Anti-theft-how to secure Allen key 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 said:

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

Quoted message said:

At my local train station bikes are regularly pilfered from, usually accessories. The thieves have
allen keys so most accessories are

vulnerable.

Quoted message said:

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

Quoted message said:

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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David Wood said:

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 said:

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 said:

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

bromptonbicycle.co.ukbromptonbicycle.co.ukOpen ↗

David Wood said:

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 said:

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 said:

Tony Raven said:

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 said:

Tim Cain said:

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 said:

Robin Commander said:

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

rswww.comrswww.comOpen ↗. 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

Pete Biggs said:

The only place I know

Quoted message said:

of that sells the anti-tamper torx bolts is Radio Spares. Anyone know of anywhere else?

P J Drew of Reading (pjdrew.co.ukpjdrew.co.ukOpen ↗ - [censored] 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" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

Just go to your local car parts shop or hardware/engineering store. Torx

are

Quoted message said:

pretty standard and they should be able to provide you with replacements

for

Quoted message said:

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
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Tony Raven said:

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.

Thanks.

Despite the name, I would worry about not being able to torque them up well or about the heads
rounding off, or heads not being strong enough. Is all this an issue at all?

I've seen small Torx screws and can understand they're better than plain slot or cross head screws
but what are Torx bolts really for? Apart from the security factor, I can't see how they can be as
good as allen bolts. Which Torx ones are used in cars and why?

~PB

Alan Braggins said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

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.

I've glued a bearing ball in a bolt head to test. I'll see how easy it is to remove tomorrow after
epoxy has fully hardened.

- - - - - - - -

Cheers Tone & Guy for your replies.

~PB

Tim Cain said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

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.......

Sounds like a good way to wreck bradawls and screwdrivers.

Honest Injun: If you generously epoxy a 5mm ball-bearing into a 5mm hex-head screw, it ain't
coming out unless you degrade the adhesive first

I didn't have a ball that fitted the socket so precisely but I got mine out without any heat - with
a file and fine bradawls then screwdriver (with no obvious damage to tools). Hard work though, I
have to admit. I expect a larger ball would indeed be more difficult. Good one.

~PB

Just zis Guy, you know? wrote: [Torx bolts]

Quoted message said:

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

The tamper-resistant ones require an even more specialist tool so you'd be very stuck if you
lost/forgot the tool - particularly if it's needed in middle of ride, and I'm not sure they'd be
suitable portable tools with the pin thing in the middle? 1/4" bits would be ok: are there any of
this type?

I like the idea of making components more secure but there seems to be quite a price to pay in
several ways. Maybe ok for a short-distance commuter bike, but I'm having second thoughts as to
whether they're worth using for more general cycling - where theft is still a worry whenever the
bike is left unattended.

~PB

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

Quoted message said:

Despite the name, I would worry about not being able to torque them up well or about the heads
rounding off, or heads not being strong enough. Is all this an issue at all?

I've seen small Torx screws and can understand they're better than plain slot or cross head screws
but what are Torx bolts really for? Apart from the security factor, I can't see how they can be as
good as allen bolts. Which Torx ones are used in cars and why?

The name is accurate - they are better than allen bolts. Think about the angle on the bits of metal
the tool is pushing on - on a torx this is much closer to perpendicular to the direction of force
than on an allen bolt. Here's some spiel for torxplus, which explains it better:

textronfasteningsystems.comdrive compare.htmOpen ↗

There are no disadvantages to torx over allen head, apart from possible cost and tool availability.

cheers, clive