Securing your pride and joy.

Penylope

Having nearly had my bike stolen in the early hours of Friday morning last week, i'm now paranoid about how secure it is.

The thieving scum broke the locks off the door into my shed, but the bike was also locked to a ground anchor (otherwise they would have just ridden off into the night :evil: )
As it was i heard a noise and got up to see what it was, disturbing them before they could take anything.

After a shit weekend without much sleep, i've re-secured the shed, put an alarm in (and a few 'suprises') but does anybody have any ingenious ideas of how to keep the old girl secure?

Oh, it has to be in the shed, we have no room in the house at all.

nicklouse

yep.

do whatever your insurance says you need to do.

they will be back and they will take the bike.

unixnerd

Have a security light installed on upper part of the house pointing down at the garage.

Penylope

Hmm, yep, got a security light. the only problem with that is all it actualy did is conveniently come on and iluminate the shed so they could see what they were doing

Unfortunately, i agree with Nick, i think they will be back for the bike (and better prepared, they know it's there and how to get it). AFAIK i have met all the criteria for the insurance but thats not the point, i dont want them to take it in the first place.

I'm going to remove the wheels and store them somewhere else, at least then they can't just ride it down the road.....

beechtree

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/12G-Alarm-Mine-Burgular-Alarm-Trip-Wire-/220455129944

Purely for use as intended as an alarm. Though not sure of the full legalities, especially with regard to siting inside a shed.

BigShot

I say this with a heavy heart and no small amount of restraint to hold back from the massive rant that could follow, but...

...you might want to reconsider putting surprises in the shed.

If some thieving scumbag (lowest form of life on the planet, way below tapeworm and other such parasites) comes onto your property, breaks into the shed, tries to steal your bike (breaking several laws in the process, going equipped, burglary, criminal damage and probably more besides) and gets hurt on one of your surprises - you'll find yourself in the seriously unenviable position of being sued, successfully, by the toe rag who wanted to steal your ride.

Personally I don't think claymores, attack dogs, electrocution or good ol'-fashioned guns and bullets are too much for a thief - but the criminal-loving "justice" system disagrees.

Don't get yourself sued by a scumbag.

Note down serial numbers, take lots of photographs, get your proofs of purchase together and make sure everything you need to do under the terms of your insurance is done and leave it at that. Datatag would be a smart move too. Get one fitted ASAP.

I seriously hope nicklouse is mistaken - but I don't think he is.
Chances are they will be back and this time will be equipped to have your bike away.

Did you notify the police? Not that I expect they'd do much, but it would be better than not... especially if it might help a future insurance claim or increase patrols in the area temporarily.

nicklouse

just another thought a mini web cam?

Chronicbint

A more secure bike store? Not cheap though.

http://www.trimetals.co.uk/bicycle-storage.php?m=4&g=9

Tartanyak

A bike bag and bring it into the house for a few weeks?

Buckled_Rims

Sorry to hear about the attempted theft. But as has been said, now the thieves know what's in, where to go etc, they'll have another try again - a high percentage re-burgle as the owner claims insurance and gets new equipment!

There are a numerous ways to protect fairly cheaply. Assuming they broke into the shed's door.

1. fit a strong metal girdle around the whole of the shed and line the shed door with sheet metal. A local metal firm will easily make that up. Use coach bolts. The neighbour up the street has done that with a 3 inch wide steel. Line the rest of the inside with chicken wire so they can't take strips of wood off to enter.

2. The same said neighbour has also painted his shed in various parts with anti-vandal type paint. Not sure what he used but he says it doesn't wash off for weeks

HTH.

Penylope

BigShot wrote:

I say this with a heavy heart and no small amount of restraint to hold back from the massive rant that could follow, but...

...you might want to reconsider putting surprises in the shed.

If some thieving scumbag (lowest form of life on the planet, way below tapeworm and other such parasites) comes onto your property, breaks into the shed, tries to steal your bike (breaking several laws in the process, going equipped, burglary, criminal damage and probably more besides) and gets hurt on one of your surprises - you'll find yourself in the seriously unenviable position of being sued, successfully, by the toe rag who wanted to steal your ride.

Personally I don't think claymores, attack dogs, electrocution or good ol'-fashioned guns and bullets are too much for a thief - but the criminal-loving "justice" system disagrees.

Don't get yourself sued by a scumbag.

Note down serial numbers, take lots of photographs, get your proofs of purchase together and make sure everything you need to do under the terms of your insurance is done and leave it at that. Datatag would be a smart move too. Get one fitted ASAP.

I seriously hope nicklouse is mistaken - but I don't think he is.
Chances are they will be back and this time will be equipped to have your bike away.

Did you notify the police? Not that I expect they'd do much, but it would be better than not... especially if it might help a future insurance claim or increase patrols in the area temporarily.

I totaly agree, there are no ileagal boobytraps in there (although i was tempted to electrify the metal fixings) because;
1. I dont want to be sued by a scumbag.
B. I would forget they are there one day and end up injuring myself :oops:

Although there may be a metal bar just inside the back door, for 'self defense' reasons y'honour.

Yep, the boys in brown were called (they arived very quickly, and had a good search around the locale, but didn't come back with anything). Then SOCO turned up and dusted for prints (and took away a crowbar that they left behind).

The 'suprises' that i have installed are more to do with how the bike is locked up, rather than snake pits or poisoned darts (how tempting would that be!).

bails87

Penylope wrote:

ileagal boobytraps

spongtastic

Go the metal door, chicken wire and steel surround route with internal alarm as far away from the door as you can get it.

I've had 2 bikes taken from the same shed, 1 recovered and bell end responsible serving 18 months, and now have this lot as well
1x ground anchor, with two pragmasis chains secured by 2x huge Abloy Stainless steel locks securing the bike
2x cable locks also running through the ground anchor, secured by 2x squire ss65cs locks
1x Wall anchor with one ss65cs/squire chain securing.

The shed door is coach bolted steel, clad with timber and secured by another 2x ss65cs with shrouded hasps.

Since fitting this lot, there's been an attempt at entry, at approximately 3 am on a sunday morning last November. The noise from the electric drill breaking 4 ti coated bits and the angle grinder trying to get through the shrouded hasp woke up half the neighbourhood. Nobody's been anywhere near it since.

bails87

How about replacing your bike with a peice of cr@p from the dump? Bring your bike inside and go mental with the security on the decoy bike. Maybe the theives will nick that, then realise it's rubbish and not bother coming back for it when insurance replaces it. Like they'd be tempted to if it was a good bike.

Depends how much they know about bikes I guess, and if they got a good look at it on the first attempt.

tsenior

i had someone in my back garden during the cold snap last winter: footprints in the snow gave the transgressor away so you could see which wall they came at the back of my house , between there and my valubales are all hard surfaces: steep concrete steps, retiaining walls and sloping slabs.

fearing they were on a recce and would return and following a few festive ales I did a bit of 'home alone' burglar proofing which involved repeatedly pouring water over everything (was about -5 degrees) to form layers of ice over all the surfaces. I tried to cross it and could only do so with great care so reckoned some chav jumping a wall and landing on it would probably go aris over teet onto a hard unforgiving, angular surface.

whether it worked or not i'll never know but i was giggling like a naughty child when i went to bed that night

Penylope

Nick, yep, looked at mini webcam's, and also IR 'wildlife' cams, takes a still pic when triggered.

am looking a lining the shed with thick marine ply, then some metal plates over and around the hinges and locks to stop anybody getting an leverage with a crowbar. The Police recomended trying to install things that would slow them down to the point where they think 'ah, fuck it, its taking too long'.

spongtastic

Penylope wrote:

Nick, yep, looked at mini webcam's, and also IR 'wildlife' cams, takes a still pic when triggered.

am looking a lining the shed with thick marine ply, then some metal plates over and around the hinges and locks to stop anybody getting an leverage with a crowbar. The Police recomended trying to install things that would slow them down to the point where they think 'ah, fark it, its taking too long'.

best way, lots of locks and various chains. To get mine out wouldn't happen with bolt cutters and looking at 20 minutes plus with a grinder once you're in.

If you need any locks pm me, I can get the squires for £45, should be £80+

Greig M

Stick a rake right at the door so when they step in it pops up and smacks them on the face

or get a dog

butcher of bakersfield

Paint a security guard on the door. That'll keep them away.

Northwind

Honestly I'd say don't be too paranoid, everyone says "the thieves will be back" but that doesn't neccesarily follow. If it's well secured- by which I mean a real chain, no rubbish, no cables,- or possibly a good d-lock or 2- and they've had a chance to look at it there's a decent chance they'll be off nicking something just as expensive that's secured with a bath-plug chain.

Bottom line is you don't need to be theftproof, you just need to not be the easiest target. And so many people make themselves easy target. With a good quality chain they'll either need hydraulics or a noisy attack, ie angle grinder or similiar. Hydraulics are hard to come by and noisy attacks are relatively rare in residential areas for obvious reasons. It's not a case of making it impossible to steal, just make it an undesirable target.

NB don't assume that an expensive lock is good quality

Penylope

Ha, we have a dog,
<<<<<<<


unfortunately he was asleep when i ran downstairs and out the back door :roll:

Useless mutt.......

beany123

buy a rottweiler for the shed