Lost your key? We set your bike free.
You are standing in front of your bike and the key is gone, snapped, or the lock just spins. We ride out to wherever your bike is chained up and cut the lock off. In the city of Zurich CHF 99 all-in — travel included, 7 days a week.
Mon–Fri 07:00–24:00 · Sat–Sun 08:00–22:00 · no weekend surcharge · TWINT, card or cash on the spot
- We ride to you by cargo bike, anywhere in the city of Zurich
- Cutting the lock on the spot
- We take what is left of the lock away and dispose of it
- A quick look over frame and spokes before you ride off
Outside the city the same zone surcharge applies as on any other job — Kilchberg, Schlieren or Zollikon +CHF 25, Opfikon or Adliswil +CHF 35, Wallisellen, Dietikon or Kloten +CHF 45. Further out: just ask.
One chief mechanic. Cargo bike. Mobile in Zurich.
I'm the chief, I ride the cargo, I fix your bike. Sometimes friends help when it's busy. No selfies — just real shots of the tools and the road.
Your lock will not survive this.
We do not pick locks, we cut them — bolt cutter or angle grinder, depending on the lock. That is the honest version: you get your bike back and your lock is scrap. Anyone promising you a damage-free opening of a hardened U-lock over the phone is selling you a hope.
An ID, nothing more
We cut a lock open in the middle of Zurich — from the outside that looks like exactly the thing none of us wants. So you show us your ID and tell us the bike is yours. Two minutes, then we start.
We bring a replacement lock
Tell us when you ask and we will have one with us — otherwise you end up with no lock at all. The lock is material and goes on the bill separately; we tell you the price beforehand.
We do not work in secret
If anyone asks, we say plainly what we are doing and for whom. If you want, call the city police first and let them know — we are fine with that.
Four steps, usually the same day.
The fastest route is WhatsApp with a photo of the lock — it tells us instantly which tool to pack.
Message us with a photo
The address, where exactly the bike stands, and a photo of the lock. Without a photo we guess at the tool; with one we come once and come right.
We give you a time
An actual time, not a four-hour window. If it is urgent, say so — urgent jobs go on today or tomorrow.
ID, then the lock comes off
A quick look at your ID, then we cut. Most locks are open in five to fifteen minutes.
Pay and ride on
TWINT, card or cash right there. We take the remains of the lock with us. Invoice by WhatsApp if you want one.
What we open — and the one thing we will not touch.
The price is the same for all of them. A bolt cutter does not know whether there is a motor on the frame, so we charge no e-bike surcharge here.
U-lock
Abus Granit, Kryptonite Evolution and relatives. The most common case, and the reason the angle grinder rides along.
Chain lock
Chains with a fabric sleeve, including the heavy ones. Usually the quickest job of the lot.
Folding lock
Abus Bordo and similar. We cut at a joint rather than at the bolt — cleaner and faster.
Frame and wheel lock
The built-in ring lock on the rear wheel, often with a snapped key stuck in the cylinder. Same price.
We do not open e-bike battery locks.
That is not a bike lock, it is the mount holding your battery. An angle grinder next to a lithium cell is a fire risk, and you would end up with hazardous waste instead of a battery. That route goes through the key number and your brand dealer — tell us and we will tell you who to call. Same for doors, letterboxes and motorbikes: we are bike mechanics, not a locksmith.
Do you still have the key number?
If you do, we are not the cheapest route. Abus and Kryptonite will cut you a replacement key against that number and post it within two to five working days — for a few francs instead of the price of a call-out. We would rather say this before you pay than after.
- Check the CodeCard that came with the lock — on Abus X-Plus the number starts with an X.
- Some locks also carry the number stamped on the spare key you still have.
- With that number you order straight from the manufacturer (for Abus via the Swiss key service).
- No code, no card, no spare key — then it is our turn.
And if you need to ride today, two to five working days is not an answer. Then we come.
Why a locksmith is the wrong call here.
Zurich locksmiths are built around doors. Their prices are made for doors and so is their call-out — and many will not take on a bike at a rack at all.
What people ask before they book.
The four questions that reach us most often on WhatsApp — answered without the detour.
What does it cost to have a bike lock opened in Zurich?
At VELOV, CHF 99 all-in in the city of Zurich — travel, cutting the lock and disposing of the remains are included. Outside the city the usual zone surcharge applies (CHF 25/35/45 depending on the town). A locksmith in Zurich typically charges CHF 189–269 for an opening and often will not take on a bike at all.
Will my lock be destroyed?
Yes. We cut, we do not pick — the lock is unusable afterwards and we take it away for disposal. We bring a replacement lock if you tell us when you ask; that is material and goes on the bill separately.
What do you need from me before you cut a lock?
An ID and your word that the bike is yours. Nothing else. We work in the open: if anyone asks, we say what we are doing and for whom.
Can you open the battery lock on my e-bike?
No. The battery lock holds the battery, it is not a bike lock — we do not put a grinder anywhere near a lithium cell. That route goes through the key number and your brand dealer. Tell us and we will tell you who to call.