Sorry if this has already been hashed out-- I searched the forums but couldn't find a recent thread about it...

I just built up a steel frame bike that I now love, possibly more than my beloved wife. I joined the Brooks saddle crowd as well, and am thrilled with it. I plan on using the 'Sheldon' mini-U method, and using Pitlock wheel skewers, headset, and seatpost locks to protect the main components.

The remaining problem is the saddle clamp on the seatpost. I know about the cable loop that Pitlock sells, but that seems too easy to lop off. Using the bikechain/tube combo is insanely popular, but that again seems too easy using a chainbreaker. BB's/superglue or solder in the allen recess seems like it should be effective, but I'm still at a point where I'm fiddling with my saddle a lot right now, and it would be really inconvenient (I don't think wax would be a good enough deterrent).

I was starting to think that no good solution was available for my present situation until I happened on a picture from the Pinhead website. They apparently make a clamp (only in the 'parts' section, and sold separately from the kits) that you attach around your seatpost right up underneath the saddle clamp, and secure with a locking skewer. Assuming your saddle clamp uses vertical bolt/s near the seatpost body, this would prevent anyone from being able to fit an allen key into them without loosening the locked clamp and sliding it down. My plan at this point is to use that Pinhead clamp with an extra Pitlock seatpost skewer (might have to make an insert or something to get the clamp surfaces right).

What do you guys think? I know someone could still just saw through the seatpost, but at that rate they could just saw through the seatstays or downtube if I used a cable (plus they would still have to defeat the pitlock at a later time to remove the saddle from the seatpost fragment). Any ideas/comments on whether this could be defeated in a way I'm not thinking of?

For the record, this is my commuter, and will be protected most of the time at home and at work. I'm mainly trying to sure up the off times when I've stopped somewhere on the way to/from (in the Northern VA area). Thanks for any suggestions/ideas!

Use a cable lock through the saddle rails and attach it to your U-lock.

This was actually my old method, but either I use a lightweight cable that can be cut with pocket snips (LOTS of those cut around this area), or a big beefy one that weighs a ton (and can still be cut really quickly). This time around, I was looking to avoid toting around heavy cables, hence the Pitlocks. Thanks for the suggestion, though.

You could use a kryptonite chain through the saddle and frame instead of a u-lock too. But I take it that you're trying to avoid carrying a lot of lock weight.

A cable thin enough to go through the saddle rails will be thin enough to cut quite easily.

What I do is use a thick cable with a loop on each end. The cable loops through the front wheel and through itself, then through the front fork, and the other loop goes into the D-lock that secures the frame and the back wheel. Then I use a padlock to lock the saddle rail to the cable. The saddle rail is now probably the weakest point by a fair margin, and of course stealing the saddle by breaking the rail renders the saddle useless.

You got it -- I really am this time. My goal is to come as close to just the weight of a mini-U as possible. For the most part, Pitlocks would be just as light, if not lighter, than my stock QR/allen skewers, so the only additional weight beyond that would be the 'extra' seatpost clamp and skewer @ about 40g. I'm not trying to go insane weight weenie, but this is my first real roadie and I am loving the light weight so far. The idea of carrying another lb+ in chain or cable weight is what I'm trying desperately to avoid, and my initial thoughts are the clamp method in the original post might eliminate that need... I'm just not sure at this point if I'm missing some method that would make it not secure.

Of course one way to make sure nobody steals your saddle is to take it with you. Before I figured out the padlock thing I described if I ever left the bike out of sight I took the saddle and seatpost with me.

Hotglue a ball-bearing inside the seat-clamp and saddle's allen-head bolt, to block it from thieves with allen keys. When you need to remove the saddle, just melt the glue with a cig. lighter and use a magnet to get the ball bearing out..... Someone suggested this trick for wheels but i think it could work for saddles....maybe?

That would be the lightest and most secure solution, but I'd rather not carry them around in a store/bar if I don't have to (visions of MacGruber carrying his Blaupunkt car stereo around everywhere, haha). However, if my proposed method doesn't sound like a good idea, this would be my first alternate plan, along with a cap to cover the seatpost hole!

Thanks - I've heard this version with superglue or wax as well. I love the cleverness of it, and it was my original intent to use it, but I find that I adjust my saddle height and tilt too much right now while I'm out riding (new to road bike posture, and still working on it). Once I get comfortable and stop fiddling with my seat, it seems like it would work well, but I'm hoping my original suggestion would also work (and make the inconvenience of removing the BB myself) as a better solution for both the now and the then....

Anyone have thoughts on the idea/product in the first post (second seatpost clamp at the TOP of the seatpost right under the vertical saddle bolts, with extra seatpost Pitlock through it)? I am getting ready to pull the trigger, but it seems too light/easy/secure to be true with all the discussion that this topic usually generates! I figure I must be missing something...

That bit poking out, into your leg could be an issue.

If you have settled on saddle and seatpost, you could POP-rivet the cable
to secure the ends, some how, to the seatpost.

I offered hollow tube seatpost as a way to hide a cable, before.
then a long water-bottle bolt will do a fine job of securing the loop
of cable , running out around the saddle and back down.

Good call on the bit poking out. The picture is actually of the clamp with the Pinhead locking skewer installed, which I would not be using. Instead, I would use the same clamp adjusted to fit a Pitlock skewer, which is much lower profile on the clamping surface to my knowledge.

I love the idea of the hidden or routed cable (very clever!), but I am trying to avoid them completely this time around (even just under the seatrails, where it could still be cut), as it's either a small light cable that can be snipped easily, or a larger heavy cable that defeats the purpose of a lightweight bike. I do know there's no perfect solution, but am trying to absolutely maximize weight savings/security/ease of use for my purposes.

I used to use a piece of bicycle chain in a piece of old inner tube. Loop the chain through the saddle rail(s) and around a seat stay. You put the chain back together with a chain tool. Not easy to cut and if you cut the inner tube a bit long it will tuck back into itself.

Aaron

Swap out the bolts with security fasteners.

Those would be great, but I have had no success in finding them 1) in metric/correct size, and 2) in small enough quantity (don't want to buy 100+, only need a couple). Have you found a place that has the correct sizes and small quantity packs? I would very much appreciate a link if you have-- Thanks!

McMaster-Carr or Fastenal

Aaron