hex bolt skewer conversion

On 27 Feb 2006 10:45:32 -0800, "landotter" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

I've been musing about simple security tricks, and was thinking about
those hex skewers that you can replace your QR ones with.

It would be smart if you could get them "keyed", or in different
patterns of fastener, then you get an adapter that goes on your hex
key. This is no different than what VW and other car makers do with
wheel lug nuts.

Another option would be to go to a more obscure fastener like torx to
slow down the thieves.

Any other ideas for lockable wheels, short of using a cable or a u-lock?

A CDale Lefty front fork?

Weld an eye on the skewer's lever and padlock it to the fork leg?

Use a solid axle instead of a skewer?

Have a sag wagon full of Doberman Pinschers follow you everywhere you
go to provide security?

Lots of ideas exists; not all of them are equally useful to everyone.
--
Typoes are a feature, not a bug.
Some gardening required to reply via email.
Words processed in a facility that contains nuts.

I thought about epoxy, and if you have to replace the tube, drill it
out. :P

Or solid axle and grind the nut round once installed. Easy enough to
get back off with a proper tool, but not too tempting for a crescent
wrenched thief.

landotter said:

I've been musing about simple security tricks, and was thinking
about those hex skewers that you can replace your QR ones with.

Quoted message said:

It would be smart if you could get them "keyed", or in different
patterns of fastener, then you get an adapter that goes on your
hex key.

You're describing Pitlock keyed fasteners:

http://www.pitlock.de/en/index.php

There are also cheaper skewers that use a pentagonal key.

James Thomson

James Thomson said:

landotter said:

I've been musing about simple security tricks, and was thinking
about those hex skewers that you can replace your QR ones with.

Quoted message said:

It would be smart if you could get them "keyed", or in different
patterns of fastener, then you get an adapter that goes on your
hex key.

You're describing Pitlock keyed fasteners:

http://www.pitlock.de/en/index.php

There are also cheaper skewers that use a pentagonal key.

James Thomson

Hah! That's exactly what I was envisioning. A royal PITA if you lose
your key, but you can always drill it out if that happens.

Looks to be hard to get stateside though.

In article <[email hidden]>,

landotter said:

I've been musing about simple security tricks, and was thinking about
those hex skewers that you can replace your QR ones with.

You mean these?

http://www.koolstop.com/Accessories/index.html#Anchor-No-42424

Quoted message said:

Another option would be to go to a more obscure fastener like torx to
slow down the thieves.

These are already somewhat obscure - there is a stud in the
centre of the hex recess that prevents a plain hex key from going in.
Hex security bits are available, but availability is about the same as
torx security bits. Plain Torx bits are common enough that they'd
probably be less secure than this.

-Luns

Luns Tee said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

landotter said:

I've been musing about simple security tricks, and was thinking about
those hex skewers that you can replace your QR ones with.

You mean these?

http://www.koolstop.com/Accessories/index.html#Anchor-No-42424

ohhh, nice! better than what I was thinking of--those just replace the
QR lever, so you can still use the QR feature with that special key.
And if you lose the key, you should be able to drill up a standard
allen wrench?

landotter said:

James Thomson said:

landotter said:

I've been musing about simple security tricks, and was thinking
about those hex skewers that you can replace your QR ones with.

Quoted message said:

It would be smart if you could get them "keyed", or in different
patterns of fastener, then you get an adapter that goes on your
hex key.

You're describing Pitlock keyed fasteners:

http://www.pitlock.de/en/index.php

There are also cheaper skewers that use a pentagonal key.

James Thomson

Hah! That's exactly what I was envisioning. A royal PITA if you lose
your key, but you can always drill it out if that happens.

Looks to be hard to get stateside though.

You can get locking skewers for $50 at REI.

http://www.rei.com/online/store/ProductDisplay?storeId=8000&catalogId=40000008000&productId=47984316&parent_category_rn=4500825&vcat=REI_SEARCH

http://tinyurl.com/fd82q

I'll probably pick up a set fairly soon.

--
Dane Buson - [email hidden]
"Well, when you're looking for a [censored]-poor broken reimplementation of a Un*x
tool that misses the point, you can usually rely on Redmond to come up with the
goods." - AJR in asr

Dane Buson said:

landotter said:

James Thomson said:

"landotter" <[email hidden]> wrote:

> I've been musing about simple security tricks, and was thinking
> about those hex skewers that you can replace your QR ones with.

> It would be smart if you could get them "keyed", or in different
> patterns of fastener, then you get an adapter that goes on your
> hex key.

You're describing Pitlock keyed fasteners:

http://www.pitlock.de/en/index.php

There are also cheaper skewers that use a pentagonal key.

James Thomson

Hah! That's exactly what I was envisioning. A royal PITA if you lose
your key, but you can always drill it out if that happens.

Looks to be hard to get stateside though.

You can get locking skewers for $50 at REI.

http://www.rei.com/online/store/ProductDisplay?storeId=8000&catalogId=40000008000&productId=47984316&parent_category_rn=4500825&vcat=REI_SEARCH

http://tinyurl.com/fd82q

I'll probably pick up a set fairly soon.

You can get the same set for $35 on Ebay, $40 with shipping, though REI
is convenient.

Nice stuff.

landotter said:

Dane Buson said:

You can get locking skewers for $50 at REI.

http://tinyurl.com/fd82q

I'll probably pick up a set fairly soon.

You can get the same set for $35 on Ebay, $40 with shipping, though REI
is convenient.

I live in Seattle, so I generally order online and have it delivered
to the flagship downtown store. This avoids shipping and gives me an
excuse to stop at the store and browse.

Quoted message said:

Nice stuff.

Perversely I'm planning on getting the locks for my *not*
so nice bike. The nice bike gets brought inside or double
locked if it's outside for any length of time.

--
Dane Buson - [email hidden]
Creativity is no substitute for knowing what you are doing.

James Thomson said:

landotter said:

I've been musing about simple security tricks, and was thinking
about those hex skewers that you can replace your QR ones with.

Quoted message said:

It would be smart if you could get them "keyed", or in different
patterns of fastener, then you get an adapter that goes on your
hex key.

You're describing Pitlock keyed fasteners:

http://www.pitlock.de/en/index.php

There are also cheaper skewers that use a pentagonal key.

I don't know if Gonzo skewers are still around, but they used to be
popular.

Kryptonite sells security skewers too.

Hex key skewers are available, as lightweight parts. You can also thread
the insides of your axles for track bolts, which can be either standard or
allen head.

Wheels are pretty easy to lock, but then next great target, saddle and
seatpost, are not. In meaner cities I often see cyclists in stores, etc.,
carrying theirs. So if there's any place to put a security bolt, it's the
seatpost collar.

Matt O.

Matt O'Toole said:

Wheels are pretty easy to lock, but then next great target, saddle and
seatpost, are not. In meaner cities I often see cyclists in stores, etc.,
carrying theirs. So if there's any place to put a security bolt, it's the
seatpost collar.

If you look at the security bolt set I posted elsewhere in the thread, it
includes front wheel, rear wheel, *and* seatpost bolts.

--
Dane Buson - [email hidden]
The programmers of old were mysterious and profound. We cannot fathom
their thoughts, so all we do is describe their appearance.
Aware, like a fox crossing the water. Alert, like a general on the
battlefield. Kind, like a hostess greeting her guests. Simple, like uncarved
blocks of wood. Opaque, like black pools in darkened caves.
Who can tell the secrets of their hearts and minds?
The answer exists only in the Tao.
-- Geoffrey James, "The Tao of Programming"

Matt O'Toole said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I've been musing about simple security tricks, and was thinking
about those hex skewers that you can replace your QR ones with.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

It would be smart if you could get them "keyed", or in different
patterns of fastener, then you get an adapter that goes on your
hex key.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

You're describing Pitlock keyed fasteners:

http://www.pitlock.de/en/index.php

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

There are also cheaper skewers that use a pentagonal key.

Quoted message said:

I don't know if Gonzo skewers are still around, but they used to be
popular.

Quoted message said:

Kryptonite sells security skewers too.

Quoted message said:

Hex key skewers are available, as lightweight parts. You can also
thread the insides of your axles for track bolts, which can be
either standard or allen head.

Quoted message said:

Wheels are pretty easy to lock, but then next great target, saddle
and seatpost, are not. In meaner cities I often see cyclists in
stores, etc., carrying theirs. So if there's any place to put a
security bolt, it's the seatpost collar.

You cannot lock a good bicycle to be left standing regularly at some
location. It is like trying to lock a diamond necklace to a bicycle
stand. You'll have to put it inside an armored box strong enough to
make entry uninteresting.

To make up for that, this reminds me of nicer times. I took the SP
commute train from Palo Alto to school at College Park (San Jose) and
left my balloon tired, A-1 condition, bicycle unlocked in a bicycle
rack during four years of high school. More recently that same rack
(gone now) had rusting orphaned front wheels with U-locks on them and
no all day bicycles, locked or unlocked. The train station is nowhere
near a low rent district but bicycles are not safe just the same.
Today we need bicycle lockers.

Times have changed.

Jobst Brandt

landotter said:

James Thomson said:

landotter said:

I've been musing about simple security tricks, and was thinking
about those hex skewers that you can replace your QR ones with.

Quoted message said:

It would be smart if you could get them "keyed", or in different
patterns of fastener, then you get an adapter that goes on your
hex key.

You're describing Pitlock keyed fasteners:

http://www.pitlock.de/en/index.php

There are also cheaper skewers that use a pentagonal key.

James Thomson

Hah! That's exactly what I was envisioning. A royal PITA if you lose
your key, but you can always drill it out if that happens.

Looks to be hard to get stateside though.

There's no US distributor or representation at all. If I'm wrong, and
there's some shop somewhere bothering to import these, someone please,
please tell me. Someone really needs to distro Pitlock in the US.

landotter said:

I've been musing about simple security tricks, and was thinking about
those hex skewers that you can replace your QR ones with.
It would be smart if you could get them "keyed", or in different
patterns of fastener, then you get an adapter that goes on your hex
key. This is no different than what VW and other car makers do with
wheel lug nuts.
Another option would be to go to a more obscure fastener like torx to
slow down the thieves.
Any other ideas for lockable wheels, short of using a cable or a u-lock?

Hah! I once bought my SO a used car and didn't notice until
a year later (with a flat tire of course) the special
'security' lugnuts. Special wrench not in car of course. . .

For bicycles, the various not-quite-allen systems spin off
nicely with a visegrip when we need to remove a wheel.
Quick and easy. Why wouldn't a thief do the same?

If you let your bike go outside alone (chilling thought!),
what's to keep a miscreant from unbolting other equipment?
--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

A Muzi said:

If you let your bike go outside alone (chilling thought!),
what's to keep a miscreant from unbolting other equipment?

Very true, but it's all about the path of least resistance. If a
burglar wants your flat screen TV that much, he can get it, no problem,
despite you paying XX per month for monitoring. He'll most likely avoid
the hassle and go to the next house unless the booty is too tempting.

So if you lock up a plain Deore or Tiagra bike with these sorts of
measures in an area with other bikes that don't have the same level of
protection--what's the chance that you'll get hit? Pretty low I think.

I've had highish end city bikes, and for a city ride I consider that to
be over $800 in parts, but never had parts stolen ever, short of a
computer and a tail light.Never even had a lock visibly forced. But I
tend to park next to more expensive bikes, in lighted areas, and keep
my own ride plain looking. Even high end cantis and shoes, look just
like [censored] cantis and shoes when dirty at 30m if you catch my drift.

In article <[email hidden]>,

landotter said:

I've been musing about simple security tricks, and was thinking about
those hex skewers that you can replace your QR ones with.

It would be smart if you could get them "keyed", or in different
patterns of fastener, then you get an adapter that goes on your hex
key. This is no different than what VW and other car makers do with
wheel lug nuts.

Another option would be to go to a more obscure fastener like torx to
slow down the thieves.

I used to own such a device. 'Anti-Scam Cam' or some such replaced the
QR lever with a Torx bolt.

Quoted message said:

Any other ideas for lockable wheels, short of using a cable or a u-lock?

Eschewing a nutted axle, a 50 cent hose clamp around the QR lever and
fork/chainstay will serve to deter opportunism.

Luke

In article <[email hidden]>,

Quoted message said:

To make up for that, this reminds me of nicer times. I took the SP
commute train from Palo Alto to school at College Park (San Jose) and
left my balloon tired, A-1 condition, bicycle unlocked in a bicycle
rack during four years of high school. More recently that same rack
(gone now) had rusting orphaned front wheels with U-locks on them and
no all day bicycles, locked or unlocked. The train station is nowhere
near a low rent district but bicycles are not safe just the same.
Today we need bicycle lockers.

Times have changed.

Jobst Brandt

My downstairs neighbors (in a triplex, good neighbourhood) recently had
their (2)bikes stolen from the front porch. The bikes, of X-Mart
caliber, were chained to the porch railing; a pair of bolt cutters took
care of that.

But another bike, an unlocked Trek in the backyard, was not taken, even
though a 10 second unencumbered walk round back could've liberated it.
Can't steal it if you don't know it's there.

Luke

Luke said:

Eschewing a nutted axle, a 50 cent hose clamp around the QR lever and
fork/chainstay will serve to deter opportunism.

yup, a lot of guys used to do that when I messengered--it's like what I
responded to A. Muzi--he's right in saying that nothing's invincible,
but thieves tend to hate things that require time to defeat.

I often just lean my SS against the ice machine in front of the local
kwikie mart when popping in for a six pack or a popsicle, I keep it in
sight, except for a few seconds when I walk back to the beer section of
the store. So as I park, I quickly undo the brake leverQR, front wheel
QR, and caliper QR's, takes a second. If somebody tries to lift the
bike out of it's spot--the front wheel falls out, and if they manage to
get it back in and ride off, with lever and caliper QRs disabled, they
have no brakes and no chance.

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

Quoted message said:

Luke said:

Eschewing a nutted axle, a 50 cent hose clamp around the QR lever and
fork/chainstay will serve to deter opportunism.

I often just lean my SS against the ice machine in front of the local
kwikie mart when popping in for a six pack or a popsicle, I keep it in
sight, except for a few seconds when I walk back to the beer section of
the store. So as I park, I quickly undo the brake leverQR, front wheel
QR, and caliper QR's, takes a second. If somebody tries to lift the
bike out of it's spot--the front wheel falls out, and if they manage to
get it back in and ride off, with lever and caliper QRs disabled, they
have no brakes and no chance.

Fine until they steal the saddle and you pick the bike up to give chase...