loud pop and disperses a localized cloud of marking dye that is also an unpleasant irritant. You could make the discharge so limited that the dye was likely to only get on the thief's hands and clothing and only irritating enough to cause moderate tearing with no residual harm (think very weak pepper spray). If you were worried about the possible liability from the irritant, the cloud of marking dye alone would probably be effective.

Think about the guy in this video. Half-way through the cut **POOF** he's covered in fluorescent pink dye. It's on his clothes, his skin and hair, and in every nook and cranny of his grinder. If he was going to use a van or other vehicle for the getaway, the vehicle would also get contaminated. It would possibly be enough to get an opportunistic thief to abandon the attempt.

This idea might not be practical, resulting in a lock that was extremely expensive, large and heavy. There is also the issue of having to clean up the bike afterward. I don't expect anything like this on the market anytime soon but I don't think it would be any more impractical than a lock that stinks like fish.

mixteup

Yes, it's called aluminum, especially the soft temper grades - Although, there are special wheels that wont clog.
I believe you can also get carbide saw blades for a grinder, that are made for cutting re-bar - Those won't even make sparks.

It's an arms race, out there .........

Maelochs

"explosive" dye .... all it takes is one guy to get some in his eye, a few lawsuits from "personal injury" attorneys, and that product and its inventor/builder/distributor all go down.

I cannot picture anything which wouldn't potentially hurt a thief and would also deter a thief. Also ... I don't have any hard evidence, but it seems rational to me that Most bike thefts are average bikes stolen by drug users and occasionally joy-riders--and the joy-riders mostly take undersecured bikes. The guy with the bolt-cutters is likely selling the bike for a rock or some ice and likely steals bikes regularly---and doesn't mess with the big locks.

The real pros---the guys who go out in the evening and steal loads of higher-end bikes, or who clean out a whole rack at a college campus in the mid-morning---will know all the tricks. The tricks--the ways to defeat the "latest foolproof bike security system"---will end up on YouTube and the tweakers will learn them.

Oh and as for aluminum shackles ... yeah they clog a grinder but can be defeated easily by other, simpler methods. Which is why cutting tools have steel or carbide jaws and locks are not made of aluminum. There simply is no magic lock. People make cutting tools to cut the toughest stuff out there. if anything even tougher is invented ... people will make tools to cut it.

Daniel4

Unless you post a warning on your bike with a statement that you or the manufacture shall not be held responsible for personal damage due to unauthorized tampering. Don't parking lots post these types of disclaimers everywhere? Of course I've always wondered how those signs would hold up in court. Then again, the warning might be enough of a deterrent for any potential thief to move on to something less risky.

But I can see where the owner of the lock does some sort of boo-boo and it explodes on him. Now that'll be a problem and a recall.



I was thinking that aluminum or other soft material being used as a thick coating protecting the hardened steel of the lock. How about several layers of solder?

You know how to make axes and chainsaws dull? Run them in the dirt.

mixteup

Tensile strength is only one aspect - I bet it would cut like cheese with a cut-off wheel.
I mean, you probably could tow a supertanker with a good U-lock, but still cut it with a grinder in 30 sec. or less.
Sorry to be a spoilsport, but I can't help it .........

I-Like-To-Bike

Hold up as well as posting signs in a restaurant or grocery that the establishment will not be responsible for any food poisoning or other ailments that occur due to its (mis)handling of the food items.

rm -rf

This hardened 12mm chain took about 30 seconds to cut with a battery angle grinder.
And that's a loud, obvious session with sparks flying everywhere.

But, he clamped it in a vise. It'll be more difficult to apply the cutting force when the chain is loose. Maybe tension the chain by leaning on the bike to stretch the chain?

prathmann

Do we even know if the video shows an actual theft? Unless there's a report by the legal owner it could also be someone whose lock jammed or who lost the key.

Maelochs

Yeah, the thief would lean the bike or step on the chain or whatever.

It is Extremely unlikely someone would make an affordable, undefeatable lock system. The reason those tools can cut those materials is because there are legitimate tasks that require those tools ... and whatever "super-material" was used, there would need to be tools to cut it. I am sure there is some stuff which can only be cut when it is frozen to 0 degrees K and hit with a laser or something---but the lock would cost more than the bike---so thieves would cut the rack and steal the bike and lock and sell both.

By the way---Cars get stolen all the time.

Basically, watch where you lock up, decide how much you want to gamble, and accept the fact that there is some lock/bike cost/weight ratio where either the weight of the lock will make riding the bike uncomfortable or the cost of the bike will make the lock meaningless. And Never will you be completely safe. Where you park has as much to do with it as anything else.How long the bike is unattended s an issue in lower-crime neighborhoods.

KraneXL

If I were ever on trial I'd love to have a jury of twelve just like you. Or weigh a ton.True, but at least law enforcement takes car theft seriously. They barely blink an eye when you report a bike theft. One police women even had the gall to tell me "we have more important crimes to worry about." You gamble EVERY TIME you lock your bike.

mixteup

Chain it to your wrist - That way you'll know it, when a guy comes up and starts using a grinder on it ...........

KraneXL

Not sure of the brand, but there's a sixty something guy I see on the train with one. It looks pretty sweet. If I wanted a second bike strictly for commuting it seems like a good choice. Now that you mention it, I think I'll ask GCN to do a piece on them.

dedhed

They don't operate in a vacuum. Steal one from job trailer/truck/site, or trade a bike to someone who did steal one. Job sites and trailers constantly get broken into and tools lost.

MikeyMK

It only costs a few quid to make a one million volt stun gun. They only weigh a few hundred grams. Could put a contact along each handlegrip. Saddle pressure activation. They wont have much of a case when they've just cut a lock.

JoeyBike

Simple solution: https://www.pinkbike.com/video/196557/

Notice the power tool thief steps on as the video starts.

Rollfast

Ummm...ground control to Major Tom. If you had a million volt stun gun built into your bike, might you wish to do 100 kmh instead?

And what if it malfunctioned and sent you to the next dimension?

Let's be more serious.

Rollfast

Okay, it's starting to get silly and a bit vicious like it tends to do on this subject. C'mon.

Rollfast

Was there a point to the video or was it about a beatdown? I missed something.

Seriously, what is the point of this except to vent steam here and how does it solve a problem?

JoeyBike

Negative reinforcement worked on me as a child. Bike thieves should be lucky enough to have some of this wisdom applied to them so they can see the error of their ways in a way that is MEANINGFUL to them. If it is physically painful to be a bike thief, most would seek other ways to make money.

Cheers.

MikeyMK

About stopping bike theft? Yes, let's.

Snowflake culture didn't really happen over here. No hearts are gonna bleed for some scumbag who steals a bike and gets taken down. He'll be serious about slashing you with an angle grinder if you intervene, so yes, i'm serious about getting him off such a career path.
And keeping my bike.

tyrion

A metal-cutting wheel isn't very effective on flesh. It will give you a nasty burn, but doesn't slice through like a wood-cutting saw blade would.

Rollfast

How many bike thieves spend all day searching You Tube and reading forums to see how successful they are?

Most of those things are smartalecs trolling to make you feel bad and guilty. Look at the comments to see if people start making recommendations in a general direction as a BS meter.

Always remember that YT is 4-10 years behind the times with enforcement of standards, it's the wild west.

MikeyMK

It does enough, I've gone halfway through a finger nail in a fraction of à second. It's no chainsaw but better than a knife.

Loose clothing is the best defence against one.*

tyrion

It's more effective on fingernails than flesh.