Help installing locking skewers
 

Hey guys,

So I ordered locking skewers assuming it'd be an easy in and out replacement on my bike. Here's a photo, I'm just stalled and assume I'm completely missing something or did everything wrong :[

The image can be seen at
http://imgur.com/IwS9Q

The bike is a Mercier Kilo TT (finally decided on at the strong recommendation of these forums) found at
http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/...t_stripper.htm

The skewers are Delta Hublox Security Skewers found at
http://www.amazon.com/Delta-TD9130-H.../dp/B000MIVN3S

Is it that these skewers are made for a completely different wheel/axle? Would it require more equipment? I'm thinking that if it requires changing parts of the wheel that I'm better off with an alternative, I seem to gather that the "Pitlocks" are as simple as just replacing the nuts with ones incompatible with standard wrenches? My goal here is to prevent wheel theft eliminating the need for a cable while staying cost effective and requiring little mechanics, if reccommended, I can return these and buy an alternative. My repair knowledge is very limited, so bear with me, and I thank in advance for the help.

-Ryan

They replace a quick release skewer, not the nuts of a nutted axle. Your pic is pretty dark - that's a solid axle?

Yes I'm not too familiar with the vocab, but that sounds about right. It's thick, with nuts on each side, the picture is with the nuts off, midproject disappointment. I thought that it was the norm, my last bike had the same setup

QR skewers, whether locking or not, require a hollow axle. I can't tell from the picture, but if you bought these for a nutted axle you're SOL. You can buy a replacement axle with the same thread, except hollow for QR from a number of sources, and make the change, then use your skewer set.

OTOH if it is a hollow axle (always had QR), then it's too long. QR axles are about 9-11mm longer than the hubs width, locknut to locknut. For the QR system to work the axle cannot stick out past the fork ends.

+1

These won't work with your axles, they are meant for a hollow quick release axle. Bolt on axles alone deter theft, I wouldn't expect you'd need locking nuts for that.

If theft is really that bad in your area your brand new Kilo is going to get stolen sooner or later if you leave it locked up outside. I'd get a cheap (used, ugly) beater instead. A bike doesn't have to be pretty to function perfectly:

http://i812.photobucket.com/albums/z...s/IMG_1018.jpg

I live in San Francisco, anywhere is a risk of theft for any bike, I don't typically lock it up outside, I have a bike locker at work, and take it into my apartment at home. Just trying to be as cautious as possible, I bought a kryptonite evolution mini u, with cable, but someone stole the cable. D: And I didn't like carrying it around anyways, so I figured the skewers were a simple way to protect my wheels. Anybody know more about the pitlocks/nut alternatives, preferably something available on amazon, that would fit my existing axle. Thank you,
Ryan

You may have a hollow axle (I can't tell from the photo). If it's hollow it may have come with regular nuts but be too long to use a QR skewer. The hollow axle used with a QR skewer needs to fit into the drop out without protruding on the outboard side. This way the QR can tighten on the DO to hold the wheel securely. If your axle is too long you'll need to replace it with a shorter one or cut it down to size.

If your hubs have loose ball cup-and-cone bearings the axles can be easily swapped for hollow axles for not much money. If they are cartridge bearings it's more tricky.

Also, this is a fixed gear/single-speed, yes? I'm not sure I'd trust those to hold the rear wheel in place. Many skewers today are made for vertical dropouts and don't hold the wheel solidly like the old steel skewers. Only one way to find out. If you start pedaling and the wheel slips, you'll know..

Amazon ? you got a dozen bike shops in Metro SF, alone.
or at least that many when I left ...

Yeah that all sounds about right, I was thinking the same thing, that even if it did fit, I wouldn't want me depending on those little sticks to hold me and my bike up. I think that you guys just clarified for me that of course it doesn't fit, and it would take more time than necessary had I bought a compatible solution. It is a single speed, Mercier Kilo TT Stripper.

So basically my question for you forum now is, has anyone tried "Pitlocks" or similar device and have a comment or recommendation? The Pitlock site is very poorly translated into English, from what I gather they're simple part replacements (for the nuts in my case) that prevent standard tools from being used, which sounds perfect, simple to install, and will prevent any random zombie with a wrench from snatching the wheels off.

And yeah we have plenty of bike shops, on every corner, but for a lot of these things I'd rather buy online, requires less calling and searching, allows more time to think about a purchase and read up (apparently not enough in this case), price is much lower, and I have an Amazon Prime membership I like to get full use of. If anything I'd like to support the Bike Kitchen, where I would go for bigger projects. But TBH most of the shops here are ripoffs and I haven't found one I'm hard for. I try to DIY as much as I can, even if it takes some reaching out and learning.

Thanks again guys for your help so far,

Ryan

I don't think the pitlocks are recommended for horizontal drop outs like you have. You may be able to get by if you get a couple of chain tensioner/adjusters that hook onto rear-facing horizontal dropouts and that should hold the wheel in place when you pedal hard. But the pitlocks aren't that cheap, although, cheaper than a new set of wheels. AFAIK, the random zombie stealing the wheel and fencing it isn't that big of a problem. It's the organized dude in a van or truck with all sorts of tools and big bike rack or camper shell that's the ones who make a living stealing and then fencing stuff on CL that you gotta worry about.

Pit lock is kind of like the things they made years back to keep your Bling car's
Mag wheels from getting stripped, via a weird shape socket, the pit,
that a special wrench bit was needed to unscrew...

Peter White sells Pitlocks in several combinations. Nice stuff. I live in a big city and try not to be paranoid about loosing my "stuff" but being able to protect my expensive saddles and front wheels (Edelux headlamps/SON hubs) is worth the price of the Pitlocks. I use the same "code" for all the bikes, keeping things simple.

Pitlock and Pinhead both make solid axle locking systems but make sure they are for your exact axle thread. A do it yourself version could be to just locktite the buggers on. It won't make it theft proof, but harder atleast.

Haha, the skewers go inside the axle. They don't do anything except keep the axle tight to the fork. In your case, the nuts on the outside are doing that same job.

OP, if I were you I would leave the rear wheel alone and just always lock the rear wheel with the U lock. Though some disagree, I feel locking the rear wheel through the rear triangle (ie, the Sheldon Brown method) is sufficient, but you can buy a somewhat longer lock if you want and also lock the frame itself. Then swap out the front axle and use a hollow axle locking skewer of your choice. If you use Pitlocks, they also offer an aheadset cap to prevent thieves from just jacking your front fork with the wheel. Then a cable through the saddle.

Urbanbiketech.com sells Pitlocks and I found them to have excellent customer service and thus recommend them if you go that route.