Securing Quick Release Seats - A Tip Both Retro & Green

This unfortunate photo  - taken in downtown NYC - is the sole property of this guy.

I don't understand quick-release skewers. An adjustable wrench is a pretty easy tool to operate, and yet bicycles marketed as commuter bikes are sold with quick-release everything. Front wheel, rear wheel, seat post - everything held in place by these little levers that say "take me, opportunistic bicycle thief, I'm free".

If you park your bike on the street often, and don't remove your seat regularly, here's a trick to take the seat and seat post out of the 'theft of opportunity' equation. This is also good for bikes with hex nut or allen nut secured seats, as it provides an extra layer of protection.

For this you'll need;

1x old bicycle chain
1x old/dead inner tube
12x cable ties
1x roll of black electrical tape
1x pair of scissors
1x chain breaker tool

Ask a fellow cyclist if you don't have any of these.

1. Take the chain and, if it's not already broken open, use the chain breaker tool to push one of the pins out 90% of the way so that you can disconnect the links without completely dislodging the pin. I can give you a demo if you're interested, or you can see a quick 'how to' here.


2. Pass the chain through the rails of the seat (underneath), then under and around the seat stays (the tubes that come up from the rear wheel to meet under the seat) and back to the rails. You should have a loop of chain that (once reconnected) will secure the seat to the frame.


3. Pull the chain tight so that there is little slack. Try to be gentle - bare chain can scratch your frame up pretty bad (we'll get to that later). You are going to shorten the chain using the chain breaker, so make a note of where the chain should be broken to remove the slack. Bear in mind that a chain consists of inner and outer links - you need to place one link inside the other for this to work. It's best to shorten the 'inner' end that doesn't have the pin hanging out.
   


4. Break the chain at the point you have selected using the chain breaker in the same way you did for step one. If you've chosen the correct link the 'new' end should fit inside the end with the pin attached.
   


5. Check that the ends do in fact reach. If they don't you'll have to add 2 links back on. A little bit of slack is ok. 
   


6. Take the chain out from around the seat and frame (gently to avoid scratching) and lay it down next to your inner tube. Cut a section of inner tube to the same length.
   


7. Run the chain through the inner tube and (making sure the chain is just inside either end) use the cable ties to tighten the inner tube around the chain. This is to prevent the chain scratching your bike, and also to prevent the chain from rusting.
   


8. Run the chain back through the seat and frame as before, then use the chain breaker to drive the pin back through the links until it is 1/2mm above flush with the side of the chain (it should be the same on both sides). Flex the link back and forth, side to side to make sure it's back in properly.
   


9. Use the electrical tape to tape the ends of the inner tube closed (this keeps water out).
   

There you have it. Your seat is secure, you've learnt how to use a chain breaker, and you've re-used parts that might otherwise have gone to landfill.