Bike Security

jono savage

Hi all, i'd like to start off by saying that i'm new to the forum and was unsure of where to post this query so please feel free to move this or whatever

So here's my problem, recently my area has had some problems with thieves. Unfortunately these thieves decided to steal both my kona stuff and my step dad's trek mountain bike. We have now both had the bikes replaced from our loverly insurance company and are now securely garaged (as opposed to being in our shed).

The problem lies in that i cannot get my bike out of the garage while cars are in there and so i need to move my bike back into my shed where it was stolen from.

My question to you is what can i do to secure my bike? Previously it had an inch diameter chain through a loop that was screwed through the floor of my shed. And yes somehow they got it away without making enough noise to rouse our attention

If anybody has some idea as to any product or method of securing a bike so these pesky thieves won't steal my shiny new carrera it would be much appreciated.

Many thanks, Jonathan.

supersonic

If you are insured, see what they recommend.

But it seems like you have done most things. How did they break the security?

You can get 19mm thick links (60mm plus 'thick') that take a lot of beating, but power tools will still get through if undisturbed. Shed alarms and CCTV recoreding can help.

jono savage

Hi supersonic, thanks for your quick response. I'll be sure to ask my insurance company, i hadn't thought of that

and as for how they got the bike, they managed to rip the shed door off it's hinges, and then cut through the loop in the floor, the police said they must have used some heavy duty cutters as the loop itself was quite a chunky bit of kit. After that they just took the bike and our chain and were gone.

cooldad

Get your priorities right and park the cars outside.

jono savage

haha thanks for the tip, i'll take it into consideration :P

long_guts

Might be worth looking into getting a shed alarm and using a motorcycle lock as they tend to be a fair bit chunkier.

welshkev

i've got a huge wooden work bench attatched to the wall that my bikes are chained to (2 chains) i have a shed alarm and a light on a sensor so i can see when people come into the garden.

i think that's all i can do really

chrischris1315

Once you've been burgled once its more likely they will come back so I suggest that you put down some "ila alarms" and connect them to your items via fishwire as its extremely hard to see in the dark, I would also go a step further and invest in a bat of some sort to go and sort them out if they come back :twisted:

Cheers

Chris

bails87

Try the 'personal attack' alarms, where you pull a pin to make the alarm go off, rig them up to the shed door so that when it's opened the alarm goes off.

Otherwise, as others have said, put the cars outside, if they want to take those then they'll need the keys so they'll have to get into the house. And if they're breaking into the house then putting the cars in the garage isn't likely to be a deterrent.

How about hooks on the wall/ceiling? Would that let you get the bikes and car in the garage?

davewalsh

How about fitting one of these:

http://www.torc-anchors.com/shed-shackle.php

I have the ground anchor and 13mm chain in my garage and am very impressed with the quality.

jono savage

Thanks a lot for your replies guys, they have given me some great ideas

I have seen, and fancy the anchors posted by both davewalsh and Jake151. That's exactly the kind of thing i was hoping existed so thanks a lot guys.

And as for the alarms, we did have a door sensor which sent the alarm off everytime the door was opened, unfortunately the thieves smashed the thing to bits before it could be heard. Was only a cheapy so i guess nothing more could be expected

I will also look into the ila alarms mentioned by chrischris and bails, and also a hefty bat haha

Once again, many thanks guys, Jonathan

alfablue

I got the Torc anchor and a 4 metre 16mm chain and lock package to secure 9 bikes, it is very heavy and should require special effort to defeat! I think 16mm really is the minimum to consider. It cost just under £200.

I mounted the anchor so that it was in the middle of the bikes, so inaccessible to attack (though it defeated C Pluses attempts to break it), and I wrap any excess chain around a top tube to keep the lock and chain off the floor (avoiding hammer attack).

Pramgmasis (who sell the Torc products) were extremely good to deal with.

I have a remote controlled shed alarm mounted so that it is inaccessible without climbing over all the bikes. It was about £10 off eBay. It is audible from the house but I think it offers mostly deterrent value should someone break in.

I have a cheap padlock on the shed door - it would be easy to break the door in so no point in a fancy lock.

The shed is metal so hopefully noisy if attacked. I have a 500w pir security light aimed at it. I have a CCTV stiker on the door, and finally, M&S house insurance that covers unlimited bikes up to £4000 value each, with no stipulations regarding storage.

Not sure what else to do.

TwSpanner

Had a bike taken myself so I feel your pain.
I too have invested in expensive chains and lights and alarms etc.
I also spent £30 on a couple of wheel bags, I now store my bike and my wheels in different places. Hoping the scum bags will leave my expensive Meta 55 alone because its got no wheels and will just nick the cheapo Halfords BMX my boy trashes.

MountainMonster

I highly recommend renting a mexican midget named Jorhey, give him a cupboard to hide in with a glass window, and provide lots of tequila to keep him happy.

Best security in the world.

MrChuck

Alfablue makes a good point about where you locate stuff. If you can get a ground anchor near to the wall so that when the bikes are locked to it it's hard to get at without damaging them then that will help.

But you can only do so much- you can't stop the chain being exposed, and they might not be that bothered about damaging the bikes. All you can do is make it more inconvenient for them.

mac_man

davewalsh wrote:

How about fitting one of these:

http://www.torc-anchors.com/shed-shackle.php

I have the ground anchor and 13mm chain in my garage and am very impressed with the quality.

You have to laugh at this and some other 'secure' products being attached to a wooden wall. Yeah... that's REALLY solid isn't it.

There was a great looking floor mounted shackle on the news page here the other week. maybe somebody else remembers it. Needs mounting into solid concrete to be properly secure.

MrChuck

mac man wrote:

davewalsh wrote:

How about fitting one of these:

http://www.torc-anchors.com/shed-shackle.php

I have the ground anchor and 13mm chain in my garage and am very impressed with the quality.

You have to laugh at this and some other 'secure' products being attached to a wooden wall. Yeah... that's REALLY solid isn't it.

Clearly it's not as good as concrete/brick, but it's still noisier, more inconvenient and more time-consuming for a thief than nothing at all so a lot better than nothing

tonycorner

MrChuck wrote:

mac man wrote:

davewalsh wrote:

How about fitting one of these:

http://www.torc-anchors.com/shed-shackle.php

I have the ground anchor and 13mm chain in my garage and am very impressed with the quality.

You have to laugh at this and some other 'secure' products being attached to a wooden wall. Yeah... that's REALLY solid isn't it.

Clearly it's not as good as concrete/brick, but it's still noisier, more inconvenient and more time-consuming for a thief than nothing at all so a lot better than nothing

The shed shackle makes the best of a bad situation, in an ideal world you would have a ground anchor secured to a concrete floor or wall, if you have looked at the shed shavkle you would see that it reinforces the wall of the shed too, the idea being as allways to buy time as theives are known to spend 3 minutes trying to attack someting before they move on to an easier target.

In the past when ive had to leave the bike in a freinds shed between house moves, ive used an old metal box filled with concrete and then anchored my chain to it, ideal if you have the room that is.

http://www.elitesecuritysupplies.com
http://security-chains.com

mac_man

tonycorner wrote:

MrChuck wrote:

mac man wrote:

davewalsh wrote:

How about fitting one of these:

http://www.torc-anchors.com/shed-shackle.php

I have the ground anchor and 13mm chain in my garage and am very impressed with the quality.

You have to laugh at this and some other 'secure' products being attached to a wooden wall. Yeah... that's REALLY solid isn't it.

Clearly it's not as good as concrete/brick, but it's still noisier, more inconvenient and more time-consuming for a thief than nothing at all so a lot better than nothing

The shed shackle makes the best of a bad situation, in an ideal world you would have a ground anchor secured to a concrete floor or wall, if you have looked at the shed shavkle you would see that it reinforces the wall of the shed too, the idea being as allways to buy time as theives are known to spend 3 minutes trying to attack someting before they move on to an easier target.

In the past when ive had to leave the bike in a freinds shed between house moves, ive used an old metal box filled with concrete and then anchored my chain to it, ideal if you have the room that is.

http://www.elitesecuritysupplies.com
http://security-chains.com

Aye.... a chain is only as good as it's weakest link. One of these battery powered saws would make mincemeat of any shed wall.

Bike security is a huge problem. My LBS has been broken into 3 times this last year and are soon going to be renting space at the offices I own. But we've had to look at all the weak spots in the building to see what needs beefing up. So there's extra grills going on over rooflights, more locks on doors, security alarm, PIR operated external lights etc.

A royal PIA but what can you do? One security guy said the best thing is to layer your protection. Anything that will be an extra problem will make the thieves walk on to an easier target.

tsenior

My cellar set up after being burglarised

Primary: proper door: Steel reinforced UPVC door in box section steel reinforced frame, bolted to masonry wall with 5 lever morticed deadlock

secondary: internal anchors: 1x set in concrete 18mm steel U attached with 16mm chain , 1 abus WA50 wall anchor and kryptonite new york U lock (under and behind main bike respectively) , 12mm chain set in concrete for hardtail, 2 bikes attached together by lower spec kryptonite U lock. and cheap "master" floor anchor/12mm chain for pub bike: you have to move pub bike to get at HT and both to get at FS.

Tertiary: rape alarm inside steel box with holes screwed to wall (to prevent smashing) attached to door.

dan shard

Jobs a carrot

beelzebomb

Just some personal security advice:

1. Pitlock skewers (front & rear wheels, seatpost clamp & headset so no-one can steal your forks) not cheap, but nor are new forks or wheels.

2. Granit x plus lock (gold standard)

3. M & S home insurance with the box ticked for items insured away from home too - highly recommended by other bike users.

sm1thson

Ive seen alarms that transmit from the garage/shed into a receiver in the house so if it goes off it goes off in the house doesnt cover every circumstance but at least you'll hear it if your in. I was robbed whilst in the house once, it was more annoying that I was in at the time but didnt know to do anything about it.