pin head components- can thieves get them off?
my bike was stolen this week and it had the pin head components. http://www.pinheadcomponents.com/
My question- do you think the thieves can get the wheels and seat off???
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Kevin C Dormant on
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A quick search of "pinhead" "locking skewers" or "pitlocks" in the upper right hand corner of this page reveals numerous discussions about the value of locking skewers. The digest version is that some believe they make their bikes a less attractive target, some believe they are a deterrent to casual component theft, and some believe they make no difference. There is also a story of a recovery facilitated by Iron Horse Cycles when someone in possession of a stolen bike brought the bike in to have a flat repaired, and didn't know how to get their "own" wheel off.
With respect to the ability to defeat them, depends which model you have, whether the thief is trying to defeat them on the street, or in the comfort and privacy of their own home. With the right tool and enough time, everything mechanical can be defeated.
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Permalink Reply by Far'arned Retrogrumpalunkus #63 on
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Yup.
http://www.amazon.com/Drive-Gator-Grip-Socket/dp/B001JHBCM8/ref=sr_...
The other brands can be taken off with a cheap potato peeler from goodwill or VDO.
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Permalink Reply by Doug Haynes on
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If properly equipped with a very inexpensive tool Pin Head skewers hardly even slow down a thief
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So I was wondering if you could maybe do us all a favor and not help spread specific info on how to defeat anti-theft measures here...
James BlackHeron said:Yup.
http://www.amazon.com/Drive-Gator-Grip-Socket/dp/B001JHBCM8/ref=sr_...
The other brands can be taken off with a cheap potato peeler from goodwill or VDO.
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Thieves know this.
Not spreading this information does the biking public no good and gives them a false sense of security that these worthless devices actually are going to slow down a thief.
It's like Kryptonite getting all bent out of shape when people were spreading around the knowledge of how to pick their older-style round-key locks. They KNEW about the issue for years and NEVER would have done anything about it had it not become widespread. Hell, a couple years after the "recall" (if you can call it that) they won't even stand behind the locks of people who didn't know their locks were junk. I have one in my closet that my wife didn't know was garbage and Krypto won't replace it. They consider the recall "expired."
Censorship is NOT the answer.
KNOWLEDGE is the answer.
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This lock came on one of the bikes I purchased this morning:
It's a total piece of crap and it took me all of 30 seconds to get the combination. I didn't even have to bother getting a pair of side-cutter pliers to cut it off the bike.
Knowledge of how to do this is already on the internet -as is the knowledge I posted about above about how to defeat the "locking" skewers. I won't bother going into how easy it is but the point is that this lock is junk. It won't even slow down a thief. In fact it is so easy to pick that a passerby would just assume that the person picking the lock owned the bike and was merely unlocking it to go ride.
Don't buy this lock and think it will protect your bike for more than 30 seconds. Don't buy a Pitlock or Pin Head and think it will protect your components any more than a hex-head seatpost binder will. It's almost as easy getting your wheel off for a thief as it is for you to take the QR off.
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Actually not everyone knows that tool will defeat a Pin Head skewer, lots of people yes but no all. However, thanks to you any aspiring bike parts thief who browses this forum, and I am sure there are some, now knows exactly the tool required thanks to you.
It is just as easy to say what I said and express that they are easily defeated without showing exact details. Here at the shop, and the shop I worked at before, we would not remove that style of lock in front of customers to prevent spreading the information more.
James BlackHeron said:Thieves know this.
Not spreading this information does the biking public no good and gives them a false sense of security that these worthless devices actually are going to slow down a thief.
It's like Kryptonite getting all bent out of shape when people were spreading around the knowledge of how to pick their older-style round-key locks. They KNEW about the issue for years and NEVER would have done anything about it had it not become widespread. Hell, a couple years after the "recall" (if you can call it that) they won't even stand behind the locks of people who didn't know their locks were junk. I have one in my closet that my wife didn't know was garbage and Krypto won't replace it. They consider the recall "expired."
Censorship is NOT the answer.
KNOWLEDGE is the answer.
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Nothing.
Molly said:then what can I do to make sure it doesn't get stolen?
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Permalink Reply by Molly on
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what is the percent of bike that are found and returned after a theft? I cannot imagine is greater than 1%. just wondering what I can do to deter the theft again.
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Permalink Reply by Lanterne Rouge on
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Do you not have room in your home to keep the bike, Molly? In all of my apartments, I have always brought my bicycle inside with me. When it's nasty or wet outside, I would just throw down some newspaper. Honestly, in a big city like this, it's only a matter of time before your bike or parts get stolen piecemeal or whole if you leave your bike outside.
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