Securing a bicycle seat
December 18, 2009 12:08 PM   Subscribe

Recommendations on securing a quick-release bicycle seatpost?

I'd really prefer for my seat-post to stay intact without adding too much weight to my bicycle. Any recommendations?
posted by pulled_levers to Travel & Transportation (16 answers total) 2 users marked this as a favorite
 
I'm not exactly sure what you're getting at here - if you mean so a casual thief won't come by and steal it off a locked bike, a cheap way to secure it is to run a bit of chain through the seat rails, and under the seat stays so that the thief would need a chain tool to steal it, or a pair of bolt cutters. This doesn't work for a really nice bike/seat though, as a thief would be prepared with tools.
posted by Calloused_Foot at 12:14 PM on December 18, 2009


I replaced my quick release with a bolt that uses a five-sided variant of a hex wrench (it came with replacements for the quick release wheel skewers as well, and a spare tool, since it is very hard to find the tool, which is kind of the point). I carry one of the tools on my keychain in case of flats etc. since nobody will have a spare.
posted by idiopath at 12:15 PM on December 18, 2009


Unless you are really sharing the bicycle with others regularly (or removing the QR is not an option for some other reason), I recommend removing the QR and replacing with a standard fastener once you figure out the right height.
posted by kenbennedy at 12:16 PM on December 18, 2009


I think you want this.
posted by mcstayinskool at 12:19 PM on December 18, 2009


There are seat locks that you can get, like this one or this skewer type that is actually a meant to replace quick-release wheel... but is kind of like what those above have suggested.

There is also this, which looks really, really cool. Dunno if it's available for purchase anywhere.
posted by urbanlenny at 12:24 PM on December 18, 2009


(the thing I link to in my last line that won the contest appears to have been intended to protect your bike without another lock. You probably know this, but don't do that).
posted by urbanlenny at 12:27 PM on December 18, 2009


There is also this, which looks really, really cool.

I suspect bike thieves will carry a pair of wire cutters that would easily chew through that.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 12:45 PM on December 18, 2009


I suspect bike thieves will carry a pair of wire cutters that would easily chew through that.>I suspect bike thieves will carry a pair of wire cutters that would easily chew through that.

Agreed, but as long as you park it near other bikes and with a good u-lock, they'll likely go for an easier bike first. Same goes for the allen (allan?) key seat securing.
posted by urbanlenny at 12:49 PM on December 18, 2009


Actually the bolt in my link is not an allen wrench - it is five sided, and cannot be undone with an allen tool, no matter the size. Also it has a freely rotating sleeve so it cannot be undone with vice grips either. Of course you could destroy the skewer altogether, but that is much more likely to draw attention.
posted by idiopath at 12:55 PM on December 18, 2009


As an FYI - if your seat is cool enough to really want to be stolen, an Allen wrench will remove the seat from the two bars that hold it to the seatpost - meaning if replacing a quick release with a skewer is not enough of a deterrent, then take the seat with you.

A seatlock cable is not enough of a challenge to make someone think twice, and I'm pretty sure a creative criminal can nullify anything requiring a key.

Real advice: drive the bike that no-one wants, use a beater bike - one that you can live with being stolen - for any and all city travel, and if all else fails paint your bike an embarrassing flesh color or if you can't stand a flesh color paint it like my little pony.
posted by Nanukthedog at 1:27 PM on December 18, 2009


The 25¢ solution is a pipe clamp over the quickrelease lever and a steel washer filed down to the right thickness on your keychain. Yeah, it isn't as secure as some of the specialized lockbolts up above, but this worked for me on both wheels and seat for many years in a fairly high-theft urban and uni landscape. It's all about risk management and making your bike not susceptible to a quick grab and run.
posted by bonehead at 1:31 PM on December 18, 2009


Here's one idea from Bike Hacks (with pics). This seatpost lock looks interesting, too, though I've never seen one in person.
posted by BlooPen at 1:34 PM on December 18, 2009


n'thing just replacing the quick-release with a normal seatpost collar.
posted by rhizome at 2:49 PM on December 18, 2009


The Bike Hacks idea is decent but the execution is poor. The cable of the lock doesn't appear to pass through the frame--only underneath the pannier-rack stays. These can be undone in a moment with an Allen key, so you lose the saddle _and_ the lock (which the thief can either hack-saw through in a few minutes, or give to his kids to find the combination in a few more).

DTQRA. Allen-key collar, 5-sided one if you're feeling paranoid, though these are going to be more useful against an opportunistic nabbing than against someone who's set out to steal a saddle. I suspect most saddle-thefts fall into the former category, however.
posted by lapsangsouchong at 7:48 PM on December 18, 2009


I use a relatively thin Kryptonite seat tether. I figure anyone with the tools to cut a lock is after more than just seats, and a cable tether is enough to deter anyone just trying to opportunistically nab a seat. (I also ride an old beat-up pink and purple* mid-90's Specialized so it isn't an attractive target to begin with, but I also use a seat tether on my much nicer trail bike, with the same basic reasons for doing so.)

*Factory color, too. Hey, it was cool when i bought it back in 1993!
posted by caution live frogs at 6:24 AM on December 19, 2009


The 25ยข solution is a pipe clamp over the quickrelease lever and a steel washer filed down to the right thickness on your keychain.

I'm having trouble visualizing this; could you describe this more?

I use a allen head bolt. It's actually plain steel and rusting; I need to replace it.
posted by RikiTikiTavi at 1:15 AM on December 21, 2009


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