Getting paranoid - bike security

[shooter]

After readig the stolen section im getting paranoid because the unfortunate thing about having a bike is once its stolen its damn hard to get back or you get lucky if you do get it back.

Even when you take the precautions these Low life's still find a way around, so I wanted to see who's got some really effective methods of securing your bike, tech ( cameras , gps , relays , motion sensors ) things you know work and the pitfalls of any of them. Also something that can be used in or on a rental property for the people who can't modify their homes.

Ill start it off with a few like ;

xena audible alarm disc lock - pretty damn loud and sensitive , easy to use and effective but can be prone to nuisance alarms if someone bumps it going past. Portable for when your at Race meets etc

Wifi security cameras - only needs power ( battery or 240v) as it transmits over wifi to your phone or computer . Cheap and easy but the signal can be interrupted or blocked- pretty sure your high end thiefs would be onto this.

Lock down straps - work like tie downs but the caribiner at each end has a combination lock to lock it on , with a braided cable through it to prevent someone cutting it. Reasonably priced especially if you need some decent tie downs and easy to use. Combinations are fairly easy to crack though and whilst it'd take a few goes with bolt cutters, you'd eventually cut through the steel braid.

[crash n bern]

Like Wasp said.  There are the proffesionals that have targeted your place because they know what you have.  And there are the randoms.  The proffesionals usually know what you have because some one talked about it.  So low profile about what you own is best deterent there.

Randoms are easier, just by making it hard.  Full fence around your property with locked gates. Helps if you like living in a compound.  A couple of mastif cross gaurd dogs that are bred specifically for stopping people help as well. http://www.trubluebandog.abcalert.com/  http://www.boerboelaustralia.com/info.htm  Design and build your own front gate around a closed shackle padlock that can't be accessed with cutting tools.  Keep it closed and locked 24/7 even when your at home.  Some people only close/lock them when they go out, if someone is scoping your property it's like a signal that your not home.

Lock all your bikes except one or two that you can afford to loose.  They're your decoy bikes.  They'll go for the quick and easy.  Buy all your locks from an online wholesale locksmith in the U.S. for about one third of the price here, and order them all keyed alike so you only need one key.

The best security is to have someone home, so move your aging inlaws in.

A mate of mine, after having his bike stolen built a strong room inside his shed to park his bike in.  Worked when he got hit again two years later.   All they got was his helmet and jacket.

Another good deterent and this is my favourite, is to put crazy hand painted signs all over the front of your place with religious rants all over them, throw a few warning ones in for good measure. Then dump old junk everywhere. You will be known as the madman, and your place will look like crap but it will keep people away.  No one wants to mess with what they percieve to be a physco, because they can't predict your behaviour.

Those farm cameras or hunting cameras are good if you want a collection of pictures of some blokes with hoody's over their heads wheeling your bikes away.

If your bikes do get stolen, don't beat your self up over it.  Move on and put it behind you.  I had a mate who's house got done over.  It ate him up, destroyed his marriage and ended up having a heart attack and dying over it all, he was 37.  At the end of the day you can't take it with you.  Take it on the chin like a bad tax bill and use the anger in a positive way to drive you to a better life. 

[Bitten]

I am not sure it this exists but with all the technology out there surely there is a small inexpensive device that can be attached to the bike (under seat / air box) that you can track on your mobile phone so if your bike is stolen you can tell the police where it is.

You see in the movies little stick on micro dots that the spy slips under the lapel or into a coat pocket to track the bad guy -  surely this exists and could assist with finding stolen bikes

If it doesn't exist there must be enough grey matter on this site to invent it!

losing a bike would be crushing!

[Andrew L]

Aldi had a collar mounted gps tracker for dogs for $79 a week or so ago you could use one of them under the seat needs recharging every now and then I suppose.
http://www.aldi.com.au/au/html/offers/2827_26465.htm

[Nathan S]

The stories you hear about Harleys being stolen make it clear that the real pros will get a bike if they want it (and, apparently that scrap metal has gone up a lot in value, or that pro thieves have no taste... ).

The opportunists (usually kids) are easy enough to stop with basic security.

To my mind, the real question is how to deal with the 'semi-pros' in the middle, and working out the best cost:benefit ratio - remembering that you can't beat them all, and virtually everything you do makes your own life harder.

[mick25]

This is a idea I came up with a while back , may sound a bit odd to some or paranoid.
If you can or have a shed big enoungh is to put in a hidden room ( like a panic room in the movies  )
So my idea is to have a wall deviding your shed , make it go from one side to the shed to the other , make the wall heavy duty hinged at one end hidden of cause then at the other end of the wall put a castor wheel inside the wall so the whole wall is 20mm or so off the floor.
make the wall so it looks used etc tools hanging off it , so the whole wall will swing open and shut the castor wheel will take up the weight of the wall , and make the hidden room just deep enough to fit the bikes in there , and make sure theres no widows or external doors in the hidden room , you may only need to make the hidden room two metres deep.
so if someone breaks in they wont see the bikes  unless they measure the out side of the shed then measure the inside and work out theres two or so meters missing this sounds a bit like one of those drug labs rooms
Or you could just use a smaller hidden door etc depends on shed layout etc.
I herd of a guy useing a baby monitor they can hear a pin drop but only good if you are at home in bed with the device next to your bed.
no good for me because all I will hear is my snoring pug dog who sleeps in the shed / guard dog

[Paul552]

I have 2 bullmastiff's

They can do 2 tricks
1. turn dog food into dog s#£t
2. Anything that enters the yard never leaves!

[mitch75]

Chains and padlocks. Chain the frames together and put a pad lock on rear sprocket.
Make the thieving bastards work for them like you had to.

[Nathan S]

Mick25, at least one ozvmxer has already had his shed raided by the cops because his security measures made it look like it was some sort of drug lab...
It's a fairly funny story, but I'm sure it was MUCH less amusing for him.