Bicycle Mechanics - Advantages of Allen Nuts and Bolts?

I like to change my bicycle's Normal Nut & Bolts to Allen Screws & Bolts ( because of the convenience of mainly keeping the Allen Key Tools for repairs while riding). Please give your thoughts. Thanks in advance

It's a great idea. If you change to stainless or titanium, you won't have to worry about rust. I've done it to a couple of moutain bikes. I get the stainless nuts and bolts here:

http://www.boltdepot.com/

I get titanium mostly from eBay. The weight savings is not worth the cost, but it's beautiful stuff.

I like to change my bicycle's Normal Nut & Bolts to Allen Screws & Bolts ( because of the convenience of mainly keeping the Allen Key Tools for repairs while riding). Please give your thoughts. Thanks in advance

Sajikumar,
I did this myself last year after asking the folks here if there were any issues to consider.
The short answer is: go for it.

The only hardware on my bike that used Philips (star) head bolts were the rack mounts and derailleur limit and tension adjustments.

No problem since switching but be careful about getting the length correct, especially on the derailleur limit-screws. Too short and you might not be able to set the limits. Too long and they stick out so far as to have the heads interfere.

See this thread: http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=149293

Cj

The best is square drive, allens have a tendency to strip too easy.

I like allen much better than "normal" bolts, Saji. As you say, you will be able to carry fewer, and lighter tools. Another benefit is that theives will be less likely to have the right tool to steal your bike parts.

Ivan_yulaev raises a good point that allen bolts do strip fairly easily, but you can avoid this somewhat by being careful with your tools. Always make sure the tool is firmly seated in the bolt before you begin turning. Af895 also raises a good point about making sure to get the right length. Dirtdrop's suggestion of stainless or titanium is good (if you can find those in India).

Almost every bolt on my bike is allen, and I recommend it.

I've been wrenching for over 45 years and I've never stripped out an allen head. Maybe you need to buy better tools or just be more careful.

I've been wrenching for over 45 years and I've never stripped out an allen head. Maybe you need to buy better tools or just be more careful.

You must never have had to pull a 70's-80's GM front brake caliper here in the salt and rust belt :)

Another benefit is that theives will be less likely to have the right tool to steal your bike parts.

I strongly disagree about alan bolts being a theft deterrent. Most bike theives worth there salt carry hex head wrenches. It only takes 10 seconds to unscrew a few alan bolts.

After living in the centre of Montreal, where many folks refered to McGill univedrsity as "The bike shop" do to the fact that when they needed parts they stripped them off locked bikes there, I fill alan heads with a little epoxy to prevent theft of my stem, shifters, etc.

Someone here on BF suggested using paraffin ("candlewax") to fill the bolt heads. Hard to get out in a hurry, for a thief, and protects the hole from contaminants as well.

Allen heads are easy to strip if you use a tool that is too small, or approach it from an angle. If you use it properly, they are actually difficult to strip.

You must never have had to pull a 70's-80's GM front brake caliper here in the salt and rust belt :)

I've done it here in Pennsylvania, and it ain't fun! I think that one of the things that makes these bolts so cantankerous is that the sockets in the heads of them have slowly corroded over the years. The resulting slight dimensional change causes a sloppy fit of the tool within the socket. It's like using a cheap, tool that was spec'd a little undersize to allow for poor quality control during manufacture.

.... of course, the braking heat and corrosion on the threads doesn't make it any easier.

if your allen wrench doesn't seem like its fitting in well, you may want to tap it in with a hammer...

allen caps love to fill with water or grit...mmmmmm gritz

but it is so much secure to torque and untorque them things....

Also if you grind the tips of the allen keys down a tiny bit so that it's perfectly flat, it grips a lot better...

The best is square drive, allens have a tendency to strip too easy.

oh, never heard of those, where do find them and the wrenches

not 100% sure, but he may have been talking about "Robertson" screws and screw drivers
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robertson_screwdriver

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Screw#Types_of_screws_and_bolts

If you have a problem with stripping Allens try Torx, maybe that could be the best?

Torx in India?....no.

dud links but it's probably something esoteric...great idea though, wonder why they decided on hexagon in the first place for allen wrenches...triangle would be the least likely to strip