Thieves

[BrynCP]

I am fuming.

Woken up at 1am today to a horrendous sound from the garden. Disturbed a group of quick footed things trying to steal my bikes.

They'd got to within a couple of strands of cable of breaking the cable lock that ties both bikes together, but in the process they have scratched both the hybrid and road bike (6 week old) frames, damaged both the back wheels and the rear brake cable of the road bike. A big heavy bar was on hand no doubt to try and then break the D-Lock and presumably the door as they entered through a window too small to remove anything but small components.

Moved the bikes to a garage now. Problem is the garage is too small, so the car is out on the road, and the garage is rented a few streets away, so is not very convenient nor is it really safe once people know the bikes are in there and I wouldn't be so lucky to hear it.

Police have said they'd look for them but chances are they'll have broken up

Wonder if I should get bike shop to check over the frame (alu + carbon seatpost + carbon forks) in case? They look OK.

 

[petergc]

At least you still have possession of your equipment. I'd be gutted if mine were stolen. I pick up my trek today and I'm seriously considering insurance!!!!

 

[summerdays]

Glad to hear that you managed to stop them! Where were they being stored? Was it in a shed? Problem is I think they may come back. Could you fit some kind of alarm?

 

[ianrauk]

Insurance is essential unless you keep your bikes next to your bed at night or in a secret underground bunker.

If the frames are scratched, I doubt its anything worse then that.

 

[Globalti]

In a remote garage the bikes are even more at risk. Bring them into the house now and keep them indoors.Check that they will be covered under "unspecified possessions" under your house insurance, whether indoors or outdoors in use.

 

[Dayvo]

After having my commute bike stolen from outside my ground floor flat last summer, there is no way that I will keep my bikes outdoors again. Two are indoors (one hanging from the ceiling) and one locked on a safe and secluded verandah.

The misses, after seeing my grief, was happy to oblige.

Her commute bike is locked outside in a bike shed (I'm not risking that), but her brand new Fuji bike is also indoors.

My household insurance covered the costs to a certain extent as my excess was 50% of the value of the bike and accessories.

 

[BrynCP]

They were stored in a brick shed. They climbed in what was a window, but is now just a hole: not big enough to get a bike out of.

Problem is insurance won't cover anything in the shed because the structure isn't considered secure - I already approached a few companies. The bikes are actually pretty secure though in my mind, even with the window it takes what seconds to break a pane of glass. There is a large immovable frame so my road bike gets D-Locked to that, and the hybrid is cable locked to my road bike. So while it's easy to get in, it's hard to get anything out.

What they tried to do yesterday is take a metal bar, lodge it in the cable lock and just twist and twist, hence the damage to the bikes. They also tried to saw the D-Lock making hardly a scratch. I think they were at it some time before getting impatient and making the noise by trying to rive it.

The hybrid has come off worse with the scratches. The back wheel of the road bike looked warped and there was a lot of pressure on the spokes from the other bike pushing against it and the rear brake was locked against the wheel. I've pulled on the calliper brakes and that appears to be OK now and the wheel moves freely between the pads. I just need to ride it and see if the spokes pop if they have been weakened.

 

[ComedyPilot]

Too many domestics round our way at the moment**...scares the burglars off


**Not chez CP btw

 

[stephec]

I've got a few of these around the garden after someone tried to get into my shed.

Once had them set off, you should hear the noise they make, I hope whoever it was absolutely shoot themselves.

http://www.henrykrank.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1_44_47&products_id=2964

 

[CopperBrompton]

The only good news is that they're amateurs from the state of that cable lock. Anyone who had a clue would have snipped that in two seconds flat.

 

[BrynCP]

The only good news is that they're amateurs from the state of that cable lock. Anyone who had a clue would have snipped that in two seconds flat.

My thoughts exactly - it was only really there to tie the two bikes together with the better lock attaching to the frame. Wish they had just clipped it because it's caused very deep scratches right down to the metal on the bike frame. It looks like they used a pen knife to try and saw through the D-Lock too.

Only concern now is they come back better prepared. Bit of a shame if they do though because the bikes have new homes.

 

[Roadhump]

I've got a few of these around the garden after someone tried to get into my shed.

Once had them set off, you should hear the noise they make, I hope whoever it was absolutely **** themselves.

http://www.henrykrank.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1_44_47&products_id=2964

Do cats, dogs or birds set them off?

 

[stephec]

Do cats, dogs or birds set them off?

Depends how you set them up, mine are at least waist height so that small animals don't.

 

[Roadhump]

My bike has been in my front living room since the end of October when someone broke into my garage which is at the bottom of my garden, and accessed via a neighbour's land. I think we must have disturbed them when we arrived home as nothing was taken or tampered with - just the padlock, hasp and staple broken. I now have a new garage door, with 5 lever lock, a locking hasp and staple and a padlocked hasp and staple. However, I still keep my bike in the house. My house insurance cover for theft from my property as long as it is a secured garage, and I adjusted it for cover for theft of personal possessions away from home, which covers bikes and cost an extra £48 a year as opposed to £70 if just insuring the bike specifically.

 

[Roadhump]

Depends how you set them up, mine are at least waist height so that small animals don't.

Could be amusing in respect of drunken offspring arriving home drunk.