garage security - any tips?

turbo_hamster

My local grapevine has passed on a warning about some very organised and determined bike thieves in this area.

This is prompting me to review the security of my own bikes.

Has anyone tried installing an intruder alarm in their shed or garage? Does it work for you?

Any other sensible tips very welcome.

My own tip, to start the ball rolling, is to be as discrete as possible about what you have in the garage. For instance, clean the bike out of sight of the road, if you can. Don't have the garage doors open any longer than absolutely necessary, so passers-by, people delivering stuff etc don't get the chance to see that there is something worth having in your garage.

(If your garage is full of the usual cr*p though, these suggestions should be ignored. With luck, you might get your garage cleared for free.)

Ands

I hate having to let the gas/water/elec meter reader guys into the garage. Apart from the fact that they get a good look at what's in there, they barge through and bump into everything! I am scrupulous about checking ID.

BigJimmyB

If you have >1 bike, lock them together. Replace all screws into hinges or for padlocks etc with glued bolts / rivets. Ensure padlock (folodover) hasps are positioned so that screws holding them in are covered by the haps themselves (I've seen this done the wrong way, meaning the padlokc can be unscrewed in abt 15 seconds).

Agree 100% on visibility, as soon as an unfamiliar car comes down the road if I have the door up, down it comes.

I have rear access from the back garden to the garage so tend to bring the bikes out back for cleaning.

There are also some cheap 'contact' alarms (i.e. they go off if contact is broken).

Theives like peace and quiet to do their work and they like to do it quickly. The more noise you can create and the bigger delays, the better.

LangerDan

I gave up faffing around with the cheapo "stand-alone" shed alarms which did nothing apart from annoy the neighbours and got it hooked into my house alarm system instead.

Harry182

I just bought an alarmed padlock for the bike shed as an extra measure of protection.

Also, the 4 bikes and 1 frame are all locked together and to a ground anchor using 8 different locks and lock+chains/cables.

I'm still nervous though and regularly check that everything is still there.

arthur_scrimshaw

Ands wrote:

I hate having to let the gas/water/elec meter reader guys into the garage. Apart from the fact that they get a good look at what's in there, they barge through and bump into everything! I am scrupulous about checking ID.

Unfortunately having a valid id doesn't always protect you. A few years back I was running a business with a friend out in the sticks, the building was hard to find and we'd never had any 'problems'. We had a BT engineer out to sort out a line fault and one of our staff showed him a hidden (from the outside) fire escape door around the back to give him a short cut to where the telephone line entered the building.
Two weeks later we had a break in, guess which door they used to get in?

dodgy

If you have an up and over door, get a long pole and wedge it between the top of the door and the ground.

schlepcycling

Harry182 wrote:

I just bought an alarmed padlock for the bike shed as an extra measure of protection.

Also, the 4 bikes and 1 frame are all locked together and to a ground anchor using 8 different locks and lock+chains/cables.

I'm still nervous though and regularly check that everything is still there.

+1 for the ground anchor and chains/locks (make sure the locks are all closed shackle)

Ands

Arthur Scrimshaw wrote:

Unfortunately having a valid id doesn't always protect you. A few years back I was running a business with a friend out in the sticks, the building was hard to find and we'd never had any 'problems'. We had a BT engineer out to sort out a line fault and one of our staff showed him a hidden (from the outside) fire escape door around the back to give him a short cut to where the telephone line entered the building.
Two weeks later we had a break in, guess which door they used to get in?

That does sound very suspicious - and I guess there wasn't anything you could do about it.

I have to admit that when I see the meter reader coming along the street, I tend not to answer the door and just wait for them to post a card so I can phone up with the reading. I have also told them in the past that my husband has gone out with the garage keys and that I can't give them access to the meter!

WisePranker

schlepcycling wrote:

Harry182 wrote:

I just bought an alarmed padlock for the bike shed as an extra measure of protection.

Also, the 4 bikes and 1 frame are all locked together and to a ground anchor using 8 different locks and lock+chains/cables.

I'm still nervous though and regularly check that everything is still there.

+1 for the ground anchor and chains/locks (make sure the locks are all closed shackle)

If you're fitting ground anchors or bolting locks onto doors you can use allen headed bolts and once tightened, hammer a ball bearing into the allen key hole so the bolt can't be removed again.
The ball bearings also tend to be pretty difficult to drill through for thieves

ride_whenever

WTF?

Why arent' all these bikes in the house, upstairs locked to something built into the wall?




I've half a mind to report you all to the RSPCB

Mike67

I park my car hard up against the garage door so you can't open it....they can have the car if they leave my bikes alone

Berk Bonebonce

Don't assume that the first thing scumbags are after is your bike in the garage. Instead, they are quite possibly after your key to your garage.

Always keep keys in your main living area, like your living room. Do not leave your bunch of keys near your front door because they can fish them through the letterbox. And likewise, when you go to bed at night, lock your front door but do not leave the keys sitting in the lock because they can be fished through the letterbox by scumbag with thin arms.

Harry182

ride_whenever wrote:

WTF?

Why arent' all these bikes in the house, upstairs locked to something built into the wall?




I've half a mind to report you all to the RSPCB

Because my wife's 1 vote still trumps my bikes' 5 votes. (Also, as we live in a small one-bedroom house with a baby due imminently, I guess I can kind of see her point.)

ride_whenever

Harry182 wrote:

ride_whenever wrote:

WTF?

Why arent' all these bikes in the house, upstairs locked to something built into the wall?




I've half a mind to report you all to the RSPCB

Because my wife's 1 vote still trumps my bikes' 5 votes. (Also, as we live in a small one-bedroom house with a baby due imminently, I guess I can kind of see her point.)

Presumably you have a bathroom/shower?

That's a total waste of time, knock it all out and pop them in there :twisted:

MeddlE

Get an auto-dialler alarm for your shed, it can be set to ring your mobile on being tripped.

+1 for replacing all screws with rivets, learnt the hard way on that one this year.

Use chemical bolts with your ground anchor, once they are in they are never coming out.

Lock your wheels to your frame or you'll only have a frame. :x

Don't keep spare tyres and other spares in the shed/garage, keep them in the loft. They wont be locked and are basically a gift to the thief.

d87heaven

If you have chained stuff up then make sure the chain doesn't sit on the floor. Its easier to hold the chain still whilst attacking it with big bolt croppers, freezing kit and hammer, angle grinders etc. A concrete floor make s a wonderful anvil.
Up and over doors are ridiculously easy to get into. The bottom corners can be prised open like a tin can with a bit of force. Thenonce inside the door is so easy to pop open. Bolt some angle iron to the door so it can't be prised back so easily and have another lock on it so it can't be openend from the inside.
The more layers of security you have and the more awkward it looks then the more chance there is of them going somewhere else easier. Personally I think the Tony Martin approach to trespassers is the right thing to do.

d87heaven

Watch this and be afraid.....very afraid.......... I I know they are smelly motorbikes and a its a few years old but you 'll get the jist)

http://www.youtube.com/user/captaincropper#p/a/f/0/VC3hFr8p2ck

dmch2

turbo hamster wrote:

My local grapevine has passed on a warning about some very organised and determined bike thieves in this area.

Where is 'this area'? Can you fill in your location to something a bit more specific? :?

Scrumple

Almax

google them, and buy the chain, hardy ground anchor, and squire padlock combo.

and relax.

Not cheap, but money well spent.

ride_whenever

d87heaven wrote:

If you have chained stuff up then make sure the chain doesn't sit on the floor. Its easier to hold the chain still whilst attacking it with big bolt croppers, freezing kit and hammer, angle grinders etc. A concrete floor make s a wonderful anvil.

Most decent locks are a fair bit harder than concrete, just trying to hammer one will chip the concrete but leave the lock reasonably intact.

The best thing is to lock everything to the roof with hardcore stuff, as you need the floor as an anchor point when using 6' bolt croppers, and angle-grinding above your head is pretty damn hard.

mrushton

might be overkill but what about one of those folding barrier posts in front of the garage door. It's a short steel cyclinder with a hinge at the bottom that you see on car parks where important people park. Or just some kind of bolt at the foot of the door. The more obvious the security tho' the more interesting it might look. But, the harder it is to get in the less likely you will get targeted.

d87heaven

ride_whenever wrote:

d87heaven wrote:

If you have chained stuff up then make sure the chain doesn't sit on the floor. Its easier to hold the chain still whilst attacking it with big bolt croppers, freezing kit and hammer, angle grinders etc. A concrete floor make s a wonderful anvil.

Most decent locks are a fair bit harder than concrete, just trying to hammer one will chip the concrete but leave the lock reasonably intact.

The best thing is to lock everything to the roof with hardcore stuff, as you need the floor as an anchor point when using 6' bolt croppers, and angle-grinding above your head is pretty damn hard.

Errr thats what I just said :?
I wasn't saying you could smash stuff on a concrete floor, just thats its easier when its on the floor.

a_n_t

Scrumple wrote:

Almax

or http://www.torc-anchors.com/

same difference.

Wheelspinner

When you buy expensive stuff, bike parts or whatever, do NOT give the shop people your address. Keep the receipt and you have all you need for warranty purposes.

Some years back, bought a stack of (expensive) trade quality power tools. Two months later, garage burgled and all they nicked was the tools. Given the location, the only way anybody would know I had them was some low life in the shop running a list of who bought what.

Never again. If they ask, I always tell them to mark it as a cash sale only.

Weejie54

When you buy expensive stuff, bike parts or whatever, do NOT give the shop people your address. Keep the receipt and you have all you need for warranty purposes.

Erm....that would mean not paying with plastic. Credit/debit card terminals normally have an AVS facility (Address Verification Service) meaning that the address (house number/name and postcode) of the cardholder can be displayed to the merchant.
I believe this can be done whether card is present or not.

Wheelspinner

Weejie54 wrote:

When you buy expensive stuff, bike parts or whatever, do NOT give the shop people your address. Keep the receipt and you have all you need for warranty purposes.

Erm....that would mean not paying with plastic. Credit/debit card terminals normally have an AVS facility (Address Verification Service) meaning that the address (house number/name and postcode) of the cardholder can be displayed to the merchant.

Displayed is ok, and is only at request I think. Downloaded from the card provider system and saved against the invoice in the retailer's system is a whole different thing, and AFAIK is not done. All the printed receipts generated by any of those EFTPOS terminals don't even show the full card number. And I've never yet had the separate invoice from the shop system pick up the cardholder details.

If you buy on line, you have to enter the address as well as the card number for verification purposes, as they (presumably) expect that someone who stole your card, or found it in the street won't know what the address is.

Bozman

I hang my bikes on the wall(brick) on bike racks and i fit anchors to the wall, then i D-lock the bike through the frame to the anchor and then lock the bikes together. A pain in the ass to get them off the rack but it's fairly safe. The wife has a bike which isn't locked and this gives them an easy option, plus they'll probably use the bike more than she does!

Weejie54

All the printed receipts generated by any of those EFTPOS terminals don't even show the full card number

Irrelevant. The house number and postcode can be displayed at the terminal - moreover, the full card number is also available to the merchant - AVS can be used after you've even left the shop.

And I've never yet had the separate invoice from the shop system pick up the cardholder details.

No? Try shopping in Maplin. The fact that they often use the details, should something be ordered that is not in stock, is evidence that those details are available.
To be reluctant to leave your address at a shop is rather extreme.
Unnecessary paranoia after one bad experience.

If you buy on line, you have to enter the address as well as the card number for verification purposes, as they (presumably) expect that someone who stole your card, or found it in the street won't know what the address is.

That is the essence of CNP security, indeed. Perhaps you don't buy online or over the phone. You never know, the people at the mail order warehouse might note your address and pay a visit! There again, as you give your location as Sydney, AVS might not be the same in Oz.

Wheelspinner

Weejie54 wrote:

To be reluctant to leave your address at a shop is rather extreme.
Unnecessary paranoia after one bad experience.

Thanks for your assessment, ill-informed as it is.

alfablue

a_n_t wrote:

Scrumple wrote:

Almax

or http://www.torc-anchors.com/

same difference.

I just bought the Pragmasis 13mm x 4m chain, Torc anchor and squire lock from them for £193 - hoping this will offer enough protection in the shed :? :?