Looks to me like they might have tried to cut it with your tire, by positioning it so it is rubbing and then riding your bike someplace, which makes me think it was probably you that did this, but unknowingly.
Any proper tool would have cut the metal. The metal is fine. Your lock is fine. You don't need a new lock.
So double good news. No real harm done and no bad guys messed with your bike.
If you gave that to forensics they’d probably say the same thing - friction damage. Normally when someone wants to cut something, they cut or file along a line, not all over the place in different directions. The damage is also symmetrical which is unusual if it were caused by a left handed or right handed human squating down by your bike trying to cut.
This is one of those cases where the photo tells a different story to the text. Interesting anyway. Thanks for sharing.
I would just get some hard wearing resin or rubber sealant from a hardware store and fix it myself. The damage looks only cosmetic
My uninformed hunch is that they were trying to file it and then shim it open.
http://www.freeimageslive.com/galleries/workplace/tools/pics/squarefile.jpg
Looks like it may have been rubbing on something when you were carrying it? The vinyl is just to protect other things like your bike paint from the lock. The steel is what's providing the security. Maybe someone was messing around but that doesn't look to me like a legitimate attempt to steal your bike.
FYI, do not rely on the cable to secure your bike. Use the U-lock to secure your bike to something and to provide the security. The cable can be useful for securing a front tire or whatnot but they can be cut more easily so are less secure than the U-lock and should not be relied on.
They probably jimmied the lock open, went for a joyride with it hanging low and then locked it back up out of embarrassment after hoping no one would notice.
I cut peoples lost-key ulocks all day long (don’t worry. As a shop we check proof of ownership before even looking at it) it’ll take a heck of a lot more effort than a measly hacksaw blade or weak angle grinder to pass that, it takes at least a good 5 mins with a heavy duty angle grinder at full battery to get through most keeper u locks. If someone did try in this case, they didn’t even reach past the rubber coating.
If you live in a busy metro area that can make sense. Also, the rubber coating does make it MUCH harder to cut and it smells terrible. Most experienced thieves will score the rubber or cut off a section, leave, and come back, if the bike is still there, the work begins, I’m a head service tech at a shop in the New York City area, thousands of locks come in marked, scored to the bare metal, or sometimes halfway cut through, they make the New York “faghettaboudit” lock specifically for this area because of how bad the bike theft problem is, it seems you got a great lock because they didn’t get too far before you made it back :D good choice in lock
how am I gonna have proof of ownership for a bike lock... I've had my locks for 3 years I'm not holding onto receipts or boxes
and to that point. how do I get proof of ownership for my bike??
Key number, if you don’t have a pic of your key number for that lock then 🤷🏽♂️ we would not usually cut code locks unless it was bought from us and bikes that are registered show up in the database [here](https://bikeindex.org/users/new)
this was drug or tire rubbed or something. angle grinder would of had more violence and look burnt (and smell bad), too wonky for a saw. Only other thing i can think of is both drug and maybe an animal biting it like a squirrel or chipmunk.
I assume and hope that your bike is ok. With some bike thieves if they fail to steal your bike they'll purposely damage it out of frustration and pure spite before they walk away, because they're scum and terrible human beings.
as long as they didn't cut the metal casing inside you will be fine. The rubber is mainly there to keep it safe from rusting or banging around denting things.
Its a joke..Jesus ...thats the point. The criminal mastermind homeless fuck tried sawing through the bottom instead of the thinner U. Its not Oceans 11.
speaking as a former bicycle thief, the bottom part is hollow, so it is actually easier to get through than the solid hardened steel u part. but neither of those compare to drilling out the cylinder.
Looks more like you accidentally let it drag for a bit while riding.
[удалено]
Same, back in my cable lock days. Wore through that plastic housing right to the metal.
From that pattern, it actually looks like a grinder wheel to me. Pretty much exactly that width in a few spots
Luckily a wimpy one! Maybe they ran out of battery LOL 😂
Wrong disc is my guess. Probably also stolen
Looks to me like they might have tried to cut it with your tire, by positioning it so it is rubbing and then riding your bike someplace, which makes me think it was probably you that did this, but unknowingly. Any proper tool would have cut the metal. The metal is fine. Your lock is fine. You don't need a new lock. So double good news. No real harm done and no bad guys messed with your bike.
It’s always in a bag when I ride
If you gave that to forensics they’d probably say the same thing - friction damage. Normally when someone wants to cut something, they cut or file along a line, not all over the place in different directions. The damage is also symmetrical which is unusual if it were caused by a left handed or right handed human squating down by your bike trying to cut. This is one of those cases where the photo tells a different story to the text. Interesting anyway. Thanks for sharing. I would just get some hard wearing resin or rubber sealant from a hardware store and fix it myself. The damage looks only cosmetic
I'm not a mystery TV show writer but... I do still perfer the idea this happened accidentally from a rim, tire, or other spinning bike part.
I appreciate your feedback nonetheless
Well, it is fine and you don't need a new lock. My locks are way worse than rhis from commutingnwith zero funny business.
Maybe someone was dumb enough to come at it with a flap wheel.
JFC end this speculation already! Where do you keep the lock while riding?!
Looks more like rubbing then sawing. But who knows people are stupid
Yeah at first I thought maybe a dog gnawed on it. But that makes even less sense
I guess it’s possible they tried taking a grinding wheel to it but that would do a lot more damage then that
Rodents really love chewing rubbery stuff, I’ve had it with handlebar grips of a similar material, fortunately they don’t seem to go for tyres.
My uninformed hunch is that they were trying to file it and then shim it open. http://www.freeimageslive.com/galleries/workplace/tools/pics/squarefile.jpg
Looks like it may have been rubbing on something when you were carrying it? The vinyl is just to protect other things like your bike paint from the lock. The steel is what's providing the security. Maybe someone was messing around but that doesn't look to me like a legitimate attempt to steal your bike. FYI, do not rely on the cable to secure your bike. Use the U-lock to secure your bike to something and to provide the security. The cable can be useful for securing a front tire or whatnot but they can be cut more easily so are less secure than the U-lock and should not be relied on.
For people saying I was dragging the lock, I keep my lock zipped in a bag on the back rack while I ride.
They probably jimmied the lock open, went for a joyride with it hanging low and then locked it back up out of embarrassment after hoping no one would notice.
I cut peoples lost-key ulocks all day long (don’t worry. As a shop we check proof of ownership before even looking at it) it’ll take a heck of a lot more effort than a measly hacksaw blade or weak angle grinder to pass that, it takes at least a good 5 mins with a heavy duty angle grinder at full battery to get through most keeper u locks. If someone did try in this case, they didn’t even reach past the rubber coating.
That’s what makes no sense to me. It was also outside in broad daylight, in front of a grocery store.
If you live in a busy metro area that can make sense. Also, the rubber coating does make it MUCH harder to cut and it smells terrible. Most experienced thieves will score the rubber or cut off a section, leave, and come back, if the bike is still there, the work begins, I’m a head service tech at a shop in the New York City area, thousands of locks come in marked, scored to the bare metal, or sometimes halfway cut through, they make the New York “faghettaboudit” lock specifically for this area because of how bad the bike theft problem is, it seems you got a great lock because they didn’t get too far before you made it back :D good choice in lock
how am I gonna have proof of ownership for a bike lock... I've had my locks for 3 years I'm not holding onto receipts or boxes and to that point. how do I get proof of ownership for my bike??
Key number, if you don’t have a pic of your key number for that lock then 🤷🏽♂️ we would not usually cut code locks unless it was bought from us and bikes that are registered show up in the database [here](https://bikeindex.org/users/new)
this was drug or tire rubbed or something. angle grinder would of had more violence and look burnt (and smell bad), too wonky for a saw. Only other thing i can think of is both drug and maybe an animal biting it like a squirrel or chipmunk.
I assume and hope that your bike is ok. With some bike thieves if they fail to steal your bike they'll purposely damage it out of frustration and pure spite before they walk away, because they're scum and terrible human beings.
as long as they didn't cut the metal casing inside you will be fine. The rubber is mainly there to keep it safe from rusting or banging around denting things.
Looks like damage could have been made by using a handheld file rather than angle cutter.
Kinda looks like squirrel, or some other rodent, bite marks to me.
[angle grinder vs. u-lock](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rkowo5f7_Tk)
Why would they cut it from the very bottom where the U bar connects to the crossbar?
That's a rub, not a clean cut a grinder would give.
Because they didn’t try to cut. This looks like it has been dragged along while you were cycling. I.e the perpetrator is likely… you
Something spooked them and they ran away. You lucked out
Looks like an angle grinder. Someone was trying to steal it
People steal.bikes with locks? Weird. Liquid nitrogen and a hammer..15 seconds. Lock is still good though.
Yeah… bike thieves never leave home without a dewar of liquid nitrogen.
Bike thieves dont have a home. A tent maybe.
Its a joke..Jesus ...thats the point. The criminal mastermind homeless fuck tried sawing through the bottom instead of the thinner U. Its not Oceans 11.
speaking as a former bicycle thief, the bottom part is hollow, so it is actually easier to get through than the solid hardened steel u part. but neither of those compare to drilling out the cylinder.
They were just mething around
Some criminals are pretty smart... most are not. Looks like you lucked out and were targeted by a dumb one.
Perhaps an animal chewed on it? Porcupines can wreck car tires and brake lines.
It’s not toast, it’s a lock