*I was not paid, nor did I receive any discount or product to write this long winded review, having purchased thousands of dollars in cycling equipment I simply was taken aback by how well made the Pitlock is and decided because it has no reviews it needed some in depth explanation. Everyone who is an avid biker should own one.* I learned of the Pitlock skewers some months ago and finally purchased this set on Amazon. I have to say I am extremely impressed with the craftsmanship and detail of these skewers. I live in Oakland CA and often make trips to San Francisco (Both these cities have some of the highest bike theft rates of the country). When it comes to locking up my bike I used to carry two U locks (aka D locks) to lock the frame and both wheels. I have had wheels stolen even when using a cable to secure them. The extra weight of the locks was becoming cumbersome and the additional time needed to lock and unlock both locks was a chore. I now only have to lock the frame and my wheels and seat are safe. When you consider even the lowest cost wheels, tube and tires, or seatpost and seat you would be paying much more than the cost this set. One thing to consider is that the seatpost lock does not work with most external seatpost clamps. Pitlock makes one, in the two most common sizes, to work with most bikes on the market. I was able to order a seatpost clamp the same day and it should arrive soon. I will update my post when the clamp arrives. I looked at several other options from other companies, such as the Pinhead and Sunlite packages. While both sets cost much less they are not nearly as high quality. I have checked out several options on my friends bikes and all had some fault, such as bending, rust, the locking mechanism "backing out" leaving the wheel unsecured and unsafe for riding, or the fact that the keys for these "security skewers" are all the same. Pit lock uses over 200 different "keys" or "Pits" and therefore a bike thief could not simply buy a pitlock to have access to a key, unlike the Pinhead or Sunlite skewers. Additionally, the pitlock uses a custom locking washer and notched nut to keep the assembly from backing out leaving you in an unsafe riding condition. Notes: -Pitlock also makes other parts and sets and these can be ordered to fit the same key, allowing you to carry only one Pit and disassemble your bike anywhere. They even make a replacement for 5mm screws, to lock your derailleur, brakes and etc. However it does take it's own smaller key. -Make sure to oil all the parts before assembly because stainless steel is rather "sticky". -Atomic22 also makes a very nice locking skewer set, it costs twice as much and the key cannot be used with anything but a 14mm wrench. The Pitlock key can be used with an allen wrench (through a predrilled hole in the pit) allowing you to unlock your wheels without carrying a separate wrench. -This particular set comes in only silver, however there are other Pitlock sets on Amazon that also come in black. -They Pit, or key, is small enough to fit on my key ring, I also ordered a small Burktek Pocket Wrench (which also fits on my key ring) to operate the key while on the road. You can find that here:Burktek Pocket Wrench II -The lock washers will wear out eventually, but you can order more if you often need to lock and unlock your wheels. -Pitlock also makes matching covers to keep the Pit-nuts clean, I will be ordering some soon and will update this review when I do. -The skewers can be a little long for some bikes, I trimmed mine with a dremel tool. A hacksaw would also work. Even without trimming the skewers fit well and look great. -Came with two Pits aka keys. I'm not sure if these are backstock or older packages, but it's my understanding the newer packaged Pitlocks come with only one key. It's nice to have a spare in the event you lose the Pit. It comes with a reference number so you can always order a new matching key, but keys cost about $30 and $15 to ship from Germany. The design has not changed with the single key versions. -I use an Abus mini U lock, it's relatively inexpensive and better than the $120 Kryptonite locks I have looked at:Abus Mini Round Shackle U Lock, 5.5"/15mm, Black/Red
