lexmark

Well im upset and have to vent, i got out of the metro and noticed my seat was stolen, i had just bought a new post two weeks ago and this really frustrates me... im getting tired of these easy clips, the clips that you can just open and close in a second to release a seat or rim, well my rear wheel was stolen last month which costed me $200 and now my new seat was just taken... i will replace every easy clip (i thinks thats what its called) with nuts and bolts soon enough, it might be easy to take off a part from my bike but thats exactly whats wrong here... i mean really, who invented these thing, thieves?



AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!! i think this is all bad karma for intentionally running over snails this morning to hear that "POP" from the broken shells


im pretty sure it was the same person that stole my seat and wheel, i might just put a simple lock on my frame and leave the tires unlocked... then wait in the bushes for him to come back and WHAAAM!!! i would give him a bea.... well ya know what i mean, im so tempted to do it, i would loose a week of work but it would be sooo satisfying

lexmark

btw, post up your stolen equipment and where it got stolen from, im sure im not the only one....

ShadowGray

With seats, you should ALWAYS use a clamp, esp if you'll be locking it up.

WHen locking up, make sure you have a cable in addition to a u-lock, wrap the u-lock around the rear rim and maybe frame if it fits, and then the cable around the front rim and the u-lock. This way it ensures that someone won't just quick-release your front wheel and walk off.

As for seatposts... yeah.

If your bike is really of value, use two locks... one for rear rim/frame, and the other for front rim/frame.

Allen

https://www.peterwhitecycles.com/pitlock.asp

Machka 

They're called quick release.

And I've only ever had one bicycle with a quick release seatpost clamp.

ablang

What's wrong w/ bringing your bike into your workplace, or retail environment?

Black Bud

A lot of places of business are not that accommodating. I am one of the lucky ones that can bring my bike in (and have a reasonably secure place to lock it up); most peoples' workplaces frown on this or even outright forbid it for whatever reason.

c_m_shooter

You should be able to replace the quick release on your seat with a bolt from the hardware store. Look into Hublox Anti-Theft Skewers for your wheels. They are 24.99 from Performance.

mlts22 

Grab either a set of Pitlocks from Peter White or Urban Bike Tech, or if you can find some cheaply, a set of Pinhead locking skewers from your LBS (they are sold either under the Onguard logo as well.) Pitlocks are far better quality, but either will keep some twerp from jacking your wheels and seatpost. In fact, you can buy Pitlocks that protect both wheels, the brake bolts, seatpost, and the stem.

becnal

Quick Release are ok to have if you intend to use them. Park your bike, and take your saddle inside with you.

mlts22 

Another idea that is secure enough to discourage someone from just grabbing the seatpost would be a Seat Leash type of cable that goes through the frame and locked. I've seen some which would requiring unbolting of the seat from the seatpost to remove as well.

This isn't as good as locking skewers, but it at least forces a thief to whip out a set of wire cutters.

Doug5150

They're nice, but they're $90.

For most situations, just getting the cheap hex-bolt replacements would work.

------

(The more I look at the Peter White page, the more I'm kindof struggling with the logic here....

Now let's say that you think that spending $90 for a couple locking bolts is a good plan.
That would mean that compared to what replacing your seat and front wheel would cost, $90 is pretty cheap.... And you are locking this bike in public places, where you think theft attempts are a risk???... Ummmm -that's stupid.)
~

Cyclist0383

Not all of us wish to ride crappy bikes every day. Both my wife and I use Pitlock skewers on our nice bikes that we lock up. They are well worth the money.

spinnaker

It never fails. Someone comes up with a great idea to make our lives a little easier and there is always someone around that is going to use that idea against us. We are far too lenient on crime in the U.S. and the rest of the free world IMHO. It is too easy to get away with crimes like these. The only way they are going to get caught is if a police officer happens to be around that cares enough to arrest the thief.

That said, sorry but you really should have known better that to leave a bike locked up with quick release seat and wheels.

This whole mess with bike theft is nothing but our fault. These morons aren't building their own machines to ride. They are looking to sell the stuff. If we didn't buy it. They couldn't sell it.

mlts22 

The problem is resources. The police in a good number of parts of the US usually don't have enough funding to keep up with murders and violent felonies, so its lucky they pay attention at all to bike theft at all.

Its a collapsing economy, and demand for bikes is picking up, and there are lots of people out there who will be happy to buy bikes or bike parts on the cheap, no questions asked. Hopefully someone, somewhere will make a new type of bike lock that for the next couple years will keep bikes in place until someone figures out tools to open it.

True, you can end up paying about $110 or so for a full set of Pitlocks, but what you get are quality locks that force a thief to have to whip out a Dremel, drill, or hacksaw, be obvious for a certain period of time, and have a high chance of botching the job, causing enough damage to make the part unsalable. A thief can't just walk up with a pair of needle nose pliers, find a way to get a grip with it, and yank the skewer off.

Retro Grouch 

The worst thing that they steal from you is your peace of mind. You can always replace your stuff but now they've made you upset and they've got you thinking about expensive locking devices.

ignant666

As suggested above, U-lock through rear triangle & rear rim, with a cable looped through front wheel, will secure frame and both wheels.
To cheaply secure your seat, replace the QR with a bolt, & loop an old piece of bike chain from the seat stay to the saddle rail; wrap chain in a couple layers of tape or put inside an old piece of 700c inner tube & stick ends together with tire-patch glue (put join over seat rail).
Now the thief needs a knife to cut off tape/inner tube & a chaintool to remove the chain. Unless it's a Brooks Swift or similar, he won't bother. If you let the chain rust for a while & then tape, it will be very difficult to remove _ever_, for you or thieves.

Allen

I ride an expensive build. Stupid--sure whatever, it floats my boat though.
I'm not afraid of my fellow man, nor am I going to suffer on a crap bike out of fear of theft. I however am not going to make it easy for a thief either, nor am I so shallow as to think having a material good stolen will rend my soul.

Dr.PooLittle

What kind of dick does that to snails?

badmother

This one is made for citylife. Cut the cable and the bike is unridable. https://www.biomega.dk/biomega.aspx

Chromavita

Agreed. I'm surprised this wasn't brought up earlier... What gives?

dynaryder

https://www.missinglink.org/Pages/bike_locking.html

If your lock is long enough,you could even pull your seat/post out and put the lock through the seat rails.

patc

I use a steel cable plus padlock - goes through the seat rails, down to my rack, and (when mounted) through the handles of my panniers. Sure, it could be cut, but it discourages "grab and run" theft. I have twice found the quick release opened and the seat at an odd angle... someone tried to play, but didn't get lucky.