# How to bust off a Guard Dog U-Lock



## greathugesnowman (Mar 1, 2009)

So, yesterday, I locked up my 69' Schwinn using my Guard Dog U-Lock. The lock has been sticking and i meant to replace it, but was in a rush, so I used it. Then, I broke the key off in the lock.

So, I tried to bust it open with a car jack (2000 Subaru stock). And I busted the jack.

Has anyone ever tried to break one of these locks? Any ideas?


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## AlexJK (May 2, 2009)

angle grinder will do it, dewalt makes a nice battery powered one. pair it up with a zip ultra thin wheel and you will have it cut in about 30 seconds.

sawzall with a special blade (one made to cut through hardened steel) will do it

and then you could go with a high tension hacksaw... buy a few blades.

but you will also look like a retarded theif


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## shimano4 (May 11, 2008)

greathugesnowman said:


> So, yesterday, I locked up my 69' Schwinn using my Guard Dog U-Lock. The lock has been sticking and i meant to replace it, but was in a rush, so I used it. Then, I broke the key off in the lock.
> 
> So, I tried to bust it open with a car jack (2000 Subaru stock). And I busted the jack.
> 
> Has anyone ever tried to break one of these locks? Any ideas?


If u have proof of purchase of the bike. Make a police report first. Inform them u are cutting yr bike lock. If not, u will really looks like a retarded thief.


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## rodar y rodar (Jul 21, 2006)

shimano4 said:


> If u have proof of purchase of the bike. Make a police report first. Inform them u are cutting yr bike lock. If not, u will really looks like a retarded thief.


Doh! Wouldn`t that be another lovely chapter to the story! Yeah, might not be a bad idea.

It broke the jack? Wow, I wonder if Subaru uses chintzy jacks or if the U-locks are just that strong? Angle grinder sounds like the easiest next step to me, as long as you`re within extension cord reach.


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## greathugesnowman (Mar 1, 2009)

Thanks guys, I'll definitely look into the angle grinder AND let the police know first!


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## greathugesnowman (Mar 1, 2009)

Awww yeah. I just got done grinding the lock off. I have to say, theres something about whipping out power tools in front of a crowded metro station that will put a smile on your face.

Now, off to ride!


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## highdelll (Oct 3, 2008)

greathugesnowman said:


> Thanks guys,  I'll definitely look into the angle grinder *AND let the police know first!*


no need...:skep:


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## shimano4 (May 11, 2008)

highdelll said:


> no need...:skep:


Sometime u need to question the purpose of this type of video. Some video are *edited* to just serve their own agenda.'

Unwanted are all cut away. What serves u well, u keep it... U know what I mean regarding this video.


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## ae111black (Dec 27, 2008)

thank you "Hector" I had lost all faith in people..............


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## fast_monte` (Jul 6, 2009)

> thank you "Hector" I had lost all faith in people..............


"Hector" helped steel the bike!


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## Timeless (Mar 23, 2007)

shimano4 said:


> Sometime u need to question the purpose of this type of video. Some video are *edited* to just serve their own agenda.'
> 
> Unwanted are all cut away. What serves u well, u keep it... U know what I mean regarding this video.


You would think so but I can tell you first hand experience people do not ask question and you can get away with it.

A friend of mine at Texas Tech key broke off in his lock and he ask me for some idea on how to cut the steel cable. My solution was to go to hardware store and get a hacksaw which we go do from there we proceed to walk to were his bike was. It was by one of the dinning halls on campus and we went around 6ish so a lot of people were walking by. From there we proceed to take a hacksaw to the bike lock as people were walking by. ONE person ask us what we were doing and we told them the truth. They accepted that and walk on. I want to say even one of the campus police walk by while we were cutting the bike lock and said nothing. We cut it off and proceeded to walk back across campus to our dorms laughing about it.

That video showed the sad truth of the matter. If you look like you are supposed to be some where or you are supposed to be doing that people say accept it as is ok.


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## rodar y rodar (Jul 21, 2006)

Yeah, watching that video it seemed crazy,but after thinking about it for a while it doesn`t surprise me at all. If anybody can wander around with a pair of bolt cutters or even drag out an angle grinder to unlock a bike and not even raise any eyebrows, it really makes ya wonder what the good is in carrying around a heavy lock. Maybe booby traps would be a better plan- I wonder how light you can make a self igniting moltov cocktail .


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## shimano4 (May 11, 2008)

Timeless said:


> You would think so but I can tell you first hand experience people do not ask question and you can get away with it.
> 
> A friend of mine at Texas Tech key broke off in his lock and he ask me for some idea on how to cut the steel cable. My solution was to go to hardware store and get a hacksaw which we go do from there we proceed to walk to were his bike was. It was by one of the dinning halls on campus and we went around 6ish so a lot of people were walking by. From there we proceed to take a hacksaw to the bike lock as people were walking by. ONE person ask us what we were doing and we told them the truth. They accepted that and walk on. I want to say even one of the campus police walk by while we were cutting the bike lock and said nothing. We cut it off and proceeded to walk back across campus to our dorms laughing about it.
> 
> That video showed the sad truth of the matter. If you look like you are supposed to be some where or you are supposed to be doing that people say accept it as is ok.


Not everytime can be that lucky. Yes, u may have a high chance but that doesn't mean out of hundred times of cutting and stealing, u will have a 100% success rate. As for the demonstration carry out by the video. Did that guy do it hundred times and all the time successful?

If it is really the truth. I wouldn't be able to get back my lost bike and send the thief to jail.
The thief was caught on the act.


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## Gary the No-Trash Cougar (Oct 14, 2008)

rodar y rodar said:


> Yeah, watching that video it seemed crazy,but after thinking about it for a while it doesn`t surprise me at all. If anybody can wander around with a pair of bolt cutters or even drag out an angle grinder to unlock a bike and not even raise any eyebrows, it really makes ya wonder what the good is in carrying around a heavy lock. Maybe booby traps would be a better plan- I wonder how light you can make a self igniting moltov cocktail .


....or maybe a Bicycle Alarm Clock


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## Flystagg (Nov 14, 2006)

Bike locks don't protect you from real bike thieves, only oportunists that would take a bike just for the hell of it if they see it's unlocked


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## rodar y rodar (Jul 21, 2006)

I read a thread about carrying locks on tours on another forum a while ago. One guy said he carried a 1/8 cable lock designed for securing laptop coputers. Kind of makes sense- if you can`t cut it with a pair of 8" linemans pliers, it really doesn`t make much difference how much more you have.

I just weighed my cable lock at a little over a half pound. I can deal with that.


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## sanjuro (Sep 29, 2004)

Timeless said:


> You would think so but I can tell you first hand experience people do not ask question and you can get away with it.
> 
> A friend of mine at Texas Tech key broke off in his lock and he ask me for some idea on how to cut the steel cable. My solution was to go to hardware store and get a hacksaw which we go do from there we proceed to walk to were his bike was. It was by one of the dinning halls on campus and we went around 6ish so a lot of people were walking by. From there we proceed to take a hacksaw to the bike lock as people were walking by. ONE person ask us what we were doing and we told them the truth. They accepted that and walk on. I want to say even one of the campus police walk by while we were cutting the bike lock and said nothing. We cut it off and proceeded to walk back across campus to our dorms laughing about it.
> 
> That video showed the sad truth of the matter. If you look like you are supposed to be some where or you are supposed to be doing that people say accept it as is ok.


I learned this one the really hard way: a friend of mine had his Cannondale stolen, an older frame with two top tubes welded together.

A few months later I saw it outside my gym. I locked it up then the current owner got into a huge yelling match with me. Since I had no proof it was my friends, I was forced to unlock it.

Turns out this wasn't my friend's bike anyway.

Cars are easy to identify the real owner. They have license plates and VIN tags. Bike ownership is not so easy to prove.

So if I see some guy sawing away at a lock, I might ask but unless he sounds real shady, who else but the owner would spend 45 minutes cutting off a lock?


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## Hippienflipflops (Oct 18, 2006)

i would go with liquid nitrogen for the cool factor...but thats just me


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## highdelll (Oct 3, 2008)

Here's a story ( just throwin it out) 
~Chico, CA~
I had been using a combination cable lock on my campus commuter. Over the years of abuse, the tumblers were starting to get shakey. I meant to replace it bla, bla bla...
Well, one day, the lock wouldn't open any more. I futzed w/ it, advancing and retarding the combo-wheels and nothing helped. I needed to chop the cable.

Directly across the street was a bike shop and I thought they would have a cable cutter. I went over and asked the shop monkey if he had a cable-cutter to cut my lock off and got the expected "yeah-right, buddy" look. I explained in detail that it was really MY bike and that it would only take a second. I got the "GTFO" treatment for my 'ludicrous story'...until :idea: I remembered I had taken an a photo of my upside-down BB (serial # included) for my 'everyday photo' project for my photography class, and I had posted it on the class's website.

I showed him the pic online, and a minute later I was off pedaling :thumbsup:


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## phoenixdadeadhead (Nov 16, 2009)

rodar y rodar said:


> Yeah, watching that video it seemed crazy,but after thinking about it for a while it doesn`t surprise me at all. If anybody can wander around with a pair of bolt cutters or even drag out an angle grinder to unlock a bike and not even raise any eyebrows, it really makes ya wonder what the good is in carrying around a heavy lock. Maybe booby traps would be a better plan- I wonder how light you can make a self igniting moltov cocktail .


Yeah there is no such thing as a theft proof lock. The only thing you can do is hope that you make it more trouble than it is worth. Really want to protect your bike from thieves? Cover it in stickers of hearts, stars flowers, power puff girls, and anything else girly you can find lol.


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## Timeless (Mar 23, 2007)

shimano4 said:


> Not everytime can be that lucky. Yes, u may have a high chance but that doesn't mean out of hundred times of cutting and stealing, u will have a 100% success rate. As for the demonstration carry out by the video. Did that guy do it hundred times and all the time successful?
> 
> If it is really the truth. I wouldn't be able to get back my lost bike and send the thief to jail.
> The thief was caught on the act.


But you are missing the point. A vaste majority of the time you can pull of a thief like that in broad daylight in a crowded area. As long as you act and look like you are supposed to be doing it virtually no one will ask or even question what you are doing. Almost everyone will think you are ok.

Video is proof plus pretty much any one who ever had to cut there own lock will tell you that.
The best you can hope for in locking up a bike and make it take to long to cut threw it to make it worth it. While I was at school I used a U-Lock to lock up my bike. Those generally take quite a while to cut threw and most of the thieves would not go after it because there were easier targets that only had a cheap steel cable that could be cut threw in under 5 min.


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## marty crosley (Aug 30, 2009)

*busted U locks*

In the 80's and 90's being a San Francisco messenger we were losing bikes all the time and no one knew how. All you would find would be a slightly bent u lock. 
Then someone caught one of them and saw the folding car jack at work. Later we would see the tweekers walking downtown with their car jack in hand. The cops did not want to be bothered so we had to deal with them as we saw fit. 
Years later I learned that you could open the older u lock with the plastic tube from an ink pen in 3 seconds.


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## ants (Jul 29, 2007)

*haven't you all missed the point...*

...you can even plug your angle grinder into the lightpoles in new york!!!!


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