Another security option is to pay 2 bike messengers to watch your bike while you are away from it.

Just weld the bolt in place...is not like you have to adjust the height everyday!

Besides, you can still remove the seat at the clemping mechanism at the top!

Possible Facepalm expected, I don't care :)

Use tamperproof bolts and fill the opening with super glue. A little expensive because you need to buy a specialized screw and bit, but probably the best deterrent to the average thief. A professional might carry specialty bits with him and the superglue will then slow him down a little. You could still even use a chain as well.

Something like this: http://www.oemhardware.ca/oempdf/GENERIC.pdf

Probably about a $10-20 investment on ebay for a bit and about 10-20 bolts.

Old tube and chainlinks

You probably don't even need to use special tamper-proof bolts. Just use something weird from here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Screw_drive

How many people carry around weird screw types like tri-wing or security torx? Heck, if you're not in Canada, you could probably even just use a Robertson bolt.

Although if you don't mind never adjusting you saddle, use a one-way bolt ;)

I just use a little cable

Personally, I am tempted to go with this kind of set up:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/7612786...2842/lightbox/

She locked the chain with a padlock which is the blue thing under the seat. I was thinking of getting something like the £10 Abus chain (i think it's 8mm links and 90cm in length) with an integrated lock. As least it isn't going to be as easily cut as something I would use with the stock seat on my QR seatpost like the kryptonite saddle saver cable.

The only downside I can see is trying to find a chain which is exactly the right length to hook from the frame round the rails of the Brooks. Then it's a matter of using some tape to make sure it doesn't shift around and damage the frame, and maybe like her, cover the padlock with some tape too and somehow affix it under the seat so it doesn't interfere with how the saddle functions. Also the plastic bag when parked is a must in UK anyway.

I get my replacement bike next week after saving up for 8 months after the last was stolen (insurance didn't cover the whole cost). The saddle post on it is quick release and rather than spending £8 for a cable which might be replaced with a chain when I get the brooks, I'd rather sort everything out now...i.e. custom bolt vs chain like in the pic? Where exactly can I get a custom security bolt in the UK which will be suitable for both the stock saddle on a Marin Muirwoods 29er and the Brooks B67.

Is this good enough:
http://www.freemanscycles.co.uk/prod...20Seat%20Bolts

Or even this set?
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/...t-set-ec011572

Not sure if the bolt is for the seatpost or the saddle itself. I have QR wheels/hubs, so I don't mind getting a kit since it would prob be good to replace my QR with security skewers/bolts at some point.

By the way, does the below imply that these kind of bolts are not so secure?
http://answers.evanscycles.com/answe.../questions.htm
Anyone know if these security bolts would be easily removed into using a 6" nail and a pair of molegrips?

Like this totally:

http://img5.imageshack.us/img5/693/imagevnld.jpg

I LOL'd hard when I saw it parked in a rack on campus today.
/fail considering how you can just undo the seatpost and its all yours...

it definitely wont prevent thieves that have seen your bike and saddle, know your routine, and plan to steal it. and it wont prevent thieves that actually do carry around acetone with them...although im thinking that is a very small percentage.

it will most likely deter 'opportunistic' thieves though. ones walking around with an allen wrench.


edit: not that i use the ball bearing method lol....im still tuning the bike's seat height on a few builds. but i think once i have it perfectly set (im anal retentive) i wouldn't think it a bad idea....

oh and i have seen bolts you can buy from some specialty manufacturer with unique bolt patterns, so you would need to have the odd shaped allen wrench that comes with the bolts. well, i guess the odd shape wouldn't make it an allen wrench anymore.

right now i just run a cable from my ulock. cables are easily cut yes i know. but its at least something?

ah thats what i was talking about.

Just came across this post on Bike radar about the security bolts:

Any thoughts? Any thief able to recognise a brooks saddle or who is used to stealing parts from bikes like disc brakes would surely have a hex tool or whatever in their arsenal? If they can spend a lot of un-earned money on a something I can't afford (a van for transporting their ill gotten goods), surely they can afford a cheap hex tool to undo those kind of bolts? I'm again leaning towards using a chain and padlock for the saddle, lol.

Speaking of Brooks B67/66, Champion and other sprung saddles, just realised that there might be room to slip the D/U Lock though the rails right like in that pic above? So this means one of the following is possible:

1) If it's like the one in Happy Pill's Post, you could slip a light weight chain (4-6mm links) through it and padlock the D Lock to the bike (and perhaps even round a pole supplying a further deterrent/obstacle for bike theft). Going with relatively light chain since I'm assuming it's on top of other setups I see which involves carrying a D lock to secure the real wheel and frame to the bike rack and the chain (say one with 11mm links) and padlock used to secure the frame and front wheel to the rack.

2) If the D lock is slim enough or there is enough clearence, and depending on the geometry (and seat height), you can attach the D Lock to the top tube of the frame? Even if it's a slim one, it's got to be better than using a cable since it can't be locked by simple croppers but would require something more heavy duty.

I wonder though, what is safer? A Slim D lock (say 12mm shackle) or a Slim chain and padlock (say with 4-6mm links). Can bolt croppers be used on a d lock with a 12mm shackle, or would it require an axle grinder/saw which is unlikely just for a saddle.

Oh, here's the post which got me thinking:
http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...1#post12275129

By the way, this is my planned bike:
http://www.marin.co.uk/2011/bikepage.php?ModNo=11M29

At the bottom with the frame measurements it says 27.2 for the seatpost height. So this means that assuming I'm not raising the height of the saddle, I can fit a 300mm D lock through the rails to the toptube with nearly 3cm to spare?

Assuming I am right about what they mean by seatpost height then hopefully with the extra 3cm, maybe I can even Fit the D Lock onto the tube just behind the seatpost. The thing which this person has attached the chain to:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/7612786...2842/lightbox/

Still interested to hear about Slim D Lock vs Slim Chain and padlock :P

Otherwise, I'll report back on my own findings when searching tomorrow.

Instead of bicycle chain, use a length of 530 motorcycle chain. This stuff is heavy and a bolt cutter WON'T get through it. The only way is using an angle grinder to grind off the heads of one of the rivets. To anyone who has changed a motorcycle chain without a master link, hardened steel isn't easiest thing to get through. No pry bar or chain break is getting through that easily. That being said, I ride a Charge Spoon saddle which is about $25, so I don't go out of my way to obsess over saddle security.

At this point in time, I'm only riding recreational and don't lock up. When I was in college and riding to campus, I'd pick the first light pole outside of a busy lecture hall and lock it to that. The constant foot traffic made it a conspicuous target and I never had a problem.

I they really want it ... they will scope it out, then come bcak with whatever tools they need... :(

A determined thief will be able top steal anything if the opportunity presents itself. The best you can do is slow them down.

http://www.os2.dhs.org/~john/saddle-security.jpg

This is the sad truth.

You could pretend to do that with these 5mm magnetic balls; group buy, anyone?

uh, yes a bolt cutter will get through it. I regularly use a bolt cutter to remove my old chain (when I'm not going to use it anymore) from my motorcycle and it takes zero effort.

or you could just ride on a saddle that looks mad ****ty and beat up.

I have expensive saddles so I always lock them with a chain along with my rear wheel through the seat stays... yeah, I know they can still be stolen, but chances are less with the chain.

http://bhop73.com/pictures/locked.jpg

gun cable lock

http://www.highlandvillage.org/image...nt/gunlock.gif

What chain is that, bhop?

I find it quite annoying that people keep having to say, "If they want to steal it, they will."

No ****.

But using a small chain will definitely be a deterrent as opposed to no chain. You could essentially use that same argument for just locking your bike up.

"Why lock it up with a hefty chain? If they want to steal it, they will."

That's pretty dope. How'd you make that?