Wrong!!!!!!!! It happens a whole lot. Just because it hasn't happened to you, well, you see my line of reasoning?


Exactly. They want something they can sell, and it doesn't have to be high-end. Not every bike with a decent seat has a neighboring bike with a better seat to attract the thief. It's that simple (except *maybe* if you never leave a busy college campus...)


The point some of us are trying to make is that in many places you need to protect *all* the decent parts: seat/seat-post especially. I had a cheap-o aluminum post and a $40 Planet Bike seat stolen recently, when my beat-up 1987 Trek 850 was locked (properly, with regard to frame and both wheels) at night near a decent bar in a decent neighborhood in San Francisco. When I went to my LBS, I heard that there's been a rash of seat/seat-post thefts lately (in 2009, roughly). It is what it is!!!

Kinda impractical.....

From a post in the lock advice thread in the commuting forum.



It works really well, and is solidly in place. Solder removal takes about 5 minutes.

A solder pen can be bought at a local hardware store for about $10-15.

http://www.amazon.com/Weller-SP23LK-...4766049&sr=1-3

you have to lock down your whole bike, even using super glue to make it "harder" for thieves does not matter, cause NO ONE WILL STOP THEM.... i had to cut my bike away with bolt cutters down town on a thursday night (i live in a college town) and no one asked me what i was doing... i spent a good 30mins trying to get through my chain... people are worthless... i had 12 people walk by me while i was doing the deed and i wasnt asked a single question... i had all my paper work too to show to any cops or anyperson that asked about what i was doing too! :(

did you get the authors permission to quote that?

I have three locks on my bike, an Abus chain lock for the frame and one wheel, a U-lock for the other wheel, and a small wire lock for the saddle. Together, we weigh a ton, but nothing is ever stolen.

Whaa?
You're joking right?
I wrote it.

i know. its funny that you chose to quote and cite yourself instead of just saying it.

OP---where in Austin are these saddles being stolen? I haven't heard of a single one getting stolen (knock on wood). I notice from your avatar that you go to UT which is a really dangerous bike area as far as theft goes, is that where these saddle thefts are occurring? It worries me b/c I ride an infamously expensive saddle (B17).

I'm just lazy.

this is funny-- i just got a new kilo and on the third day I commuted to work on it, i found that the stock saddle was missing.. but replaced with a selle italia flite! the flite was a little beat up, but it's a helluva lot more comfortable than the stock saddle that came with the bike.

thanks conscientious saddle thief!

oh and back to the topic, i use a thin kryptoflex cable to lock my saddle to the u-lock locking the frame and rear wheel to the bike rack. a kryptonite mini locks the front wheel to the frame. haven't had any problems yet with this setup.

my solution: don't ride your bike. leave it at home

Has anyone tried using those tamper proof bolts a couple pages back? I mean that seems like the next sensible option in terms of price/ease/effectiveness.

Superglue+bb: cheap, but a pain in the ass and they might be able to get it out if they are going around looking to steal saddles.
Solder: also cheap and most theives won't have a torch, but those that do could still get it (crackhead with a torch lighter?)
Tamper proof bolt: a "regular" theif WONT have the proper driver for it and you can just loctite that if you're still concerned. Then you could still adjust the seat or take it with you for those long hours away, unlike the first two. Unfortunately it's relatively expensive, although not as expensive as your new brooks...

I mean if someone is SERIOUSLY looking to get your bike, or any part of it, and they have the right tools it's theirs... You can't use that guy/girl as a benchmark. The "pro" theif with the van/tools who will get anything in under 20 min is going to be looking for something pretty valuable to make it worth the risk. They'll be operating at night generally, when there are less people around and looking on seldom traveled streets. The van with the guy running an angle grinder is gonna look a little more suspicious than some kid with a hacksaw. For that matter if your saddle is REALLY that valuable a kid with a hacksaw could saw through the post in like 30 sec. I mean come on, its like .2mm aluminum. Just be realistic about what type of security is needed for the particular situation. Threading the cable lock you already have for the front wheel is a good, reasonable way to lock the saddle. The old chain could easily be cut. Way easier than a good cable lock.

^
A lighter won't get hot enough to melt solder.

a torch lighter is a butane fired torch. it will melt solder.

http://www.instructables.com/id/EOATOFHTYNEWP873PA/

That's with a regular lighter, not the torch style.

Huh. I'll be damned.
Learn somethin new every day.

Sorry to bump but...

Ok so I'm still recovering from my marin muirwoods 29er been stolen from my garage last summer and am saving up for a replacement. I was looking at getting a brooks saddle since I set it up with a full upright riding position and was thinking about the following:

1) Solder in the saddle rail's allen bolt.
2) Pitlock seatpost bolt (although might not go for this since I like how easy it is to adjust the height using the QR mechanism.
3) Since the B66 saddle has such a large clearance due to the springs, I reckon I could probably fit a good quality chain with padlock between the bottom of saddle and the rails. This would also allow for a 3rd lock to attach to whatever I am securing the bike too, e.g. lamp-post. I'm surprised no-one else in any of the brooks saddle security threads around mentions it, preferring to go for using a cable lock or the chain in a tube idea. It has so much clearance that a midrange heavy duty chain with a quality padlock should be able to fit through easily enough?

On a side note, I usually use thatcher approved motorbike lock for frame and one wheel and an Abus D lock (granite range) for another wheel attached to the frame. Maybe overboard, but I hate scum bags who steal (bikes). Esp since a lot of people I know who cycle first got into it since they are in financial difficulty and could no longer afford to keep a car.

The reason my bike got stolen was due to someone coming into the back garden and stealing it from the garage. It happened when our backgate had fallen down, however I will also be securing the bike to the fridge in the garage or something from now on. Perhaps with a cheap £25 bike alarm too :)

Man, when I ran Selle Italia Flite TI saddles on all my bikes, I would really stress. Then I found the Nashbar GR2 saddle, $29, light and comfy. Now I don't even think about saddle theft.

How about just using the anti-theft machine screws. Grainger and McMaster Carr both carry them. They require a special wrench to remove and install. Would slow someone down and you can still make adjustments.


Tom

We taught a class at the MP bike co-op about using old chains to secure your seat.

You can even wrap it uo in an old tube so it wont scratch your frame.

If you wanted to get realyl heavy duty, through a couple of chains on there, most thieves don't carry around chain tools...

so mannny fools making generalizations in this thread, Chriiissttttt...

Folding bike. Problem Solved.

As mentioned earlier in the thread, many do carry bolt cutters, and those will easily cut through bicycle chain.

I just set up all my bikes without saddles; always mashing. Problem solved.

:lol: