New Bike getting nicked....

paulieeye

Hey Everyone,

I have a question about locking my bike to stop some scum bag from going off with it.

I've recently bought a dragstar 250. I got 2 locks with it. A heavy duty chain with a good lock. And the other is a Disk lock (although its more a pad lock on the wheel as its too big to go through the disk). This lock I put through the spokes in the wheel...should I even be doing this, could someone just cut the spoke its on and take the lock off?

I'm keeping the bike in my front drive way. Here there is these concrete pillars about 3ft high, but the problem is theres no top on them and only a chain running through it that looks like a could break with my teeth.

So my question is: what the best approach given all of this to keep my bike safe???

• Should I lock the front suspension fork to the pillar anyway knowing that if somebody wants it all the have to do is break the chain that goes through the pillar and lift it over the pillar. And also have the disk lock on the back?
• Or lock the front wheel to the frame of the bike and not to the pillar at all and have the disk lock on the back? Also with a cover over the bike.
• Or is there a better way to keep my lovely new bike safe???

Thanks for reading.
paulie

madrab

1&2 just buy another chain, a bike cover, & ground anchor

paulieeye

madrab wrote:

1&2 just buy another chain, a bike cover, & ground anchor

Cant put in a ground anchor cus I'm renting. Got a cover already. Probably get another chain alright

spockety

paulieeye wrote:

Cant put in a ground anchor cus I'm renting. Got a cover already. Probably get another chain alright

Decide whether you would rather a bit of trouble in case you get caught putting in a ground anchor (which you could always remove later with a ground anchor if you're ordered to), or would you rather have your bike nicked?

Simple rule is that your bike MUST be locked TO something immovable like a tree or a lamp post. A 3 foot concrete bollard won't cut it, it could easily be lifted off. You're asking for trouble leaving your bike out the front of a building without it being properly secured.

paulieeye

spockety wrote:

Decide whether you would rather a bit of trouble in case you get caught putting in a ground anchor (which you could always remove later with a ground anchor if you're ordered to), or would you rather have your bike nicked?

Simple rule is that your bike MUST be locked TO something immovable like a tree or a lamp post. A 3 foot concrete bollard won't cut it, it could easily be lifted off. You're asking for trouble leaving your bike out the front of a building without it being properly secured.

I was thinking as much. Theres a lamp post out on the road, I can lock it to that til I try to sort out the anchor.

Any info on ground anchors would be much appricated, to these have to be set in concrete?

Thanks for the replies

murphaph

Forget about the pillar being secure. I had a mate whose car was nicked after the scummers pulled his pillar and gates down with a 4x4.

If you are going to park a bike in a front drive then you need a ground anchor mate. Fit one of these and if your landlord complains (why would he? it's a feature for future tenants!) then just fill it with a small bit of patching concrete and that's it.

You could fabricate a y anchor if you know how for next to nothing. It's just box section. I wouldn't bother with surface mount anchors.

spockety

paulieeye wrote:

I was thinking as much. Theres a lamp post out on the road, I can lock it to that til I try to sort out the anchor.

Any info on ground anchors would be much appricated, to these have to be set in concrete?

Thanks for the replies

They dont' have to be set in concrete, you can get ones that screw into the ground and have caps over the screw holes. you can't get them out without an angle grinder (and a lot of noise).

I've used an ABUS one before, and also a chrome one from Hardie.
The Abus one was pretty discreet, not sure if you can get them any more but any decent bike shop should have a selection of them. Also a locksmith's shop will have a few to choose from.

The lamppost out the front would definitely be more secure than the bike just sitting in your garden.

paulieeye

Thanks lads. I'll look into it.

Horatio

And one more thing, if you are using a chain make sure it is
up off the ground, no matter how good the chain and lock if its on the
ground the scumbags can use a sledgehammer againest it on the ground,
it takes mere minutes

paulieeye

I'm locking it around the crash bar. I locked it to the lamp post last night. When I came home later that night, the first thing the cabbie said was..."Thats a well locked up bike there.."...job! i said to myself!

KTRIC

paulieeye wrote:

I'm locking it around the crash bar. I locked it to the lamp post last night. When I came home later that night, the first thing the cabbie said was..."Thats a well locked up bike there.."...job! i said to myself!

Well cabbie's know best (except when they cut you off), so you must be doing something right.

madrab

someones in a bitter mood today

paulieeye

KTRIC wrote:

Well cabbie's know best (except when they cut you off), so you must be doing something right.

This guy seemed to know what he was on about...makes a change

KTRIC

madrab wrote:

someones in a bitter mood today

Today !!! I'm always in a bitter mood :mad:

They don't call me "Angry Al" for nothing.