Front Garden Bike Security - Thoughts

[alistair_piggott]

Thinking about installing a bike stand in my front garden as its getting a little cluttered in the hallway.

The plan is this:

1. Concrete in one of these - Sheffield Cycle Stand

2. Cover it with one of these - Canvas Tarpaulin

3. Lock it up with this - Abus Granit

4. Wind around one of these - Kryptoflex

I am worried that it being in the front garden - although mostly shielded by bushes and therefore less visible from the road - means that it will be a target, no matter how much money I spend on security. I have been warned about roaming Mad Max style bike thief gangs armed with angle grinders and heavy hammers.

Any thoughts EDFers?

[Townleygreen]

What about this sort of thing?

http://www.storeyourbike.com/

Keeps the bike out of the way in the hall, hanging from the ceiling?

Depends on ceiling height I suppose!

[lonajl]

I would take down the hedge. Bike nicking scrotes will look in every front garden. If the hedge is there it will not stop the scrotes finding your bike but it will give them something nice to hide behind whilst they go to work with their powered cutters.

If you have a quick release front wheel I would suggest taking that inside. The scrotes like to ride off on the bikes they nick as this doesn't raise much suspicion. Walking along with a bike with one wheel will likely cause people to take a second look.

Your current arrangement also only requires the scrotes to make one cut or break one lock. I'd also put a wall anchor in place with a second d lock from a different manufacturer. Make sure that wall anchor is secured by tamper proof bolts.

My final line of defence is a sort of botched alarm. I have an inexpensive shed door alarm and have attached one of the magnetic contacts to my bike frame. The siren and other contact (which is on a loose wire) are hidden away. When I lock my bike I simply place the magnetic contacts together. The hope is this will not be seen and if a scrote moves the bike out of its location then the contact will be broken and the alarm goes off. Might be a bit late but again should at least draw attention.

Other thoughts are to make sure you have a note of the serial number and register that with Immobilise.

[Strawberryfields]

Also use a chunky motor bike chain lock, you can just leave that in place in the front garden, it will be very heavy for anyone wanting to mess with it and they make more noise when moved about so would draw more attention. Good luck!

[mikeb]

From experience, I know motorbike locks can be broken as well, not sure how they did it. Also make sure your seat is locked to your frame - easily down with a piece of chain and small padlock.

I hate to be pessimistic, but even with all these precautions, it's still quite possible that one day it won't be there. Which unfortunately means that you shouldn't get an expensive bike.

[Applespider]

Unless you're going to invest in one of the metal sheds with a concrete floor and ground anchor, I wouldn't leave a bike permanently in the front garden. And I'm not entirely I'd do it even with one of those.

The Abus can be broken with a car jack rather than needing an angle grinder. If you do go ahead, supplement that with a really solid motorbike chain since that really would require two sets of tools to break although if they've got them, tough.

agree with Townley - maybe think about other ways of storing it indoors - wall rack, hoist etc.

[Vilmos]

We live in Barry Road and have kept push bikes in out front garden for years now. They are folders and quite cheap and perhaps that is the reason no one has bothered with them.

I have two wooden posts bolted into footers which are concreted in. The bikes are locked via a motor cycle lock that feeds through the frames and under a metal loop also concreted into the ground. Both bikes are also locked via front wheels round the posts and rear wheels to the frames. They are then covered with a large plastic sheet.

They have been 'investigated' on occasions but so far no one has made any serious attempt to steal them.

[intexasatthe moment]

This question was featured in the money section of today's Guardian .

http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/blog/2012/apr/20/best-way-store-bikes

Feeling seemed to be that the shed was only useful as a cover for a bar/ring cemented into something to which the bikes can be attached .

[alice]

p

[the-e-dealer]

My neighbours have had several Motor Bikes Stolen from their front Garden.

[alistair_piggott]

Thanks all.

I think the approach will be to see if we can live with it in the hallway. If that fails, then a Sheffield Bike stand, a Kryptonite D-lock and a heavy motorbike chain are the way to go.

I?m beginning to understand that there is nothing you can do to make your bike unstealable, but the heavier and noisier these things are the better.

Again, thanks for all the advice.

[Applespider]

Take a look at the Maxx Raxx - they can hold two bikes and fold up against the wall when they're not being used. Fairly sturdy to - and since they hold the bike horizontally slightly away from the wall, you shouldn't end up with marks on the wall like you can with the vertical wall stands. Having said that, if you've got a foot or so behind the front door, the vertical wall stands can mean that you can store your bike where it doesn't get in the way too much.

[mr bukowski]

Hi All. Just to say my flatmate and I both had our bikes stolen this week.. They were locked to the railings in our front yard so the thieves must have done a bit of research and come with the right tools. You may want to take your bikes inside for the next week or so, if you live in this area...

If anyone knows of anyone selling a bike at a reasonable price, I'd be grateful if you'd let me know.

Cheers