Lost my bike lock keys in the rain on Belmont last Tuesday

I was locking up my bike outside the Jewel on Belmont and it started pouring, so I rushed to get inside. When I came out 20 minutes later, my keys were just gone from my pocket, must have dropped them in a puddle. Had to walk my bike 2 miles home in the rain because I couldn't cut the lock with just a file. Anyone else ever lose their keys at the worst possible moment in Chicago?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_jana1mo ago

Used to roll my eyes at the peanut butter thing. Thought it was just an old wives' tale. This post actually makes me want to grab a jar and test it on my own lock before I get caught in another downpour.

gavin_allen486d ago

Wait, is the peanut butter thing real or just some myth people pass around here? I feel like I've heard about it a few times but never actually seen anyone try it. Maybe it's just me but I figure if you're gonna walk 2 miles in the rain anyway, you might as well test it out before giving up on the lock. I read somewhere that the oil in the peanut butter can freeze up and mess with the pins in cold weather, which sounds weird but I guess stranger things have worked. Honestly, losing keys in a puddle on Belmont sounds like a classic Chicago L lesson, I'd probably just buy three copies of my next key and store them in different places.

campbell.robin1mo ago

Heard about this thing called a "peanut butter trick" for bike locks where you smear it on and it supposedly seizes up the lock mechanism in cold weather. Never tried it myself, but seems like one of those Chicago hacks people swear by. I lost my keys on the L once and had to walk from Logan Square to Wicker Park in January. Worst part was knowing my spare set was sitting on my kitchen counter the whole time. You got the lock cut yet or you still dragging that fence around with your bike attached to it?