GeraldF

Where did you purchase your Pitlocks? I only see Onguard and Pinhead locking skewers on Amazon. Thanks.

JohnJ80

https://www.urbanbiketech.com

Good service. Recommended.

J.

GeraldF

Thanks!

thermalattorney

I bought my first set used off of eBay. When I needed a new set I bought mine directly from the manufacturer so I could pits that matched the keys I already had. Only took a week to get from Germany to NYC: https://www.pitlock.de/

JohnJ80

Urban Bike Tech often has several each of each lock in stock in the states. I've been able to get them in a day or two when I needed a key for key alike pitlocks. FWIW, I have 3 sets of these and they are all keyed alike and I only order that keyed set for my family. That way everyone's key works on everyone's bike.

J

GeraldF

Pardon my ignorance, but how does the Pitlock system work? I see the "key" is about the size of a penny and maybe a quarter inch thick. Does some sort of wrench fit into this when it's time to take off a wheel? Also, any thoughts on a way to attach the keys to a keychain? They're so small I'd worry I would misplace them. Thanks!

JohnJ80

You just stick an allen wrench from your multitool through it (side to side - there is a hole on the side) and turn. Or you can use a wrench or socket on it as well.

You get two when you buy a set. I took one, put a tie wrap through it and clipped it to the hinge on my toolbox in the garage. The other one went into the repair pack and I tie wrapped it to the seat bag with the tiniest tie wrap so that it would be easy to take off.

J.

tsl

Go the hardware store and get a clevis pin in the size that fits through the pit. Put the pit on the clevis pin and put the clevis pin on your keyring. That's the best and easiest way that I've found.

This is a clevis pin:


This is exactly the method that's ruined most of my Pitlock skewers. The allen wrench can flatten the threads. Then you can't get the nut off. It's less of a problem on the back, but trying to unscrew the nut far enough to get past the lawyer lips in front is a real problem.

The alternative is to carry a 14mm socket. I don't know why they didn't just make it 15mm--same as a track nut--so you could just a fixie wrench. Flattening threads on the skewers and failing to find a 14mm that fits in my seat bag is what caused me to go back to regular Sunlite 5mm hex-head skewers.

GeraldF

Great tips guys.

I currently have bikes with vertical dropouts. Locking skewers are compatible with vertical dropouts. What about bikes with horizontal dropouts? Do Pitlocks work with them?

xenologer

suspect inadequate clamping force / key too short to torque , wheel slippage?

JohnJ80

I've taken a wheel off with these countless times and had no problem. What are we doing differently?

J.

tsl

I wish I knew...

modernjess

I just started a thread about these before I saw this thread. Another solution.

https://www.sphyke.com/

no affiliation, just passing it along for those looking for parts locks options.

thermalattorney

I dremeled my skewers so the threaded part doesn't extend more than 1-2mm past the Pit when fully tightened. That way I can insert my multitool clear through the key. Never had a problem.

JohnJ80

Aha! That's what I did too - I trimmed the skewer to be the right length so it doesn't get in the way (and it just looks nicer too).

J.

tsl

If I decide to replace the skewers, I'll give that a try. Thanks.

GeraldF

I need to be schooled on horizontal dropouts.

1. How hard would it be for a thief to steal a wheel having standard horizontal dropouts?
2. Is there a locking system similar to Pitlock that works with horizontal dropouts?

thermalattorney

Don't worry about it. You should always be locking your rear wheel up. If you have one lock it should be used to secure the frame and the rear wheel, that way you only need a locking skewer on the front (which has fewer issues and are cheaper).

If you're talking about horizontal dropouts on a road frame there are some lower-security skewers that can provide adequate clamping force like those made by Trans-X.
If you're talking about track ends you can cut your chain so short that rear wheel can't be removed without breaking the chain (there are a lot of variables in this scenario and it might not be possible on many gear ratios and chainstay lengths).

GeraldF

The whole point of using locking skewers or Pitlocks is to make locking a bike as convenient as possible while making it highly unlikely that a wheel will get stolen. I find locking up the rear wheel with a U-Lock to be inconvenient for two reasons:

1. I often wear a book bag which is sometimes heavily loaded. Locking the rear wheel means bending over and thus putting strain on my back OR taking my book bag off, putting it on the ground while I lock the wheel, and then putting it back on. It's MUCH more convenient to just lock the top tube of the bike, especially considering I lock my bike to a rack 500+ times every single year.
2. In urban areas where one often finds himself sharing a bike rack with an adjacent bike, fiddling around to lock the rear wheel can be a hassle.

thermalattorney

In your situation the best you can do is get yourself a set of trans-x penta-nut skewers or Zefal's Lock 'n Roll skewers. Neither are high security, but they're slightly better than nothing. The Trans-X skewers are vulnerable to vice-grips and I lost a seatpost & saddle that way (but not my front wheel, go figure).

As a tall dude I can sympathize with your back problems. It's all about a trade-offs. Those times when there's not a perfect spot immediately available it's worth it for me to spend a couple of minutes finding a place that I can lock my rear wheel to.

GeraldF

Are these compatible with horizontal dropouts? Thanks.

thermalattorney

The Trans-X ones are for sure. They're just steel bolt-on skewers with a different shaped tool. Plenty of clamping force for horizontal dropouts. The Zefal ones *should* be, but I can't be sure that the cam will provide adequate clamping force. Sorry I can't be more specific.

GeraldF

I once asked someone from Holland how common theft of wheels was. He said it was very rare as the wheels are very, very difficult to remove from Dutch bikes. Can anyone explain this? Is it because the Dutch bikes have chain cases?

acidfast7

city bikes don't have quick release. why would someone steal a citybike wheel anyway? they have no value.

GeraldF

It all depends on where you live. In NYC bikes get stripped down for parts in the blink an eye, quick release or no quick release.

The bolts that most bikes have can be removed in about ten seconds with a basic wrench. Check out the NYC Craigslist. A used wheel easily fetches $50-$80. Also, sometimes people new to biking will only lock their front wheel. A thief detaches the front wheel and takes the rest of the bike. Now all he has to do is steal someone else's front wheel and he can sell a complete bike.

Here in DC there's a bike in front of my apartment that had the seat and wheel stolen. A bike in the back had the seat removed (not the seat post, just the crappy saddle that sells new for only $20). I can walk one block in any direction and find bikes stripped down to the frame.

Now, back to my question two posts back. What makes the wheels of Dutch bikes so difficult to remove?