i need bolts on my bike

MarkY91

hi, im looking to get rid of the things on my wheels keeping them in place. you just pull them and they unscrew. i need bolts like you see on other bikes. sorry, i dont know the names of what im trying to explain

how much will these cost me? and what are they called? so i can google them

Zyzz

Skewers?

Darkglasses

I'll start with the terminology - What you have at the moment are Quick Release (QR) skewers - in other words you can remove the wheel without needing any tools?

And you want to change to bolt-on, so that you do need a spanner or wrench to take off the wheel?

It's not too expensive, but you'll probably need a few different new bits, depending on what the wheel is like at the moment. You'll obviously needs bolts, washers, and probably new skewers/axles as well.

Is it so that the wheels are harder to steal?

easygoing39

Youre looking for axles and axle nuts!

Type 17

To save you having to get the axles changed (labour costs at your LBS), just buy security skewers, which replace your existing ones with one that needs a special key to remove the wheels.
Note that some security skewers work using a regular Allen key, and this is less secure than the ones that use a pentagonal key.

Here's a pic of a typical set, including a short one for your seat post, if required. In the shot, the key is fitted to the left-most skewer, but will normally be kept in a safe place away from the bike (in your tool kit, or on your keyring).

WillyFXP

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/pitlock-2pc-security-wheel-skewers-front-rear-wheel/
Job done

Brian?

Screw off lever end of skewer. Screw on appropriately sized nuts.

I'm guess they're a 5 or 6mm nut. Take a skewer to a hardware shop and you should be able to get them handy enough. Simples

MarkY91

yes its to make wheels harder to steal. im afraid to use my bike anywhere where i need to lock it outdoors because of the quick release

my questions have been answered by all you guys. thanks alot for the info. ill be sure to get some skewers to stop them bike thiefs

thanks alot guys!!

cdaly_

You should be locking it through the wheels in any case. A good U-lock through frame and rear wheel and a second (cable will do) locking front wheel to frame.

MarkY91

cdaly_ wrote: »

You should be locking it through the wheels in any case. A good U-lock through frame and rear wheel and a second (cable will do) locking front wheel to frame.

thats the kind of lock ill be getting

tomasrojo

I think that some of the skewers that require a special tool to unscrew are vulnerable to being unscrewed by Vise-Grips on the other side (at the acorn nut), unless they are designed to be hard to grab.

The pitlocks, linked to above, have such a hard-to-grab design (the left-hand side of this seat post skewer):

compared to this:


Any concerns about using pitlocks on wheels that are of no great value? I have installed a pitlock skewer on the front wheel because I quite like the idea of leaving the extender cable at home. I'm assuming that they're enough to put thieves off for all but the more expensive wheels. Has anyone had a wheel stolen using pitlocks?

tomasrojo

As an aside, I was quite pleased to find that my rather antiquated multi-tool might been designed to accommodate pitlocks:

Type 17

…or you could do what I did with my "street bike" - two 17mm cone locknuts with a larger-diameter washer in between them. Yes, thieves might might bring a spanner, but they are likely to only have a 15mm spanner, rather than a 17mm one.

tomasrojo

Type 17, on first inspection, that seems ingenious. (And on second. Haven't done a third yet.)

tomasrojo

Vise-grips probably would get the cone locknut off. Still ingenious though!

Type 17

Well it's all about making things too much trouble for them - four nuts instead of two, and a different size means there will most likely be easy pickings somewhere else nearby.

Also, having no paint on the steel frame means it 'disappears' into the streetscape a bit more:



Bike security is like a herd of zebra (bikes) with the lions (bike thieves) chasing them. You don't have to be at the front of the herd, you'll be fine once you're not the slow zebra at the back...

tomasrojo

Oh yeah, I'm sure it's effective enough. And cheap. Good lateral thinking!

joxerjohn

You could try something like these

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/ie/en/halo-xl-hex-key-skewer-set/rp-prod26622

These require the use of an allen key to remove the wheels, makes it a little more secure and might just put off the opportunist robber.

MB Lacey

Going OT but I think the OP has their answer..

Those coiled springs at either end of the skewers, are they essential?
I lost one whilst the wheel was off and had to put the wheel back on without it - should I be buying a new spring or is the wheel going to be fine?

WillyFXP

MB Lacey wrote: »

Going OT but I think the OP has their answer..

Those coiled springs at either end of the skewers, are they essential?
I lost one whilst the wheel was off and had to put the wheel back on without it - should I be buying a new spring or is the wheel going to be fine?

It'll be fine, the springs are only to keep the skewer ends out of the way when fitting the wheel, they serve no functional purpose once the skewer is tightened.