Weird Antitheft Measure?

[macncheese]

Using my new found time to breakdown some bikes for parts and came across this... magnetic BBs dropped in the SHCS.... i guess i need to pop these out with a tiny screwdriver or something!? Ive heard about this but its the first time Ive encountered this IRL!

 

[MattiThundrrr]

That might slow em down for a minute, but if they can chop through a u lock, not sure needing a paperclip would stop em...
The rust on the bars is probably as good a theft deterrent, nobody wants a ratty bike

 

[macncheese]

Took me some time (2 minutes?) to get these out. I think if I had a saddle I wanted to protect on a beater bike, i'd pop one of these in the seatclamp or seatpost clamp.

You used to be able to buy these magnetic BBs online, as toys, but they were taken off the market because they are essentially the worlds slowest bullet if your kid eats them. May be able to source them from the typical offshore players.

 

[SpikeFC]

That might slow em down for a minute, but if they can chop through a u lock, not sure needing a paperclip would stop em...
The rust on the bars is probably as good a theft deterrent, nobody wants a ratty bike

In Poland it doesn't work A few years ago someone stole my beater USSR-made girls bike. It was rusty, heavy & uncomfortable, yet someone cut the lock and stole it

You used to be able to buy these magnetic BBs online, as toys, but they were taken off the market because they are essentially the worlds slowest bullet if your kid eats them. May be able to source them from the typical offshore players.

You can still buy them on Aliexpress. Also a better way to prevent a seat theft is to chain it to your frame using an old bicycle chain.

 

[Verrt]

Sometimes you see it with a spot of hot glue on top of the BB as well. Easy enough to dig out if you need to change your bars or seat. But hard if pressed for time... like when stealing a bicycle.

 

[Karate Chicken Industries]

Pitlock bolts work in a similar fashion. I have superglued a bearing into a seatpost bolt to protect a Brooks saddle before.

It's a rare occasion for me to leave a bike unattended, or out of sight for very long at all. My local grocery store is cool with me walking a bike through the store except the tallbike, which still gets parked inside if I like. Whenever I'm going to be more than a few steps away from my bike and there are sketchy people around, I either ditch my plan if it's too sketchy, or mad-dog the sketchers and let them know I see them. I ditched a plan for a stop yesterday and mad-dogged the tweakers who were camped in front of the intended stop anyway. There seems to be a sudden proliferation of sketchy people looking at bicycles way too hard around here.

 

[RustyGold]

You used to be able to buy these magnetic BBs online, as toys, but they were taken off the market because they are essentially the worlds slowest bullet if your kid eats them. May be able to source them from the typical offshore players.

Those little magnetic balls are back on the market after a two-year ban

 

[Idahojohn]

Why not use security Torx screws. They have a pin in the center, yes you'll have to buy
the driver, but once you have it your set...

 

[Verrt]

Why not use security Torx screws. They have a pin in the center, yes you'll have to buy
the driver, but once you have it your set...

I guess even if you don't have a magnetic one, if you're working on old bikes, you probably have an old ball bearing gone egg-shaped out of something and a maybe even a hot glue gun.

Little extra security for no money down.

Same deal with the old drive chain round looped round the seat and frame trick