AlwaysInACloud

I'm new here so please go easy on me, but I've been researching ways to secure a quill stem safely to a bike with a pretty fool proof way of stealing them.

The reason why I ask this is because I just bought a new cockpit for my fixed gear. It's a Nitto B123AA with Nitto Jaguar NJ Pro AA Quill 110mm stem. It's going to remain bare and with that reduces the security because it won't have any brake levers with cables running against it. I've seen a post posted 10 years ago that suggest putting a ball bearing in the hex head since no thief will want to go through the process of bringing acetone with them. Thing is, I work at a hardware store that has easy access to said solvents and 8mm hex heads that'll allow them the tools. Only thing they need is a clear window and quick work to take them.

Is there anything out there other than balling up the bolt. Would it be easier to just remove the whole cockpit myself and take it with me each day? I'm not opposed to it, but would like others thoughts.

FlMTNdude

I may be missing something here. I have lived in a couple of areas with higher crime. Why are you worried about someone stealing the cockpit? Saddles occasionally, definitely panniers or trunk bags. I use a U-lock through the frame and rear wheel onto the rack, I remove the front wheel and run an additional cable through the rear wheel and frame once again to the rack. Bolt it on and ride is what I would do, if they want stuff that badly then I would bring it inside with me.

Koyote

I suspect this is not what you want to hear, but you should run at least a front brake. That's just common sense.

Beyond that, I really doubt that someone will steal your handlebar and stem. If that is really an issue where you live, I don't know what to tell you...

Ironfish653

Is this a bike that’s going to live outside on a bike rack, or just for those times that it’s out of your sight?

The ball-bearing trick is pretty effective. I suppose you could use low-temp solder instead of super glue, but they’re more likely to just steal the whole bike, than break out the torch just to snag the handlebars.


Bike thieves are also more likely to snatch the whole bike, than try to disassemble it in place, with the above noted exceptions.
I did have a pair of pedals stolen (purple ano’ed Odessy SharkBites) from a bike I left in front of a residence hall overnight. They left the rest of the Cannondale F-1000, though FWIW.

Happy Feet

Unfortunatley, bike thieves will steal parts. Some look for that or strip and sell parts as they are easier to sell on CL without being identified.

It's not like they are just walking by and think, I'll steal those bars. Some have areas they work and if a bike is locked in the same spot each day, like a train station or stand, they start to look at it for what they can get.

No easy solution. Fugly it up. Try to make arrangements with employers for more secure locking sites, set it up rinko so you can take it on trains with you... Anything you do to make the bolt inaccessible will come back to bite you when you need to adjust it but the bearing trick is not bad for planned adjustments when you have the time. Otherwise, you could tack weld it

tkamd73 

Quill stems, I like them, and so do most CVers, but they are no longer used on bikes since about what, the turn of the century. In other words, not popular, not desirable, not stolen. Thief would be more inclined to take the whole bike, if they parted it out, they’d probably throw the stem away!
Tim

indyfabz

While I think this a total non-issue if the bike doesn’t live outside at night, people steal metal for scrap, not just for parts resale. Here in the big city I have seen bikes with totally destroyed wheels stripped of those wheels over time. Cables are also cut and removed, rendering them useless for resale as bike parts.

tkamd73 

Scrap metal must be worth more in your neck of the woods, or people more desperate. Only metal getting pinched here is copper. Scrap from a bike definitely not worth time and effort.
Tim

phughes

There are plenty of bikes still offered with quill stems. Lots of fixies use them, therefore many hipsters like them, therefore thieves... It just depends on the area. Me? I never worry too much about theft. Ball bearing in the head, if not the head on the quill stem bolt, the head of the thief, either one is effective.

indyfabz

Doesn’t take much effort to snatch wheels and such in the middle of the night. I see stripped bikes every day. Not odd to see someone pushing a shopping cart full of metal, including trashed bike wheels. And yes, lots of desperate people in the big city, often addicted. Hell. I work in the rail industry. There have been cases of people stealing track material from lines in more isolated areas. Fortunately, most scrap dealers now recognize the stuff and won’t buy it. Also, local laws in some areas require the seller to present valid ID which the dealer then photocopies.

tyrion

It takes time to dissolve the superglue. The name of the game is too discourage and slow the thief down.

Maybe you could put a lock around handlebars and inside front frame diamond. If I'm thinking straight, that would require the thief to remove handlebars in order to remove the stem - more time needed.

Happy Feet

A quick google search lists those two products costing $200 at benscycle (just the first shop that came up). 30 seconds to undo the quill bolt and a quick untraceable $75-$100 on CL.
Bike thieves can do the same googling I do.

bluehills3149

Although I also think the risk is minimal - the scrap value is pennies but I guess if you had super nice bars like these, perhaps. One trick I've seen in New York is to fill the allen key hole with automotive body filler. Dries rock hard and takes 5 mins to pick it out with a sharp spike before you can undo it (and which many thieves are not carrying anyway).

tkamd73 

I’ve to Ben’s cycles many time, I know what that stem is worth, and now so do you. Your telling me that there Is a specialized subset of bike thieves that know exactly what each component is worth, and will walk around with a set of Allen wrenches to take just those desirable components? Sorry, but most are not that sophisticated, they aren’t just looking for bikes and parts, and a large cable cutters and hacksaw will do to just take the whole bike. Now if things get so bad that you and I have to go out and steal, and flip things to make ends meet, I’ll buy into it. Sorry, but not a lot of demand for quill stems, not that easy to flip.
Tim

Happy Feet

believe what you want. I'm pretty sure people just steal stuff to steal it. Around here I don't leave any bike locked for more than a pop into a store or so. The problem is rampant. FWIW, need a quill stem or some FG bars?

https://vancouver.craigslist.org/van...088182953.html

https://vancouver.craigslist.org/van...090969288.html

https://vancouver.craigslist.org/van...065617953.html

https://vancouver.craigslist.org/rch...090617844.html

https://vancouver.craigslist.org/van...086208620.html

https://vancouver.craigslist.org/rds...092280233.html

To think bike thieves wouldn't have a hex set is pretty ostrich like though. They may be dishonest and some may have addiction issues, but as a skill set, stripping bikes is what they do.

tkamd73 

Sorry but yeah, we all believe what we want, mostly based on our environment and observations. No such thing as organized bike thieves here, just thieves, who want an easy heist, and a quick flip. Not happening with just a quill stem, they are taking the whole damn bike if they can, or moving on to something else. Personally I’m getting kind of bored with this, and becoming more thankful, that I live where I do, so you can have the last words. Better things to do then argue about the coveting of a quill stem.
Tim

Troul 

would a tack weld be feasible?

that they do, whether they have kleptomania or not. some people are just that horrible.

rosefarts

If you really are worried, and you really like the position of the stem, you have options.

First off, you work at a hardware store, you should have figured this out.

Place the stem where you want it and slather the threads with red lock-tite. That alone may be permanent.

Now take a drill and round out the hex, so it can only be removed via a reverse thread bolt saver.

This combined with the lock-tite will make it nearly impossible to remove on the street or in a shop. Express your love for this quill. Do something permanent for it.

AlwaysInACloud

Because without the cockpit, I would't have a complete bike and the bars and stem on the bike itself are retailed for more than the frame that it's currently on. It's a project bike I'm building up for my local Keirin races. I'm also an enthusiast for the purest parts hence why the headset is priced as is. My issue is with the access of tools and the location which isn't that great when our store is a hot spot for theft. Couple that with the Pacific Northwest and a huge cycling scene, I have more to worry than someone stealing them for a cheap flip when they could steal them for their own use if they know the value of them. This is why I'm worried about them stealing. I don't have through axles or any quick-release on this bike, so I've only locked it through the frame and rear wheel but I wasn't concerned about them hack sawing through my U-lock where I park my bike right in front of our store entrance, but a single twist of the 6mm hex on the stem and they're goes my handlebars.

AlwaysInACloud

This is a track bike project that doesn't allow brakes. Of course I have another bike I can use to commute to work and not worry about stealing, but if I want to grab a bite to eat at the local velodrome and not worry about another rider taking my handlebars, that'd be a weight off my chest.

AlwaysInACloud

This bike lives inside and will only be out of my sight for brief periods, at maximum 2 hours. The ball-bearing trick is what I'm mostly leaning on due to the amount of time needed to really fiddle with it and as you said, a thief will rather steal the whole bike rather than part it out. Especially where there is high pedestrian traffic like my work. I just need something to deter them from attempting.

AlwaysInACloud

That was another thought I had as well but the more I looked at it with the bar set up, I would probably need to practice in different locations how I'd lock it up. Thanks for the thought though!

AlwaysInACloud

Where do you live though? Do you live in Portland Oregon? By just googling "Cycling Cities" CNN did an article 2 years ago that lists my city one of the best for cycling. Right there with Copenhagen and Amsterdam, so there is a very very high market for cycling altogether, which includes parts. Sorry, but I don't think you quite understand the situation I'm currently in, but that could just be me not explaining it to the best of my power. I did say I was new to this and just wanted some opinions. Sorry, but I won't take yours into consideration given your lack of knowledge.

AlwaysInACloud

My main goal here is to prevent but at most deter the theft of this set-up if I step away from the bike for more than an hour but no more than two. It's a project bike that's being built for Keirin racing. There won't be any brakes on this set-up, it's a track bike that's fixed gear, my legs or the pavement are my brakes. I don't plan on commuting this bike often but if I take it to work and leave it outside I want to ensure it's something I won't have a lingering feeling crawling up my back when I step out of sight. Bikes are dear to me, they've been my main mode of transportation for years and building them is just as special as riding them. I'm not worried about someone stealing the bike because there is too much foot traffic(including coworkers who know my bike) in and out of my workplace for someone to sit there and hack-saw or drill out my lock but they can easily walk into my store, grab a 6mm allenwrench off the shelf and pocket it, walk out the doors and then undo a single bolt. No one would bat an eye because they'll think less of it, plus it's much much smaller and easier to run with handlebars than it is a full bike.

FlMTNdude

What I meant is nobody steals cockpits. Any bike just takes a few seconds to get bars off. If the crime is that bad, find another place to store your bike or take another form of transportation. Even a nice set of wheel skewers are worth $$.