Shed Roof

ic.

I thought my shed was secure...

Motion sensor alarm
Security Light
2" steel secuirty bar
Top class 5 level padlocks
Coach bolted hinges

I never thought anyone would take the roof off. How wrong was I

This happened last night:



My Cube was stolen, along with my lad's bike and a few other bits.

Hope it serves as a warning to anyone else that hasn't yet internally bolted their shed roof down.

Camus

Just wow, sorry to hear that and hope you can get things recovered. Yet more proof of the general deplorability of certain sections of society. Guess the next logical step is to replace that shed with a nuclear bunker.

There are thieves in my area tailing people on nice bikes by car so they can find where the bikes are stored, then pop back later for the spoils. Some utter ***** have also been setting booby traps, (cables/ropes tied between trees and loosened rocks) on the mtb trails at a local reservoir.

Bobbinogs

That's rotten that. Just goes to show that you really cannot stop a determined thief (I once was so concerned about getting burgled in Liverpool that I made the back of the flat impregnable...they came in through the front door whilst I was away one week). I finally solved the problem though by moving away from Liverpool (joke, btw!)

Your bike thieves must have known that the bike was in there and been fairly confident that the noise they made would not get reported, which is a horrible thought.

BigJimmyB

Sorry for your loss.

The shed does say (with the bar on the door) - "Valuables inside".

All a thief needs is the means and time (opportunity) and your hard-earned is gone.

Hope you get it sorted soon.

griffsters

Must be gutting.

I've come to the conclusion that at some point someone will have a go at our shed as I have no choice but to keep my bikes in there. I have the normal level of security but at the end of the day its a shed, if they want them they are gonna get them. I've made sure they are insured!

I've also added contents away from home that covers them as I can see a rise in 'bike-jackin' whilst out riding. Sad, but I think its only going to get worse.

danlikesbikes

B******s lets hope they try the same with copper from a power exchange and get it wrong.

Looks like you'd put a lot of work into the rest of the shed as well, but as Bobbinogs says looks like they knew what they were after.

ic.

BigJimmyB wrote:

The shed does say (with the bar on the door) - "Valuables inside".

Believe it or not, the shed was bulked up like that because 13 months ago, the bas***s got in through the door and took my Boardman. The Cube replaced the Boardman. At that time it was just a padlock - but they actually chewed through the hasp with bolt cutters instead.

It's a no win situation though. Either I leave it insecure and not draw attention to it, or bulk it up and offer a challenge. I honestly never considered they would take the roof off.

I understand I'm being followed, or scouted, or whatever. I honestly don't know what I can do. If I leave it in the house, what's to say they won't go after it there too? Then there goes the TV and everything else too.

I'm properly, properly gutted. I just stood there looking at it jaw dropped this morning.

navrig

Was there glass in the window?

Probably worth blocking that up so they can see.

A timber shed is always going to be an easy target - a crow bar would open a corner.

Sorry you lost your gear.

Camus

It's a sorry indication of the state of this country when you should even have to think about whether you're drawing attention to your prized possessions by being security conscious, (that's a terrible catch 22 on its own - don't lockdown the shed, get stuff taken due to lack of security / maximum lockdown, get stuff taken since bolts & bars are an advert to thieves), or whether the shed roof will be dismantled overnight, ridiculous!

I guess the worst thing from your perspective is that they know you have bikes now and they also know that if they're not in the shed then they've been moved indoors. It's that psychological impact that's sometimes worse than the actual loss of property which hopefully is insured.

The only thing I could think to suggest would be to replace the shed with or add (since I'm assuming the shed is used for general storage too) a purpose built bike unit made from thick metal, or bricks and mortar with a substantial door. As Navrig says, wood is more vulnerable. Alternatively I have a source for land mines removed from Angola.

peat

How about a ground anchor? If the shed is on a concrete slab or plinth, a big thick upside-down 'U' shaped bar bolted both ends underneath the shed. Bikes etc chained to that. Its a bit of work to do, but might be enough to put them off.

ic.

Peat wrote:

How about a ground anchor? If the shed is on a concrete slab or plinth, a big thick upside-down 'U' shaped bar bolted both ends underneath the shed. Bikes etc chained to that. Its a bit of work to do, but might be enough to put them off.

It's only on flag stones. Rented house too so not much I can do about that.
Bolting the bike to the floor of the shed though is definately something I'll be doing.

laurentian

Could you drill through the shed floor and bolt into the flagstones?

Other than that, these are relatively cheap, dead easy to install and very effective: http://www.anchorsystems.co.uk/db_helicalanchors.php

I guess you'd need to make small hole in the shed floor but I bet they would work a treat.

I am at a loss as to the lengths some people will go to to nick other peoples hard earned and much loved stuff. W***ers.

Hope you get sorted quickly.

snoopsmydogg

I had a similar shed set up OP and having the big bar across the front only gave them something to use as leverage. Luckily I had moved out of the property after splitting with my ex, they waited until she went out one day jumped the fence and pulled the front of the shed off.

If they had been a couple of weeks earlier there was a couple of motorbikes in there.

BigJimmyB

How about a motion-sensing light with CCTV, fixed to house overlooking shed (i.e. out of reach)?
A colleague has one. It has a usb stick that you can retrieve and view any recorded footage. Might help identify any future intruders. I think you can also get door alarms - so light on, CCTV activitaed and noise from your shed might all help?

I'd also suggest fixing any locks/anchors with bolts, then rounding off the heads.

As for the roof, perhaps some grilling underneath, again fixed by (rounded off) bolts.

It's sad you have to consider all this, but the only thing you can do is present enough to them to make them think again and pi$$ off.

Look out on eBay/Gumtree and in any local ca4H converters/pawn shops too.

Best of luck.

seanorawe

Surely there is a way of hiding some sort of GPS tracker on your bike. I know you can get fake lights with a gps in them but thieves already know to rip any lights off

ad_snow

I registered my bike with the local police and they put a GPS tracker "ImmobiTag" underneath the seat post which is supposedly impossible to get out and it unfolds like an umbrella once it has the space. Then you register it online and if it goes missing the police can track it. Mine was free through work but you can get them here for £15 - https://www.immobilise.com/view.php?sta ... &product=2.

HTH.

Edit: Just read they aren't GPS trackers - I was clearly lied to! But it does provide proof the bike is yours if it's recovered.

Monty Dog

Commiserations - many household insurance policies require a ground anchor and a Gold Sold Secure lock for your bike when stored in a shed.

smidsy

What about Shed Shackle.

http://securityforbikes.com/shed-shackle.php

Ok so the shed is still the weak link but at least they have to take a large chunk of shed and the red metal braket with your pride and joy - might just deter them enough to go to someone less prepared instead.

I have a ground anchor and shed shackle so look elsewhere Mr Thieving Scum Bags. :evil:

Perhaps having a list of bikes in the signature is not wise - I may indeed remove them. :roll:

Careca

You can always keep your new bike inside. That's where I keep mine. Will save a lot of money that you'd have to spend to turn the shed into a fortress. One good thing about keeping it inside is that it's always well cleaned after each ride!

Werbo

Have you never seen home alone? All you need to do is leave Micro Machines on the floor and they are screwed.

Lycra-Byka

Stop trying to secure your sheds, it's just an expense to repair after they've broke into it after you've advertised there's valuables inside.

You need to either anchor the bike down onto concrete. In which case make sure you strip/damage the heads of any bolts that fix it so the scoundrels can't just unbolt it ( yes people don't do this), and don't belive any bs about security fixings or non-reversible fixings (clutch heads) they don't work!

Easiest cheapest way if you haven't a concrete base underneath---
Pour wet concrete inside the shed(use timber to create shuttering or mould) as you don't want to carry this and it should be bigger than the doorway so the cant get the concrete out ! Set anchors into wet concrete. No fixings to get at here. About two wheelbarrows of concrete would be enough. This would weigh 100kgs + and it would mean removal of a panel and two guys to lift the the concrete with attached bike. Yes they can smash the concrete but the noise inside a shed would wake the deaf.
Drastic, but effective and should cost no more than £60. Most of the cost would be for the anchor.

jefflad

IC. wrote:

I thought my shed was secure...

Motion sensor alarm
Security Light
2" steel secuirty bar
Top class 5 level padlocks
Coach bolted hinges

I never thought anyone would take the roof off. How wrong was I

This happened last night:

My Cube was stolen, along with my lad's bike and a few other bits.

Hope it serves as a warning to anyone else that hasn't yet internally bolted their shed roof down.

First off what a b******d...

Just interested did the motion sensor not go off? Would've thought that the noise and light from the security light would have been too much for them and bugged out.

Sorry for your loss....

xhacker

Personally I'd move into the shed until I got my revenge. There would be bloodshed!

I would happily loan you a bike until revenge was sought.

I hope you catch the degenerates who had the audacity to penetrate your dwelling and have taken your pride and joy!

May they rot in hell!

Good luck, I feel your pain.

patrickf

Perhaps add a metal shed if you have space?

http://www.asgardsss.co.uk/

Expensive, but they'll struggle to get into one of those.

Elston

I know how you feel. Last Thursday night some w*****s broke into my shed and stole 4 bikes, my turbo trainer, tools, HR monitor and another couple of bits and pieces. They even took a pair of smelly old cycling shoes and some worn out wheels which I was saving for turbo use. Unbelievable. Like you, I just stood there agog when I discovered it. Devastating. My insurance should replace everything but that's completely beside the point. I loved my bikes and now they're in the hands of pathetic excuses for human beings. In retrospect I was pretty complacent, and I'm tightening up some obvious security points and getting alarms, anchors etc. Still, the worry will always be there now that I know they know my shed contains expensive bikes. The joke is that the penalties for 'burglary other buildings' are lower than domestic dwellings, so for the scum that does it, its actually pretty low risk.

I hope your insurance sorts you out, you have my sympathy.

ic.

Thanks for all the comments guys. Some useful advice and some amusing stuff to put a smile on my face.

I'd never thought of filling the shed with concrete..... would be worth considering if it wasn't for the genius of the Micro Machines idea. Why had I never thought of that????

Insurance claim docs have been sent off with pictures etc. Hopefully I should hear something next week.

Like I said in my original post, I hope others can learn from my misfortune. Take some time out to take a look at your shed roof and beef it up a bit. I'll be using some heavy duty brackets to hold it down inside. The Shed Shackle seems a decent buy too so I may look into that more.

Pituophis

Bad luck mate, you have my sympathy

They did the same thing to my old man, took the roof off and nicked a mountain bike and a road bike.
The police warned him they would be back in 6 months, so being an old engineer, he made brackets and securely bolted the roof on and doubly secured the door.
They did come back, and promptly took the whole front off this time and nicked his replacement hybrid. :evil:
Luckily the insurance paid out a second time but hinted that they probably wouldn't again!

He now keeps his new bike upstairs in his house as he has nowhere else to put it, but as he is in his late 70's, he finds it a bit of an ordeal getting it in and out, and now rarely uses it.
He is gutted as it was his main pass time

ic.

Pituophis wrote:

They did come back, and promptly took the whole front off this time and nicked his replacement hybrid. :evil:

Honestly, it's beyond belief.

I'm think L Bend brackets on each corner, probably 2 or 4 each corner, coach bolted through.

bernithebiker

These theives are total scum. My sympathies, amazing they had the time and front to take the roof off.

There seem to be so many thefts from sheds that I would never leave my bike in one. Even if it was tight in the house, you can mount it up high on a wall in the toilet or something.

We have a wireless alarm system for the house that you can keep adding components to. You could add a sensor in a shed, and an external one covering the garden approaches. That way you are warned from inside your house.

There is a foolproof solution, but its very expensive. Anti burglar smoke machines. When triggered they fill the room with thick, impenetrable smoke in less than 20 seconds. You cannot see a thing. Impossible to nick stuff, or even move around. Google it, it's the dogs!

drlodge

Un bloody believable, I am gob smacked at the lengths some people will go to.

My £5k bike is currently stored in the spare bedroom of my flat, insuring it when otuside the flat is prohibitively expensive and I would be really afraid to keep it anywhere except in the house. Even in an adjoined garage I'd be wanting to secure it well just in case someone gets in quietly through the garage door.

The message is clearly...you cannot have enough security.

Buckie2k5

we need more deterent, in the days of getting belted at school and the death penalty kids grew up more aware of the consciences. Now they get a telling off and givin a packet of sweets if they dont do it again.