Bike Lock Removal & Repair Service in Leeds | Lemon Locksmith

Lost Keys For Bicycle?

Have you lost the keys for your bike. We can come and remove the bike lock for you. We can sometimes pick the lock depending on the type. However if you have lost the keys then it may be simpler for us to simply destroy the lock. After all, if the keys are lost, the lost cannot be used. With large amount of time and effort, yes, in theory a new key could be made to work with the old lock.

However this would cost much more than simply removing the lock by force and purchasing a new one. Before you call us to do this, have a good think and check to see if you have a spare key somewhere at home. Very often we remove bike locks only for the owner to find the keys hours later. By this time it is too late as the lock has been destroyed.

Damaged Bicycle Lock Repair

Believe it or not, bike locks usually become damaged, not due to wear and tear, but due to been attacked. If your brand new bike lock stops working suddenly, look closely. You may find marks or scratches where someone has tried to attack the lock to open it. It could be that the lock put up a fight and prevented the bike from been stolen, however the lock was still damaged during the attack. If this is the case, and the bike Lock is jammed, the lock cannot be repaired. The way is to remove the lock by force and destroy it. We can do this for you at a moments notice, as a local locksmith, we can attend anywhere in the Leeds area and nearby areas within 45 minutes of your call.

Bike Lock Removal In Leeds & Nearby

We can come and remove your bike lock often within 45 minutes if you are in Leeds or nearby areas. We may pick the lock open or cut the lock off. Please bear in mind, we may ask you for ID if we feel you look sketchy and that the bike is possibly not yours. This is Leeds after all so we do have to be careful and make sure we aren’t removing a bike lock for someone else’s bike.

Key Stuck In Bicycle Lock

How does one remove a stuck key from a bike lock. This can happen when there is a trapped pin in the cylinder which is causing the key to get stuck. Often bike locks have rust inside also which prevents the key from coming out. It could be worth trying to spray some WD-40 in the bike lock in order to loosen it up, this would be our first go to option.

There can often be large amounts of dirt & grime which build up and get stuck in the lock and WD-40 can be used to blast it out and clean it up. We recently came across a bike in Burley, LS4 which had not been used in 2 years, it had built up so much grime the the key couldn’t even fit in!

How to fix a bike lock

In short, you can’t fix a bike lock. Or at least you shouldn’t if you value your time. In theory it’s possible to repair a bike lock by stripping it down, cleaning the parts & replacing damaged ones. But honestly, unless your enjoy this kind of thing, what’s the point.  Most of our customers simply don’t have the time and ask us to destroy the lock to remove it and they buy a new one. We do supply new bike locks if you wish for us to supply one, however to be honest they can be bought anywhere. Cycle lock repair is different to door repair for example as thee locks are independent of the bike and not a part of it (unlike a door lock for example). Because of this it just isn’t very efficient to repair a damaged lock.

Remove Bike Lock With Key

Most bike locks have a key locking system to remove them, these are called a bike lock with key. However some have a password code which opens the lock instead. This makes no difference to us and we can remove either. We can often break the combination locks off so that the bike is accessible. If the bike lock is a chain lock, then it’s not the actual chain which you open, its the padlock which holds the chain together which you need to open.

We offer padlock removal as one of our services, however if you fancy trying it yourself, one method could be to use shims to remove the padlock. This are curved pieces of metal which are pushed down into the the lock body & shackle and often cause the padlock to open. Another option is to bypass the lock altogether, this is a fancy way of saying, go around the lock. As in to cut the lock of with a power tool. Bike chain lock removal is often done by angle grinding tools.

Broken kryptonite bike lock

Kryotonite locks are actually a very good brand of cycle lock in our opinion. However as with any bike locks, they can and do often break. We can help remove kryponite the old damaged kryotonite locks and can provide new ones if you wish.

How to unlock a bike lock without a key

The simply answer is, with lots of power tools. If you have a wide selection of power tools, then you can get into the bike lock by destroying it. However often, many people are scared of damaging the bike while doing this and prefer a professional locksmith to do it inside.

Moped & Motorbike Lock Removal

We don’t just provide bike lock removal on pedal bikes, but can do this on moped & motorbikes too. All bike locks work in the same way whether they are on a manual bike or motor bike. With motorbike locks however, these bike locks are usually far more robust than regular bike locks.

Once again, all locks can be removed with enough time & effort , however these type of locks will take it a longer amount of time. Lost bike lock keys are no problem for us, just give us a ring.

Top tips on what Bike Locks to Buy

After removing your old bike lock you will then be looking for a new bike lock to replace the old one with. There are a range of bicycle locks which you can use. Cable locks are one of the lower quality and cheaper bike locks. These are cheap, however are easy for criminals to remove, they can easily be cut off with bolt cutters silently & quickly. Chain locks are a better type of bike lock and are harder for criminals to break off. Of course with enough effort, chain locks can be grinded off using an angle grinder. However this takes such a long time and makes such a large amount of noise that most criminals would not dare to do this.

Another option is to buy a D-Lock or U-Lock. These, in our opinion, are better locks as they are heavy duty and strong, cannot be cut off with bolt cutters easily and are lighter than chains and so are easier to carry. As a general rule of thumb, the thicker the lock, the harder it will be to get off.

Code locks are no more secure than keyed bike locks and are often found cable locks. The combination code can be convenient in that you do not need to carry a key. However having a code lock adds no strength to the actual body of the lock. Here at Lemon locksmith, we can help you decide the best type of bicycle lock for your needs, we are considered a bike locksmith and are very knowledgeable on this subject.

Decoding Your Bike Lock

If you have a combination bike lock, one option could be to decode the bicycle lock. This essentially involves turning the numbers on the lock in order to try every possible combination. After a while, eventually you are bound to come across the correct password. The wheel can only be turned in a certain number of combinations. However this can take a very long time to do. It could be the case the you sit there all day trying every possible combination on your bike lock. Yes, you may save yourself some money, but you also need to value your time.

How to break a bike lock without bolt cutters?

You could use an angle grinder to cut the lock off if you don’t have bolt cutters. However this is a very dangerous option for those who have not used an angle grinder before. Its very easy to slip and cut into the bike instead damaging the frame. Another option could be to pick the lock. This is a very slow method and requires high levels of skill. Even most locksmiths would not bother to try and pick a bike lock as it takes such a long time.

If you have lost the key, the bike lock can never be used again anyway so it may as well be removed by destroying it. However if you have plenty of time on your hands, are perhaps are interested in learning lock picking skills then you could order a set online and practice picking the bike lock open at home. In order to pick a bike lock, you will need a pick and a tension wrench. You apply slight tension with one hand, and use the pick to pick the pins with the other hand, picking take a great deal of practice to get right. Bike lock removal is something which we do all the time, if you wish for us to do this for you just let us know.

Opening bike locks with a pen?

We can’t explain too much about this just in case we are inadvertently teaching criminals how to open other peoples bike locks. However it is true that some types of tubular bike locks can be opened with a pen. It involves sticking the pen into the keyway & that is all we will say about the subject. If you can prove that the bike is yours we may discuss this method over the phone with you so that you can open the lock yourself.

How to unlock a bike lock without a key?

There are only two options, one is to pick the lock open, the other is to destroy the lock. Bear in mind that if the lock is damaged in any way, then the lock will probably not pick open.