I want to deter the thieving scum who are bound to return to my garden in a couple of months time to try and nick the replacement bikes they must know I’ve got on order. Planning on fooling them with anchors that are now set in 12″ of concrete, a hard wood door with dead locks and some sort of heavy duty security chain.

The chain’s the weak link in this system, so what do people recommend? Makes and models that have actually been put to the test please!

Almax? Think they’ve got some youtube vids involving some huge bolt croppers

almax chains
Are the best but remember it takes a few seconds to cut through your frame with a hacksaw and how much are your parts worth?

Rottweiler!!

wireless motion sensor alarm + Rottweiler + Baseball Bat.

Junkyard – that isnt what I wanted to hear! Do I need some sort of boron steal frame protector as well!

those Almax vids are misleading – he doesn’t put half the effort into breaking their own chains

I would imagine they’re all much of a muchness at a certain price point – buy the best you can afford and tie it to the Rottweiler

kryptonite new york forgeddaboutit (yellow) key D locks?

I got one in the CRC flood sale for about £25.00 and I trust it with my bike. (non-qr bolt through front, lock through rear triangle and back wheel)

Forget kryptonite if you want to be secure – no more than mid range these days. Get a heavy duty case hardened motorcycle chain and lock – I have one that uses 12mm case hardened links or a really good D lock.

Expect to pay at least £100 for proper security. I think mine was £120 15 yrs ago. Boltcropper proof ( unless its a hydralic one) Proof against cutting / freezing / grinding / jacking etc.

You get what you pay for

TJ – “proof against .. grinding”

please elaborate, are you saying your lock/chain can’t be done by an angle grinder ?

Supposed to be proof against anything short of a petrol driven cutoff saw. Never tested it tho. An ordinary angle grinder will take one hell of a long time to cut two pieces of case hardened steel 12 mm thick. You can’t mark it with a hacksaw – it slides over the surface.

The theory is its very hard on the outside so difficult to cut but malleable in the centre so freezing it and trying to break it wont work either.

Only real issue is the weight – about 7 kg IIRC

what about a site box we use them on building sites in dodgey areas. bolt it down in your garage and keep the bike inside. use a decent padlock in the lock enclosure. youll need a big one though,

Features:

• Passed following tests: Sold Secure Gold, ART 4 Star, VdS Klasse B+
• 5/8″ (16 mm) Through-hardened KryptoniumTM Steel shackle resists bolt cutters and leverage attacks
• High security disc style cylinder
• Hardened steel sleeve over crossbar for double security
• Double deadbolt locking mechanism for extensive holding power
• Center keyway defends against leverage attacks
• 3 keys – one lighted for nighttime use
• Sliding dustcover protects cylinder
• Protective vinyl coating
• Includes versatile EZ Mount transportation bracket
• For increased security pair with a New York Chain or New York Noose
• Free Lifetime Key Registration
• Replacement keys available
• Limited Lifetime Warranty
• 4″ x 8″ (10.2cm x 20.3cm)
• 3.9 lbs (1.77 kgs)
• SECURITY RATING: 11

to be honest TJ, its covered by my insurers if I use this, I’d be very surprised if anyone planning on stealing a bike or two would bother if they saw them, the yellow and black tends to work as a deterrent also, an unknown lock might mean that the would be thieves are more likly to “have a go” and end up buggering everything up in frustration. The Newyorkers are about the best and most portable locks available if you ask me, but then if its just in the shed 7KG’s isn’t really going to be an issue!

I would go for Almax & get the biggest, heaviest, most expensive one possible. Ive seen too many vids & read too much evidence to trust any other make..
ps a hungry rotti is quite a good deterrent too..;-)

Right, everything is breakable, it’s all a matter of time.
What you want to be doing is deterring kids and semi-professionals. And you’re never going to deter full on professionals. I don’t know about you but if someone comes to me in a professional capacity and tells me they have a problem I can’t solve, I’ll spend day and night on it till I’ve nailed it.

So, you’ve got to make it unattractive. Noise and time are what will make serious crims go elsewhere. Fit an alarm, get a hard core motorcycle chain and make sure the fixing point is buried in concrete. You need hard core chain coming out of the concrete. If they can see the fixing point it’ll be gone fairly quickly. I’ve seen it being done.

Personally, I decided that there are some bikes I can lose. I leave some bikes much easier to get hold of than others.

agree with Samuri…. if someone honestly wants your bike they will get it end of….
if its worth so much get it indoors? or inside a bike garage.
If its outside, then keep the chain off the ground, so if it runs through and anchor make sure its not on the ground as gives a solid surface to work on. have multiple items, even if they are simpler than the main, increases required tooling, have something like a piece of cotton running to a stack of metal so it rattles if someone pulls on it, simple things… Make it a hard target and your average dude will walk away… if its professional then tbh you prob dont wana mess with them!

Doesn’t matter what you lock it with, there still going to have a go at knicking your bikes.

Therefore you want to set up a zone of pain, like carpet gripper on your gate/fence panels (nails facing away for maximum rip when hand is removed) a couple of shotgun cartridges on the door and a pitbull trained to kill anyone but you as a failsafe

And remember that if your pride and joy is in your shed your powertools should not be!

Machine Mart do some beefy looking chain and it’s much easier on the wallet than the Almax stuff.

http://www.soldsecure.com/Leisure.htm

sorry for my bad news I agree with Samurai mind I use an Oxford lock .. looks the business but not superb and a New york D lock and then 4 other locks of varying degrees of quality. Secured to a ground anchor and also an old heavy lawnmower. locked inside an alarmed shed – insurance requirement.I also have a CLaude Butler hack bike outside locked to a washing line pole with one rubbish lock (you could pick the bike up and over this assuming the average thief will nick this rather than spend 30 minutes getting at the good ones. A pro will get my bikes and that is why they are insured.