If so, how are they? Ever got a wheel or something stolen despite the use of security skewers?

I have used pitlocks for maybe 3 years now. My bike only see occasional lockup and never over night (longest time locked 3 hours at a time). So I'm not the best to answere that question, but never had a problem with the bike, lights or wheels, as far as someone messing with it is concern.

Double O

I've been using Delta HubLox on my commuters for the last 3 years, and haven't ever had a wheel stolen. That said, when I park my bike outside, it's usually in a high traffic area where it's less likely to be tampered with. I see them as more of a slight obstacle to wheel theft, since I'm pretty sure I could fanagle them off with a pair of vice grips if I really wanted to.

NO.
I use the Hex head skewer that came with my Schmidt Dynohubs,* But I live in a small town , not a city with a culture of nicking bike parts .

*And a 135mm long one, similar type, through my Rohloff hub.

Were I to hit the road on a tour , I'm likely to put the QR skewers back in.. though having the hex wrench handy that is pretty optional..

I have what you could call security skewers. They use a special hex key and they were I think around $10 for the set. Pretty sure these are it
Sunlite Lightnin' Skewer - Road

I have never had anything stolen off my bike as of yet...though I do not live in/lock up my bike in areas where people want to steal stuff

I lost a Brooks B17 together with the saddle post several years back. Not even QR, but Allen bolt. Now most of my bikes have identically keyed Pinhead skewers / seat post bolts. I've since learned the Pinhead design is vulnerable to certain kinds of tools, but it has been enough to avoid repeating the 15 km stand-up commute back home. I do know I just jinxed myself.

One feature of Pinhead is, someone else's Pinhead key is highly unlikely to open your Pinhead bolts. They're keyed together, so it's a good idea to get spare keys if you go with them. Especially if you have them across various bikes as I do - if one bike goes to LBS for some major maintenance, I don't want to give them the one and only key.

--J

I use Pitlock skewers and seat post lock and so far so good. I didn't like the look of the Pitlock saddle lock so I just use an old bicycle chain in an old inner tube fastened to the frame.

In the town I commute in I have been asked why I lock my bike. The person asking was a police officer. She pointed out that there has never been a bicycle stolen in the 13 years she was in that town and that "everyone" knows what my bike looks like anyways.

. . . small towns . . .

I've had Velo Orange's pinned security skewer on only the front wheel of my commuter. The rear wheel is always secured via Kryptonite NY U-lock. I often run a cable through the front wheel just for the visual for lock-ups of multiple hours.

+1 for pitlocks.

I have two kids in a major university in an urban setting where bike theft is epidemic. In 7 kid-years with at least 5 of those the bikes being outside 24/7/365 we have had nothing stolen. We have the pitlocks on the seats, stems, and hubs and the bikes are locked with U-locks. The bikes are 1980's vintage medium road racing frames of what would be a Ultegra based bike today. So they are nice bikes, not some junk department store bike but they are old bikes lovingly maintained.

We've had bikes that were stripped or stolen on both sides of our locked up bikes. Ours would be a major pain for a bike thief compared to everything else out there. The object is to make your bike the biggest theft hassle in site. Pitlocks do that.

So we think PitLocks are great. You can't remove them with a vise grips like you can some other similar style of locks (pinheads).

J.

Unless you know the trick....

Yes, file down two of the three protrusions on the pitlock key and then you got yourself a master key.

Too much work. A vise grip is a master key. Done it. Took about 30 seconds.

This is an even faster method using a "Gator Grip Universal Socket" for $10.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90J9...anFranciscoBay

Just about as fast as using a quick release.

J.

I can see using it as a female for pinhead (if that's what they use), but for pitlocks, you need a male key. Don't know how that could work for males key.

Like I said, the design is vulnerable.

Pitlocks have a collar that surrounds the keyed part. That collar spins freely so you can't grab it with a pliers or vice grips. It *may* be vulnerable to the Gator Grips but I don't think so. If I recall, looking at my key, it doesn't have many areas on which the pins could grip but rather it's an irregular shape that has to fit into the key in entirety. I also don't know if the pin size on the Gator Grip would fit into keyway on the head anyhow.

Pinheads are really not much protection for the hassle they provide with their key to use. A vice grips is easy to conceal and cheap to procure. The speed by which they can defeat a pinhead is fast so there is good incentive with few obstacles for a thief to deal with them.

Pitlocks are more protection and a lock or locking them is even more protection beyond that. In a University setting, in which we use them, and in trying to get my kids to properly lock the bikes (a hopeless task) instead of the U lock just around a tube - the object is to become a much bigger hassle to steal and take apart for parts than the other bikes in the area. Pitlocks do that well when used with a substantial U lock. It just makes the bike a time sink for the thief by being too slow to turn into cash. Then, of course, the guidance it so park it next to the the most valuable or most poorly locked bike you can find. Contrast is always good.

J.

I've got security skewers on a bike I commute with quite a bit, ironically enough it turns out I can park my bike inside in a secure location for that one...