Top security for top bikes

badgerbeaver

Hi. am wondering if any has, or has thought about having, a security cage for bike storage.

e.g.

http://www.securityenclosure.co.uk/standardcages.htm

We're moving from our current house (with a purpose built "bike room" inside the house where the bikes get hung up in a line, and all the kit goes in boxes on the shelf above 8) ), to a house with a large double garage. My intention is to keep the bikes in the garage, but am now having a wobble as I gather that garages are broken into just as much as sheds.

I want to keep the bikes in the garage but want to provide them with more protection. A friend suggested a cage built on the inside of the garage to complement other security measures like chains, ground anchors etc etc.

So, like I said, if anyone has something like this, would be great to know how practical it is. If you thought about it but didn't go ahead, would be great to hear from you also. It looks like it can be done for maybe 2k, but perhaps I am missing something. By the way, 2k is about three or four years worth of bike insurance. I don't have insurance - I just don;t want my bikes nicked...

Your thoughts much appreciated. Thank you!

danlikesbikes

Quick answer is yes its quite easy to do & fit, the only downside over fitting better garage door security is that you can't easily use that side of the garage to put a car in as the cages tend to be ground anchored.

Not sure where your figure of £2K comes from but seems a bit excessive to me. I looked at a few options for our house move & considered a half way version being a steel gate fitted behind the garage door which was quite a cheap option.

If your after a security cage have a look on google & see what sort of prices you can get them for as would expect you could get one for a lot less money.

Or go speak to a local metal shop & ask for a quote based on your rough dimensions as most of the cost will be on materials/labour.

badgerbeaver

Thanks for the reply.

does anyone have anything like this, and have they ever been robbed? (i.e. would I be wasting my time and money anyway?)

thanks

danlikesbikes

The cages in your link are good but some better locks will always help/slow up a break or attack.

We have similar cages in our office & I use them occasionally and feel happy as they have a ground anchor too.

VTech

Cages won't help and is a waste of money.

Reason I say that is that the kind of person who will break into your garage and commit burglary will probably have bolt cutters for the lock on the cage.
This is a different level of their who takes a bike from outside of a shop.

I'm not trying to p!55 on the fire but its just the way it is.

schlepcycling

VTech wrote:

Cages won't help and is a waste of money.

Reason I say that is that the kind of person who will break into your garage and commit burglary will probably have bolt cutters for the lock on the cage.
This is a different level of their who takes a bike from outside of a shop.

I'm not trying to p!55 on the fire but its just the way it is.

Could he not just use a closed shackle lock like this one http://www.southern-stronghold.co.uk/acatalog/High_Security_Padlocks.html very difficult to take bolt cutters to.

VTech

Great locks, I just think for the money of the cage you could get an alarm and ADT monitoring for 5 years.

I'm not saying its not worth securing your kit, just to weigh up both sides.

dynamicbrick

Closed shackle locks are good, except the weak point moves onto something else.

A friend had a garage security cage he built himself for his motorbike. They pinched his motorbike from said cage by simply breaking into his tool chest (single padlock) and then using his angle grinder to cut a motorbike sized hole in the cage.

danlikesbikes

schlepcycling wrote:

VTech wrote:

Cages won't help and is a waste of money.

Reason I say that is that the kind of person who will break into your garage and commit burglary will probably have bolt cutters for the lock on the cage.
This is a different level of their who takes a bike from outside of a shop.

I'm not trying to p!55 on the fire but its just the way it is.

Could he not just use a closed shackle lock like this one http://www.southern-stronghold.co.uk/acatalog/High_Security_Padlocks.html very difficult to take bolt cutters to.

They are pretty good & in my old job we used to recommend their use with a lock cowl so the close shackle is surrounded by a metal box like the ones on shipping containers makes them pretty hard to break into using either bolt cutters or angle grinders.

If the OP is going to buy one most manufacturers will happily weld one on to cover the lock part.

alfablue

I have a Pragmasis Protector 19mm chaim (4m length), Squire Lock and Torc Ground Anchor with Bolts chemically bonded into concrete. Pragmasis do packages at reasonable prices.

I secure 10 bikes with this, the ground anchor is inaccessible under the middle of the bikes, and the lock is off the ground to prevent some methods of breaking. I think we spent about £140. In addition to this I have a cheap PIR alarm, placed behind the bikes, so inaccessible, an outside 500w security light pointed at the metal shed, and CCTV stickers on the shed door (but no CCTV as yet). I have M&S Buildings and Contents insurance which includes any number of bikes up to £4k each without naming them on the policy, and with no requirements regarding locks (they are also covered worldwide, and includes accident damage) all for £38ish per month. (A dedicated bike policy would cost over £1000 per year for the bikes I have and would offer poorer cover).

I have also registered all of the bikes on Imobilise with photos and serial numbers which can help retrieve them if stolen and can also be used to print details for insurance claims.

I am not complacent but I think I have taken reasonable measures; a theif could cut the chain with an angle grinder, but the same approach would defeat a security cage too. They would have to brave the noise of getting in the metal shed, security light, alarm, then noise of the grinder, and not be sissueaded by the dog either.

VTech

In that case I take back what I wrote as it wasn't from personal experience of bike safety.
I will be in the same position soon as my new garage is being built and I have NO security yet. I will be fitting a master blaster for sure, may not be legal but it will stop thieves.

dynamicbrick

alfablue wrote:

I am not complacent but I think I have taken reasonable measures; a theif could cut the chain with an angle grinder, but the same approach would defeat a security cage too. They would have to brave the noise of getting in the metal shed, security light, alarm, then noise of the grinder, and not be sissueaded by the dog either.

This is the crux of it - if they want to pinch it bad enough, they will regardless of the security. All you can reasonably do is slow them up enough that they go for easier pickings elsewhere

ademort

The cages look excellent, but of course they won,t stop a determined scumbag armed with a battery operated grinder from stealing your pride and joy.
Ademort

VTech

Fit one of these in the garage, No burglar could stand the siren, even with ear mufs the sound is so sickening it makes you physically sick (leaving DNA)


http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Klaxon-Master ... 3cd0a05798

CambsNewbie

VTech, I'd have thought you'd have armed guards patrolling your estate with maybe some landlines thrown in!

VTech

CambsNewbie wrote:

VTech, I'd have thought you'd have armed guards patrolling your estate with maybe some landlines thrown in!

Its not that bad
There is a long drive so we dont have to worry about people walking past as they would have no business being there. Its very quiet where we live but you can never be too careful, we fitted the master blasters at the main workshop and they are ridiculously loud but security has to be tight these days.

ooermissus

Have always thought these anchors are the neatest solution if you're starting afresh: http://www.pjbsecurity.co.uk/concave-built-in-anchor

badgerbeaver

Thanks! Great stuff.

You've opened my mind a little. Maybe I should get the lot...

Cage: stop them from getting in
Garage Alarm: make them uncomfortable when they do get it. We live in a rural area where an alarm is not going to do much in terms of alerting the authorities, but it might p1s off the thieves. I like the blaster idea.
Anchors: slow them down
Chains: slow them more
Registered bikes: increase chances of recovery
Insurance: an expensive bet on the worst case scenario coming true

VTech

It also depends on the kind of person you are.

I would be the kind of person who would always think "what if I had listened to this guys on the forum" and would get myself upset at the thought of not doing all I could to keep my kit safe.
The cost of the bike wouldn't be as bad to me as the afterthought if some a scrote having my bike.

Trust me on the blaster, if its good enough for tesco it's good enough for me. You need to hear one from a serious distance (too close is proper uncomfortable) to realise that no one could put up with it enough to take your gear and rummage through a garage or rooms.

badgerbeaver

VTech, you've clearly read me like a book. and yes, it would bother me intensely to know that someone has my bikes. Obviously it would hurt financially to replace the bikes, but the crux of the matter is that it would hurt enough emotionally that I probably would not replace them like for like.

I once had a motorbike stolen and I replaced with the same make, model, year, but I never felt the same about it - and that's sort of what it's all about, for me at least,(otherwise I would spend no more than £800 on a bike and buy them all from Halfords). So yes, I'd rather they weren't in someone else's possession.

Good call on the blaster. Not sure how popular I would be at our end of the village if it went off accidentally, but then we were burgled a few years ago in our old house, and the neighbour watched them, thinking it was the builders, and only mildly surprised that they were using a crowbar to breakdown the side door. She compounded this lack of presense of mind with a refusal to give a statement to the police on the basis of a fear of reprisals from the criminals. So, not 100% sure about relying on neighbours responding to an alarm, or that bothered if it offends them, as this hasn't paid off in the past. However, the blaster seems to be an active deterrent.

Mrs BadgerBeaver thinks this is all ridiculous, and has asked me if the garage will also be fitted with a dehumidifiers and ambient lighting. In return, I told her she was being silly: spotlights would be more appropriate, not least to catch the shiny edges of recently polished sprockets...

Another thought: what about CCTV? Is it worth it. From experience, and from what I have read on these forums, it doesn't seem to help if you know the identity of your thief. Thoughts? Experience?

VTech

The relatively cheap costof VVTV makes it a no brainer these days, you should cover the house with them, maybe 5 units for a 3 bed semi, 7 for a detached.
A complete system with a month of recording capability can be had for around £400

As for the noise, dont worry about it, your neighbours will be more horrified that burglars are in the village than they would be of a siren every now and then.
Also, you have an obligation to protect your home, to me that comes way further up the ladder than neighbours.

Best of luck, you can only reply on yourself my friend.

ballysmate

I would look at beefing up the first line of defence ie The door.
Cages, chains, shackles etc are secondary and your security is on its way to defeat. as soon as the door is breached the thieving bastards can work hidden from view on either secondary measures.
Strongest door and loudest alarm.

smoggysteve

Big cage, Bike suspended from the ceiling, below it a Big F@ck off dog sleeps.