Help! My lock's seized up and my bike is trapped!

Can anyone rescue me? Or suggest something that might help? It's an Abus chain lock, with one of those discus padlocks, and I've just given myself a blister, spending a fruitless 20 minutes trying to force the key around. The lock's been filled with GT85, and still nothing. And I need to go to work! :(

(I'm in N5, in case anyone's local, and owns boltcutters...)

Texas owns big bolt cutters and Ma3k has an angle grinder.

I think Texas lives on the Islington/Hackney border.

Hey miss, I have a bike and lock you can borrow, but no help with the bolt cutters (you will need a grinder anyways)

Hey Emilia, pm me and I can grind your lock this evening, but not now or in the daytime sorry.

:-D

Oh wow - a solution within 3 minutes! I love the internet.

I'm also on Hackney/Islington borders (just off Green Lanes, near Clissold Park, to be imprecise). Do you think Texas might be amenable to my borrowing his bolt cutters? (I was rescued from a similar chain with bolt cutters once, so they might suffice, but perhaps Abus chains are super-strong?)

And Nhatt - thank you so much! Which bike is it? If I can't free mine within a couple of hours, I shall take you up on it, and compensate you with girly shoes.

apparently it was all lies!

need an angle grinder with a diamond blade... Abus locks are pretty good. ....
good luck, x

Lies, a normal grinder will rip right through it.

Apologies, just wanted a chance to post this again:

I'm also on Hackney/Islington borders (just off Green Lanes, near Clissold Park, to be imprecise). Do you think Texas might be amenable to my borrowing his bolt cutters? (I was rescued from a similar chain with bolt cutters once, so they might suffice, but perhaps Abus chains are super-strong?)

Just PM him, knowing him, I think he might be up for it.

Just PM him, knowing him, I think he might be up for it.

I have. And Ma3k - thanks for the offer. I'm hoping I'll get it sorted out by this evening, one way or the other, but if not, I'll very gladly take you up on it!

..

I really really badly want to see this^ photo somehow humourously mashpotatochopped with the ossified shuddering mummy thing. Get to bloody work John. I will use it whenever I spot you striking on the forum in fine style.

just change ma3k's face for the mummy face.

(design by committee)

No I reckon the mummy should be the thing being angle-ground.

I really really badly want to see this^ photo somehow humourously mashpotatochopped with the ossified shuddering mummy thing. Get to bloody work John. I will use it whenever I spot you striking on the forum in fine style.

I know, I can photoshop in one of your bikes at the bottom.

Heh. And the mummy sideways underneath your left foot in the foreground.

Heh. And the mummy sideways underneath your left foot in the foreground.

He is happy in the crypt at the moment.

i have some boltys.

Ha ha, +1.

No I reckon the mummy should be the thing being angle-ground.

Bolt Croppers and Grinder.

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The fire brigade are always very helpful and would surely come to your rescue if your not too far from a station, pop in and ask.
(A friend of mine lost her key whilst the lock was stuck round her waist...... She had a lot of interested firemen willing to help cut that one off ;)

Are you sorted?

I have an angle grinder and eye protection you can borrow, located just near to london fields. I can't come and set you free, but you are welcome to borrow the grinder. How far is the bike from a power source?

Ben

if u want to save the lock:
plusgas - from any autotive place
used for unseizing stuff - it shines in comparison to gt85/wd 40 etc, its meant for unseizing stuff

otherwise go with MA3K - hes a legend :)

http://www.retrobike.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=71428
oh and halfords dont sell it

I very much doubt that a lock you recently used is now 'siezed' it could've been a bit stiff which wouldve totally been solved by the GT85. I think its likely to be some sort of mechanical jam.

Id recommend a lot of jiggling about/shaking it/hitting it.

Also bear in mind that someone may have glued your lock which is surprisingly common.

i've got large bolt cutters that should not the job. i'm in hackney and can help at 530. pm'd.

alas i don't have photos

I very much doubt that a lock you recently used is now 'siezed' it could've been a bit stiff which wouldve totally been solved by the GT85. I think its likely to be some sort of mechanical jam.

Id recommend a lot of jiggling about/shaking it/hitting it.

Also bear in mind that someone may have glued your lock which is surprisingly common.

Hmmm, I hadn't thought about anyone gluing it, but that's a possibility. It came on very suddenly, yesterday afternoon, after the bike was locked up unattended in EC3 for about ten minutes. I managed to get it undone, locked the lock round my waist, and later had to be GT85ed free by a gallant chap in a bike shop. I really shouldn't have been stupid enough to lock it up again - this is my own fault. And this has happened before, with the same model of lock (10th February - I just searched my old posts), also on a rainy day - so I am more inclined to blame the weather. Hopefully I can just go back to Condor and wangle a replacement, like I did before, but to do that I have to get the bloody thing off in the first place...

And yes, I've been jiggling it, shaking it, hitting it, bashing it against things, cuddling it, poking it, wrenching it, coaxing it, swearing at it, praying to it - you name it.