Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - Plug caps, button heads n' other things to help prevent theft and beautify your ride

Whilst doing some research on plugging up brake holes and allen head openings, I came across a helpful post by 11.4 (who's always helpful and a great resource on the forums - hat tipped to you) about using a chrome button head allen bolt to fit inside your brake hole and using a recessed end (like you find on brakes) to bring it all together.

I've been to a few hardware shops and was defeated by unruly looking coarse threads, and unfinished metal. Thus to the internets I turn and I'm going to venture a guess that if you have a scooter store or an automotive tricked out shop or a motorcycle shop you might be able to find these but otherwise, here ya go.

This is a page and list of metric bolts, plug caps and other assorted things with a nice chrome or high polish finish to fill up any unaesthetically pleasing brake holes or to help plug up any open allen holes. On the latter, it might not be a theft-proof solution by far but for $0.40 it might be worth it as a deterrent.

http://www.scootworks.com/swcart/shop/test1.htm

You want the plug caps for the allen bolt heads and if you're looking to fill in any brake holes, you're most likely looking for a chrome button head allen bolt that's a metric 6 size (M6) with the desired length of your choice (about an inch or less) to fit your reccessed allen fastener.

lemme get this straight ... the plug caps are basically just small caps that click into the allen bolt recess?

Also, are those black, or is that just photographic tomfoolery?

Indeed. I believe they're chrome but the lighting is horrible.

When photographing shiny objects, one must first control what the object sees, that is - what is reflected in the object. One must then light these things appropriately.

Anyhow, I like this. I'm bookmarking this and will get some of these once I get the new ride built up and know what I need.

Niceness! I like that, I might just snap some up.

I worked with a dude this summer who took a bead of silver sauder (sp?) and melted it in the recess of the major bolts. This seemed like a silly and awfully permanent kind of theft protection (since it meant that you couldn't even wrench on his bike), but he claimed all he had to do if he wanted to work on the bike was put it in the stand upside down and melt out the sauder again. I don't know . . .

I read an old post a while back about super gluing BBs in allen head bolts.

Thief trys to put wrench in hole on a dark street, won't fit, so he walks away. Owner needs to work on bike, just pop the BB out with a screwdriver. Theft deterrent, not theft proof, but better than nothing.

I worked with a dude this summer who took a bead of silver sauder (sp?) and melted it in the recess of the major bolts. This seemed like a silly and awfully permanent kind of theft protection (since it meant that you couldn't even wrench on his bike), but he claimed all he had to do if he wanted to work on the bike was put it in the stand upside down and melt out the sauder again. I don't know . . .

i do that on my saddle bolts. it works great. i don't think it would work as well for a stem or seatpost bolt though, the metal in the stem and the frame would cool the solder in those bolts too much. it would take forever to get the solder out. i'd use bb's and glue for those. acetone eats the glue right out when you need to wrench.

I came across a helpful post by 11.4 (who's always helpful and a great resource on the forums - hat tipped to you)


+1

So much crime. I've been lucky so far. I have a quick release on my saddle. I really have to get rid of that.

Hot glue also works well in bolt heads, and is easier to get out than solder. Personally, I don't want to go around heating up any bike part that may have any sort of specific temper to it and in doing so f*ck it up.