Go Back  Bike Forums > Bike Forums > Winter Cycling
Reload this Page >

Lock frozen... again..

Notices
Winter Cycling Don't let snow and ice discourage you this winter. The key element to year-round cycling is proper attire! Check out this winter cycling forum to chat with other ice bike fanatics.

Lock frozen... again..

Old 01-31-04, 09:56 AM
  #1  
2-Cyl, 1/2 HP @ 90 RPM
Thread Starter
 
slvoid's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: NYC
Posts: 15,762

Bikes: 04' Specialized Hardrock Sport, 03' Giant OCR2 (SOLD!), 04' Litespeed Firenze, 04' Giant OCR Touring, 07' Specialized Langster Comp

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 4 Times in 4 Posts
Lock frozen... again..

I have a junker that I keep outside with a u-lock that froze over once. So now, ever time I go outside to ride, I gotta bring a bottle of hot water out to defrost it which promptly refreezes again.

Any tips?
slvoid is offline  
Old 01-31-04, 10:10 AM
  #2  
Senior Member
 
landrover's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Chicago,Illinois
Posts: 171

Bikes: custom steel built at Naked Bicycles and Design in Western,Canada..Sam Whittingham

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
found this:
give it a read

https://www.tufoil.us/lubit8.htm
landrover is offline  
Old 01-31-04, 10:42 AM
  #3  
Burn-em Upus Icephaltus
 
Gojohnnygo.'s Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2002
Posts: 2,357
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2 Post(s)
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Use a deicer like Landrover said, and don't use water to get your lock open. You are only making your freeze problems worst. The hot water may work in a pinch but some of it stays inside your lock. If you use water over and over it is only adding to your problem. One more thing bring the bike and lock inside place your lock over a heat source to dry it out. Then lube it up you should have no problems after that.
__________________
Sick BubbleGum
Gojohnnygo. is offline  
Old 01-31-04, 08:49 PM
  #4  
senior member
 
Join Date: Jan 2004
Posts: 3
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Try using some rubbing alcohol.
I used it in a pinch .
Keith
keith martin is offline  
Old 01-31-04, 09:52 PM
  #5  
Senior Member
 
Red Baron's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: On a Road in Central Bluegrass KY
Posts: 1,252

Bikes: Not enough

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
I keep a very small bottle of wd-40 handy.
Red Baron is offline  
Old 02-01-04, 05:46 PM
  #6  
2-Cyl, 1/2 HP @ 90 RPM
Thread Starter
 
slvoid's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: NYC
Posts: 15,762

Bikes: 04' Specialized Hardrock Sport, 03' Giant OCR2 (SOLD!), 04' Litespeed Firenze, 04' Giant OCR Touring, 07' Specialized Langster Comp

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 4 Times in 4 Posts
I couldn't find tufoil at the local hardware store but I'll try the other suggestions.
Tried rubbing alcohol, it's 70/30 mix and still freezes since it gets down to about 5F sometimes. Will try flushing it out and spraying it with wd-40 and chain lube.

Does chain lube freeze up?
slvoid is offline  
Old 02-01-04, 06:42 PM
  #7  
Senior Member
 
bg4533's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: OH
Posts: 635
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Originally Posted by slvoid
I couldn't find tufoil at the local hardware store but I'll try the other suggestions.
Tried rubbing alcohol, it's 70/30 mix and still freezes since it gets down to about 5F sometimes. Will try flushing it out and spraying it with wd-40 and chain lube.

Does chain lube freeze up?
I have been using Finish Line chain lube in my Ulock and and also a cable lock that sits outside always. It has been out in about 0f weather and not frozen. What is freezing, the key part or where it actually locks? Bike grease may work as well. I have found WD-40 washes out quickly, so you will need to redo it regularly.
bg4533 is offline  
Old 02-02-04, 09:00 PM
  #8  
2-Cyl, 1/2 HP @ 90 RPM
Thread Starter
 
slvoid's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: NYC
Posts: 15,762

Bikes: 04' Specialized Hardrock Sport, 03' Giant OCR2 (SOLD!), 04' Litespeed Firenze, 04' Giant OCR Touring, 07' Specialized Langster Comp

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 4 Times in 4 Posts
Both the key part (I can't even stick the key in) and the part that locks inside (I can't turn the key even if it goes in).
slvoid is offline  
Old 02-02-04, 10:19 PM
  #9  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2002
Posts: 727
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
carry a lighter.
fore is offline  
Old 02-02-04, 11:04 PM
  #10  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Denver
Posts: 723

Bikes: Cannondale R600, Gary Fisher Tassajara

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
carry a lighter
So, your not a smoker?
temp1 is offline  
Old 02-03-04, 01:08 AM
  #11  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2002
Posts: 727
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
no, i don't smoke, but you'd be amazed at how many times i've been able to put the zippo i carry with me to good use.
fore is offline  
Old 02-03-04, 10:52 AM
  #12  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Syracuse, NY
Posts: 122
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
I park in an alley alongside my office buildling downtown, that is closed off with a little swinging gate that has a lock built in. I've had no problems with my bike locks, but this gate lock froze up solid last week and I ended up carrying my bike up 3 floors to my office. No big deal. When I went into my winter jacket at home where I keep a little container of de0icer spray I discovered that after sitting there for a few years it had dried up. So it was a few days till I found a new contained of de-icer spray to carry with me on my bike, and then it warmed up enough that the lock came undone on its own! before I had a chance to use the de-icer spray. Well now I am prepared for the next time. We still have all of Februrary afterall.
franklen is offline  
Old 02-03-04, 10:58 AM
  #13  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: England
Posts: 12,948
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 19 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 7 Times in 7 Posts
Does it matter if the lock points up or down? I try to keep my lock keyhole-down to avoid water dripping in.
MichaelW is offline  
Old 02-06-04, 06:22 PM
  #14  
2-Cyl, 1/2 HP @ 90 RPM
Thread Starter
 
slvoid's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: NYC
Posts: 15,762

Bikes: 04' Specialized Hardrock Sport, 03' Giant OCR2 (SOLD!), 04' Litespeed Firenze, 04' Giant OCR Touring, 07' Specialized Langster Comp

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 4 Times in 4 Posts
Well I point my lock up, sounds counter intuitive but in order for me to pour hot water on it to defrost it, it has to be pointed up.

The de-icer's a better way.
slvoid is offline  
Old 03-30-04, 09:35 PM
  #15  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2003
Posts: 18,138

Bikes: 2 many

Mentioned: 13 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1266 Post(s)
Liked 323 Times in 169 Posts
If there is not a huge amount of ice on the lock,just cup your hands over it as much as possible and breathe on the lock for a couple of minutes.It's slow but it works if the lock just has a little ice inside and not a huge covering of ice over it. Did you ever try putting a sandwich bag over the lock and using an elastic to cover as much as possible.Before you leave the bike?? On a Sunny day this may work as a greenhouse too and warm things up a little if the sun is in the right place.
2manybikes is offline  
Old 04-01-04, 07:45 AM
  #16  
Formerly Known as Newbie
 
Juha's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Helsinki, Finland
Posts: 6,250
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 4 Times in 3 Posts
Breathing in your lock, pouring hot water in it, even p**ing on it may help in a pinch, but de-icer is the only long term solution. That's what we use in car locks here. And it is best applied before your lock freezes. If the lock is already frozen solid, it will take time and effort to open it, even with de-icer.

--J
__________________
To err is human. To moo is bovine.

Who is this General Failure anyway, and why is he reading my drive?


Become a Registered Member in Bike Forums
Community guidelines
Juha is offline  
Old 04-02-04, 08:52 AM
  #17  
Bike Happy
 
DanFromDetroit's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: Detroit, MI USA
Posts: 695
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
I have a lock on my back fence that I used to have this trouble with. For a time I used de-icer, then I ran out of that and just heated the key with a lighter before inserting it into the lock.

This is a better solution: Make your lock a rubber hat. Get an old innertube or something similar and punch two holes for the shackle with an awl or punch. position the rubber around the lock so that it acts like an umbrella and directs the water away from the keyhole. Position the lock keyhole down.

Dan
DanFromDetroit is offline  
Old 04-02-04, 09:59 AM
  #18  
2-Cyl, 1/2 HP @ 90 RPM
Thread Starter
 
slvoid's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: NYC
Posts: 15,762

Bikes: 04' Specialized Hardrock Sport, 03' Giant OCR2 (SOLD!), 04' Litespeed Firenze, 04' Giant OCR Touring, 07' Specialized Langster Comp

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 4 Times in 4 Posts
Closest thing I can think of is using a condom wrapped around the lock portion...
slvoid is offline  
Old 08-24-05, 11:37 AM
  #19  
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 17
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
There have been times when i used 1/4 bottle of deicer to get my lock unfrozen. Either i'm deicer defficient or there was a lot of ice in there.

Regardless, what i found to be of best use, was a blowdryer/hairdryer. It helps if you have a socket nearby your bike. This avoids the whole pouring more liquid into the lock. And yes; keep your locks indoors if possible.
IguanaRide is offline  

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.