Stealing My Own Bike - 7 Bike Locks Vs Angle Grinder 

For those wondering: 1) Yes angle grinders ARE the preferred way to steal bikes nowadays, and pretty much all bike thieves have them. They are cheap as hell these days, one stolen bike will easily pay for a grinder. No-one picks locks to steal bikes. Bolties are used for more opportunistic thefts of bikes with weak chains. 2) Angle grinding the frame to remove the lock IS a thing. The thieves dont want the bike itself, most of them part out the bikes and sell the components, then toss the frame in a river or beck. 3) People just watching? Yup that happens as well. When you see someone stealing a bike, they rarely act alone. They tend to work in pairs, often travelling 2-up on a moped. The passenger does the angle grinding and rides the stolen bike. He however is not the one you need to worry about. Should someone try to intervene, the other guy, riding the moped, will be carrying the team's knife. Thats why people dont try and stop them. They are not afraid of getting attacked by an angle grinder, they are afraid of getting attacked by a knife. 4) CCTV is no deterrent. In fact thieves actively look to target areas under CCTV coverage, as people tend to be more lax with security, and also park higher value bikes, in CCTV covered areas. Wearing a hoody/baseball cap and a face mask gives complete immunity from identification by CCTV. 5) Avoid those little bits of metal that only allow you to chain a wheel to them like the plague. Even if both they and the lock you use were made of adamantium, a thief could easily steal (parts of) your bike using no destructive tools. They simply take the front wheel off a bike chained by the rear wheel, the rest of the bike off a bike chained by the front wheel, and stick them together to make a ridable bike. 6) So how *do* you lock a bike? The best D-lock you can afford, through the frame and 1 wheel, together with a half decent chain lock, through the frame and the other wheel. Multiple locks is the only way to go. Even a really good D-lock with an amazon basics chain offers much more protection over just one lock - it prevents the 'angle grind the frame' attack and forces a second attack on the chain, most thieves will pass and go for an easier bike.

Speaking as a a former sketchy person, The best way to secure your bike, especially in a high theft area such as mine, is this patent pending threefold combo: 1: Heavy U-lock around the back wheel and frame, with the additional cable to secure the front wheel 2: Have a bike that doesn’t look appealing to steal. If you’re loaded and can afford multiple bikes, get a used one that does the job off Craigslist to use for like, around town purposes or it it’ll locked up out of your sight for a while. If , like me, you can’t afford multiple bikes, get something used but solid, ideally with cosmetic damage that doesn’t affect its ability to help you get around. Sometimes you can stop there. Inexpensive bike with good a lock that takes longer to get past isn’t as worth it to them. Still though, to be extra sure, throw in step 3: Lock it up close to, but not on the same rack as a more expensive, less or equally secure bike. Sounds cold but if there’s a better, easier score nearby you’re less likely to be a target. Avoiding the same rack is just in case they pull up in a truck/van and boost the whole thing.

After this Francis is going to quit RU-vid, Attacus is going to shut down, Lawrence is going to retire from racing, Backyard Bike Shop closes it's doors and the UK is going to have the most dangerous bike heist crew since The Italian Job.

If your employer or HR tells you not to bring your bike into your workplace or office, kindly show them this video

That was great fun to make. More of these please, Francis.

I had a lot of old pipes and rebar to cut up and from what I read ru-vid.comUgkxPDBfLu68o58Aw85O_J-zIFfjJARBhp-3 this would be the tool for the job. Since I had never used one, I watched a couple of youtube videos and I'm so glad I did. Some really good safety tips, which I followed, and this tool did a splendid job. One good thing to know is the weight of the tool puts just about the right amount of pressure on the metal I was cutting, so I didn't have to use a lot of pressure, which is more likely to jam the tool. It made fast work of my job.

Hey Francis, I used to work for a British Bicycle Lock company so I know pretty much the ins and outs of the tests. Sold secure only give Sold Secure Diamond if a lock can defeat an angle grinder and huge steel cable cutters for a certain amount of time (I don’t think it’s that long mind.) Sold Secure Gold approval doesn’t use an angle grinder or steel cable cutters. EU standard ART is a lot stricter. ART3 is their Gold and ART4 is diamond…VERY hard to get that approval. When I was working there, we always talked about layered protection. A Cable lock, D-lock and a Wheel lock if you can fit onto your bike. No lock is angle grinder proof (may be the new Hiplok but they will just cut the bike OR the post that it’s locked too like you did and sell the parts.) All you want to do is slow them down, and make them be seen. But cyclists need to insure their bikes as well, it’s the best way to cover your bike!

I haven't had any HUGE issues with this lock yet! ru-vid.comUgkxfyHDlEqk6hqu9acdvK5NGzZsGKSokSbv It seems sturdy and like it will get the job done. I really like that it has a twisting lock feature to keep out dirt and debris. However, the mounting system is much too light for the lock, and continues to get loose/move around. It's mostly made of plastic parts, and I've had to tighten it a few times in the past week or so that I've had it. I'm worried that it's going to break off at some point while I'm riding. I'm considering just scrapping that part, but that would mean having to carry the heavy lock i my backpack and adding more weight. I wish I could have given this more stars, but without the mounting system, it's just another heavy lock that I have to cart around. UPDATE: Increased rating to 5 stars because the seller offered to provide a new lock and mounting system. Really appreciate the attention to customer service!!

That last part where they cut through the bike is critical. Most things you lock it to, are far more weak for an angle grinder than a hardened U-lock. What you lock it to matters.

A bike lock that smokes then EXPLODEDS if you try to cut it! Killing the bike thief! Someone should invent that. At least a exploding dye pack.

The LockPickingLawyer doesn't need noisy Tools and is still quicker. Even without cutting up the Bike 😆.

hmmm on second thoughts, would the bike thief just angle grind through the bike stand that you are locked against? So effectively shifting the attack from the lock itself?🤥

Really interesting... so basically if you're out, lock up your bike next to one that isn't locked and don't leave it for long, especially in urban areas. My wife recalls being at uni in Scotland, and her friend having lost the key to her bike lock, sat in the middle of a town centre with a hacksaw cutting through the lock 🔐. Not one person challenged her. Took 10 mins apparently!!!

NEVER did I think a video about the strength of various bike locks could be so damn entertaining. I laughed my ass off!

Shocking and as a roofer i know you can also get diamond edged blades for the angle grinder 😅. I was also thinking, I'm guessing the bike thief wouldn't care about public property and would just cut the metal railing the bike was locked to? Note to self never leave my bike anywhere!!. 🤣🤣 Thanks for info.

I feel like no matter what I do I may as well always consider my bike stolen 😭

Here's hoping Kryptonite sees this and casually sends you a NYC lock. "Here you go, mates. Good luck with that."

Well lads have u tested the kryptonite lock and recorded it

Wrong discs, try a diamond disc it will cut through the £250 D lock.

Thank you guys for this review. I need a REAL theft difficulty level lock for the sport bike I’m going to get. Most thieves who steal motorcycles research what is needed to remove a lock. If not adequate they’ll just come back with something serious to get the job done like angle grinders.

Nick, a great bike mechanic and also a pretty handy bike thief.

Absolutely incredible. Sunday entertainment at its finest!

You gonna give Kryponite New York a go?

8:42 absolutely howling !!😂😂😂

Mr Cade, you should try one of the hand held hydraulic cutter. They can cut through the Kryptonite D locks in about 8 squeezes of the handle and they are silent.

The moral of the story, do not leave your bike unattended, ever.

The ending with Emily talking and someone coming past on the busted bike. Gold.

Nearly 2 years ago I had my Cervelo S5 stolen fm my work place bike shed I had 2 locks 🔒 to the bike and they still cut the locks

Moral of the story is that if someone really wants to steal your bike, they will. A good lock might slow them down, but it won't stop them. As a last resort, they can simply cut the frame in half and sell the components.

Time0830 When using portable griding machine. The steel railing tube / steel flat bar seems weaker than the heavy duty U-type lock. The professional way is to create a 30mm gaps from the railing tube / flat bar (cutting twice to the railing / flat bar by grider machine instead of cutting the heavy duty lock directly)... I bet less than 60 seconds, the bike able to detached from the railing in good condition. My mountain bike was stolen with less than 60 mintues parking (I am reviewing better secure locks). The police told me that I should park at location somewhere within CCTV range (I.e. outside a shop). Thieves usually avoid location with CCTV.

The balaclava doesn't conceal your identity especially with the Backyard t-shirt and those glasses. Informative and entertaining. Thanks .

This was really fun to watch. But yes, try the Abus and Kryptonite's

Wonder how much quicker you'd be with a diamond metal wheel cutting disc on the grinder. Sad for the bike though. For cafe stops I just find an expensive bike that is not locked up and lock mine next to it.

The last one: at that point, you're not locking your bike, you're biking your lock.

You might have been stealing bikes….but Bella was there stealing hearts ♥️

Next video: how to steal bike locks and angle grinders . . . as a cyclists!

If you get a sizzor jack between any D-lock and open it (jacking against the sides of the lock, not the length, ie..not key section to bend) it will break the lock as they are not designed to have strength in this plane.. When I lost the key to my Kryptonite lock that's how we opened it, no real noise and scary fast

For the "diamond lock", get a diamond 5-inch round blade (the one used for masonry). It will get through that lock like butter and you don't even have to change a single blade.

Next video, Nick shows us how to repair a cut bike frame with a toilet roll and double-sided sticky tape!

Lol ! Although Nick could wear that balaclava when he's cutting a carbon stem !!! 🤣

The final comments were really funny... Loved the video... Didn't realize how weak all these locks were. Wow.

While watching this video I get an advertisment shown for a very compact hydraulic 12ton bolt cutter. Thank you YT for this kind of customer service! You really understand our needs. 😀🤣😆🤣😆

This 💯% kicks Antiques Road Show into touch! 😁👌🏻

Tony would've been absolutely STELLAR as the thief in this vid tbh! Geordie accent and cutters! Primo content!!

Decided to watch this as I'm getting an ebike, got a Kryptonite U lock with extra long wire for the front wheel. I'm impressed with that unreleased lock. The end of the video: I know of an easier way was priceless 🤣🤣🤣

Good vid. Had to 🤣 though; reminds me of a group of public school sixth-formers doing a project.

Sooooo, you guys invented the dropper frame... that was some quality content and laughs. 🤣

Professional thieves come in a van, carry large bolt cutters (36" or even 42"), an angle grinder, screwdriver and in some cases cordless drill, sledgehammer and freeze spray. They will always attack the weakest link (pun intended) in your security. Most common D-Locks can be cut with the really big bolt cutters in under 20 seconds and even they cannot be cut that way (around 16-18mm thick hardened steel is the minimum) will withstand an angle grinder for less than a minute (some key, but expensive exceptions such as the Hiplock D1000). Chains need to be welded links, hexagonal in shape and a minimum of 16mm thick otherwise the bolt cutters will work very quickly or an angle grinder even quicker. Cable locks are completely useless Chains need padlocks, so if the chain is too thick a thief looks to break the padlock. Most padlocks last seconds under attack from a bolt cutter, angle grinder or if the padlock is on the floor, sledgehammer. There are some exceptional solid ones though both expensive and heavy. Finally, you need to consider what the chain or D-lock is attached to: often street furniture, some form of wall or ground anchor or bike rack. Bike racks are almost always useless against grinders or bolt cutters and if they are cover they also provide cover for the bike thief! Street signposts are mostly useless - if the professional thief also has a set of stepladders in the van they can easily lift a bike over the top of the post, at worst having to cut the thin metal of the sign. The solid metal bike locking points on most high streets are very good. As for ground or wall anchors for home, if you bought it at B&Q or similar DIY store forget it, the bike will be gone in seconds. The reality is that there is no bike lock system commercially available which a determined thief cannot beat. As the Lock Picking Lawyer shows on his YT channel (brilliant and utterly terrifying if you own an expensive bike) every lock can be picked, often in less than a minute. Even without lock picking no locking system can survive a determined attack by professional thieves all you can do is make it difficult, time consuming and noisy for the thief so that they will go elsewhere rather than bother with your bike. There is only one universal truth - if a thief cannot see your bike they cannot steal it. But if you put it in a communal bike store or easily accessible shed you might as well put up a neon sign "bike for free - help yourself"

Also we need to intervene more and stand up to these bike thieves and look out for one another’s bikes.

I have a disc brake lock that emits a 120 decibel alarm, if you even jiggle the bike it goes off, it’s seriously piercing. I think that with a decent lock is about as good of a deterrent as you can get. Nothing is fully theft proof but criminals don’t like attention.

"Oh no, they'll cut the bike rack!" So let's be sure our bike racks are replaced or upgraded with better materials! "They'll just cut the frame!" Then use your brain and lock your bike better! Don't just hang the u-lock over your top tube and walk away! Run the lock through your head tube so you're taking advantage of a thicker frame tube AND a fork steerer tube inside it! Or lock through your rear wheel between your chain and seat stays! This secures your rear wheel AND frame with one shot. A spoked wheel is MUCH harder to cut, as spoke tension will pull the rim together and squeeze the grinder wheel. Also, tire beads are a PITA to cut through. Again, use your brains to make your bike harder to steal!

I won't condone cutting the frame, although, that was hilarious.

Just bikepacked through Normandy..had the Hiplock Z lock on the outside of the Tailfin…. Seemingly 4 hours of rain and bit of sand grit renders the dials useless anyway. No longer secures… will see how their returns policy fairs…. Top Content!!! 😁👊🏻

Angle grinders are loud and draw a lot of attention. Most bikes are stolen when unlocked.

Any chance on testing the Hiplock D1000 ? I bought one because they claim it takes over 20 minutes to cut through with an angle grinder and will eat up 4 to 5 blades in the process

after all, Hiplok D100 again did it and saved the bike... before it was cut, I mean. Looking forward to have one with me daily as I'm into the restoration and transformation of an old glory into a commuter. Great video folks, I'm still PMSL!!!

Should have got an OnGuard Brute as an comparison, it is 16-17mm of hardened steel but only £30. It is pretty heavy to lug around though, but can't image that last lock was light, and the "gold" chain one wasn't worth having!

Brilliant. I want one of those £250 D locks. Great video Francis.

absolute mad lads. I love it

These more common ways to pinch a bike are way more fun to watch. Loved the video. Cutting the bike was not expected but he got it in the end.😂👍

By far the funniest video of 2022 so far!

I've been waiting for this one!

Love the Flensburger beer in the background :D

🤣🤣🤣 second time, the yellow shit strip, the guy in the mask 😷 didn't notice that it had gone into the river 🤣🤣🤣 and he's like ; Arrrhhhh 😔 🤣🤣🤣 He really wanted to cut that 🤣🤣🤣 damn that cheap crap 🤣🤣🤣 you guys are all excited 😁 this is great 👍 👌 - Stay Blessed - - Peace - 🙏❤✌

you can nip through the cheap cable lock a few strands at a time with a pocket-sized wire nippers and be through in

The D1000 is designed to resist angle grinders, so not really surprising (although good to confirm that the manufacturers claims hold up). Would be interested to see if it holds up to more advanced non-angle grinder attacks that thieves use, like a bottle jacks, freeze spray & hammer or drilling the lock cylinder.

When he looked over the edge and said I wanted to cut it 😆 was like a kid who showed up when the candy was gone 😕😆

Thank you for this. After having done this, would you say that the difference between the Silver rated Hiplok and Gold are negligible? Both resist against the bolt cutters in the same way and when an angle grinder is used, they're basically the same, right? So conclusion is save your money and get the silver, it'll be lighter and thieves probably can't tell the difference between silver and gold anyway and wouldn't really avoid breaking into it based on the two ratings?

Great video Francis, as jimmy said it would have been good to see a kryptonite New York lock go through the same test as they are popular. Cheers

I once left a very decent Trek bicycle locked in Dublin city centre for two weeks, after a bit of a late Saturday night and then being very busy with college. It was a very silly thing to do and I really didn't expect it to be there when I went in, but it was! My Abus Bordo lock had the marks of bolt-cutters in it, so obviously someone tried and failed. When I got a very good bike, worth about e1000, I bought a second, newer-generation Bordo lock and I would use both of them every time, as well as a cheap coil lock. That was e180 worth of locks, but that's what you need for a good bike! I feel anxious when I see the locks many people have on their bikes, like I could walk away with it myself in a few seconds, if I was so inclined.

i like how dude's head just blends into the white sky at 7:31 mark

Francis, Do a video about using a garden pressure sprayer for inflation of tubeless tyres, I recently had great success using one to seat a stubborn tubeless tyre, might make interesting content and help people out who don't have access to a compressor.👍😉

Nice video; a subject near and dear to my heart. Please consider doing a comprehensive video on several popular lock brands.

I take off pedals, seat, and the front wheel axle pin. I put them in my backpack. The front wheel is tied with the cable. They can’t ride off into the sunset without a complete bike, so don’t make it easy. However, of course, if they REALLY want it, they WILL take it.

First rule of bike thieves, don’t use your real names, especially when “members of the public” are around…………”this all looks completely normal, Francis.” 3:23 even a siren didn’t deter these bike thieves!!!

That C tube stunt 😂

Hilarious i use the same face shield as Nick at work in the ER. Great vid as always!

I personally use the Abus Granit XPlus 540, U-Lock, Key

My ebike is foldable and i keep it with me at all times. Got a litelock x1 and a different lock with alarm, insurance and thinking about a tracker

Fact is, if a thief really wants to steal your bike they are gonna find a way no matter how good the lock is. Just get a half decent one and minimise how long you leave it locked up in public view. Even in broad daylight with an angle grinder, I doubt any member of the public is gonna step in and stop a their for you.

I've always seen a bike lock as more of a deterrent to prevent crimes of opportunity. Of course in the area I live I don't think we have professional bike thieves just roving around with angle grinders or even bolt cutters. I imagine in a big city, or in Europe where bikes are a lot more common you would really feel the need to invest in a ridiculously strong bike lock.

Everyone in the comments: No one picks locks nowadays to steal a bike... The Lockpicking Lawyer: Hello there.

The most funny and profesional test of bike locks i have ever seen.

Genuine laugh out loud at the frame being cut as the only way to free the bike... 😂

Quantity has a quality all its own. With locks maybe it's better to have 2 or 3. Even the most expensive ones, all they can do is buy time, better to supplement it with an alarm. Having 2-3 or more mid tier locks might be better than one top tier one.

Great test folks ! also an enjoyable few minutes being naughty critters 😉 with cutters and angle grinders 👍

Hello from Texas. Great video, very funny. Thanks.

You should stick with making beer, and leave the bikes alone, haha

This is the best funny video EVER!!!! also scary too I think someone likes to wear a balaclava!!! 🤣🤣🤣

What’s the point in the D1000? If they can’t cut the lock they will cut the railing/bike rack/whatever.

That was GREAT !!! and FUNNY !!

STEAL THE BIKE 🚲 - No it's to heavy 🤣🤣🤣 This is so much fun, i hope the guy with the mask, doesn't take it off, finally something funny 😂😂😂 - Stay Blessed - 🙏❤✌

So basically it is very hard/expensive to prevent a bike theft. The trick then is to not looks like the best/easiest target so they go for someone else's bike.

Can you guys review the Hiplok Gold vs the Kryptonite chain lock? They are very similar but I’m wondering which is better

you should have got in a Stanley lad - Tony would have been away in seconds ;-)

I was told that the bike locks are more of a deterrent. then for making your bike secure. you want to make it seem like the hardest one to seal out of everyone else's so having multiple locks is the best way to go. it cafe wheel lock a ulock and maybe a change or bar lock and put it in a high traffic area.

I have a hip lock chain we caught a thief trying to cut through. He wasn’t able to get through the padlock. Managed to get through the chain once but not a second in order to to remove the lock. I still use it just not the compromised ring. Really couldn’t recommend it more. Both an abus and kyptonite lock cut through and bikes stolen

got mine back thanks to a £12 gps, only difficult part was sitting in the Police station saying ''i have the location and i'm going round there now, are you gonna come with me or shall i just go it alone?''.......prick that nicked my bike actually cleaned it, which was nice.

As usual, a great video. As others have suggested - could you retest the same locks by attempting to pick them. Cue the Lock Picking Lawyer or UK equivalent. The barrel is the weakest component of all these locks, rendering the whole point of locking up your bike futile, especially in the wrong location.

This was what we needed to see - nice one