On my way home early from weekend away because some scroats have attempted to break into my garage again.

5 weeks ago when I was in bed they got away with 2 bikes. This time I had set my alarm and they were scared off. I had two hasps and padlocks – they got over a 2m gate as well – but they still got in.

Anyway, will probably go for new garage doors with better security against breaking in. Any ideas or suggestions?

I have taken to locking bikes up in garage and setting alarm overnight even when in the house. Clearly thought I may have replaced bikes!

Horrmman sectional and motorised.

Got these
You can get 4 on the same key (one for each corner)
Seller was really good…and used DPD to deliver (who are ace).
[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kn5qd-_1JC8[/video]

Garage defender is also worth a look. But up and over doors are always going to be susceptible.

I have drilled through the metal door around the inside lip on each side (and through the frame) and along the bottom (and into the concrete). I put bolts down through the holes in an attempt to stop it being levered open. I also remove the latch wire to the lock. I use the side upvc door most of the time. I intend getting the garage door bricked up at some point.

If your bikes mean that much to you why would you leave them outside?

Countless threads of ‘bike stolen’ on here plus you’ve already had a warning shot.

I’d suggest one of 2 things, for maximum security buy an asgaurd steel bike box to be inside the garage directly behind the up and over door. You then have ur bikes locked inside this, which is then inside an alarmed garage. You cud also link the alarm to the house alarm and fit an auto dialler to it which will ring 3 pre programmed fone numbers if the alarm is set off.

If this is out of budget, u can find a local engineering company to spot weld some angled bar on the inside corners of the up and over door, that way it won’t be bent or prised up.

Thanks for responses, will look into. The Asgard might work along with a new door.
Three bikes were in the garage with 3 more in the house. I just do not want all 6 in the housr.

Yup I have those enfield things on each corner. We’ll worth putting on.

dont forget tosecure the roof if free standing garage along wth windows, bars on the inside,reinforce the frame etc etc.

Baby monitor also allows you to hear whats going on inside the garage.

What do folks do to beef up sectional up and over doors?

I use the deadbolts, but I also use two bars of wood to physically jam the hinges of our up and over door. Of course this is only possible because we have an exit back into the house! And the alarm is always set and is an audio health hazard. Plus the tripwire tied to the swinging hammer and bird scarer helps me sleep at night, along with the big locks. The guard guinea pigs have been retired from duty.

The Enfield devices look OK but my insurance company wants locks that meet the British Standard – does anyone know of such locks for up and over doors (or know the BS number?). There are no bikes in the garage, just other stuff.

As well as all your other security some cunningly hidden CCTV for facials of any succesful intruders and/or Guard dog warning signs and a big nasty well trained guard dog with his kennel outside and his chain to the base of the back gate. What town are you in? Get in contact with the local police and ask for the crime prevention officer to come out, there are other things such as smoke cloak and alarm linked smart water spray activators that spray the burglars with identifiable smart water as well as all your stuff they may be nicking.
good luck just hope they give in before they are succesful again!

They know you have expensive bikes now, so you will be targeted again. Don’t skimp on security. Also, check your roof because there’s been a couple of thefts from fortified garages where the thieves cut a hole in the roof.

Have you had a look at a ’Garage Defender’? With one of these and a good padlock, unauthorised opening of your garage door will require an industrial angle grinder or hydraulic concrete breaker. The original red one with a high security monobloc padlock is the business.

Have you had a look at a ‘Garage Defender’? With one of these and a good padlock, unauthorised opening of your garage door will require an industrial angle grinder or hydraulic concrete breaker

or a simple car jack or long scaffold bar, or just bolt it to two paviour bricks as i saw last year, you could have just lifted it out with the bricks still attached.

The sad thing is if you have something someone else wants, what ever the security or deterent they will try and take it off you.

hora – Member

If your bikes mean that much to you why would you leave them outside?

Sometimes the number of bikes vs spare room in a house makes it the only place to store them.

I agree, inside is better than out, but as a few people on here have experienced, they will still get them if they are inside (sometimes even if you are inside as well!) if they want them. All you can do is make it as hard as you can to get them and hope that if someone does try to nick them they have to make a lot of noise whilst trying to circumnavigate your security measures.

Try to keep them as inconspicuous as possible when transporting them around may help (although this is not always feasible).

I reverse the car right up to within a few inches of the garage door, then folk cant get to the door or make it up and over if they did get the lock.

Ours isn’t really attached to the garage any more so if anyone tries to break in, it’ll fall on them. Ought to wake me up.

I’ve used a drill and expanding bolts in the concrete floor to stop the garage door being opened. When they finally rip off the roof and get in, they’ll find more expanding bolts in the floor anchors, Kryptonite D-locks and chains. Actually getting a bike out of the garage is a PITA, so I use the sacrificial old Kona a lot (left unlocked).

I have taken to locking bikes up in garage and setting alarm overnight even when in the house.

Yep, been doing that for many years.

Thanks. Came again tonight and set alarm off at 3.15am. By the time I got home I was unable to get locks fixed. Bought an extra bike into house so two older ones were left out with 5 locks on them.

Police have been and are on look out, been a spate around here recently.

The garage is detached from house but I can’t really get van down the drive as gap between 2m gate and garage insufficient (partly due to low up and over door). Will have to do something substantial though but this takes a bit of time to research and get the work done. Need a quick fix for now.

As has been said, it is now known I have the nice bikes.

(Maybe amusing to you lot now – when alarm went off I was asleep and got up, looked out window, pulled on some clothes but could not find door key anywhere. Alarms ringing around the house and my panic levels going up. I eventually, after alarm had stopped ringing, found keys in separate box where I keep all my bike locks)

Shotgun mines all over the garden…..

Have you had a look at a ‘Garage Defender’? With one of these and a good padlock, unauthorised opening of your garage door will require an industrial angle grinder or hydraulic concrete breaker.

Not really. They simply ‘peel’ one corner of your garage door up, crawl in then either exit by a window or simply undo a few bolts & the door falls off. It’s also an advert telling scrotes there’s someting of value in there.

Not sure if someone tried to get into my garage last night. This morning the bottom left hand edge has a crease it in and protrudes slightly when the door is shut. It’s an old canopy door (over 20yrs old) so could have been damaged some other way although I don’t recall it sticking etc recently.

I’m more than happy for any STW’ Police to correct me but it takes another level to come into your house, either your window/door is left open- to force entry to get a bicycle requires someone who is more determined. After all, if I break into a shed or garage I wont meet someone pissed off in there who could have a cricket bat, pliers or claw hammer and theres many points of escape if disturbed. In a house you’ve only got the way you came in.

Personally I’d knock storing bikes outside for you. I’d also get a (specialist?) officer round from your local nick to look at your house/current security/access points.

For me, the worse thing wouldn’t be loss of bikes but a nice shiny one on insurance it’d be that someone who has no entitlement would be smoking and drinking and **** for free on the proceeds of my hard work.

Finally, if you put a 3k bike in the shed I’d hacksaw through the frame eitherside of locks and take whats left to sell on.

Any ideas or suggestions?

Yes, don’t keep bikes in the garage. Keep in the house.

Unfortunately not everyone can do it, or they say they don’t have the space, but if you can find the space they’re far more secure.

The police have told me that the people who get into houses are not the same as the people who get into sheds and garages. I really don’t want 6 bikes around the house but may have to compromise and bring them in over night and put them in the garage by day. (I am retired so around unless I am riding). All attempts have been in the middle of the night.

I did get some advice 2 months ago and again last night – police showed up within 5 minutes of my call but I forgot to ask to see a crime prevention officer. Will do that today.

I don’t want to make a rash decision but I need to get some sort of lock on the door today and probably a pair of Enfield locks mentioned earlier in the thread ordered and installed later this week.

Then it is a matter of sorting out the garage. Maybe a new door, maybe a new garage (it is old and leaks a little) and the Asgard shed could be a good option along with a door. All of these are expensive and cannot be sorted overnight so want to make the correct decision. Or maybe replace the 2m gate with a 3m+ one in a different design.

My new van is a bit wide for the drive (the wing mirrors)and because of a host of factors putting against the garage door due to the proximity of 2m gates is not really feasible.

I’ve said this before. I own a huge shed. I also have a brick-built, solid outhouse. I wouldn’t keep a bike in either. I also lived in a tiny studio flat in central London when I first moved there- the bike lived right behind my bed (pillow) not in the communal shed at the back. If you don’t like losing stuff you’d find a way- ditch the cheap bikes.

Anyone got any recommendations for garage alarms?

Any alarm is pointless if its within reach and being able to be smashed to bits, you need remote monitoring, a big master balster in a steel cage, flashing lights in a cage, and covert cctv.

Do you have access to the garage other than the up and over door?

If so, it may be easier to block the up and over altogether and use a side door which is easier to secure.

Next week moving into a house with a garage so reading this with interest – up and over front is the only access. So far only thought of parking the car an inch from the door, possibly seeing if a baby monitor will work and keeping the front wheel of the bike inside the house. In fact more I think about it, feeling vulnerable as the garage is disconnected from the house due to side gate access.

The ‘car / van up against the door’ routine doesn’t work.

I know people who did that and all the thieves did was to break into the car, let the handbrake off and roll it down the drive.

A metal security post, anchored into the concrete that you can raise and lower would be better, as the theives would need the key or a (loud) electric cutting tool to remove.

Really sickening to hear that they tried to come again last night. They’re obviously not pro thieves to hit the same place more than once in succession. Probably some local scrotes who want the bikes for themselves.

You could always purchase a paintball gun and stake them out one night……

Scamper is it pebble-dashed? Double check if it is because certain types you can easily kick in (fairly thin-sheeted panels).

The ‘car / van up against the door’ routine doesn’t work.
I know people who did that and all the thieves did was to break into the car, let the handbrake off and roll it down the drive.

Works for me but my drive slopes down towards the garage door.

So does mine. Would a security post just draw attention?

Roller Shutter type doors certainly the most robust. Considering replacing my up and over door with a self coiling type, I don’t think a white one would be too much of an eye sore!