Securing runaround bike from component theft

[bohrsatom]

Looking for ways to secure my newly purchased city runaround (a Decathlon dutch-style bike). The bike was reasonably cheap and I wouldn't be too distraught if it went missing, but the longer I keep it the more it pays for itself, so I want to defend it as much as possible the crooks of London town.

I see there being two attack vectors: Somebody stealing the whole bike and somebody stealing my (cheap) components, probably not for resale but just for vandalism's sake. There are plenty of crappy bikes locked up near work with missing bars, saddles and so on. I have locks to secure the frame, so I'm looking for ways to reduce the chance of component theft as anybody could remove everything in 5 minutes with a cheap multitool..

Ideas so far:
Pitlock Pitstoppers - inserts that go into a bolt head that can only be removed with a special screw. Look great but they are also expensive: around £6/each and I'd need at least half a dozen. https://www.pitlock.de/en/shop/new-pit- ... opper.html
Supergluing ball bearings into the bolt heads - very cheap but a pain to remove in future
Doing the same as above but with Sugru - maybe less painful to remove using a craft knife
Switching standard hex bolts to security hex or torx bolts in the hope that the attacker doesn't have the right tools

Anything I've missed?

[irc]

Put a quick release saddle clamp on then take it with you. Prevents saddle theft. Means someone looking for a bike to steal and ride away will go elsewhere.

Depends how high risk it is. Really high risk then apart from two locks things like a bad spray paint job on the frame makes it less attractive. A shame to do to a nice bike though.

[bohrsatom]

The bike isn't especially attractive, this was intentional on my part so thieves would hopefully move on to find something that can be sold on more easily.

It's not just the saddle that worries me - my main concern is the bike being piranha'd and people nicking the components (bars, stem, rack). Most components are cheap so I don't know why anyone would bother, but it would be a hassle to replace anything that was taken

[gaz]

Recent thread, similar answers.

[Gattonero]

Who's gonna steal a dutch-style bar? A brooks saddle is surely more attractive.

I think that is best to not leave the bike alone for too long, finding a different spot on random basis +leaving the bike well on sight and not in a dfark corner, is always a good idea.

What I've seen stolen in London, is road handlebars and shifters, the likes of Shimano 105 or similar. Different story.
Another good thing of Dutch bikes is that are not attractive at all for the hooded yobs, maybe -in their ignorance- they could look at the bike to pull a joke

[mercalia]

if hex key screws then ball bearings in the pit with super glue. cheap soln. no other cheap soln. whats hard for you will also be hard for a thief - live with it. I cant think when I have had to undo a componant only the brake pads and wheels

[robgul]

if hex key screws then ball bearings in the pit with super glue. cheap soln. no other cheap soln. whats hard for you will also be hard for a thief - live with it. I cant think when I have had to undo a componant only the brake pads and wheels

. . . super-glue and ball bearings will be too permanent - better option is filing the Allen bolt head flush with a hot glue gun - at least you can melt if out with a heat gun.

Rob

[CREPELLO]

if hex key screws then ball bearings in the pit with super glue. cheap soln. no other cheap soln. whats hard for you will also be hard for a thief - live with it. I cant think when I have had to undo a componant only the brake pads and wheels

Fear not, acetone will be your friend - as a release compound. And the thief's too! Although I'm not sure whether a scumbag will really be carrying a bottle of acetone around with them - unless they can get high on it. In which case they might have used it all before they find your bike:D

[mercalia]

if hex key screws then ball bearings in the pit with super glue. cheap soln. no other cheap soln. whats hard for you will also be hard for a thief - live with it. I cant think when I have had to undo a componant only the brake pads and wheels

Fear not, acetone will be your friend - as a release compound. And the thief's too! Although I'm not sure whether a scumbag will really be carrying a bottle of acetone around with them - unless they can get high on it. In which case they might have used it all before they find your bike:D

yes but takes time and really need to put bike on its side so the acetone can sink in? to do that to all the valuable bits will take some time. I found getting a ball from a hex head not that easy without the glue - with just a little bit of acetone degraded glue even harder

[RickH]

What you need is the bike equivalent of this (Youtube clip)!

[PH]

Supergluing ball bearings into the bolt heads - very cheap but a pain to remove in future
Doing the same as above but with Sugru - maybe less painful to remove using a craft knife

Alternative to this, which I used to do and ought to go back to, is to get some wooden beads and tap them in, trim them flush and go over the top with a marker pen. You'll know they can be easily cleaned out with a bradawl, but it isn't obvious.
Where this fails, as do all the other ideas, is that the damage done by someone trying to force these things off can result in as big or bigger a loss as having them removed.

[mercalia]

Supergluing ball bearings into the bolt heads - very cheap but a pain to remove in future
Doing the same as above but with Sugru - maybe less painful to remove using a craft knife

Alternative to this, which I used to do and ought to go back to, is to get some wooden beads and tap them in, trim them flush and go over the top with a marker pen. You'll know they can be easily cleaned out with a bradawl, but it isn't obvious.
Where this fails, as do all the other ideas, is that the damage done by someone trying to force these things off can result in as big or bigger a loss as having them removed.

or the thief not able to steal your bike or bits may just wreck it if possible so that if "he cant have it neither can you" - happened to me in a Sainburys, some one couldnt steal my bike so rammed a trolly into the frame and destroyed it.

[bohrsatom]

Thanks for all the suggestions - I think a combination of glue-and-ball-bearings and some pitstoppers may be in order. Pitstoppers on the stuff which is occasionally adjusted (saddle and stem) and glue a bb everywhere else.

Agree that if somebody wants your bike then they will either get it or destroy it trying. Tbh the bike I really don't want stolen is my tourer, which is one of the reasons I bought the shopping bike. You don't see many people riding them in London so I hope a potentially low resale value will keep the thieves away.

[fastpedaller]

Sadly all the sentiments above would appear to be true. Over the years I've come to the conclusion that with car alarms the only person they inconvenience is the thief - any miscreant can bypass them or just put a brick through the window! If the alarm has a problem either the rightful owner can't get in his car, or the alarm flattens the battery so he can't use it - very inconvenient to the owner and of no consequence to the thief.

I wonder how effective a "tracker fitted" sticker on a bike would be? As an example, until a thief sets off a car alarm, he doesn't maybe know one is fitted, but if there is a "vehicle alarmed" sticker in the window it may lead him somewhere else - so in that instance the sticker is more effective than the alarm (with no sticker), and no broken window.

[willcee]

Wire it up to the mains!! 240v.. a retired army chap had some issues with local a/holes messing with his machines, including inside his well sorted bike shed..so he wired the bike up, set a trap, waited on the offenders in the dead of night, and when he reckoned in the dark the crim had a hold of his pride and joy flicked the switch for a couple of secs, howls and much noise as he had placed trip items all over the show.. all his yard lights went on, ex commando this old guy, chased the dudes out and warned that it would be healthlier to stay away.. police were informed and the sarge, also ex army.. laughed his head off when he heard the story..a locked door or bike only keeps an honest man honest.. will