1. Why did this make it to hack a day?
thoes locks are just for show anyway.

From what i remember about my trip to amsterdam - (and it isnt too much) I think they are designed to be held on with plastic zip ties.

oh well

Posted at 11:58AM on Dec 7th 2007 by vr4

2. Some much for Quality Assurance and testing.

Posted at 12:04PM on Dec 7th 2007 by Doh

3. Hahaha... that's just sad. However, it is now tempting to go get a blank key and test it out on bike locks around where I live and see what's what!

Posted at 12:23PM on Dec 7th 2007 by Sean

4. yeah you can attach them with zip ties, but the lock is still around you're wheel, so you can cut the ties so the lock is not attached to the frame anymore, but it's still locked around you're wheel then

must study some more english what i said can be said in one sentence i guess..

R

Posted at 1:28PM on Dec 7th 2007 by Rik

5. I was just going to go and get one of those for my bike for quick trips into the shop and stuff! I am in Amsterdam now, and have an Axa bike chain and it is great... but now i am questioning it... They should definitely do a recall and give people proper ones! (They did in the US, with the lock that could be opened with a bic pen, for fear of being sued!)

Posted at 1:31PM on Dec 7th 2007 by stefanie

6. I live in the netherlands, and it's cool to see a dutch hack. (sprite_tm also has a lot of good hacks!)

this bycicle lock (type SL7) is ought to be one of the safest locks around.. they later made a SL9 type which should be even better.
according to the advert, an older batch of both lock types is vulnerable. i have this lock too, and it scares me! I'm certainly going to try this, because i've just lost my key last week..

Posted at 2:28PM on Dec 7th 2007 by thijs

7. Ya know... I'd bet this would work on just about any lock. Given the way pins fall, using a blank key is a really easy way to push them all past their separation, and easily apply torque as well. Just twist and pull out slowly, and hope the pins fall onto the edge of the internal cylinder. It's what most lockpicking is based on anyway.

Posted at 3:38PM on Dec 7th 2007 by Groxx

8. Excuse my ignorance, but I thought that in the Netherlands people just hopped on any old bike and left it wherever they were going and it was kind of like a large community of "bikes everywhere", or am I thinking of some sort of program where there were just a bunch of "free" bikes and people would drop them off at their destination for the next person to take it? I do remember something like that, but it might explain why the manufacturer wasn't too bothered by its security, since bike theft wouldn't be much of a problem with such a program in place.

Posted at 5:39PM on Dec 7th 2007 by TX297

9. tee hee !

Posted at 10:32PM on Dec 7th 2007 by vengeful parasite

10. #8,
there was such a programme, the "white bike program".
there were hundreds of similar white bikes which were free to lend, but you should return them in some place where they can be seen and reused. i believe it was first mentioned in 1965 in amsterdam. there were serveral try-outs, which weren't very succesful.
though, in our national park "de hoge veluwe" there are about 1700 bikes, which are often used.

these locks are not used for these projects and meant for commercial use. i have one too, and my bike was bought 6 years ago with an SL7 lock. i think this one is vunerable and i might by such key today..

Posted at 4:23AM on Dec 8th 2007 by thijs

11. This is just a variation on the Bump Key lock pick method. All the pins are in their most extended position and held there by the tension against the cylinder wall as you twist the key. When you remove the key while turning, the pins fall into place. This works on a number of locks.

Posted at 1:48AM on Dec 9th 2007 by Jollyrgr

12. Solemn article. It make me lost in thoughts.

Posted at 4:29AM on Dec 21st 2007 by Lucas

13. You've got to love those guys from T.O.O.O.L. who consider speed-picking a sport and post stuff like this as well-meaning white hats.

Posted at 7:10AM on Dec 22nd 2007 by Maikeru