Master Bike Lock - Noobed Up

[ThereAreNoSecrets]

My roommate recently took a vacation with his family, leaving his bike locked up in the parking lock of our apartment complex. The management, as per Murphy's Law, decided to repave the parking lot that weekend, and left a note on the bike informing him that he had to have it moved before Monday, or the lock would be cut.

With my VERY nice set of Peterson picks, I leapt to action. The lock was a standard 4-pin, and I figured I should be able to rake it twice and pop it open.

Six frustrated hours later, I packed it in. I had oiled it, used every pick in my arsenal, tried the torsion wrench in every conceivable position...nothing. I could have sworn that I felt every pin fall into place, the thing just wouldn't open.

I generally keep a couple Kwiksets, a Schlage, and a Medeco (which I haven't managed yet, but someday) around, and I pick each except the last one on a regular basis with very little trouble, generally <45 seconds without raking. I'm pretty sure that a 4-pin bike-lock should have been easier than a walk in the park, but it managed to out-last my patience.

Can anyone offer any consolation (like, for example, telling me that it's possible that a bike lock has a couple safety pins in it) or advice on how such a lock could be so resilient?

-Josh

[dougfarre]

pictures of the lock please. also of your little note, considering if you don't all the new mods are going to flame you like its the holocaust.

[freakparade3]

I saw this when it was first posted and just left it alone. I'm curious to see how it turns out.

[raimundo]

is that the master U lock with the pin tumbler in the end of the tube?
that could be a five pin, I cant actually remember its been years since I worked on one. It turns clockwise like all good locks should, but you could also try the other direction, especially if you have a plug spinner. How long was the bike locked there? if it was there all winter, its stiff with oxidation, but you say you oiled it. There should be no mechanical impingement coming from the boltworks in the lock, (translated, there is no return spring in this thing to frustrate picking)

if all else fails, can you just get a rope, and tie the bike at the top of the pole until the paver passe? Or they might be taking out the pole so that would solve the problem right there.

Try removing the pole its on, some of them have screws at the bottom that hold them in.

[bumber]

Try removing the pole its on, some of them have screws at the bottom that hold them in.

you should use more smileys...you can get in trouble saying things like that

[freakparade3]

Try removing the pole its on, some of them have screws at the bottom that hold them in.

you should use more smileys...you can get in trouble saying things like that

Raimundo does not use smilies because he never jokes.

[bumber]

Raimundo does not use smilies because he never jokes.

[raimundo]

Are your picks sanded? you may be surprised, but it actually helps, also, I dont know what picks you have but I have found that with my own hand made bogotas, which come out a little bit different in dimension from the one before and after, but all are within normal perameters. slightly smaller than the full depth of the pins within the keyway,

thats an important phrase, I am not talking about the depth of the pins, I am talking about the depth of the drilling in the plug that measures not from the top of the plug, but from the top of the keyway, so actually, the common pick tip is not higher than the letters I am typeing right now.
don't know what that is on your computer.

never the less, when I use bogotas that look very similiar but one may be smaller than the other, and I will sometimes find that picking with one tool is not succeeding and using another tool with little difference, the lock will open easily. Generally its better to have a small tool that can move freely in the keyway than a large one.

[ThereAreNoSecrets]

Hey all, sorry it took so long to reply to this...for some reason my IP is banned at home. (Probably because my situation sounds like it might be theft-related, thus the "flame me like the Holocaust" response.)

I ended up hanging the bike from the canopy at the top of the pole like raimundo suggested. My roommate arrived home later that week, so there's a key available to open it now. (If the mods are REALLY hard up about this, I'll take a picture of myself unlocking it.)

I made a bagota once, and it DID work wonders on the Master padlocks in my collection (i.e. 2-3 rakes, 1 if you're lucky).

I am still, however, curious. If the mods would be so kind as to lift my IP ban so I can post from home, I'd be more than happy to show everyone the lock I'm talking about.

-Josh

[freakparade3]

Reading over your posts there is no obvious reason why your IP was banned. Mabye it's a not so obvious reason. I'll see what i can find out for you.

freakparade3

[Afisch]

Most of the problems I have with opening these types of locks is that material/shape of the lock itself, they are cumbersome and heavy to try and hold the keyway upright, some of the keyways are very small and set back a long way from the case of the lock, or in the latest case, set back and sloped so the wrench kept slipping. All these things effect picking substantialy.

[ThereAreNoSecrets]

Thanks guys. I'll post the pics as soon as I get done with finals.

[FFVison]

Heh.
Step Number 1: Call your friend and ask him if he has a spare key.
Step Number 2: If he answers in the affirmative, use that or else,
Step Number 3: Ask for permission to use your picks on his bike.
I know it seems obvious his response, but you really should get explicit permission of the owner of any lock that you plan on picking before you pick it. Also, if you indeed did ask for permission, you should say that before asking for advice on how to pick it. It seems like a formality, but it keeps everyone in the clear.

[ThereAreNoSecrets]

Heh.
Step Number 1: Call your friend and ask him if he has a spare key.
Step Number 2: If he answers in the affirmative, use that or else,
Step Number 3: Ask for permission to use your picks on his bike.
I know it seems obvious his response, but you really should get explicit permission of the owner of any lock that you plan on picking before you pick it. Also, if you indeed did ask for permission, you should say that before asking for advice on how to pick it. It seems like a formality, but it keeps everyone in the clear.

I forgot to mention that I had, indeed, asked for permission to pick the lock. It is MY bike lock that he's using, but I did obtain his consent first.

And just for the record, I ended up hanging his bike from the awning over the post for the duration of the repaving, which worked just fine. However, for future reference, I'd still like to know if there's anything that should have screwed with me, or if I'm just inept.

-Josh