Email from an unlucky cyclist on the 1700 Block of Market Street:
I wanted to let you (and the Bike Coalition) know that when I got out of work yesterday I found that my bike lock had been super-glued. It was locked it up directly in front of the entrance to the building. I thought this might be an isolated incident but when I went to breakaway bikes last night to ask for advice to get the lock open, they informed me that I wasn’t the first person in the past couple hours to come in with the same problem.... I lock my bike to the same pole each day so maybe I just became a target? Who knows.
About 2 hours and $118 later I had the lock cut by a locksmith. Let me know if you have any theories too.
This is the legacy blog of the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia. It is an archive of posts from 2003 to 2014. Making your ride better since 1972. https://www.bicyclecoalition.org
11 comments:
Next time around, you could use a Cyanoacrylate Debonder. It will loosen / dissolve cured superglues. It is typically found at hobby stores, maybe Utrecht or Pearl?
As a preventative measure, you could load the lock's internals with grease, to prohibit any adhesion. To do this, liberally apply grease to your key, then insert it into the lock, opening and closing it a couple of times. It should be possible to substitute more common household items like petroleum jelly or neosporin, in place of grease.
Really, any acetone (nail polish remover, paint thinner) should have easily dissolved the glue as well.
probably TWUs who are angry at the bike the strike campaign.
what's a TWU?
TWU = transit workers' union (member)
Get a bottle, put it in your desk at work:
http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0093p?&C=RGD
Nasty thing to do to somebody.
Not that I want to encourage destroying U-locks, but instead of a locksmith, a hacksaw with a carbide blade will get through even hardened steel in under 5 minutes.
The solvents are a much better idea, though.
Also, I am so sorry. What a terrible and cruel thing to have to deal with.
Suggestion: Lock up in full view of one of the hundreds of surveillance cameras, and we'll have a better chance of nailing the culprits!
Thanks for everyone's suggestions. Unfortunately, I tried the nail polish remover and struck out. Without Septa running, given the time of night when I was dealing with it, I had no way to get to a store selling hacksaws. The last thing that I was going to do was deal with it the next day and give the potential thief an opportunity to steal the bike by leaving it overnight. I am on my 4th bike in this city thanks to scumbag thief’s but it’s not going to keep me from riding.
Folding bike!
However, knowing about the glue disolver is good to know for next time or anytime there is a crazy glue catastrophe.
This happened to me on the 4th in front of Suburban Station (16th street side). I tried acetone and it didn't work, and was luckily able to get help from a messenger who had a cordless grinder. I'm out $60 for the new lock, but better that than buying a new bike.
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