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Glued locks

Posted: 31 May 2014, 2:49pm
by TonyR
A reminder and warning about an old trick to steal a bike. My daughter's boyfriend locked his bike up outside the pub and when it was time to leave the lock wouldn't work and the key snapped off. When they phoned me for advice I suggested that the lock could have been super-glued so it would be left there and the wannabe thieves could come back when it was quiet in the middle of the night. With the prospect of sleeping out with it overnight, BF managed to get a locksmith to come out and cut the lock off. BF has now broken the lock open and it was indeed full of superglue and the bike obviously being targeted. So be careful out there and if your lock stops working suddenly be suspicious.

Re: Glued locks

Posted: 31 May 2014, 10:36pm
by MikeF
If the lock is sprayed with WD40/GT85/grease/oil/release agent/etc is the superglue still able to "glue"? In other words is there anything that stops superglue gluing?

Re: Glued locks

Posted: 1 Jun 2014, 11:07am
by cjchambers
A similar trick is for the thief to apply their own lock then come back later. They may even lock up another (scrapper) bike with the same lock to make it look more like an accidental double locking.

MikeF wrote:In other words is there anything that stops superglue gluing?

Yes. You can buy 'debonders' - the police use them when protesters stick themselves to railings etc. An acetone-containing nail varnish remover* would work too.

*Not all nail varnish removers do contain acetone nowadays, due to the popularity of "solvent-free nail varnish remover" which contains ethyl acetate instead of acetone. Still a solvent really, but less nasty.

Re: Glued locks

Posted: 10 Jun 2014, 2:52pm
by Italia50
I've seen the above scam practiced twice,its a tough one because it can look like a very plausible mistake and the temptation is to come back later or the next day,when youre bike will be gone!

Re: Glued locks

Posted: 10 Jun 2014, 3:16pm
by axel_knutt
I keep a junior hacksaw blade in the toolkit.

Re: Glued locks

Posted: 10 Jun 2014, 3:34pm
by Italia50
The one I saw the U lock had to be cut off with a tungsten angle grinder!! Sparks did fly!!!

Re: Glued locks

Posted: 10 Jun 2014, 8:10pm
by Tonyf33
Call the police if someone has glued your lock as it is criminal damage for one thing and if another bike has being 'accidentally' locked to yours same as, it's attempted theft. Nobody accidentally locks their bike to someone elses, the only reason to do so is for something illegitimate.

Re: Glued locks

Posted: 10 Jun 2014, 8:52pm
by Cunobelin
... and of course if someone does ask the thief what they are up to - they can provide absolute proof that someone superglued their bike, the key broke and they are now trying to free it!

Re: Glued locks

Posted: 10 Jun 2014, 9:25pm
by yakdiver
Tonyf33 wrote:Nobody accidentally locks their bike to someone elses

Sorry but I did once, I was glad I got back before they did :oops:

Re: Glued locks

Posted: 11 Jun 2014, 11:04am
by geocycle
yakdiver wrote:
Tonyf33 wrote:Nobody accidentally locks their bike to someone elses

Sorry but I did once, I was glad I got back before they did :oops:


Yep, happens regularly where I work, always not malicious but very annoying when it happens to you!

Re: Glued locks

Posted: 11 Jun 2014, 2:03pm
by CliveyT
geocycle wrote:
yakdiver wrote:
Tonyf33 wrote:Nobody accidentally locks their bike to someone elses

Sorry but I did once, I was glad I got back before they did :oops:


Yep, happens regularly where I work, always not malicious but very annoying when it happens to you!


It's happened to me several times amongst the tangle of bikes at the railway station- last time it cost me £18 for the taxi ride home

Glued locks

Posted: 25 Jun 2014, 9:39pm
by MichVanNic
I use an old mountain bike for the pub run but only have my decent lock I use normally which begs the question, what do you do if your lock is worth more than your bike?

Re: Glued locks

Posted: 25 Jun 2014, 11:50pm
by Postboxer
When my brother was at school he had his lock stolen but they left his rustbucket bike, I'll never understand why they wanted a lock that they were able to steal.

Re: Glued locks

Posted: 26 Jun 2014, 9:26am
by [XAP]Bob
Postboxer wrote:When my brother was at school he had his lock stolen but they left his rustbucket bike, I'll never understand why they wanted a lock that they were able to steal.

To lock up a nice looking bike, then come back in the middle of the night...

Re: Glued locks

Posted: 29 Jun 2014, 6:29am
by Vinko
[XAP]Bob wrote:
Postboxer wrote:When my brother was at school he had his lock stolen but they left his rustbucket bike, I'll never understand why they wanted a lock that they were able to steal.

To lock up a nice looking bike, then come back in the middle of the night...


:lol: