Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - Preventing handlebar/stem theft

Hey guys, I rode to Little Tokyo to grab a bite to eat with my friend and locked up my bike outside. When I came out, I realized someone loosened my stem bolts, I'd imagine in order to steal my handlebars (I have Nitto Noodles).

What are ways I can prevent this from happening again?

Thanks for the help.

i've seen too many locked up bikes with only the frame, back wheel and drive train still standing. la is notorious for bike theft. i think the only safe bet is to take it with you or have the bike in visible range while locked up...

I went to a local small business cafe today that I frequent a lot. Rode my bike there for the first time. They wouldn't let me bring it in. I left and went to Starbucks.

Hey guys, I rode to Little Tokyo to grab a bite to eat ----(I have Nitto Noodles).

Lol at the irony.

But yeah, just took a look at the stable and brainstormed over a pint.

Few methods popped in the mind, but most were detrimental your convenience when it comes to maintenance or regular riding. IE. rounding off the bolts or some kind of mechanism similar to the seat-chain-lock.

Would suggest a somewhat jackass locking strategy with a long cable and some wrapping under tension. Or swapping out the stem bolts with a different head.

Or Panda Express.

Get generic stuff. If they're going to steal, might as well let them steal ****.

Fasten a ball bearing on where the hex wrench is inserted.

^Theives will eventually find this out. I intentionally did not post this because google indexes this site.

Where do I put in my credit card info and SS#?

Where do I put in my credit card info and SS#?

In the input box below.

8916 6841 3248 1892 Exp. 08/13 CSC 420

I mean... what?

Don't think a security style bolt will stop them either. You can get a 33 piece security bit set for about $3 at oreilly's and chances are it will defeat any security bolt you choose.

Get a cable lock and wrap it around your bars with the frame cause I don't think they're gonna want to go through the hassle of trying to remove it. Unless they're really desperate.

Maybe try torx fasteners?

^Theives will eventually find this out. I intentionally did not post this because google indexes this site.

It has been posted a million times.

The story about Bic pens being able to open bike locks spread like wildfire.

What adhesive do you guys suggest for the ball bearing? I mean, I guess I don't want it something to easy to remove (ie: superglue with acetone), but having to pick a ball bearing out because it's epoxied seems like it'd do me more harm than good.

Up to you really. Essentially, it should be hard to remove to deter thieves but simple enough to provide easy access when necessary.

Would go for a little marine epoxy. Just a little dab and you'll still get enough pull on a wrench. And can poke it out with general you-know-tools.

What adhesive do you guys suggest for the ball bearing? I mean, I guess I don't want it something to easy to remove (ie: superglue with acetone), but having to pick a ball bearing out because it's epoxied seems like it'd do me more harm than good.

cyanoacrylate

But yeah, any super glue would do the trick


It has been posted a million times.

* a million and one :p

I went to a local small business cafe today that I frequent a lot. Rode my bike there for the first time. They wouldn't let me bring it in. I left and went to Starbucks.
been there. had to convince a sandwich maker at subway that I was leaving as soon as it was done, had two of them fight me with 'manager blah blah' and I was like I won't toast it or anything, 2 minutes!.

whataburger (yeah yeah) made me leave anyway. e-mailed both asking that they provide places to lock my bike up if I can't bring it in, never heard back from either.

Confidence.

When I get groceries, the first employee or manager is told to "keep an eye on this." Assertively, and business continues.

If you eat at McDonald's nobody will try to steal your bike. :)

KeS

Hm, should the ball bearings have the same diameter as the bolt? Or slightly bigger/smaller? Not sure what would be most effective. Thanks for the help, guys.

Confidence.

When I get groceries, the first employee or manager is told to "keep an eye on this." Assertively, and business continues.

http://vindicarlo.com/wp-content/uploads/images/Thegame.jpg

OG panty dropper who cannot afford suits.

But for real, confidence does help in those adverse situations, should they arise. At least, you can ask the clerk or barista for a description of the assailant. Chances are they'll be more aware of the bicycle that was there.

Magnetic ball bearings, i get them from the local gadget store like brookstones or target maybe walmart. I pop them in, To take them out, Get a strong magnet, IE: a old speaker driver, hard drive magnet, a old school fridge,

I'm afraid a simple needle can easily be used to flick off your lil' magnet ball via insertion into a corner of the hex screw and leverage effect....

What are ways I can prevent this from happening again?

http://www.realtor.com/

http://www.ronpaul2012.com/

ftfy

^^^Erupt!

http://img89.imageshack.us/img89/8381/lolcano14tsnl9lf1.gif

OMG, are we really going there? If needed my SKS keeps people from stealing.

Seriously how long do you take to eat? If you super glue some ball bearings into your allen bolts, you should be more than safe for the time it takes to eat lunch. Maybe it's just me but I've never heard of a bike theif carrying around a q-tip and acetone while trying to steal some handlebars they'll get maybe $10 for.

And don't be an a**hole trying to take your bike inside everywhere you go, especially then telling an employee to stop doing their job and watch it for you. That's like driving your car up to the entrance and telling an employee to watch it for you cause you're too lazy to lock the doors and it could get stolen.
Use a good lock on both wheels and frame. If you are worried have your seat locked too. Real worried do the ball bearings too. Nobody is cutting through your 12mm hex link chain/u-lock in the 2 minutes it takes to get coffee or have a sandwich made.

Most importantly lock it up next to another bike that is locked up ****ty. I bet you if anything is getting stolen it's theirs not yours. Unless you have a routine and are being stalked, bike theft is a crime of opportunity. A bike with 2 locks and ball bearings is not an opportunity it's a hassle.

Seriously how long do you take to eat? If you super glue some ball bearings into your allen bolts, you should be more than safe for the time it takes to eat lunch. Maybe it's just me but I've never heard of a bike theif carrying around a q-tip and acetone while trying to steal some handlebars they'll get maybe $10 for.

And don't be an a**hole trying to take your bike inside everywhere you go, especially then telling an employee to stop doing their job and watch it for you. That's like driving your car up to the entrance and telling an employee to watch it for you cause you're too lazy to lock the doors and it could get stolen.
Use a good lock on both wheels and frame. If you are worried have your seat locked too. Real worried do the ball bearings too. Nobody is cutting through your 12mm hex link chain/u-lock in the 2 minutes it takes to get coffee or have a sandwich made.

Most importantly lock it up next to another bike that is locked up ****ty. I bet you if anything is getting stolen it's theirs not yours. Unless you have a routine and are being stalked, bike theft is a crime of opportunity. A bike with 2 locks and ball bearings is not an opportunity it's a hassle.

Thanks for your advice, but uh, who shat in your cereal? I had lunch with a friend for ~1 hour. Los Angeles has a lot of bike theft, and Little Tokyo attracts a lot of cyclists/people who probably know how much Nitto handlebars run for.

Thanks for the help, guys. Much appreciated.

bolt a cetma style rack onto your bars! Doubling the amount of bolts connecting your bars to your bike! And its functional!

Special "tamper-resistant" bolts with a special driving tool can be had from specialty fastener supply houses. You could theoretically order a complete set of bolts for your bike's bolt-on parts (seat, bars, stem, etc) that would all use a master key tool. Some places even sell bolts with eccentric driver patterns for which tools aren't commercially available. A quick google search turned up this:

http://www.oemhardware.ca/tamperproof.htm

Not sure on minimum quantities for this particular store, but you might find a fastener supply store locally that could match your bolts thread pitch and length with something suitable.

You could also consider chaining a big f***-off dog to your bike

Magnetic ball bearings, i get them from the local gadget store like brookstones or target maybe walmart. I pop them in, To take them out, Get a strong magnet, IE: a old speaker driver, hard drive magnet, a old school fridge,

To remove the bearing simply find "an old school fridge." :lol: lmao'ing picturing your house with a few old fridges around for fixing your bike :p

I'm afraid a simple needle can easily be used to flick off your lil' magnet ball via insertion into a corner of the hex screw and leverage effect....

not really, its harder then you think, one morning at school, evil accidentally dropped one in his stem clamp bolt, we tried almost everything to take it out(hex wrenches, pens, pencils, basically anything small that could possibly used as leverage) and it would not come out. We had to ask the music director for an old speaker magnet to finally get it out

Red loctite? or is that overkill?

not really, its harder then you think, one morning at school, evil accidentally dropped one in his stem clamp bolt, we tried almost everything to take it out(hex wrenches, pens, pencils, basically anything small that could possibly used as leverage) and it would not come out. We had to ask the music director for an old speaker magnet to finally get it out

But a needle can go under it.... and a needle is definiately not as large as a pen, hex key, or pencil....

buy some security bolts like the lastleroy mentioned. they need a special adapter to remove. A professional bike thief will of course have these in his bag but it will deter everyone else.

But a needle can go under it.... and a needle is definiately not as large as a pen, hex key, or pencil....

get some magnetic ball bearings and put them on your stem bolts, and try to remove them with needles, video plz

get some magnetic ball bearings and put them on your stem bolts, and try to remove them with needles, video plz

I have more sense than that thank you very much. And nevertheless those magnetic ball bearings that you use to "create" things are a sheer scam for you kiddies.

How about you do that since you're the doubter? Go ahead prove me wrong. If you give me a full detailed lab report taken under strict scientific guidelines with a full set of controls proving that you are indeed right, I'll paypal you something for your troubles.

I had lunch with a friend for ~1 hour. Los Angeles has a lot of bike theft, and Little Tokyo attracts a lot of cyclists/people who probably know how much Nitto handlebars run for.

Again how many people, bike thief or nail salon worker do you know that carry acetone and a q-tip with them? To quote above "bike theft is a crime of opportunity. A bike with 2 locks and ball bearings is not an opportunity it's a hassle." Bike thieves don't spend 5 minutes at your bike dissolving super glue and picking ball bearings out of your allens so that they can steal your bars. They'll move on to one of the 10's of bikes around yours worth even $100 in crap condition locked only with a cable.

Ahem...

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php/200683-How-to-not-get-your-bike-stolen...


1) Number 1 rule: Bike theft is a crime of opportunity 99% of the time. "Crime of opportunity" means that those that stole your bike weren't planning, tracking, and scheming on how to get your bike. They probably saw an unattended bike and went for it. To a theif, an unattended nice bike is like finding a $100 on the ground.

3) Crackheads will steal ANYTHING that they think they can sell for $20. Cocaine is a heluva drug.

5) An ounce of common sense goes a long way with you keeping your bike. Don't leave your bike unlocked while you "just run in for a second" to ANYWHERE.

10) Don't be surprised if your $80 Thomson post and your $150 Fizik seat are gone if you had just an allen bolt holding it on.

12) This is life in the big city. If you get caught slipping, you'll have to pay a "stupid tax".

13) Avoid locking your bike in a place were someone can work on your lock without being seen.

14) If you can, take your bike in with you to your job or whatever. Ask nicely.

16) If you are going in "just for a minute"...that still gives a thief 55 seconds more time than he needs to get your bike.

Dual brakes made stealing your handlebars about 10 times more annoying.

Just remember, you don't have to outrun the bear you just have to outrun your friend. The more you make it annoying/time consuming/less standard, the less of a chance that your stuff will get jacked.

Fill the hex cavity flush with hot glue. Hot glue can be removed with a heated tip of a screwdriver if needed. One can experiment with spray silicone into the cavity first, which will make the glue plug easier to remove.

Relevant.

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php/520639-Some-lock-advice-from-a-locksmith

Red loctite? or is that overkill?

That's what I was going to say. Only releases with heat ;)

Guys, I work as a Diesel mechanic and let me tell you, Red Loctite is nothing to mess with. Especially with dissimilar metals involved (aluminum/steel). I have personally broken VERY large bolts in half because the loctite held. They're your bikes, but if I needed extra security (I don't), I would just buy the special fasteners and be done with it.

Dual brakes made stealing your handlebars about 10 times more annoying.

Not with a pair of dikes.

not sure if this will work but what about filling your hex w/ solder? you can easily remove it when at home.