My brother nearly had his bike nicked last night – he keeps it under a carport on a quiet and generally safe (ie low crime) area of Yorkshire. However he heard noises in the middle of the night and saw two lads (on lookout) at the end of his drive so he banged on the window only to then see two more lads come running from the carport. When he checked, they had already cut through a hefty cable (the bike was padlocked with this to the frame of the carport) but they hadn’t managed to get through the disklock on the front wheel.

So, going forwards, who can recommend some better security for it (he does have a garage but it’s small and was full of other rubbish, although he’s moved that now so make space).

I was thinking a proper ground anchor, but what does he need to attach the bike to it with that is going to be a bit more scrote-resistant?

Cheers

Ground anchor with a big chain and lock which is off the ground (Oxford monster) , another lock and chain (chain is abus) in the other wheel and a d lock are currently on my scooter. Keep mine covered as well. I’d be tempted to get one of those blank firing trip wire alarms as well.

I got these. Chain is pretty damned weighty but admittedly they haven’t been tested by thieves as yet.

But standard wisdom applies as with bicycles, make it as noisy & difficult to get to as is possible, garage and out of sight if possible (still with the anchor and chain).

PS. If still in the carport/open don’t leave the chain attached to the ground anchor when the bike isn’t there, apparently some thieves will take the opportunity to tamper with the chain, so you’ll come back and be unable to lock the bike back up again

Almax chain secured to a ground anchor and the frame, keep the chain under the bike so it is hard to get to for thieves. I’d add an alarmed disc lock too, not because they are massively effective but because moving the bike will set it off and alert your brother.

He needs to keep it in the garage and fit Enfield door locks – they likely will be back so some kind of visible cctv camera might deter some , although it’s hoody time and not looking at the camera is well known to keep you safe from the law.

+1 for Almax chains

But standard wisdom applies as with bicycles, make it as noisy & difficult to get to as is possible, garage and out of sight if possible (still with the anchor and chain).

His bedroom is directly above so I think he should move it permanently into the garage and he would hear anyone opening the door.

PS. If still in the carport/open don’t leave the chain attached to the ground anchor when the bike isn’t there, apparently some thieves will take the opportunity to tamper with the chain, so you’ll come back and be unable to lock the bike back up again

Good point – I shall tell him this one.

Almax for me too i have to say.

Cables are useless. A proper good d lock and a whacking great chain to a ground anchor

Cables are useless. A proper good d lock and a whacking great chain to a ground anchor

Yeah I think he knows this now but, living in a low crime area (and away from main roads etc) I think he felt he didn’t need to take security entirely seriously. Saying that, I did get my Vauxhall Nova SR stolen from outside the same house (our late parents family home) some 20+ years ago.

As his room is so close he could clip a fishing line to the bike and run it up to his window to a bell, and have buckets of oil on simmer, need to oil the window so it does not creak when opening for bucket though.

Convince the neighbours to buy a better bike than his.

CCTV, you can get a pair of NeoCams for £25.

I’d be keeping it somewhere else for a couple of weeks before sticking it in the garage.

Trouble with chains and the like now is that a cheap battery angle grinder will be through it in seconds. So it’s about making it as difficult and noisy as possible in the hope that they stop bothering.

By the sounds of it the garage is integral to the house so I’d be getting an alarm fitted, even a cheap basic one in the garage.

ALMAX V and ground anchor + alarm mines.

The Almax V will take a while to cut as its bigger than Titanic anchor chain…… and the alarm mine will scare the willies out of them.

If he’s needing fertiliser, substitute the blanks in the alarm mine for real cartridges and then bury the scum in the garden/under patio.

You need Almax chain and squire padlock