2mtr

So i always hear and read of people talking about how they'd "Smash that bastard with a ulock" or "That's what a good couple pounds of steel is for" or whatever.
Anyone ever actually done this? Like smashed a car window, hit a punk ghetto rat, beat back a dog, or is it all just boasts and dreams?

drolldurham

i use mine every day, in epic battles against the never-ending onslaught of demons that rise from hades in efforts to deliver my soul into a world of eternal suffering.

but other than that, no, i've never beaten anyone up.

karmical

must clean wall of coffee now...

operator

Haha.

RobbieIG

I have bledgeoned myself a couple of times when swinging it out of it's holding place...and while practicing my ulock kung fu should I ever need to unleash my fury on someone.

kurremkarm

I once had a driver get out of his car and act like he wanted to fight me. I took my 2 pound u-lock and put it in my right hand and waited for him on the sidewalk and he got back in his car and left.

So yeah, sorta. I absolutely would have hit the big 300 pound ****** had he come at me.

However, if i had smiled and waved when he honked instead of flipping him off it wouldn't have come to that.

I think common sense is more useful than a weapon and should be used first-- something im working on.

Anthony King

I have dented the door of an eighteen-wheeler who buzzed me (about 6 inches away) while I was going over a bridge. He laid on his horn while he did it, so I was sure it was intentional. I lost it and was able to catch while he was stuck in traffic at a light. We exchanged pleasantries and I found that words alone couldn't express my feelings for him. That's when I unholstered my u-lock. He looked pretty surprised for a second, then pissed. He was stuck and had to turn right, so he couldn't follow me.

Cynikal 

I had someone throw something at out of a car window while riding in the bikelane. I chased them down waving my ulock and threatening to bust out his windows while he was stuck in traffic. I know I scared the crap out of him and his punka$$ friends. They won't be messing with a cyclist for a while. That was a good day.

Fugazi Dave

About the only person I've ever beaten up with my lock has been myself, and that was when I landed on my Krypto chain after flying through the air in a spectacular t-boning of another cyclist on the Lake Path in Chicago. There have certainly been times when I wish I'd had a u-lock or at least a BB spindle handy, but you can still dent things well enough with your fist if you're pissed enough.

Of course, I did write out the start of a short film in which a cyclist chases down a murderous motorist and beats the sh*t out of him with a lock, but I've neither done that nor made the short, so it doesn't count.

I guess that makes my answer no.

kathrot

i routinely comfort myself at the thought of my u-lock's accessibility should i need it in a fight, and i've learned how to hold it to inflict maximum damage while protecting me the most. but at 5'6" and 125 lbs, i usually choose the 'bike like hell' route.
i had a friend put out somebody's window with his u-lock, and although it sounded pretty tuff, i wondered how that drived would treat the next bicyclist he encountered.

lala

Ouch!

MKRG

I rage against orcs that are currently attempting to overrun the land of Middlewest. OOPS! I meant dorcs.

royalflash

they don`t seem very well balanced for defensive use -the best place to hold them would probably be at one side of the U near the cross bar

kathrot

you should hold it with your fingers curled around the 'bar' end, with the 'u' braced up against your arm (i have the medium sized, not the little one). you can block using the bar along your arm, and punch with your fist around the bar (think a roll of quarters), or stab with the blunted end of the bar.

Cynikal 

I've done more damage with the cleat of my shoe than with a ulock. About 10 years ago I had some jacka$$ hit me and take off. Luckily I was just knocked off my bike. I chased him down and put my foot into the door of him brand new BMW, I tore the ***** out it . He was stuck in traffic at a light and couldn't do a thing about it.

slopvehicle

I've seen a pretty intense confrontation in front of my old house, which was on one of those tricky six-way intersections. After being hit by macho driver dude, him and the biker got in an argument, and soon the cyclist was waving the u-lok like a weapon. Then he picked up his wrecked bike and threw the whole thing onto the hood of the car. They chased each other around the block for a few minutes until the cops showed up ans started writing tickets...

SamHouston

yah in a confrontation it's foolish to be the first to reach for a weapon IMO, or to be the first to resort to violence. If someone gets out of their car to fight and neither party chooses to run instead the cops are just going to call you "mutually combative" and anyone with a weapon will be the worse off. street fights are for movies and people with no self control. but I suppose it happens, I've seen it happen and I even got into it with one of my comrades though only he choose to try swinging that thing around (we were both how you say.....without inhibition.. at the time, really it was quite hilarious)

brokenrobot

(redacted)

bob454

many years ago I passed a truck in traffic and was freaked to see a huge rottie jump out of the truck and chase it was on a climb and no escape possible I still got a bit chewed but the old new york kryptonite put fido down I am 210 pounds mostly beef and bone and may have been able to fend off fido but the lock saved me from a bad mauling you should never use any kind of offensive weapon against anyone if your personal safety is not threatened blow the driver a kiss the gods have allready punished them by putting them in a car

Shiznaz

Good god man, you need punctuation!

MKRG

Nah! Just read it in a "Ben Stein" monotonous voice and it becomes very clear.

forum*rider

I have hit a dog with it. The thing wouldn't leave me alone and it's owner was nowhere in sight. I tried everything, putting bike between me and the dog, spraying it with water, yelling, thew a shoe at it, everything.

I finally gave up and gave it a whack in the side. I don't think i seriously hurt it as it was able to run away but I still didn't like doing it.

Cyclist0383

About 12 years ago I was riding my brand new Torelli cyclocross home through a rather sketchy neighborhood. A group of 6 or 7 punk ass teenagers linked arms, blocking the road up ahead. I whipped out my U-lock, held it above my head and rode toward them as fast as I could. They scattered at the last minute and no blood was shed.

PWRDbyTRD

A gun/knife is more effective.

royalflash

more likely to end up locked up though