While many rely on bikes to get around campus, students with Kryptonite bike locks may soon encounter a problem.
A recent discovery shows the lock can be penetrated simply by the careful application of a Bic pen.
With thick, U-shaped steel shafts that no ordinary thief could cut through, Kryptonite locks are considered to be essentially unbreakable, according to the Web site.
However, bicycle chat rooms on the Internet and heavily-circulated e-mails are flooded with complaints of the easily penetrated, faulty locks.
UW-Madison freshman Dan Dawson said he chose the Kryptonite lock due to its stellar reputation.
\Someone at a bike shop told me to use [the Kryptonite] over a cable because the cables could be cut,"" Dawson said.
Dawson said with the large number of students that ride their bikes to class, a faulty lock will definitely be a problem.
""I lock my bike up because I worry someone will take it, and besides the bus, it is my only way of getting places,"" Dawson said.
However, Jeff Verink, retail manager at Williamson Bicycle Works, 640 W. Washington Ave., said the problem may be more myth than fact.
""Apparently some people have done it, but we haven't been able to duplicate it in the shop,"" Verink said. ""So far we've had four different staff members try to do it ... and, in fact, one guy today spent about an hour and a half with a Bic pen and wasn't able to duplicate it.""
""Ninety-nine times out of 100, if your bike is locked up, your bike will be safe,"" Verink said.
The issue of bike security is a common concern among many UW-Madison students.
""Safety's very important,"" Dawson said. ""I always lock [my bike] up, there's no reason not to.""
In response to consumer concerns about the possible defect, Kryptonite is offering a deal-according to www.kryptonite.com, Kryptonite will provide free product upgrades for certain locks purchased since September 2002.
