Would like advice on preventing QR wheel theft

[Ekul Namsob]

David Lowther <[email protected]> wrote:

> I live in a low crime rural area so don't have any experience of thief
> proofing bikes, other than a token cable lock I use on my own bike.
>
> My son is taking a cheap 2nd hand bike to uni and is concerned that the
> wheels will get stolen if they have QR skewers.
>
> I was thinking of replacing the normal skewers with Tranz X Secure Lock Anti
> Theft skewers which are £12.99 from SJS.
>
> Does anyone have any advice on whether the above is going to help (can't be
> too hard for a thief to carry an allen key) ?
>
> More generally any advice on whether wheel theft from a £40 2nd hand
> mountain bike is likely to be a problem, and if so what's the best way to
> prevent theft.

Between 1991 and 1995 I had three bikes stolen from around Manchester
University. The first, I carelessly left outside my flat for five
minutes while I looked inside my suitcase for the lock. (I had, at this
point, lived in Manchester for six minutes.)

The second was locked to a chainlink fence. That was when I learned
always to lock the bike to something stronger than the lock itself.

The third was locked to a Sheffield stand overnight.

I would recommend always securing both wheels to a stand or the bike's
frame with a cable or sturdy lock. The frame, obviously, needs to be
secured but most importantly: insure the bike for its replacement value.
I never had any problems claiming on insurance.

Mancunian criminals nicked the handlebars from my brother's bike, the
pedals from my fourth bike and the saddle from my mate's bike. If it's
not nailed down or bolted, anything left out for long enough will
vanish.

Cheers,
Luke


--
Red Rose Ramblings, the diary of an Essex boy in
exile in Lancashire <http://www.shrimper.org.uk>

 

[Geoff Pearson]

"David Lowther" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>I live in a low crime rural area so don't have any experience of thief
>proofing bikes, other than a token cable lock I use on my own bike.
>
> My son is taking a cheap 2nd hand bike to uni and is concerned that the
> wheels will get stolen if they have QR skewers.
>
> I was thinking of replacing the normal skewers with Tranz X Secure Lock
> Anti Theft skewers which are £12.99 from SJS.
>
> Does anyone have any advice on whether the above is going to help (can't
> be too hard for a thief to carry an allen key) ?
>
> More generally any advice on whether wheel theft from a £40 2nd hand
> mountain bike is likely to be a problem, and if so what's the best way to
> prevent theft.
>
> TIA
>
> Dave.
>
>
>

I have QRs with a five-sided allen type key, not 6. I can't remember the
make but I changed the whole set from standard QRs when my saddle was stolen
under my office's CCTV in broad daylight.