Most bike thieves don't pick the locks, they use cordless angle grinders.
this post was submitted on 10 May 2024
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Harbor Freight sells bolt cutters which, can come in handy for other things too. 
But like Frank said, check the youtubes. I seem to remember some bike locks being particularly vulnerable to empty bic pens but that was quite some time ago.
cylinder locks in general. soda vending machines, snack machines, bike locks, payphones etc.
and if you need something more extensive aliexpress sells plenty of cheap picking equipment.
Yep. Kryptonite switched away from this style probably 10-15 years ago, but you sometimes still see them in use. It's ridiculously easy to pick, just jam the empty tube from a cheap pen into the lock and wiggle it around.
im probably not a cop so take my answer with a grain of salt but id imagine what you want to do, while innocuous enough is probably breaking some sort of law wrt to accessing things/property that do not belong to you. there may be very little legal difference in moving someones bike, and relocking it versus just cutting the fucker loose and heaving it into the goddamned sun.
if this is the case, just buy some good bolt cutters, or a cheap battery powered grinder and z87/z93 rated safety glasses from harbor freight. quick, easy, relatively mess free. the grinder option appeals to me. im lazy, grinder requires very little effort beyond some wrist strength. its quick, and im all about finishing quick. it makes sparks, and i think sparks are cool. it also doesnt require a shit ton of learning beforehand. charge battery, put on safety squints, go to town.
Yellow or orange hi-vis vest and absolutely no one will give you a second look.
yep. just looking like you belong and have authority or permission to do what you are currently doing goes a long way towards becoming invisible background filler.
There are a huge number of guides and instruction videos on youtube.
As far as I know you if you're reasonably handy and have some locks to practice on you can learn to pick locks in a couple of hours of instruction and practice.
Just get some bolt cutters. Only move ones that have clearly been there a long time, if no one complains then you're fine. If you're concerned about blowback then I'd just harass the hell out of property management more. Picking locks is fucking hard and your time is best spent thinking of how to make it so the lock doesn't matter. Also if they've been sitting around for a while there's a good chance the locks are rusty and may be impossible to pick.
if you got a tool library you could just get some kind of saw and cut the bike frame
Lockpicking lawyer probably has a video on the lock you wanna pick
If the locks have been out rusting then you probably won't be able to open the lock, with or without the key.
Rent a power tool, put on high-viz, and start grinding. If you get a question, say you're from the city council.
Angle grinder