How can I secure my bikes in a wooden shed?

My mate just got his bike stolen. Im gutted for him but also worried about my own bikes!

My bikes are in a wooden shed and all locked to each other with a collection of cheap and expensive locks, the idea to make one big lump / mass that the local bams cant get out without making a lot of noise.

Ideally though I would like to secure them a bit more firmly… I cant use one of those motorbike style floor bolts as the floor is wooden and just help up at the 4 corners on old bits of slab.

I was planning to cut a hole in the floor, stick a garden big bin bag down and spread it around so I have a hole about 2" to 3" diameter wide with a bag down it thats about 6" tall by however much space it expands in each direction, pour some concrete / cement down there and embed a secure point for fasting all the bikes to… would this work? Would the concrete set?

Is there a better solution?

David.

http://www.torc-anchors.com/shed-shackle.php

D-lock in a big bucket of concrete – lock you bikes to that?

One of these………..

Big block of concrete under the shed with a big ground anchor embedded in it is about as good ask you can get I guess.

Liking both suggestions here!

Does anyone have one of the shed shackles? Are they any good? Look like the solution.

Defo like the D-Lock in a bucket of concrete plan for cheapness tho – £10 for a cheap D-Lock from ASDA. Would concrete dry in a plastic bag / bucket okay?

Stompy – that would also sort out next doors dog as well? 😆

I wish mate……

Certainly liking the ideas here (suffering with a rented wooden shed myself and hence keeping the decent bikes in the flat) but i suspect very little will help, especially the D lock, apart from local kids with no skillz. Recently took a set of power line croppers to a few locks for clearup of old locks purposes- So far they have removed a flimsy wire lock (5mm steel) and a 8-9mm wire-surrounded-by-hardened-rings like they were a golden dairy product. Later tests on old/abandoned locks include a hefty D lock and one of those galvanised-square-linked expensive locks like you see round motorbike wheels – both of which went through with minimal effort from a 5'2" computer programmer (not me), having withstood several attempts with a hacksaw each first.

Hmmmm – how many people who have had thier bikes nicked have had thier locks cut?

I was wondering if it was common for bams to go equiped to those levels?

I made myself a couple of these, puts a bit more of a barrier in the way of actually getting in the shed in the first place

http://www.dgsecurity.co.uk/Shed.htm

Encase your wooden shed within a brick shed ?

Look at it from the thief's POV & try to make it an unattractive proposition for him.

The last thing they want is to be seen – so if your shed is in a position where it's overlooked or can be seen from the road etc. make it difficult for them to gain entry, make them spend some time exposed
If it's a well concealed shed spend the money on more/better locks on the inside & get one of those cheap wireless shed alarms & make sure that the receiver would be audible to the thieves, just inside you're back door etc.

Uplink, when I lived in Hanwell we had a shed in the middle of the garden. It didn't stop the local scum from stealing my SX. Witnesses? None. Fingerprints? Nowt.
My advice – don't do it.

OR:

http://www.break.com/index/electric-door-prank.html

I had my bike nicked from a uni bike shed by someone suitable equipped to go through the fairly substantial D-lock it was attached to. Made some nice v-shaped teeth marks on the lock they left on the floor.
Also had a mates bike completely stripped of components while he was in a pub – they drove a van up as close as they could to it to work on it & then stripped everything they could off it (I guess they didn't have suitable tools to beat the lock).

So, I would go with the assumption that they will have some fairly heavy duty kit & avoid buying the cheapest locks you can get your hands on.

I am currently thinking along the same lines – hole in shed floor – dig large hole – fill with concrete & ground anchors, then run a chain round all the bikes & through the ground anchors. Anything that slows them down is worth it, I reckon.

Can anyone recomend a very good padlock and chain?

Then you could push the chain into a "setting" large bucket/container of concrete.

I reckon this would be good.

But as coffeeking says, they "may" be able to cut through the chain/padlock with "croppers".

when my last bike got nicked, they cut through the hasp and staples on the shed door, through a kryptonite D lock and ripped a hasp and staple out of the floor with a Kryptonite cable lock on it. I also had a not very cheap wireless shed alarm that they diablsed as soon as it went off.

Didn't hear an effin thing – If they want it they will have it! The best thing to do is not advertise the fact you have a nice bike in the first place – carry it in the car, don't hang about locally on it etc…

Place a walk in bank vault inside your shed. Ebay ?

Yes, concrete will aventually dry in a hole or a bag in a hole. 8)

I also had a not very cheap wireless shed alarm that they diablsed as soon as it went off.

The one I have can't be disabled from the shed end of the gubbins
Once it's gone off I need to cancel it at the receiver

Keep it in the house- that's that. My garden is v safe from intruders but bikes live indoors, no questions.

Hairychested, i know hanwell very well, brought up in ealing, some right mashed up scum in that area, would nick anything if they're not already leggless, ie, go to chicken shop for some crap food and get offered a snowboard for a tenner in summer….if your bike bikes not actually in your house then you run a much higher risk of having it nicked….

Concrete cures underwater IIRC!

that is true ck

some crap food and get offered a snowboard for a tenner in summer

Can you get me a snowboard for a tenner? I'd like one for winter!

Er ….no, i'm a skis person, tried snowboarding 19years ago and did'nt get on with it at all.

You could always go to the chicken shop in hanwell opposite lidls at 2 in the morning and see what turns up….Hairychested' sx probably.

Keep them in the house, it's the only way. My mate manages to store his under the stairs (wheels off) I keep mine in the conservatory.

not for everyone but as i have 2 bikes in the shed and would hate to lose one of them i have taken to removing the chainsets on both and put a u-lock though the bottom brackets motor cycle style with the built in alarms. Chainset only takes 2 mins to remove or refit lose of bikes would take a little longer to replace, lets see spme chave put that lot over his shoulder oh and remove front wheel. just remember not to store them next to the bike 😕

Got my two bikes in a shed.
Its one of those windowless ones with double locking and an alarm.

On the inside I'm using a dead weight (in this case a neutral CT from a 132kV transformer – small but very heavy – bout 70kgs) and expensive chain and lock to secure them.

It seems like if these thiefs want the bikes then they will get hold of them what ever. If they are carrying cutters that can get through expensive locks and chains and they have vans waiting then what can u do? Mine are insured so at least I can get a replacement if nicked.

Would be hesitant about storing in the house – if thiefs know I have a few grands worth of bikes to nick then I don't want them to attempt to break into my house when I'm out – or worse still when I'm out and the missus is in!

+1 shed shackle. Brilliant piece of kit, it has reinforced the wall of my shed really well. Plus several motorcycle locks. And a bit of ships anchor chain, a couple of dlocks and several cheap 'newsagent' locks. I keep the expensive bikes near the wall, with a pile of other bikes locked in to the heap with lots of PITA locks.

Yes the concrete will go off fine in a bucket or bag or whatever. It's a chemical reaction (that requires water) not a drying process.

Webcam in the shed – then you can watch your bike as you post on here 🙂

"one of those galvanised-square-linked expensive locks like you see round motorbike wheels – both of which went through with minimal effort from a 5'2" computer programmer (not me), having withstood several attempts with a hacksaw each first."

Sad fact is, most expensive chains are s**t, not because chains can't be protective but because they spend all the money on advertising and flash packaging then buy monkey metal chains from china for pennies and sell them for a ton.

You could get an Almax Immobiliser or similiar though, that'll be effective- they're not immune to hydraulic croppers but then not much is, they can cut through cars. But they'll stop almost any bolt cropper dead.

Where are you guys from, the Bronx?

With the amount of cash you guys spend on chains and locks,you could buy a house in the country miles away from Kev and Denzel and their chums.

Dmiller email me on the email in my profile for some advice.

Where are you guys from, the Bronx?

Moodiesburn – or as a few of mates call it "The Ghetto!". Its just next to Glasgow / Cumbernauld but comes with a G69 post code. Which I'm proud off… Its actually not that bad, its a big council estate and quite poor but the people are 99.999% cool. Even the junkies will stop and have a chat to you in the street etc. Most crime here is pretty thievery of stuff thats easy to nick and drugs violence as the junkies have a pop at each other. Junkie fights are really funny as they are all talk and then dont want to get hit. Nothing funnier than two people slowly backing away from each other giving "come here so I can hit you!", "no you come here so I can hit you!" etc. If they actually do get it at usually the builder built like a tank (seriously strong guy, all muscle) will come out in his boxers (dunno why – always in his boxers) and sort them out.

So I dont need a armed guard and 4" thick walls, just enough to discourage them.

Anyway – Im hoping that if the bikes are to hard to pinch if anyone does have a pop at the shed they will be happy with just the lawnmower (sitting right by the door for ease of thieving) 😉

Project – email sent thanks!

David.

If some one wants to get your bike they will.

All you can do is try and slow them down, and make as much noise as possible.

I will be putting bikes in a shed again after a couple of years in a cellar.

The exterior of the shed will not look any different to any other. However the area around the lock inside will be reinforced, I'll fit an alarm to the door. Theyre pretty cheap £10. Then I will make a hole in the floor and put a an anchor in place. Finally I will leave other stuff in the shed ie ladders & BBQ's all to make it more of a pain to get to the bikes.

The tirck is not to leave anywhere where the thief can get leverage, thats what makes it easier for them.

When I went through a spate of bike thefts a few years back the Police said that it tends to be either kids (who only go for the easy opportunist stuff) or professional scumbags who will either follow you home, or watch for you cleaning bikes etc.

Send me your e-mail, mines in profile and I'll throw in my 2p's worth

Thanks for all your suggestions!

I like the Shed Shackle the best but at close to £60 for it plus the cost of bolts etc that will need to wait a bit until I can afford that.

I came up with my own solution that cost me £15 all in – I bought:
– Hole cutting set for drill – £5. Meant for installing down lighters in plasterboard but cut through wood okay.
– Bolts, nuts, big washers, metal hoop on a metal plate – £5
– Premixed concrete stuff – £5

Stage one was to build the "ground anchor". It needed to be tall enough to sink into the concrete and have enough shape to it to grip into the concrete once it dries.

It looks smaller in the pictures than in real life – the washers are at different heights to let the conrete flow around it. The bolts are round headed so you cant remove them.

Stage two, cut a hole in the shed floor, put a asda blue rubble sack down it, push the bag out so its much wider than the hole. This works well for me as my shed is only on a slab in each corner (wasnt me that put it up!). Stick some concrete into the bag and push it as far out and round as you can. Place the ground anchor in the hole and pack around it with concrete. Use gloves as concrete will annoy your skin.

Strage three, wait a bit and then tidy the hole.

Stage four, make a neat top plate to cover the hole. Mine has a smaller hole than the one I first cut as I think that is neater. Recess the screw holes and file the big hole so its neat. If you pre-drill the screw holes it helps stop the wood from splitting.

Stage five, screw the neat top in place, I also filed the corners slightly to round it off.

Job done – rock hopper secured!

I will of course use a better lock than that and plan to get some chain soon from a mate.

All the pictures are here:

Thanks to every one for the help – including Paul who emailed me a good list of help full hints! Thanks!