QR aided theft!

Agzee said:

After having my bike stolen from my shed and then recovered a day or
so later I'm looking to improve security on the bike by removing all
QR fitments.

The thieves gained access to the shed by smashing some rear panels of
the shed after realising that the door of the shed had an alarm
fitted. They then removed wheels and seat stem which all had a QR
mechanism, this allowed them to pass the bike parts through the narrow
damaged section of the shed. The shed is being relocated so that it
abuts our garden fence on two sides to improve security!
It is also now fitted with a 'Shed Shackle' to which the bike is
secured with a hefty chain and lock:-

http://www.torc-anchors.com/shed-shackle.php

I have now purchased wheel skewers with an allen key fitting and also
a similar fitting for the newly purchased seat stem clamp, which will
hopefully make it more difficult for any potential thief to remove
wheels and seat stem.

Does anyone know where I can purchase 'caps' or 'plugs' to fit into
the head of the allen bolt?

I've seen them listed on an American website but have had no luck so
far locating them in the UK, just about to sit down and go through the
Screwfix catalogue.

Cheers - Agzee

I posted a message - with no response - last week looking for opinions
on Pinhead component locks: http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?PartnerID=1219&ModelID=20513

Look interesting to me but I would have liked some informed opinion.

Agzee said:

After having my bike stolen from my shed and then recovered a day or
so later I'm looking to improve security on the bike by removing all
QR fitments.

The thieves gained access to the shed by smashing some rear panels of
the shed after realising that the door of the shed had an alarm
fitted. They then removed wheels and seat stem which all had a QR
mechanism, this allowed them to pass the bike parts through the narrow
damaged section of the shed. The shed is being relocated so that it
abuts our garden fence on two sides to improve security!
It is also now fitted with a 'Shed Shackle' to which the bike is
secured with a hefty chain and lock:-

http://www.torc-anchors.com/shed-shackle.php

I have now purchased wheel skewers with an allen key fitting and also
a similar fitting for the newly purchased seat stem clamp, which will
hopefully make it more difficult for any potential thief to remove
wheels and seat stem.

Does anyone know where I can purchase 'caps' or 'plugs' to fit into
the head of the allen bolt?

Bad idea. If they're good enough to prevent theft (?), they will make it
difficult for *you* to remove a wheel or reset the seatpost - which you
might have to do by the roadside after a puncture or crash.

Why not just lock the wheels and saddle with extra locks and chains to your
Shed Shackle?

~PB

I use QRs from Edin Bike Coop that have 5 -sided allen bolts, not 6 - I have
to carry a special key.

"Agzee" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

After having my bike stolen from my shed and then recovered a day or
so later I'm looking to improve security on the bike by removing all
QR fitments.

The thieves gained access to the shed by smashing some rear panels of
the shed after realising that the door of the shed had an alarm
fitted. They then removed wheels and seat stem which all had a QR
mechanism, this allowed them to pass the bike parts through the narrow
damaged section of the shed. The shed is being relocated so that it
abuts our garden fence on two sides to improve security!
It is also now fitted with a 'Shed Shackle' to which the bike is
secured with a hefty chain and lock:-

http://www.torc-anchors.com/shed-shackle.php

I have now purchased wheel skewers with an allen key fitting and also
a similar fitting for the newly purchased seat stem clamp, which will
hopefully make it more difficult for any potential thief to remove
wheels and seat stem.

Does anyone know where I can purchase 'caps' or 'plugs' to fit into
the head of the allen bolt?

I've seen them listed on an American website but have had no luck so
far locating them in the UK, just about to sit down and go through the
Screwfix catalogue.

Cheers - Agzee

"Agzee" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

After having my bike stolen from my shed and then recovered a day or
so later I'm looking to improve security on the bike by removing all
QR fitments.

The thieves gained access to the shed by smashing some rear panels of
the shed after realising that the door of the shed had an alarm
fitted.

Replace wooden panels with these
http://www.innfusion.com/blogimages/Brick.jpg
and don't leave any big hammers lying around.

Niall

Geoff Pearson said:

I use QRs from Edin Bike Coop that have 5 -sided allen bolts, not 6 -
I have to carry a special key.

Also available here:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=160132670568

~PB

icogs said:

I posted a message - with no response - last week looking for opinions
on Pinhead component locks: http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?PartnerID=1219&ModelID=20513

Look interesting to me but I would have liked some informed opinion.

One of the monthly Mountain Bike magazines had a small review on the
Pinhead devices, unfortunately I have passed the magazines on to my
nephew.

It might have been in Mountain Biking UK.

Agzee

Pete Biggs said:

Bad idea. If they're good enough to prevent theft (?), they will make it
difficult for *you* to remove a wheel or reset the seatpost - which you
might have to do by the roadside after a puncture or crash.

Certainly would not deter the more determined thief but whilst parked
at the local Retail Park any potential thief might look elsewhere.

I have only just returned to cycling, in my heyday (when the Ron
Kitching catalogue was the cyclist's bible) the only people using QR
skewers were the racing fellas!

Having quite a bit of experience sitting at the roadside changing
motorcyle wheels coping with a cycle allen key skewer should be a
doddle! :-)

Quoted message said:

Why not just lock the wheels and saddle with extra locks and chains to your
Shed Shackle?

I must admit that although the bike and wheels are well secured to the
Shed Shackle I have not got round to securing the saddle, thanks for
the reminder.

Agzee

Pete Biggs said:

Also available here:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=160132670568

~PB

I missed that one! Did a search on eBay earlier in the week and only
came across the ones that I purchased which are "Constructed from
7075 aluminium with Cro-mo steel shaft", which hopefully should be
ok.

Agzee

Niall Wallace said:

Replace wooden panels with these
http://www.innfusion.com/blogimages/Brick.jpg
and don't leave any big hammers lying around.

Niall

Do I just duplicate Brick.jpg multiple times and and stick them on the
outside of the shed. :-)

How did you know that there we had lots of tools in the shed, at least
my brother-in-law did!

Lesson is now learnt and there is nothing in there that a potential
thief can use.

Agzee

Quoted message said:

Geoff Pearson said:

I use QRs from Edin Bike Coop that have 5 -sided allen bolts, not 6 - I have
to carry a special key.

Thanks for that will check their website.

Agzee

Agzee said:

Pete Biggs said:

Also available here:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=160132670568

~PB

I missed that one! Did a search on eBay earlier in the week and only
came across the ones that I purchased which are "Constructed from
7075 aluminium with Cro-mo steel shaft", which hopefully should be
ok.

Agzee

I had something similar looking and found they could be undone with mole
grips, and while they did the job the alloy seemed rather soft. Those
might be a different kettle of fish altogether though ...

Rob

icogs said:

I posted a message - with no response - last week looking for opinions
on Pinhead component locks: http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?PartnerID=1219&ModelID=20513

Look interesting to me but I would have liked some informed opinion.

Just a follow-up to my previous post. My nephew has just dropped off
the Cycling mags and the Pinhead review was in the June issue of
Mountain Biking UK.

The version they reviewed was for wheels, seat and fork and the cost
was £43.99. They do say in relation to the seat clamp:-

"But be aware that some seat clamps aren't compatible with the seat
lock".

In relation to the fork lock (a-head) they say:-

"The fork lock adds some extra protection in dodgy bike parks and the
top cap looks cool too".

The MBUK verdict ratings are:-

Performance - 8
Value - 8

If you check:-

http://www.pinheadcomponents.com/

There is some mention of them introducing a 'frame lock' sometime in
the future.

Cheers - Agzee

Rob said:

I had something similar looking and found they could be undone with mole
grips, and while they did the job the alloy seemed rather soft. Those
might be a different kettle of fish altogether though ...

Rob

Will have to see what they are like when I receive them, although I am
tempted by the ones on the Edinburgh Bicycle website which someone
kindly pointed out to me.

They are redesigned Trans-X security skewers which have the following
feature:-

"The skewer's integral '5-sided Allen bolt' is protected by a
'floating nut' which simply spins if the wheel thief attempts to
loosen the skewer off with mole grips".

Agzee

Agzee said:

icogs said:

I posted a message - with no response - last week looking for opinions
on Pinhead component locks: http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?PartnerID=1219&ModelID=20513

Quoted message said:

If you check:-

http://www.pinheadcomponents.com/

There is some mention of them introducing a 'frame lock' sometime in
the future.

According to the website they are going to produce a
U-lock, I don't know if this is the "frame lock".

I saw a German site a while back sold a set of locking
skewers for a similar price.

Martin.