@@springbloom5940 That's not true AT ALL. A mass of intertwined material such as cables, ropes, wires etc. will ALWAYS have more tensile strength and be harder to cut because of sheer added mass and thickness. Why would it be easier to cut more? I mean come on, common sense.
@@springbloom5940 ok so then the proper way to phrase it is, for a given thickness of cable, the more strands it has, the easier it is to cut. A 1" cable with 100 strands is easier to cut than a 1" cable with 10 strands.
In 1987 I lost a $1000 mountain bike to a cable lock that was cut with bolt cutters. It was the thickest cable lock I could find at the time. They rolled up in a van, blocking view of the rack, opened the side door, cut the cable, loaded the bike and absconded... total elapsed time about 30 seconds. The rack was right outside a tilt-up office with large windows on the ground floor, 1/4 mile inside a corporate campus. Fortunately the company reimbursed me the price of the bicycle, and changed policy to provide indoor bicycle storage. I was very lucky with my employer.
The point is, cable locks are next to useless. Regular hardware store chains can be cut by a cordless angle grinder in a matter of a few seconds. Hardened security chains will last longer; maybe a minute. I never used any sort of bicycle lock, after that theft. Not even a kryptonite U-lock. I would never let the next bike out of my sight, unless it was behind a locked door.
And in your case, they could have used a small hydraulic cutter too. There is no real difference between hand held and hydraulic if you can park a van beside it, plus it is just as quiet... And probably even faster... So even those metal bar locks for motocycle would be good against that... Unfortunatelly, it is impossible to make it theif proof... A while ago, I've hear of some theif that got 'creative'. They took the full rack with the bikes locked to it. Then they have all the time they want to unlock them.
All a lock or a security device is meant to do is to deter theft and hopefully make it difficult enough for the would-be thief to move on towards a much easier target... however, if the said target is valuable or high-profile enough, then more stringent security practices or policies must be implemented for the best amount of security to counteract the threat level. As for high-value targets, solid, closed/locked doors are the best security measure of deterrence against the threats of theft or vandalism.
My jaw dropped when I saw how smooth and quick that cutter got through that cable. Quicker than using a key and fighting to untwist it off your bike. Thanks for the demo.
240mm² HS-325A Ratchet Cable Wire Cutter Professional Heavy Duty Wire Cutter Hand Tool for Cutting Copper and Aluminum Cable (As the picture shows) www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0788S8SWP/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_HwQ7CbHGRWC95 £25 on amazon
The sheer amount of things I should not use to secure my bike became incredible when I started watching this channel. I honestly do not know what there is left to secure my bike. I would love a video on how you would do it.
There is an organized bike theft gang in my area that go around with pairs of pick up trucks and they mostly use grinders. It doesnt matter what lock you get because if they can't cut it, they cut the bike up and take the pieces. They use speed and good timing, not stealthy tools.
At that point, it's the cops' fault for letting it get that bad. I very seriously doubt that they have the ability to spoof legit license plates enough that they are completely unfindable given that they would be bound to have video evidence on them eventually.
If the situation is truly that bad, I'd lethally boobytrap the bikes. The government/law enforcement should never have let it get to the point you're being terrorized by organized crime. The entire point of a law system is to protect the people. If it's not accomplishing that, then I don't care what's 'illegal' in regards to how I defend myself.
Nice demonstration! I knew these locks couldn't be trusted because when I was at the university, it wasn't uncommon to find such locks cleanly cut like this one…
They're still useful, though, I think -- mainly as a side-kick to a beefier U-lock or chain. Indeed sometimes a relatively long cable is the only way to lock your bike to something solid when you are somewhere where there are no real bike-racks and you have to improvise by using a tree or something. Other times they're good for keeping people honest when it comes to your seat or tires. Also, almost always, two locks are better than one!
stronger demo I tested at home: a heavy tin-snips will cut most cables! it's b/c metal that isn't hardened is easy to cut. and if you hardened the cable lock it would have the stiffness of automotive suspension springs
I have 2200eur bicycle idk if its counted as "expensive" or not but mine is either a) in use on a trail or b) behind a fence guarded by 2 caucasian ovcharkas inside a garage locked by very good deep cut Assa lock. Good luck I usually sleep with window open and have twitchy sleep, I wake up to almost every bark. Meow try your luck.
@@iare19 I've found that if the bike costs more than 1000€ the easiest security practice doesn't work anymore: locking it next to a more expensive bike. So leaving it at home or in use is definitely the safest but I don't want to ride to work with a cheap second bike if I could use my better one... So good locks are pretty much the only option
The "steel" those cutters refer to means the steel in ACSR cable, which is aluminum strands wound around a core of steel strands and used on power lines. The steel strands are quite thick galvanized steel (an 8th of an inch thick each at least) meant to withstand the weight of the cable (which, being as least as thick as your finger, is very heavy) and winds, branches, green hard hats (google it), etc. It takes considerable time to hack through it with even a hacksaw. The steel strands in that bike lock, on the other hand, are so thin that ratchet cutter will have no problem with them.
Meh. €230. About what you'd expect for a professional quality German tool that should be good for many years of daily use. If that scared you, you probably shouldn't look up the prices of the crimpers you'll need to terminate the cables that this thing cuts.
There are quite a lot of this type of tool , from simple like this one and also very cheap to fully automated and hardened ones. :) Auto ones are for underground cutting. These are for those bulky and heavy telco and power line cables , and environments where people can't go , due to harsh conditions. Those can cost like 5k U$ (cheapest) and up. The ones I looked are for cables thick as 3in and up. Hope this helps. Cheers ! 😎 🇪🇺
Thanks. My tenant moved out suddenly and I needed to secure an entry gate. I used bike cable lock similar to the one you cut. Small keys refused to turn, got stuck and tomorrow the gas man is coming. Your video gives me a hope...nice presentation too.
Wow, I honestly didn't know there was such a small and simple tool capable of cutting those cable locks so quickly. Definitely rethinking my own use of them.
When I used to ride a bicycle, I used a cable and padlock. That just kept the joyriders away. My real defense was riding a bike no one wanted to steal (a 5-speed Schwinn Suburban with big rear baskets). It wasn't a recreational bike, but it was good transportation. No one ever even tried to steal it.
Yeah, I know about these cutters. I used them at work a lot! So I already knew about this. But, I do use a cable lock with a larger cable to lock my e-bike when I'm out and about. It's only to slow someone down while I am briefly away from my lock, not to rely on for real security, for that I would use a hardened chain
I once caught a fella trying to cut through my hardened hex chain (forgot the brand, sorry), his failure not being the point of the discussion, but the tool he left behind IE, the nose of a pair of cutters retrofitted with a bolt. The whole thing fit inside a hoodie pocket.
I live in South Africa, and thank goodness that my bicycle wasn't robbed from me up to this point but just seeing how easy it is to cut through these cable locks only motivates me more to get a Kryptonite New York u-lock.
Honestly, the amateur thief(drunk college kids, someone looking for a target of opportunity, etc) is the main person you're looking at repelling. There's a certain point where an organized group or professional individual is just going to take your shit no matter what locks you put on your bike. Personally, I've found these cable locks useful as a secondary-deterrent when combined with a decent U-lock alongside using common sense in how you attach the bike to the rack, at least on a college campus. Most bike thieves seem to look for easy quick targets and have a single style of lock in mind when choosing a target, combining two different types(even if one isn't super secure) seems to be enough to ward off most of them. I never got my bike stolen during college, even after accidentally leaving it on campus overnight; while just about all my friends who only used one type of lock ended up getting burnt at some point.
Exactly. Just like he shows how easy it is to pick all these hundreds of different kinds of locks... 99% of thieves are not picking locks or carrying around ratcheting cable cutters. I’ve secured my 1100$ Carbondale for 7 years in Chicago still today with the same cable lock and never had a problem.
I have a cable, but I use it in conjunction with a U-Lock. I U-Lock the back tire to the frame and an object (steel rail) then I wrap the cable from the U-lock to the front tire & another point of contact if there is enough. That has usually worked for me.... Also (if available) I lock my bike next to someone with poor bike locking practices, or a cheaper looking lock, better or more expensive bike... let them be a victim over me ;)
heli400 everyone's bike is expensive looking when you give yours a bit of a home made goofy paint job, even if the bike originally cost a few hundred ;)
Thank you for the video. I generally subscribe to the notion of using a lock based on my specific situation on that day and aim to keep honest people honest. Determined thieves are desperate people and will do what they need to. I am preparing my old hybrid bike for my son’s trip to college. He will have a chain lock to use on a safe campus in a very safe neighborhood. Bikes are stored in a covered area. I won’t lose sleep If the bike gets stolen. I have another spare to give. I will report back if something happens.
A video showing an wireless grinder cutting a heavy chain or a u-lock would be very interesting. Especially comparing different brands and showing witch can be grinded easier.
there's quite a few of those on the internet and well its very very depressing. but angle grinders are very noisy so they're not used generally in open or daylight scenarios. cutters like these are silent and thus attract far less attention czcams.com/video/-dz0Za5-wOM/video.html But then again.... apparently spending 30 seconds with sparks flying in a buys street is 'normal' in SF?
I had my R1 motorcycle stolen in broad daylight from the middle of a housing development. The theives used a battery powered grinder and shielded the sparks and some of the noise using the motorcycle cover. Got through the chain and steering lock in a couple of minutes. No one called the police despite it being the middle of the day during school holidays.
It took me around two and a half minutes to cut through a cable lock with a regular hacksaw blade(meant for cutting steel). I was amazed at how easy it is. Cable locks are meant to protect against opportunistic thieves not against determined ones. A u-lock is far superior for securing a bike for a short period of time while you shop for somethig. The safest way to protect your bike is to keep it out of sight. Can't se it, can't steal it.
if you're a glass at least half full optimist, you can say that just tying a string, wire or piece of tape is often good enough security - equal to cable lock in fact
Exept ofc they wouldn't do that. The fact that cables can be cut easily with the right tool is not exactly news to them. But they are cheap to make and as long as people are buying them they will produce them. If they respond to videos like these at all they just invest a bit in marketing up their products and send threatening letters to the reviewers. What these videos do however is inform consumers who then are able to make a more informed purchase. This could in theory influence sales and motivate companies to improve their products, but in practice i don't see that happening.
Last week, in the nice apartment complex near the mailboxes, a bike cable was cut and left lying next to the bike (not mine) that was left unharmed. Perhaps a well intended warning from a good Samaritan? Whatever, it reminds me that the jungle is here now too and I have upgraded my own security measures. I also never leave home unarmed. Thank you (in advance), Mr. LockPickingLawyer for the convincing demo!
I have a very expensive bike bought over 20-years ago that I've been securing all this time with a cable lock (short term, secured to a bike rack, usually outside of stores and high traffic areas). I guess I'm extremely lucky that it was never stolen. Recently upgraded to a medium security Kryptonite chain lock because videos like this have made me paranoid.
I used to lock my bike with a cable lock. The day that it was stolen..the thief didnt even use a tools..he broke it with his hands. I saw it later on the security camera. Now i have an abus U lock...the only way someone could steel my bike , is with an angle grinder. Or of course..by picking it. But i doubt it
This works. Your bike just needs to be less desirable and better locked than the bikes around it. Shitty rattlecan paint also helps, and even aids in finding your bike in the bikeracks :P
There's a spray on rusting paint. Can use on metal or plastic or wood etc. The paint itself rusts. Not what's underneath. Great way to make nice bike look old and rusty
In north Europe, this is the anti-theft-strategy number 1: A technicaly good bike, that is ugly, and even if regognized by the thieves as a good functioning bike, they know, it is so ugly, it is not worth stealing it, cause the return is low...
Where's the affiliate link to buy the tool? Come on! You're helping us easily find the product and you get rewarded for doing such a great service to us! Everybody wins.
I'm waiting for the insurance companies: "Ok, we will not pay because you did not secure your bicycle" "But I used Kryptonite Megatron Protector 5000?" "Like I said. You did not secure it!"
Yeah this is why I use D-locks and I only use a cable lock in very low security settings (e.g. stopping at a suburban shop for less than 2 minutes), and even then I will only use it for the front wheel, locking the rest of the bike with a D-lock. My first road bike was stolen after being locked with a cable lock. It was only a cheap '80s road bike that cost £130 but still, I liked that thing a lot. I hope it's still being ridden today. The vast majority of the time I will use a D-lock on the frame, rear wheel, and front wheel. Either I'll use a secondary (but still strong Kryptonite) D-lock on the front wheel, or I'll take the front wheel off (since it's quick release) and lock it together with my rear wheel and seat stays using my big Kryptonite New York lock.
Kinda glad I grew up with a chain & Lockwood padlock BEFORE CZcams (i'd tell you the model number of lock it was, except it was stolen along with its key). Anyhow, my bikes locked outside were always at risk, anything not chained eventually got taken. Valve caps, pads, brakes, calipers, seat, handlebars, goose-neck, pedals, 3-piece cranks, etc., etc. ,,, (Still to this day remember and regret all what was stolen) What's lost is now irreplaceable,2nd hand,or expensive AF Anytime "locking-up" .. basically had to dismantle the bike + carrying chain & lock that outweighed my bike. SUCKED.
A single wire is also easily cut by a standard electrical side-cutter... just "nibble" your way through with bite sized portions of strands with the tip of the cutter... I was really disappointed a few year ago when I lost the key to my bike lock and a random bystander "came to the rescue" and cut the (10mm?) wire in ~10 seconds with this simple tool...
Same here. My D-lock goes through the frame and the rear wheel, and I run a cable lock to the front wheel. Anywhere I park, there are plenty of unsecured wheels and my wheels aren't _that_ nice, so it seems to be reasonable to outrun most of the other people instead of outrunning the bear.
I once used a small pipe cutter to cut the cable on one of my own locks that I had lost the keys for. That was concealable and inexpensive. Admitably not that fast.
Lol I love ratcheting cable cutters, I’m an electrical apprentice and have used them a few times on fat cable (think like 3/0awg) when I didn’t have access to a saw
You can break cable lock faster than using a key. These videos are very good, and really make you understand that with correct tools cable locks are completely useless.
Unless you're planning on stealing Dirtbike One (the armored presidential bicycle), I suspect the FBI consider this a matter for local police. And based on my interactions with local police, they don't care, either.
after my cable-locked bike was stolen the police officer told me that heavy chains seem to be the best deterrent. so i went with quality hardened 8mm links, which is quite beefy, and so far so good but i won't leave it unattended for more than 15 min
Price is irrelevant. a "thief" buying tools goes against their code of professional conduct. They shoplift the hand tools they need from the big box home reno' chains.
i only secure my bike with the cheapest and easiest of locks. Spending lots of money on bicycle locks isn't very useful where it live. Even the the best lock will give you 10 mins of security at best and the insurance company will pay anyways as long as you lock it. So get the cheapest lock that is good enough to stop "honest" people and insurance will cover the rest.
yep, I use a medium priced bike lock purely as a deterrent for the opportunist bike thieves... you can't easily stop a determined "pro" thief... can you?
I use a kryptonite kryptoflex cable for my front wheel with quick release. I also have black tape around a painted black hose clamp with 8mm bolt head on the quick release. If they cut the cable in 3 seconds, they still need to loosen the hose clamp enough with an 8mm wrench tool and that takes like 30 seconds with the spokes in the way. Buys more time and hope they don't carry an additional 8mm wrench. Maybe one day I will buy a locking skewer but I will continue to use the cable & hose clamp for the front wheel. I can't see myself carrying another 2nd u-lock for the front wheel.
I ride a nice cannondale that I bought new for about 500 dollars, I ride mtb but also commute to work and back, I use it for errands, and it has spent many many hours on the bike rack. Usually when I'm out riding trail and commuting I wear a camelbak that is not big enough to hold my lock or i wear a bigger backpack that has my lock in it. Whenever I don't have my lock I at least make my bike harder to steal by doing some simple yet effective things. First thing I do is park in the lowest gear, then when the bike is not mobile I put it in the highest gear without turning the pedals, this makes the bike sound like hell if you try to ride it without putting it back into its original gear, it also makes the bike shift into a really hard gear that will equal no acceleration. The second thing I do is undo the seatpost clamp, so if someone were to try and pick it up by the saddle it would pull all the way out of the bike and it is a greasy mess. The last thing I do is loosen both of my skewer axles, so if they are able to pick up the bike the wheels fall off. These are just the small things I do to make it a little harder to steal, I live in a small town that is not known for much crime but there was the same model of my bike stolen just a few weeks ago from a nearby large city, it was not properly locked and the lock was garbage quality.
I had a pretty thick cable lock for my bike once. It got stolen when it was parked among many other bikes, but since I actually maintain my bike, it probably looked newer. I have used Shackle locks since, but just switched to a chain lock. I know I don’t have the best security, but at least I have insurance.
These are fine, honestly, at least around here. If they can't easily steal your bicycle, they get pissed off and break/bend/destroy it instead. What you want is a cable lock and a hidden GPS tracker. If someone really wants to steal it, they can, without breaking anything expensive. Track it down afterwards.
Normally the cable locks are used as an addition to a D lock. The D lock goes around frame and bike rack, the cable goes through the wheels and back to the D lock. This stops people stealing wheels, the the higher security D lock secures the bike.
Some semi trailers have heavy duty seals that it takes bolt cutters or a grinder to cut, but some warehouses have a cutter that resembles a cordless drill that cuts a heavy duty seal in seconds, with little effort.
Some cable locks don't even need a wire cutter..they just pull 'em apart, even if that means pulling the bike rack off the wall! Thank God I found my bike...inside the Police Department grounds, next to the chapel. I'm still puzzled how it ended up there...
![[1242] NYT Wirecutter Says These Are The Best Bike Locks](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/jZtNEC1uGg4/mqdefault.jpg)
![[1242] NYT Wirecutter Says These Are The Best Bike Locks](/img/tr.png)
![[461] Gun Cable Locks Attacked With Hand Cutters](/img/n.gif)
That's how you make a point. Don't just cut 1 cable, cut 4 at once. Great video as always.
Richard List
In a lot of cases, bundled cables are easier to cut, than a single cable.
If that was the case, the thief would simply need a fragment of cable from the lock of the last bike he stole to make it easier.
@@springbloom5940 That's not true AT ALL. A mass of intertwined material such as cables, ropes, wires etc. will ALWAYS have more tensile strength and be harder to cut because of sheer added mass and thickness. Why would it be easier to cut more? I mean come on, common sense.
Starboxxx Chrononaut
Well, you might be right, if we were talking about a single braided cable and not a bundle of cables
@@springbloom5940 ok so then the proper way to phrase it is, for a given thickness of cable, the more strands it has, the easier it is to cut. A 1" cable with 100 strands is easier to cut than a 1" cable with 10 strands.
In 1987 I lost a $1000 mountain bike to a cable lock that was cut with bolt cutters. It was the thickest cable lock I could find at the time.
They rolled up in a van, blocking view of the rack, opened the side door, cut the cable, loaded the bike and absconded... total elapsed time about 30 seconds.
The rack was right outside a tilt-up office with large windows on the ground floor, 1/4 mile inside a corporate campus.
Fortunately the company reimbursed me the price of the bicycle, and changed policy to provide indoor bicycle storage.
I was very lucky with my employer.
Man that sucks anyway though. Why do people have to make a living with other peoples property?
The point is, cable locks are next to useless.
Regular hardware store chains can be cut by a cordless angle grinder in a matter of a few seconds.
Hardened security chains will last longer; maybe a minute.
I never used any sort of bicycle lock, after that theft.
Not even a kryptonite U-lock.
I would never let the next bike out of my sight, unless it was behind a locked door.
And in your case, they could have used a small hydraulic cutter too. There is no real difference between hand held and hydraulic if you can park a van beside it, plus it is just as quiet... And probably even faster...
So even those metal bar locks for motocycle would be good against that...
Unfortunatelly, it is impossible to make it theif proof...
A while ago, I've hear of some theif that got 'creative'. They took the full rack with the bikes locked to it. Then they have all the time they want to unlock them.
All a lock or a security device is meant to do is to deter theft and hopefully make it difficult enough for the would-be thief to move on towards a much easier target... however, if the said target is valuable or high-profile enough, then more stringent security practices or policies must be implemented for the best amount of security to counteract the threat level.
As for high-value targets, solid, closed/locked doors are the best security measure of deterrence against the threats of theft or vandalism.
Christopher Lawler if u spend over a grand on a bike i would consider a gps tracker built into the frame
My jaw dropped when I saw how smooth and quick that cutter got through that cable.
Quicker than using a key and fighting to untwist it off your bike. Thanks for the demo.
240mm² HS-325A Ratchet Cable Wire Cutter Professional Heavy Duty Wire Cutter Hand Tool for Cutting Copper and Aluminum Cable (As the picture shows) www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0788S8SWP/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_HwQ7CbHGRWC95
£25 on amazon
Didn't it have a combination? lol
The sheer amount of things I should not use to secure my bike became incredible when I started watching this channel. I honestly do not know what there is left to secure my bike. I would love a video on how you would do it.
I imagine this sort of tool wouldn't work on an actual chain.
Get a rabid racoon to guard your bike.
Jesus maybe? They say that guy watches everything! Never worked before but I hear a bunch of people keep praying.
Get a pet skunk?
They make this thing called the "skunk lock" that is filled with noxious pressurized chemicals should anyone start cutting on it.
There is an organized bike theft gang in my area that go around with pairs of pick up trucks and they mostly use grinders. It doesnt matter what lock you get because if they can't cut it, they cut the bike up and take the pieces. They use speed and good timing, not stealthy tools.
Theft is a numbers game, there are only so many bike theft gangs, there are a lot more individual thieves and these tools cost just £25
Locks should be filled with TNT.
tiefensucht I don’t know about TNT, but I have seen a lock that releases an extremely foul odor if you try to cut it.
At that point, it's the cops' fault for letting it get that bad. I very seriously doubt that they have the ability to spoof legit license plates enough that they are completely unfindable given that they would be bound to have video evidence on them eventually.
If the situation is truly that bad, I'd lethally boobytrap the bikes. The government/law enforcement should never have let it get to the point you're being terrorized by organized crime. The entire point of a law system is to protect the people. If it's not accomplishing that, then I don't care what's 'illegal' in regards to how I defend myself.
my mom locked the fridge with this type of lock but finally i can eat. thanks LPL
I'm not sure whether I should laugh 😂 or cry...lol
wtf
She'll never find out
@chaotic shitposter or really poor families
Ha ha ha. We cry u doning fun 😖😖😖
Brilliant video, as always. This tool seems like it would be equally well suited for the removal of extra fingers.
Other appendages may fit too... "shudder"
dteitleb Goddamn extra finger... I have been looking into something like this.
remove this.. 🖕👈 ..ya bunch of creeps!! 😤
Think that often while using them.... seems though a sledge hammer or vise would send a louder message.
Nice demonstration! I knew these locks couldn't be trusted because when I was at the university, it wasn't uncommon to find such locks cleanly cut like this one…
That why after my roommate lost my bike I bought a shabby beat cop bike as a replacement. No one want it. Locks are detergent anyways.
They're still useful, though, I think -- mainly as a side-kick to a beefier U-lock or chain. Indeed sometimes a relatively long cable is the only way to lock your bike to something solid when you are somewhere where there are no real bike-racks and you have to improvise by using a tree or something. Other times they're good for keeping people honest when it comes to your seat or tires. Also, almost always, two locks are better than one!
stronger demo I tested at home: a heavy tin-snips will cut most cables! it's b/c metal that isn't hardened is easy to cut. and if you hardened the cable lock it would have the stiffness of automotive suspension springs
Never buy an expensive bicycle. That's what I've learnt from this.
No...never leave an expensive bicycle unattended except inside your home.
I have 2200eur bicycle idk if its counted as "expensive" or not but mine is either a) in use on a trail or b) behind a fence guarded by 2 caucasian ovcharkas inside a garage locked by very good deep cut Assa lock. Good luck I usually sleep with window open and have twitchy sleep, I wake up to almost every bark. Meow try your luck.
@@iare19 I've found that if the bike costs more than 1000€ the easiest security practice doesn't work anymore: locking it next to a more expensive bike.
So leaving it at home or in use is definitely the safest but I don't want to ride to work with a cheap second bike if I could use my better one...
So good locks are pretty much the only option
@@sebastianjost inside storage if your speech is good enough
@@iare19 just wait until the dog starts playing with the robbers
The "steel" those cutters refer to means the steel in ACSR cable, which is aluminum strands wound around a core of steel strands and used on power lines. The steel strands are quite thick galvanized steel (an 8th of an inch thick each at least) meant to withstand the weight of the cable (which, being as least as thick as your finger, is very heavy) and winds, branches, green hard hats (google it), etc. It takes considerable time to hack through it with even a hacksaw. The steel strands in that bike lock, on the other hand, are so thin that ratchet cutter will have no problem with them.
You clearly don't need a pair, but the Knipex 95 32 315 is rated for steel armoured cables.
And costs more than most bicycles. :D
Weltenspinner LPs Wow, they're quite expensive! 😲😲😲
Meh. €230. About what you'd expect for a professional quality German tool that should be good for many years of daily use.
If that scared you, you probably shouldn't look up the prices of the crimpers you'll need to terminate the cables that this thing cuts.
"Hey, Billy, screw the bike. We are taking this expensive as fuck lock."
Bike frame may be easier to cut...
I'm an ex sparky and have not seen those type of handheld ratcheting cutters. Cuts like going through butter!🍺😎🇦🇺
See them all the time in industry, cutting 3x120mm^2 cables and stuff.
They are fairly common in Europe, but I prefer a grinder.
use them all the time on heavy commercial and industrial jobs
There are quite a lot of this type of tool , from simple like this one and also very cheap to fully automated and hardened ones. :) Auto ones are for underground cutting. These are for those bulky and heavy telco and power line cables , and environments where people can't go , due to harsh conditions. Those can cost like 5k U$ (cheapest) and up. The ones I looked are for cables thick as 3in and up.
Hope this helps. Cheers ! 😎 🇪🇺
IDEAL makes a ratchet cutter...nice but expensive
It is kind of ironic that criminals would use a tool that works a lot like a pair of handcuffs
James Hall cuz handcuffs cut cables right
Hopefully it cuts hands easily too.
Rob Spagrenetti they sure feel like they could cut cables
Police should start using these as handcuffs for criminals
Retards replying to this... They are similar to handcuffs because both action mechanisms involve shrinking an ellipse to exert pressure
Always love your destructive entry videos, please make more soon. Keep up the good work and know that you are appreciated.
Thanks. My tenant moved out suddenly and I needed to secure an entry gate. I used bike cable lock similar to the one you cut. Small keys refused to turn, got stuck and tomorrow the gas man is coming. Your video gives me a hope...nice presentation too.
Wow, I honestly didn't know there was such a small and simple tool capable of cutting those cable locks so quickly. Definitely rethinking my own use of them.
Oh my goodness that was ridiculously easy. So much for the chunky cable and lock on my two bikes.
The cable cutter also has “Not to be used for finger amputation!” But that hasn’t stopped the LockPickingLawyer either.
You have a fantastic way of making your point quickly and clearly. Point taken, thank you for the demonstration.
When I used to ride a bicycle, I used a cable and padlock. That just kept the joyriders away. My real defense was riding a bike no one wanted to steal (a 5-speed Schwinn Suburban with big rear baskets). It wasn't a recreational bike, but it was good transportation. No one ever even tried to steal it.
Yeah, I know about these cutters. I used them at work a lot! So I already knew about this. But, I do use a cable lock with a larger cable to lock my e-bike when I'm out and about. It's only to slow someone down while I am briefly away from my lock, not to rely on for real security, for that I would use a hardened chain
What’s the name of them?
Good question @@Z39Official
I once caught a fella trying to cut through my hardened hex chain (forgot the brand, sorry), his failure not being the point of the discussion, but the tool he left behind IE, the nose of a pair of cutters retrofitted with a bolt. The whole thing fit inside a hoodie pocket.
And the cable you cut through was not a cheap one, either! Thanks for the upload. Very useful.
Always place your bike next to a more expensive bike. And make sure you lock your bike to a fixed object.
I live in South Africa, and thank goodness that my bicycle wasn't robbed from me up to this point but just seeing how easy it is to cut through these cable locks only motivates me more to get a Kryptonite New York u-lock.
On my. The irony!!!
"Don't use it on steel cables" sounds like: "Don't use it on steal cables" as well
Ray: Well played!!
Only thing those locks stop is some drunken lad just taking your bike which is, to be fair, majority of bike thefts
Honestly, the amateur thief(drunk college kids, someone looking for a target of opportunity, etc) is the main person you're looking at repelling. There's a certain point where an organized group or professional individual is just going to take your shit no matter what locks you put on your bike. Personally, I've found these cable locks useful as a secondary-deterrent when combined with a decent U-lock alongside using common sense in how you attach the bike to the rack, at least on a college campus. Most bike thieves seem to look for easy quick targets and have a single style of lock in mind when choosing a target, combining two different types(even if one isn't super secure) seems to be enough to ward off most of them.
I never got my bike stolen during college, even after accidentally leaving it on campus overnight; while just about all my friends who only used one type of lock ended up getting burnt at some point.
Exactly. Just like he shows how easy it is to pick all these hundreds of different kinds of locks... 99% of thieves are not picking locks or carrying around ratcheting cable cutters.
I’ve secured my 1100$ Carbondale for 7 years in Chicago still today with the same cable lock and never had a problem.
Not in Germany, near the eastern border ... there are many organized groups stealing bikes to sell them in East Europe
Unless you live in a college town.
@@julianreverse Lol really tho why
I have a cable, but I use it in conjunction with a U-Lock. I U-Lock the back tire to the frame and an object (steel rail) then I wrap the cable from the U-lock to the front tire & another point of contact if there is enough. That has usually worked for me.... Also (if available) I lock my bike next to someone with poor bike locking practices, or a cheaper looking lock, better or more expensive bike... let them be a victim over me ;)
heli400 everyone's bike is expensive looking when you give yours a bit of a home made goofy paint job, even if the bike originally cost a few hundred ;)
LPL and a sneaky tool demo. Another informative video! Thank You.
WOO! DESTRUCTION! Thank you, Sir.
Thank you for the video. I generally subscribe to the notion of using a lock based on my specific situation on that day and aim to keep honest people honest. Determined thieves are desperate people and will do what they need to. I am preparing my old hybrid bike for my son’s trip to college. He will have a chain lock to use on a safe campus in a very safe neighborhood. Bikes are stored in a covered area. I won’t lose sleep If the bike gets stolen. I have another spare to give. I will report back if something happens.
A video showing an wireless grinder cutting a heavy chain or a u-lock would be very interesting. Especially comparing different brands and showing witch can be grinded easier.
there's quite a few of those on the internet and well its very very depressing. but angle grinders are very noisy so they're not used generally in open or daylight scenarios. cutters like these are silent and thus attract far less attention
czcams.com/video/-dz0Za5-wOM/video.html
But then again.... apparently spending 30 seconds with sparks flying in a buys street is 'normal' in SF?
I had my R1 motorcycle stolen in broad daylight from the middle of a housing development. The theives used a battery powered grinder and shielded the sparks and some of the noise using the motorcycle cover. Got through the chain and steering lock in a couple of minutes. No one called the police despite it being the middle of the day during school holidays.
@@n00bkilllol
It took me around two and a half minutes to cut through a cable lock with a regular hacksaw blade(meant for cutting steel). I was amazed at how easy it is. Cable locks are meant to protect against opportunistic thieves not against determined ones. A u-lock is far superior for securing a bike for a short period of time while you shop for somethig. The safest way to protect your bike is to keep it out of sight. Can't se it, can't steal it.
if you're a glass at least half full optimist, you can say that just tying a string, wire or piece of tape is often good enough security - equal to cable lock in fact
What people don't realize is that videos like these actually help companies develop better locks so that things like this can't happen.
Exept ofc they wouldn't do that.
The fact that cables can be cut easily with the right tool is not exactly news to them.
But they are cheap to make and as long as people are buying them they will produce them.
If they respond to videos like these at all they just invest a bit in marketing up their products and send threatening letters to the reviewers.
What these videos do however is inform consumers who then are able to make a more informed purchase. This could in theory influence sales and motivate companies to improve their products, but in practice i don't see that happening.
Last week, in the nice apartment complex near the mailboxes, a bike cable was cut and left lying next to the bike (not mine) that was left unharmed. Perhaps a well intended warning from a good Samaritan? Whatever, it reminds me that the jungle is here now too and I have upgraded my own security measures. I also never leave home unarmed. Thank you (in advance), Mr. LockPickingLawyer for the convincing demo!
I have a very expensive bike bought over 20-years ago that I've been securing all this time with a cable lock (short term, secured to a bike rack, usually outside of stores and high traffic areas). I guess I'm extremely lucky that it was never stolen. Recently upgraded to a medium security Kryptonite chain lock because videos like this have made me paranoid.
You live in a good area. Generally U-locks are the best you'll get, but kryptonite chain locks are pretty good.
You've just cut the same cable lock I have on my ebike 😱😱. Thanks for the well demonstrated video. Upgrading to a steel u lock.
Good idea but keep the cable lock as you can use it to protect one of your tires from being stolen and it provides a little bit of extra protection.
Now that was pretty eye opening.
And again I am reminded NOT to lock my bike up anywhere it will be left unattended. We know any lock is just a deterrent. Another great video.
destructive testing yay
Omg, that's funny. Is there a cable that's safe?
Will they always be able to steal the front tire and handle bars?
Destructive? The cutter was perfectly fine at the end of the test.
Wow thanks! I knew these bolt cutters were too inconspicuous.
I love that handheld cable cutter!
Talk about ABSOLUTELY shattering my belief in something. Thanks for that.
I used to lock my bike with a cable lock. The day that it was stolen..the thief didnt even use a tools..he broke it with his hands. I saw it later on the security camera.
Now i have an abus U lock...the only way someone could steel my bike , is with an angle grinder. Or of course..by picking it.
But i doubt it
Look at his latest videos 😩
Those bicycle locks are great.
At preventing kids without tools or training from stealing your bicycle.
New plan: butt-ugly sleeper bicycle, complete with faux rust.
This works. Your bike just needs to be less desirable and better locked than the bikes around it. Shitty rattlecan paint also helps, and even aids in finding your bike in the bikeracks :P
Nope, I had two bikes like this. First one I bought for 20 euro, the second for 40.
There's a spray on rusting paint. Can use on metal or plastic or wood etc. The paint itself rusts. Not what's underneath. Great way to make nice bike look old and rusty
In north Europe, this is the anti-theft-strategy number 1: A technicaly good bike, that is ugly, and even if regognized by the thieves as a good functioning bike, they know, it is so ugly, it is not worth stealing it, cause the return is low...
Old 20 some-odd year old mountain bike. That’s good enough where I live cause everyone has much newer bikes so there’s no reason to steal my pos
Where's the affiliate link to buy the tool? Come on! You're helping us easily find the product and you get rewarded for doing such a great service to us! Everybody wins.
I'm waiting for the insurance companies: "Ok, we will not pay because you did not secure your bicycle" "But I used Kryptonite Megatron Protector 5000?" "Like I said. You did not secure it!"
Thank you so much for making this video. Finally people will understand...
Cool, had not seen that particular tool before! The more you know!
Yeah this is why I use D-locks and I only use a cable lock in very low security settings (e.g. stopping at a suburban shop for less than 2 minutes), and even then I will only use it for the front wheel, locking the rest of the bike with a D-lock. My first road bike was stolen after being locked with a cable lock. It was only a cheap '80s road bike that cost £130 but still, I liked that thing a lot. I hope it's still being ridden today. The vast majority of the time I will use a D-lock on the frame, rear wheel, and front wheel. Either I'll use a secondary (but still strong Kryptonite) D-lock on the front wheel, or I'll take the front wheel off (since it's quick release) and lock it together with my rear wheel and seat stays using my big Kryptonite New York lock.
R.I.P cable locks. Game over.
Kinda glad I grew up with a chain & Lockwood padlock BEFORE CZcams (i'd tell you the model number of lock it was, except it was stolen along with its key). Anyhow, my bikes locked outside were always at risk, anything not chained eventually got taken. Valve caps, pads, brakes, calipers, seat, handlebars, goose-neck, pedals, 3-piece cranks, etc., etc. ,,,
(Still to this day remember and regret all what was stolen)
What's lost is now irreplaceable,2nd hand,or expensive AF
Anytime "locking-up" .. basically had to dismantle the bike
+ carrying chain & lock that outweighed my bike. SUCKED.
Informative as ever, but haven't seen any ramset action for a while. Love the ramset.
The Ramset is a gun for bigger game.
@@GarthGoldberg its stil nice to see a bit of destruction. Mindless violence takes a lot of thought. Lol (not physical violence tho)
A single wire is also easily cut by a standard electrical side-cutter... just "nibble" your way through with bite sized portions of strands with the tip of the cutter...
I was really disappointed a few year ago when I lost the key to my bike lock and a random bystander "came to the rescue" and cut the (10mm?) wire in ~10 seconds with this simple tool...
I would only ever use my cable lock so that people can't just walk away with my wheels
Well now they can lol
Same here. My D-lock goes through the frame and the rear wheel, and I run a cable lock to the front wheel. Anywhere I park, there are plenty of unsecured wheels and my wheels aren't _that_ nice, so it seems to be reasonable to outrun most of the other people instead of outrunning the bear.
You're better off using them to secure your shoes to your feet. That way you have a chance of noticing if someone is cutting them off.
I love my Klein Ratchet cutters, and so does everyone else. Of course, I'm a construction electrician also
KEEP DOING THESE. THERE ACTUALLY GREAT TO KNOW. 👍
There he goes showing off his toys again!!! Well done LPL!!!
few years ago i broke my bike lock key inside the lock, i needed to get home so i cut the lock with kitchen scissors
must have been good scissors and a poor lock
sorry
but im calling
bullshit on that one.
@@tomthompson7400 it was a shit ass lock. the cable was 2mm in diameter. also the scissors were shit also
Wow! What an illustration of your point! As always, I'm having a nice day, and as always, great vid!
I once used a small pipe cutter to cut the cable on one of my own locks that I had lost the keys for. That was concealable and inexpensive. Admitably not that fast.
I bet two pairs of vise grip pliers would be very fast
@@nathansmith3608 I'm trying to picture how that would work...
I was just wondering if a pipe cutter would work
Lol I love ratcheting cable cutters, I’m an electrical apprentice and have used them a few times on fat cable (think like 3/0awg) when I didn’t have access to a saw
What would you recommend to use in place instead of these bicycle locks.
You can break cable lock faster than using a key. These videos are very good, and really make you understand that with correct tools cable locks are completely useless.
*FBI HAS LEFT THE GAME*
Unless you're planning on stealing Dirtbike One (the armored presidential bicycle), I suspect the FBI consider this a matter for local police. And based on my interactions with local police, they don't care, either.
Thx vm for always let us know which tools to use.
Those cutters aren't cheap, about $300 if memory serves. Although, if you're a good thief then they're free!
Good ones are indeed very expensive, but these are not good ones... $20 on eBay.
@@lockpickinglawyer Touche salesman.
@@lockpickinglawyer could you post a link for the ratcheting cable cutters? Thanks!
@@boltup5566 you literally only have to google these
@@rb4121 lockpicking lawyer literally makes money when he links the tools he uses. He forgot on this vid.
after my cable-locked bike was stolen the police officer told me that heavy chains seem to be the best deterrent. so i went with quality hardened 8mm links, which is quite beefy, and so far so good but i won't leave it unattended for more than 15 min
"He fixes the cable?" Heh. Lebowski reference.
The Lock Picking Lebowski and ... nobody cared.
@@extraSPARErib Obviously you're not a golfer.
I actually spat my cider out in surprise how easy that was. Thank you for sharing this. 👍 🔐
Erection currently stuck in this contraption..
Just keep ratcheting, it won't do you any good but it would sure help out the rest of us 😂
THANK
YOU
VERY
MUCH🤗💖💗💝⭐
those things are and alway have been useless. Anyone who doesnt see that doesnt want to keep their bike anyway.
Good demonstration. Great video! Thanks for showing us.
I used little bigger version of these. Also as I remember these cable cutters are fairly expensive.
I paid $22 shipped on eBay... name brand variants are MUCH more, of course.
Whatever the cost, the thief would make their money back on just one bike so it's a good investment on their part.
If they are hanging up on display in a store thieves will just steal them then use them to steal your bike, they are after all thieves.
Ebay and Amazon have $30 ones but kleins or Southwire are $250-300
Price is irrelevant. a "thief" buying tools goes against their code of professional conduct. They shoplift the hand tools they need from the big box home reno' chains.
Thanks man! I made a lotta money with these.
I'm starting to think not only is this dude a defense attorney but he post these videos to up his clientele.😅
It's all good, man!
You can buy such cable cutters for steel reinforced cables so the blade wouldnt get damaged
i only secure my bike with the cheapest and easiest of locks. Spending lots of money on bicycle locks isn't very useful where it live.
Even the the best lock will give you 10 mins of security at best and the insurance company will pay anyways as long as you lock it. So get the cheapest lock that is good enough to stop "honest" people and insurance will cover the rest.
yep, I use a medium priced bike lock purely as a deterrent for the opportunist bike thieves... you can't easily stop a determined "pro" thief... can you?
aullik The cheapest lock to stop honest people is no lock, but I get what you’re saying
@@thomilo44 That is why i said "honest" and not honest.
Locks are to deter otherwise honest folks from becoming dishonest. Nothing stops an experienced thief.
This is depressing.........
not depressing but the truth
I use a kryptonite kryptoflex cable for my front wheel with quick release. I also have black tape around a painted black hose clamp with 8mm bolt head on the quick release. If they cut the cable in 3 seconds, they still need to loosen the hose clamp enough with an 8mm wrench tool and that takes like 30 seconds with the spokes in the way. Buys more time and hope they don't carry an additional 8mm wrench. Maybe one day I will buy a locking skewer but I will continue to use the cable & hose clamp for the front wheel. I can't see myself carrying another 2nd u-lock for the front wheel.
I would never
use $200 copper cutters like that lol
Actually, about $20. 👍
But if your a theif and you would steal a bile, who said you wouldn't steal this tool too? Every electrician has one, its a n almost daily use tool
Money back in one go, though
I ride a nice cannondale that I bought new for about 500 dollars, I ride mtb but also commute to work and back, I use it for errands, and it has spent many many hours on the bike rack. Usually when I'm out riding trail and commuting I wear a camelbak that is not big enough to hold my lock or i wear a bigger backpack that has my lock in it. Whenever I don't have my lock I at least make my bike harder to steal by doing some simple yet effective things. First thing I do is park in the lowest gear, then when the bike is not mobile I put it in the highest gear without turning the pedals, this makes the bike sound like hell if you try to ride it without putting it back into its original gear, it also makes the bike shift into a really hard gear that will equal no acceleration.
The second thing I do is undo the seatpost clamp, so if someone were to try and pick it up by the saddle it would pull all the way out of the bike and it is a greasy mess.
The last thing I do is loosen both of my skewer axles, so if they are able to pick up the bike the wheels fall off.
These are just the small things I do to make it a little harder to steal, I live in a small town that is not known for much crime but there was the same model of my bike stolen just a few weeks ago from a nearby large city, it was not properly locked and the lock was garbage quality.
That was crazy fast lol great review brother
that kryptonite cable is the first one I removed with needle nose pliers.... easy af
Probably the best ad those copper cutters could get honestly, i'l kero them in mind if i ever get into the cable buisness
I had a pretty thick cable lock for my bike once. It got stolen when it was parked among many other bikes, but since I actually maintain my bike, it probably looked newer.
I have used Shackle locks since, but just switched to a chain lock. I know I don’t have the best security, but at least I have insurance.
These are fine, honestly, at least around here. If they can't easily steal your bicycle, they get pissed off and break/bend/destroy it instead. What you want is a cable lock and a hidden GPS tracker. If someone really wants to steal it, they can, without breaking anything expensive. Track it down afterwards.
Normally the cable locks are used as an addition to a D lock.
The D lock goes around frame and bike rack, the cable goes through the wheels and back to the D lock.
This stops people stealing wheels, the the higher security D lock secures the bike.
That's what I do. It works b/c psychologically a thief sees it would be unsatisfying to bother cutting a lock & only getting a front wheel, I think!
I dont do cables anymore. Having ties to electrical supply i highly recommend the Greenlee Textron ratcheting cable cutter.
@ Alpaca Two Niner - Even better. For the potential, lazy thief that has money, buy the Greenlee ESR1000LX11 Battery Powered Ratchet Cutter. :-)
It’s amazing that your channel is giving thieves the knowledge to steal from hard working people.
Thieves already know. This isn't helping them. On the other hand, it helps normal people avoid shitty locks like cable locks.
Wow, that was easy. And probably not news to any bicycle thieves. Thanks for educating us consumers.
U are awesome. Great job on your badass vids!
Some semi trailers have heavy duty seals that it takes bolt cutters or a grinder to cut, but some warehouses have a cutter that resembles a cordless drill that cuts a heavy duty seal in seconds, with little effort.
They make cordless rebar and threaded rod cutters now (Makita and the likes of them). Those should make short work of lock bars.
Some cable locks don't even need a wire cutter..they just pull 'em apart, even if that means pulling the bike rack off the wall!
Thank God I found my bike...inside the Police Department grounds, next to the chapel. I'm still puzzled how it ended up there...
Everytime I see somebody with. Cable lock/D-lock combo, just shake my head.
Great now i need a new way to lock my extention ladders to my truck rack. Cheers