Kryptonite Bike Locks Picked with a Bic Pen

This is just lovely. Someone discovered your brand new U-Lock is not safe! Apparently some of the most popular Kryptonite bike locks with the circular keys can be opened up by shoving one of those cheap Bic Pen bodies in and twisting. Video here (more linked from the above page).

Kryptonite is offering free replacements for locks less than two years old and upgrade discounts for older locks (see website for details).

Having seen this and last year’s security paper vulnerability about master key locks I’m not so confident in the physical security we use IRL (In Real Life). Even worse, the guy who published the Lock Vulnerability paper keeps getting hate mail and threats from locksmiths in the industry, who have apparently not heard that “security through obscurity” just doesn’t work.

UPDATE: Excellent Ebay Auction Here

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Stupidest Bike Accident Ever

I was walking my bike out of the garage the other day when my shoes slipped on a slope. I fell down and the top tube slammed into my armpit, but not soon enough to stop my hand from impaling itself on the big chain ring:

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AIDS LifeCycle 2

I got up extremely early this weekend to help send off the second annual AIDS LIfeCycle 2; the successor to the AIDS Ride which is run completely by the SF AIDS Foundation and the LA Gay and Lesbian Center.

I rode in the AIDS Ride for three years (CAR 5, 6, 7) and crewed on CAR 8 (Bike Tech). The tone of the rides changed dramatically in the later years, culminating with the overblown ego-fest that was CAR 8. Finally, the SFAF and LAGLC decided to take their fundraising in to their own hands (these events are responsible for a large portion of their yearly budget). Last year they launched LifeCycle which competed with Pallota Teamworks CAR 9. Shortly afterwards, Pallota tried to sue the LifeCycle, and then his company closed it’s doors.

Not many of us participated in last years ride because we felt bitter over everything that was going on. Neither ride had an attendance more than 900 riders (down from a high of 2700 just a few years earlier). And of course, AIDS services here and in LA suffered for it.

This year, the only event running was the LifeCycle, and my good friends Erick and Wes decided that it was time to get on their bikes (I chose not too this time for all of the other projects I had going on). I did go over to volunteer on Day Zero and Day One, and as soon as I walked in the gym I’d wished I had signed up. The amazing energy of the previous rides was definitly back. The LifeCycle directors were definitly keeping a frugal eye towards expenses, but using the experience of the last ten years to run a well-organized and exciting event.

The ride should just be entering the Central Valley now, with 6 days of amazing adventure ahead of them. I hope they find the wind at their backs, their campsites dry and warm, and all the best on their trek to LA.

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