Kryptonite Bicycle Locks

[Murph]

Moderators: I understand and respect that the threads for picking a lock with a pen has been locked. I'm sharing a news item with others so I'm not trying to restart the locked thread. If you decide not to allow the article to appear in this forum and remove it, I respect your decision(s).

Fellow members: I am not soliciting for comments, nor am I promoting picking locks with a ballpoint pen. I am only sharing something that I have read that may be or not be useful/or of interest.

Thanks.
Murph

By Associated Press
Originally published September 22, 2004, 9:02 PM EDT
CANTON, Mass. -- Bike lock maker Kryptonite is offering to exchange its tubular u-shaped locks for free, in response to a design flaw that allows thieves to open the locks with a ball point pen.

The company said it will begin exchanging products within a few weeks as new locks are made available. Kryptonite previously said it would offer free upgrades to customers depending on when they bought the affected locks.

"We decided to simplify and expand our planned product upgrade program so that we could expedite the process for consumers and eliminate any lingering doubt in their minds about their locks," general manager Steve Down said.

The flaw became widely known in cycling circles and in Internet chat rooms that were flooded with irate comments from cyclists. Some posted short movies of themselves picking their own locks with the hollow shaft of a pen. Bike shops nationwide took the locks off the shelves as the company pledged to issue improved, pen-proof models.

[hzatorsk]

I myself... don't have a bike. (No... not because it was protected by a Kryptonite lock )

But, when somebody actually gets their lock exchanged in the replacement program... I would like to see an assessment on what the changes are.

Cheers

H

[alias]

I really hope Kryptonite insist on getting the keys back with the U-Lock before they'll give you a replacement......

[locksmistress]

Last I heard the exchange required prior product registration of the lock with Kryptonite or proof of purchase.

They are posting updates at http://www.kryptonitelock.com.

(Last I checked, their website was running a little slow so I didn't wait around to find out the details)

[Chucklz]

From what I understand from my friend who is a rather rabid bike enthusiast, Kryptonite is replacing its tubular locks with the locks from its higher end line, these use a rotating disk style of locking mechanism. Unfortunetely, these have been billed as, and are thought of as "unpickable" by that community.

[test]

... these use a rotating disk style of locking mechanism. Unfortunetely, these have been billed as, and are thought of as "unpickable" by that community.

I have not seen one of they Krypto-Disk locks yet, but they should be pretty good. You require a special tool ( and the associated skills ) to open a disk lock. They are deemed usefull enought that the techniques are discussed in the advanced forms

One problem that I can see with disk locks is that if you break them while they are locked the lock is broken and will not open. This is why the cylinder locks were used in high vandalism areas ( highschools for example )

On a related note, there is a class action lawsuit starting in Ontario.


[url]
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/s ... TopStories
[/url]



I asked some university kids that I know to checkout their bike racks, and not too many people are heeding the advice to switch locks. Looks like most people just dont care.

And I wondered why most people have generic locks on their doors...

[Buggs41]

A lock keeps honest people, honest. Thieves don't care at all.

[datalife12]

Who found this out!!!And if they did do it on purpose,why did they do it in the first place.

[Buggs41]

Why do people climb mountains? Or, jump out of perfectly good airplanes?

Don't know why, but it is good to see some people exploring the world we live in. Knowledge is a wonderful thing.

[datalife12]

Maybe because they have cancer and if they die doing it thay wouldn't really matter.And it's also fun cause your having fun doing something you know.

[Chucklz]

Why? Why not! It is interesting, fun, and requires a great deal of skill and thought. Why study cosmology, theoretical physics, or genetic engineering?

[Fallen_Pin]

Hehe, I went to sport check the other day with a friend (of whom I teased for buying a Badminton racket) and asked if I could see the kyrptonite locks they had in stock. The costomer service chap was happy to oblige, but was stopped by a younger employee, he told me "Your just going to pop it open with a bic eh?" and I was like "Urrr, heh, so yeh know eh?" Then we chuckled, and he told me that theyre not allowed to show the U-lock as it is finally being recalled in Calgary.
Nothing too amazing, I had a good laugh out of the experience though