The Chainlink

The night of thievery.

So my girlfriend had her handlebars stolen Wednesday night. It was locked up with two U-locks on Lake and Morgan, outside the green line stop. Right down the street from where she works. The same night a co-worker had her bike stolen outside of Whole Foods in Lincoln Park. She said she had locked her bike up with a U-lock, the thieves left the U-lock locked to the bike rack. I don't know what kind of U-lock it was.

My girlfriend and her bike. 

If you see someone with green bars and a green stem, and their bike isn't the same color green.... Throw a U-lock at them. Also, is there any way to lock your bars or special screws like the ones they have for seat post and wheels? 

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Permalink Reply by Kevin C Dormant on August 9, 2013 at 11:21am

I'm sorry about your girlfriend's parts theft. Seems a bit pricey to me, but here's a link to a site that sells locking skewers and headsets.

I suspect your co-worker used the kind of U-Lock that wasn't actually threaded through any part of her frame or wheel.

Permalink Reply by Michael A on August 9, 2013 at 11:38am

there is a company http://atomic22.com/ it is very pricey, it will make most thieves move on to an easier target

Permalink Reply by daWillinChi on August 9, 2013 at 12:02pm

Do what I also have done: Cover the bolt of the handle-bar with hardened melted candle wax.

It just takes a little more time for them to liquify the candle wax or scrub it out with a knive.

Permalink Reply by Rich S on August 9, 2013 at 12:10pm

Very cool! I'd like to be able to secure the wheels on my fixed gear without always carrying an extra lock or cable. These look to be better protection than a cable anyway. 

It looks like it would mean using their hub so when I finally get new wheels these might be the hubs I use. 

Michael A said:

there is a company http://atomic22.com/ it is very pricey, it will make most thieves move on to an easier target

Permalink Reply by Michael A on August 9, 2013 at 12:18pm

They only make locking parts, you can use any type of hub. You just pick what type of lock your hub needs. They make locking skewers to replace quick releases and a locking nut to replace the nut and washer holding your single speed wheels on. But once again these are just a deterrent, with the right tools a thief can take anything. And then there is the cost, locking up the wheels,saddle, bar and stem,seat post, top cap, brakes, and your cranks adds up quickly costing more then a lot of the bikes people commute on.

Permalink Reply by Jaik S. on August 9, 2013 at 12:25pm

I looked at this set when I purchased my new bike...ended up just getting hex skewers rather than the whole set.  

Permalink Reply by Rich S on August 9, 2013 at 12:26pm

Ah ok. I'm at work so I didn't take the time to look carefully. Yes I agree it's just a deterrent but it would help against opportunistic thieves that have simple tools. 

Will's solution is more cost-effective and would buy some time that hopefully a thief would not want to spend. 

Michael A said:

They only make locking parts, you can use any type of hub. You just pick what type of lock your hub needs. They make locking skewers to replace quick releases and a locking nut to replace the nut and washer holding your single speed wheels on. But once again these are just a deterrent, with the right tools a thief can take anything. And then there is the cost, locking up the wheels,saddle, bar and stem,seat post, top cap, brakes, and your cranks adds up quickly costing more then a lot of the bikes people commute on.

Permalink Reply by John S. on August 9, 2013 at 12:35pm

There's another company that makes similar locking skewers, etc.  Pitlock.  I've seen them at Peter White Cycles website.

Permalink Reply by H2 on August 9, 2013 at 3:16pm

I noticed a handlebar and seat stolen off a bike locked with a U-lock at Blackhawk and Ashland last Sunday - not sure when it was taken but likely sometime over the weekend.

I didn't even think of doing something to safequard my handlebars from being stolen before!

Permalink Reply by Michael A on August 9, 2013 at 3:24pm

Handlebars can vary from $25 to well over $300, then you have brake levers and shifters that are on those bars..Usually the stem is taken as well because you only have to loosen the bolts as opposed to removing the stem cap...once a thief goes this far the fork with your locking skewered front wheel just pulls off. This can add up to a lot of money very quickly. 1 minute of work with a common allen key.

Permalink Reply by BruceBikes on August 9, 2013 at 3:43pm

I'm sorry to hear about this loss.  If I had to guess, this is not some crackhead stealing handlebars; this is some bike hooligan who knew what he was looking at, coveted it, and knew how to steal it, which makes it all the more despicable.  Totally bad karma for this douchebag.  I hope you find the bars.

Permalink Reply by h' Zerocats on August 9, 2013 at 4:22pm

I don't have access to much info on parts thefts besides what people post here, but that immediate area has been an ongoing hotspot for bikes stolen from gangways and foyers.


H2 said:

I noticed a handlebar and seat stolen off a bike locked with a U-lock at Blackhawk and Ashland last Sunday - not sure when it was taken but likely sometime over the weekend.

I didn't even think of doing something to safequard my handlebars from being stolen before!

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