Who wants to steal my bike?

[Gubbins]

One of the problems of having an expensive toy that you ride about for all to see is that some may decide that it really ought to have a new home.... Specifically theirs! I keep mine in a locked and alarmed garage shackled to the wall but I worry a bit when we go on holiday. The garage is a typical new build adjoining the house with an up and over metal door that is probably easy to break into, and being a garage, all the tools needed to unshackle it from the wall are readily available. So, looking for a good way to improve my security, how do you keep the theives at bay?

 

[VictoryV]

Try something like this embedded into the floor

http://www.pjbsecurity.co.uk/new-oxford-terra-force-built-in-anchor-4999

or flush fitting to the floor and loop the chain thru

http://www.yanchor.com/

or if you are only able to bolt to the floor

http://securityforbikes.com/torc-ground-anchor.php

or all three!

 

[Blew it]

When going on holiday it might be better to move the bike into the house, preferably somewhere it cannot be seen by looking through the windows.

Alternatively, take the machine to a local Lock 'n' Store or Big Yellow Storage type of place. Same as folks put their dogs and cats into a kennels when going away.

 

[Croxden]

I had an electric opperated roller shutter door fitted to replace the metal up and over. Keep the battery and display unit in the house.

 

[Alan Quay]

If you leave a car at home, back it right up on to the garage door, lock it, and take the keys with you.

 

[Deleted member 4366]

Get a CCTV system. They don't cost much. The cameras keep the low-lifes well away. They glow like ray-guns in the dark (cameras, that is).
The cheap CCTV systems are very sophisticated. They have zone alarms, so any movement in the selected areas can trigger a siren, send pictures to you by e-mail and record the footage. The hub or individual cameras (depending on system) can be accessed from anywhere in the world by password by internet, so that you can check on what's happening at home for peace of mind. This system is pretty cheap:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Home-8-Channel-HDMI-Surveillance-DVR-Indoor-CCTV-Camera-system-1TB-HD-Kit-P2P-/291162597238?pt=UK_CCTV&hash=item43caa4a776

 

[the_killjoy]

I always chain mine to the inside of the garage door as it also stops the garage door being opened from the outside. This means someone has to break into the house first, so then the bike is the least of my worries.

 

[Cyclezee]

We normally do as suggested by Mike Higgins and park vehicle right up against the garage door, we also have these http://www.saundersonsecurity.co.uk/acatalog/Bulldog_Garage_Door_Lock_GD400.html

In addition there are other security measures inside the garage which would make it very difficult to get anything out and for obvious reasons I am not going into detail about these.

My neighbour is also quite vigilant and has a couple of hungry Rottweilers.

 

[john h]

I to had the same thought a few months back phill, i looked around the garage and thought if i broke in here what would i use to break the locks on the bikes, lets see, 2 large axes a maule a bottle jacks hammers chisels an angle grinder hack saw the list was long all just sitting there, now all locked in a steel vault with a dam good lock and the bikes chained +d locked to floor+walls and each other, dont make it easy for the toe-rags.

 

[pdarnett]

I have a garage alarm, metal post in front of the locked garage door, cctv, my bike has two locks through it and has a gps tracker. Not sure I can do much else!

 

[pdarnett]

Good point about having a garage full of tools though, must lock them up as well!

 

[Jimod]

I know I'm different from everyone else and I realise I live in Utopia. However, I bought an ebike, I stuck it on my home insurance, I lock the garage at night and I sleep soundly.

I don't put a lock on the bike when it's in the garage.

Stop fretting about what might/probably will never happen.

As to the Utopia comment. During the day my garage lies unlocked so that delivery people can leave parcels in there if no one is home when they call.

Just go out and play.

 

[axolotl]

I'd be inclined to do what the insurance companies demand for securing (much more expensive) motorbikes: get a ground anchor like the ones in post #2 and chain your bike to it using a SoldSecure Gold chain and/or D lock. Insurers know how things are stolen and how best to protect them.

I wouldn't bother with CCTV: it's relatively expensive and will only provide you with a nice film of your bike being stolen. If someone is intent on stealing your bike, they won't be put off by a camera or two. If anything, the presence of cameras and "Warning - CCTV" signs merely advertises the fact that there are things worth stealing.

 

[axolotl]

I don't put a lock on the bike when it's in the garage.

I think you'll find this invalidates your insurance, so why bother paying for insurance?

 

[Jimod]

I think you'll find this invalidates your insurance, so why bother paying for insurance?

I think you'll find it doesn't.

 

[Jimod]

I'd be inclined to do what the insurance companies demand for securing (much more expensive) motorbikes: get a ground anchor like the ones in post #2 and chain your bike to it using a SoldSecure Gold chain and/or D lock. Insurers know how things are stolen and how best to protect them..

My motor bike is in the garage and isn't secured with a ground anchor nor a gold standard chain. My insurance doesn't require it. It simply says the bike must be in a locked garage overnight. Which company is your motor bike insured with?

 

[axolotl]

I think you'll find it doesn't.

I'm glad you're so sure about that.



I guess it's possible you have a very forgiving insurer, but most insist on a ground anchor/shackle for motorbikes and valuable bicycles stored in sheds and garages.

 

[Gubbins]

My motor bike is in the garage and isn't secured with a ground anchor nor a gold standard chain. My insurance doesn't require it. It simply says the bike must be in a locked garage overnight. Which company is your motor bike insured with?

My motorbike was chained up in a locked garage and the just took the bike and the chain!
AA Insurance paid up but with dire warnings about how I would suffer severe consequences if it turned out I was in on it. Apparently it was common practice to steal your own bike back in the day!

 

[axolotl]

My motorbike was chained up in a locked garage and the just took the bike and the chain!
AA Insurance paid up but with dire warnings about how I would suffer severe consequences if it turned out I was in on it. Apparently it was common practice to steal your own bike back in the day!

Hence why they tend to insist on a ground anchor.

Nice one for getting them to pay out though!

 

[KirstinS]

I'm glad you're so sure about that.



I guess it's possible you have a very forgiving insurer, but most insist on a ground anchor/shackle for motorbikes and valuable bicycles stored in sheds and garages.

My home insurance is with marks and spencer . They do not require the bike to d locked at home

They do required it to be in a locked environment - so in a locked house or a locked garage

They also insure outside the home. It definitely has to be locked up then though - can't just leave it in the street

As I only have a shed - not a garage - I tend to leave my bike in the downstairs bog (no windows) if I go away for an extended period