Gapers Block has ceased publication.

Gapers Block published from April 22, 2003 to Jan. 1, 2016. The site will remain up in archive form. Please visit Third Coast Review, a new site by several GB alumni.
 Thank you for your readership and contributions. 

TODAY

Thursday, March 28

Gapers Block
Search

Gapers Block on Facebook Gapers Block on Flickr Gapers Block on Twitter The Gapers Block Tumblr


Merge

Chicago's bicycle community (and frankly the bicycle community in general) is in a total uproar right now because of the discovery by someone that many Kryptonite U-Locks can be picked with your basic ballpoint pen. Here's the message from the Chicago Critical Mass mailing list that started it all. No clear solutions have been posted yet (greasing the lock seems to help, but it's a sure prevention) and there has been only a lame reaction from Kryptonite despite numerous phone calls.

The original poster started here in this BikeForums.net thread. There are movies and photos in there if you're intrigued. Only two of Kryptonite's locks in their arsenal do not use the cyclindrical chamber lock but most do (the other two use a flat key design). Word on the street from various sources is that there have been reports of Bic pens jammed in locks. Local bike shop owners in Chicago have been debating the issue and seeing what they can do.

 
GB store

Archives

GB store

GB Store

GB Buttons $1.50

GB T-Shirt $12

I ✶ Chi T-Shirts $15