Anti-theft-how to secure Allen key accessories?

At my local train station bikes are regularly pilfered from, usually accessories. The thieves have
allen keys so most accessories are vulnerable. I've got the Kryptonite locking skewer set (expensive
but does the job) which secures the seat post and both wheels. Anyone any ideas / experience how to
cover the rest? I've considered putting Loctite on all the bolts holding the brakes etc.

I remember when I lived in New York City in the bad old days (late 80s) thieves would hacksaw the
frame and steal the whole bike for accessories!

find somewhere else to park your bike? or ask the rail staff if they can keep it safe somwhere inside for u, they mite be nice

David Wood wrote:
> At my local train station bikes are regularly pilfered from, usually accessories. The thieves have
> allen keys so most accessories are vulnerable. I've got the Kryptonite locking skewer set
> (expensive but does the job) which secures the seat post and both wheels. Anyone any ideas /
> experience how to cover the rest? I've considered putting Loctite on all the bolts holding the
> brakes etc.
>
> I remember when I lived in New York City in the bad old days (late 80s) thieves would hacksaw the
> frame and steal the whole bike for accessories!

You can get a variety of other fasteners such as Torx bolts or tamper proof bolts which need a
special key. The theives could go and get one from a tool shop but its unlikely they would be
carrying one with them for an opportunistic theft.

Tony

"David Wood" <jdwood37@hotmail.spam> wrote in message
news:btkfi6$q7g$1@hercules.btinternet.com...
> At my local train station bikes are regularly pilfered from, usually accessories. The thieves have
> allen keys so most accessories are
vulnerable.
> I've got the Kryptonite locking skewer set (expensive but does the job) which secures the seat
> post and both wheels. Anyone any ideas /
experience
> how to cover the rest? I've considered putting Loctite on all the bolts holding the brakes etc.
>
> I remember when I lived in New York City in the bad old days (late 80s) thieves would hacksaw the
> frame and steal the whole bike for accessories!
>

Problem is that whatever's inconvenient for thieves is doubly so for you, as you don't want to cause
any damage or scratch the frame.

ISTR that when I last read a discussion on this topic, some reported that bathrook caulk in the head
of the hex-socket was reasonably tough to remove, but not impossible for maintenance purposes.

The nuclear option would be to epoxy a ball bearing into the socket - I don't think you'd shift that
without a lengthy application of a steam jet though.

Cheers,

Tim.

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On Thu, 8 Jan 2004 20:45:58 +0000 (UTC), "David Wood"
<jdwood37@hotmail.spam> wrote:

>At my local train station bikes are regularly pilfered from, usually accessories. The thieves have
>allen keys so most accessories are vulnerable. I've got the Kryptonite locking skewer set
>(expensive but does the job) which secures the seat post and both wheels. Anyone any ideas /
>experience how to cover the rest?

Wot Tony said: tamper-resistant Torx, and carry a set of bits.

Guy
===
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Tim Cain wrote:
> The nuclear option would be to epoxy a ball bearing into the socket - I don't think you'd shift
> that without a lengthy application of a steam jet though.

I could imagine being able to dig it out with a bradawl or small screwdriver or something. Just
filling up the socket with epoxy might be even better (less to get a purchase on and more time
consuming to remove the lot). I'll have to give both a go sometime. Either would be good for
detering the casual tea leaf. Just leaves that very awkard dilemma of whether it's worth the
inconvenience of not being able to use the bolts yourself without a lot of hassle.

~PB

Tony Raven wrote:
> You can get a variety of other fasteners such as Torx bolts or tamper proof bolts which need a
> special key.

Sounds good. Finding some that would be just right might be difficult though. Anyone got any
references to specific bolts like these that would be suitable for common bike parts?

I know of the Trans X seat binders but they wouldn't be suitable for my bikes, and I already use
security wheel skewers.

~PB

I don't mean to be flippant - but how about buying a Brompton - that was my solution with the
insurance money from the bike i had nicked from a station

http://www.bromptonbicycle.co.uk/

David Wood wrote:
> At my local train station bikes are regularly pilfered from, usually accessories. The thieves have
> allen keys so most accessories are vulnerable. I've got the Kryptonite locking skewer set
> (expensive but does the job) which secures the seat post and both wheels. Anyone any ideas /
> experience how to cover the rest? I've considered putting Loctite on all the bolts holding the
> brakes etc.
>
> I remember when I lived in New York City in the bad old days (late 80s) thieves would hacksaw the
> frame and steal the whole bike for accessories!
>
>
>
>
>

My current office doesn't have any secure parking so I have been thinking of doing something on the
same lines. The only place I know of that sells the anti-tamper torx bolts is Radio Spares. Anyone
know of anywhere else?

Robin

Robin Commander wrote:
> My current office doesn't have any secure parking so I have been thinking of doing something on
> the same lines. The only place I know of that sells the anti-tamper torx bolts is Radio Spares.
> Anyone know of anywhere else?

Tools seem easy enough to find, but I'm blue in the face with Googling and I can't find a single UK
source that actually lists any Torx bolts (or socket head cap screws) on their website. That's very
strange if they're supposed to be so common. We'll have to trawl the hardware shops.

Might be worth enquiring at www.acornfasteners.co.uk/index.htm

~PB

Pete Biggs wrote:
> Tony Raven wrote:
>> You can get a variety of other fasteners such as Torx bolts or tamper proof bolts which need a
>> special key.
>
> Sounds good. Finding some that would be just right might be difficult though. Anyone got any
> references to specific bolts like these that would be suitable for common bike parts?
>

Just go to your local car parts shop or hardware/engineering store. Torx are pretty standard and
they should be able to provide you with replacements for all the allen head bolts and the
corresponding tool bits to do and undo them. They are a pretty standard alternative to an allen
bolt, its just that not many people carry the tools around.

Tony

In article <btkku7$8b2du$1@ID-144931.news.uni-berlin.de>, Pete Biggs wrote:
>Tim Cain wrote:
>> The nuclear option would be to epoxy a ball bearing into the socket - I don't think you'd shift
>> that without a lengthy application of a steam jet though.
>
>I could imagine being able to dig it out with a bradawl or small screwdriver or something. Just
>filling up the socket with epoxy might be even better

Thief uses a suitable size drill bit in a cordless drill and the head falls off the bolt. Putting
the ball bearing in stops that.

Pete Biggs wrote:
> Robin Commander wrote:
>> My current office doesn't have any secure parking so I have been thinking of doing something on
>> the same lines. The only place I know of that sells the anti-tamper torx bolts is Radio Spares.
>> Anyone know of anywhere else?
>
> Tools seem easy enough to find, but I'm blue in the face with Googling and I can't find a single
> UK source that actually lists any Torx bolts (or socket head cap screws) on their website. That's
> very strange if they're supposed to be so common. We'll have to trawl the hardware shops.
>
> Might be worth enquiring at www.acornfasteners.co.uk/index.htm
>
> ~PB

http://rswww.com. Go to the UK page and search for tork. Alternatively phone your local car parts
shop or look for fixing suppliers in yellow pages. They are pretty common despite your Google
experience - trust me ;-)

Tony

On Fri, 9 Jan 2004 18:34:16 -0000, "Pete Biggs"
<ptangerine{remove_fruit}@biggs.tc> wrote:

>The only place I know
>> of that sells the anti-tamper torx bolts is Radio Spares. Anyone know of anywhere else?

P J Drew of Reading (http://www.pjdrew.co.uk/ - crap online shop, brilliant BAM, give them a call).
And many of the holts you need are actually set screws ;-)

Guy
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"Tony Raven" <junk@raven-family.com> wrote in message
news:btlrnp$8m2fq$2@ID-178940.news.uni-berlin.de...

> Just go to your local car parts shop or hardware/engineering store. Torx
are
> pretty standard and they should be able to provide you with replacements
for
> all the allen head bolts and the corresponding tool bits to do and undo
them.

Just so. Drew's the Ironmongers in Reading, for example.

Note: the tamper-resistant version is the one to go for. The ordinary ones can sometimes be bodged
with a screwdriver or Allen key.

--
Guy
===

WARNING: may contain traces of irony. Contents may settle after posting.
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