Repeated Seat Theft - Advice?



vesterholt

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Jun 27, 2014
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I just had my saddle/seatpost stolen for the second time in 4 months. I'm a little baffled because my bike is a 10 year old commuter bike and neither saddle was worth a lot of money (this one was $30 including seatpost and clamp, the previous one was stock) and I didn't have a quick release on either. One was stolen from in front of a hospital on a busy street in broad daylight and one was stolen a block from a police station near where I live.

First, just out of curiosity, what happens to all these stolen seats? I don't see many on Craigslist and Ebay would seem too obvious as it would be easy to spot your missing seat. It's also not like I have an expensive road bike with a $200+ saddle on it. Just trying to figure out what kind of person goes to the trouble to unbolt a $30 seat in when they could just pry $500 side view mirrors off of cars? Where is this market for stolen seats that seat theft is so common?

Secondly, what can I do to reduce the chances my seat gets stolen again? Would getting a really ugly saddle in like yellow or magenta deter thieves or encourage them? Would it be unwise to have the seatpost tack welded to the frame (I can have this done for free)? Are there affordable anti theft seat clamps and do they work?

Note - I live in NYC, so unfortunately the obvious solution of parking my bike inside on a daily basis isn't really a practical option.
 
I venture in to NYC all the time for work. It's ironic that in a place so full of things to see, so many people choose to see nothing. Boston is not much different but NYC definitely takes the cake. I get how someone can just walk up to a bike, and take the whole seat off. It's simple to just pass it off as someone returning to their bike having forgotten to remove it. Same for wheels or anything else that isn't locked down.

As campy said - throw on a QR lever and take it with you along with your wheels.
 
Remove-and-Take the QR collar, too, otherwise your thief will probably take it along with the saddle & seatpost!
 
As it's already been mentioned by others, take your seat with you. I think that oftentimes it's not even so much about stealing a bike seat for its quality, but it's rather an act of annoyance where the thief delights in your suffering. It might seem a great joke to him to see you pushing your bike back home instead of riding it. It happened to me often in the past. Also, there are people around who enjoy letting the air out of tyres, or they even slash them. When I lived in Australia, I experienced a lot of animosity between car drivers and bike riders.
 
I can't really see myself using a QR and pulling the stem out every time I ride, especially since I wear relatively formal clothes to work and don't want to deal with a greasy seatpost, so I'm thinking of going with the magenta seat unless people think that this will draw more attention to the bike (plus a magenta seat is hilarious).

For me the cost really isn't that big of a deal because I'm not planning on spending a lot and I can buy it on Amex and I will have purchase protection if it gets stolen within 3 months. As Dora said, it's more the annoyance. The first time I had to ride back home 5 miles standing up including over a 200 foot tall bridge.
 
Annoyance???

Repeated felony theft is an "annoyance"?

"The first time I had to ride back home 5 miles standing up including over a 200 foot tall bridge."

I guess the New Yorker's definition of annoyance and an Ohioan's differ vastly.
 
Use a short length of bicycle chain, inserted into a slightly shorter length of inner tube. Loop the chain between seat tube and one or both seat stays, and over one or both saddle rails. adjust size of loop to be slightly shorter than the seat post, then join the chain back up.
Now, the saddle can't be stolen w/o breaking either the saddle, or the chain.
And stealing the seat post would either require unbolting the saddle, or breaking the chain.
 
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I bought some skewer locks that work for the wheels and the seat post as well. You can't unscrew them except with the specially shapped allen key style wrench which matches the pattern on the bolt.

But- I don't leave my bike unattended for long stretches (like commuting to work, or at a train station). I am just browsing through stores or getting food when I leave it (less than 2 hours). So I can't say for sure it would work in your situation.

Adjustments were a ***** though when you had them in. They were $30 bucks or so. the brand was Pinhead if I recall.
 
vesterholt said:
Just trying to figure out what kind of person goes to the trouble to unbolt a $30 seat in when they could just pry $500 side view mirrors off of cars?

Drunk guys going back home from the pub for the kicks of it...

Or people collecting parts to build a 0-cost commuter.

Or Bike-Seat fetishists. :D

Try bolts on everything, especially the wheels. Heck, dont even use bolts, try some of those "security skewers - bolts" that require a special key to loosen.

If you go for quick release take everything with you when you leave the bike.

...and even though I hate to say this, if you cant take the whole bike with you where you go (I oftenly go into super markets and shops with my bike without even asking and "playing it cool" :p. Sometimes I get away with it. ;) ) get a folding bike and carry it like a cart behind you?

I had the problem once getting a bike in the train and having the driver stopping the train and announcing from the speakers "Hey you with the bike, get outta here :D ) so on the next train I went in with a bike frame attached to the battons straps on my backpack holding the wheels... No problems. ;) )
 
CAMPYBOB said:
"Note - I live in NYC"

I think I found your problem.

The possible solution...a QR lever...take the seat and post with you:
http://www.niagaracycle.com/categories/sunlite-bicycle-alloy-seat-quick-release-6-x-55mm-black?gclid=CPnYrP3-4cQCFQwcaQod1iIAUg
I like this idea ^

It seems like someone just likes nabbing some seats from unsuspecting cyclists. Perhaps they're getting thrown away soon after they're pilfered. Either way, you might want to consider just watching your bike and tackling the first person that comes along and touches it. That might be a little too confrontational, but I'd be beyond annoyed if that happened to me twice in a short span.
 
Slap on a QR, and then take your seat with you. It might suck that you have to take your seat around every time you lock up your bike, but since it's been the second time that you've gotten it stolen I'd say you want to use your new seat for as long as possible. Granted, you'll look like a bit of an idiot walking around with a greased up bike seat on the side of your bag, but at least you know where it is. That's my two cents.

Also, if they're snagging your wheels, QR those too and take them with you.
 
I was going to suggest having a seat that looks a bit past its prime, maybe kind of ratty, but the over-all thread makes me think that the thief or thieves are not trying to steal your seat as much as irritate you. If they were trying to steal seats, they would probably look for expensive ones. Of course, they may be part of a ring and collecting parts, but I suspect that they are after you, not your bike seat. Who wants to hurt you?
 
I was going to suggest having a seat that looks a bit past its prime, maybe kind of ratty, but the over-all thread makes me think that the thief or thieves are not trying to steal your seat as much as irritate you. If they were trying to steal seats, they would probably look for expensive ones. Of course, they may be part of a ring and collecting parts, but I suspect that they are after you, not your bike seat. Who wants to hurt you?
 
I have to agree with thomas pendrake. It sounds like it may be personnel. Just once could be explained as an annoying theif. But repeatedly sounds really personal.
 
I would actually use specialized nuts and bolts for your seat. Either allen wrench nuts and bolts, or torque wrench. That should deter most thiefs. If you still get your seat stolen I would just take it in to the shop and have them weld that thing on there.
 
Have you looked into buying a GPS tracking device? Decent battery powered ones can be found for less than $40. Hide it under the seat somehow(out of sight!) and catch the *******.
 
1.
joshposh said:
I would actually use specialized nuts and bolts for your seat. Either allen wrench nuts and bolts, or torque wrench. That should deter most thiefs. If you still get your seat stolen I would just take it in to the shop and have them weld that thing on there.
2.
BrickTamland said:
Have you looked into buying a GPS tracking device? Decent battery powered ones can be found for less than $40. Hide it under the seat somehow(out of sight!) and catch the *******.
3.
kana_marie said:
I have to agree with thomas pendrake. It sounds like it may be personnel. Just once could be explained as an annoying theif. But repeatedly sounds really personal.
1. Torque wrench bolts? Are these the ones made from Unicorn Centaurs? :D

2. Or not catch him coz the battery only lasts for a couple hours, or go there and get further mugged... :D

3. Paranoid much? :D


"Hand over the bike seat and I -might- not cut your derailleur adjusting screws" :D

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V82hFRJcrj0
 
swampy1970 said:
You could always get a seatpost binder bolt that uses a torx key rather than a hex Allen - you can get them with the security tab in the middle to require the thief to purchase a torx bit with the hole in the middle.

http://www.bicyclebolts.com/products/m8-torx-security-seatpost-bolt
Yes, these were the ones I was referring to earlier. I spelled it wrong I guess. But my buddy's dad had a set and through the years we only used it once. So most thieves won't have this on hand.
 

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